Mode
The mode of a Navajo verb conveys information about the timing of an action or condition. There are seven modes: Imperfective, Perfective, Future, Iterative, Usitative, Optative, and Progressive. This website provides descriptions of each mode and provides example sentences that illustrate the modes. Certain adverbial expressions are compatible with only some of the modes. Examples of these are included also.
Here is one example with a verb in the optative mode:
Each sentence is displayed with the Navajo text on the first line, an English translation on the third, and a gloss of words and word parts on the second. The verb stem is in italics and indicates the mode. There is also a red button which, when clicked, will allow you to hear a recording of a speaker saying the sentence. For more information on the gloss of words and word parts visit this link. For this project we draw on previous work by Fernald & Perkins (manuscript), Young & Morgan (1987), Young, Morgan & Midgette (1992), and others cited in References [link].
In the box below you can search for sentences by verb, mode, or adverb.
An example search has returned 50 entries
’Akóyaa ’adah, t’áá baa ’áhólchįįh.
there-down down, just 3-to 2-aware.NI’Ashkii yázhí éí bimá kingóó yił yi’ash.
boy little TOP 3-mother store-to 3-with 3-walk.du.Prog’Áádę́ę́’ nánísdzáago łį́į́’ bá nida’deeshjoł.
from.there 1-return.P-GO horse 3-for pl-1-set.out.NCM.F’Áádóó éí haa daadzaa?
and.then TOP what pl-3-do.P’Ádihodideesht’ih sha’shin nisingo t’áadoo ’atah haasdzíi’ da.
RFLX-1-get.into.trouble.F perhaps 1-think.CI-GO NEG among 1-say.P NEGI didn’t say anything because I thought I might get myself into trouble.
bookmark- Future (F)
- ’ádihodiisht’ééh get oneself into trouble
- sha’shin perhapsfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)
- nisin think, want
- t’áadoo notfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrasesfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)
- haasdziih speak, exclaim
’Eii ’asdzání t’áá naníle’dii haadzih.
that lady just dismay 3-speak.PCh’iiyáán la’ doo łikan da.
food LA’ NEG 3-sweet.NI NEGCh’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Bilagáanaa Bizaad doo diists’a’ da. K’ad ’éí t’áá shxǫǫ t’áá bee yáshti’.
formerly English neg 1-understand.I neg. Now TOP good.thing barely 3.with 1.speak-ICh’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Bilagáanaa Bizaad doo diists’a’ da. K’ad éí t’ááshxǫǫd t’áá bee yáshti’.
formerly English NEG 1-understand.I NEG | now TOP at.least just 3-with 1-speak.IChidí nahideeshnih ndi shibéeso ’ádin.
car 3-1-buy.F but 1-money 3-none.NIDaango k’ééda’dilyééh nt’éé’ t’áádoo k’ééda’diilyáa da.
spring-GO 3-plant.R past NEG 3-3-plant.P NEGWe used to plant in the springtime, but this time we didn’t.
bookmark- -go verb and subordinating encliticfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Iterative (R)
- k’idishłé plant it
- ńt’éé’ pastfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- ńt’éé’ relates to past timefind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- t’áadoo notfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)
- k’idishłé plant it
Damóo yę́ędą́ą́’ Yootóógóó niséyá.
Sunday past Santa.Fe-to 1-go.PDíí tł’éé’ t’áá ká dóola dá’ák’eólyeed.
this night NEG bull into.field-3-run.ODlǫ́ǫ́’ ’a’ą́ą́dę́ę́’ hanoolne’ dóó naneesne’.
prairie.dog hole-from stick.head.up.out.P and 3-look.around.PDziłneeláagí nánisé’ ’azee’ háágeed.
mountain-end-at growing.herb medicine up-3-1-dig-1.Phadazhdínóołchał
pl-3DO-4dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).Fcard it (as in wool), 4th person plural
bookmarkHaidą́ą́’ shich’ą́ą́h ’ííchííl na’nishkaadgo.
winter-past 1-protect 3-snow.P 3-1-herd.CI-GOHáí lá sis łigai ’áyiił’įįh
who-Q belt silver 3-3-make.UWho makes silver concho belts?
bookmarkHáísh tsinaa’eeł ’áyiilaa?
who-Q boat 3-3-make.PHííłch’į’go ’índa ta’iideeshnih.
evening.GO until 1-mix.dough.Fjidoołbish
3DO-4-boil.it.FKóhoot’éédą́ą́’ dibé yázhí t’óó ’ahayóí hazlį́į́’. K’ad ’éí doo t'óó ’ahayói da.
last.year sheep baby a.lot 3-Pas-it.occured.P now this NEG a.lot NEGNimá sání bich’į́’ ch’iyáán ła’ dijááh.
2-grandmother 2-to food some start-3-2.take.PlO2.FNił hǫ́zhǫ́ǫ́sh doodaii’ doósh nił hózhǫ́ǫ da?
2-with-happy.NI-Q or neg-Q 2-with happy.NI negShá bíighah yáshti’ lá.
sun proportionate 1-talk.I DISCShicheii béeso bideená naalnish.
1-grandfather money 3-exchange.for 3-work.IShidá'í, nilį́į́’ sha’níłteeh.
1-maternal.uncle 2-horse 1-to-3-2-lend.AnO.IShilééchąą’í bił na’nishkaadgo jooł bá ’abíńjíshhałgo yikéé’ náádiilwo’.
1-dog 3-with 1-herd.CI ball 3-for 3-1-bat.R-GO 3-after 3-run.RWhen I’m out herding with my dog I bat fly balls for him and he chases them.
bookmark- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- accompaniment
- -go verb and subordinating encliticfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -á for, for the benefit offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- benefactive
- -kéé’ behind, followingfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)
- na’nishkaad herd, go out herding
- Iterative (R)