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
ʼÁłah ʼaleehdi ʼamá bééhániih daats'í bá dazhniiyą́ą́? ʼÁko daatsʼí nímasii łaʼ ʼakǫ́ǫ́ dííkááł.
meeting-at mother 3-remember perhaps 3-for 4-pl-eat.F potatoes perhaps some there 3-2-take.F’Adą́ą́dą́ą́’ ’íítseedgo bee na’anishí hasht’enáshdlééh.
yesterday 1-pound.P-GO tool 3-1-put.back.I’Akóyaa ’adah, t’áá baa ’áhólchįįh.
there-down down, just 3-to 2-aware.NI"Binák’eegóó baa da’ashch’osh lá," didíínííł.
3-eye-between-around 3-to pl-3-infest.P DISC 3-2-tell.F"Doildinę́ę’ daazts’ą́ą́ lá," didííniił.
3-be.outcast.NI-deceased 3-die.P DISC 3-2-tell.FBaa tįįh náádiikah.
3-for achieve 1dpl-walk.pl.IBee nahaldzoohí yah ’adíítį́į́ł. Da’ yah 'ííńtą́?
broom in 3-2-bring.F.SSO Q in 3.2.bring.P.SSOCh’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 t’ą́ą́’ nináníłbą́ą́z.
car just 3-1-reparked.RDa’ ’ałní’ní’ą́ąjį’ tł’óo’di nishínílnish?
Q noon-until outside-at 2-work.PDa’diidį́į́ł.
pl-1dpl-eat-pl.Fdadínółkaad
pl-3DO-2dpl-start.to.herd.them.(animals).Istart to herd them (animals), 2nd person plural
bookmarkDamóo yę́ędą́ą́’ Yootóógóó niséyá.
Sunday past Santa.Fe-to 1-go.PDichinísh doodaii’ dibáá’ísh jinízin?
hunger-Q or thirst-Q 3-4-want.NIDiné bikéyah bikáa’gi ndahonidzood yę́ędą́ą́’ Naatsis’áán hoolyéégóó niha’áłchíní bił ’adahineet’į́į́’.
Navajo 3-land 3-on-at pl-areal-3-flee.pl.P past Navajo.Mountain areal-be.called.NI-to 1pl-children 3-with pl-1dpl-sneak.off.PAt the time people were on the run in Navajoland, fleeing in small groups, we sneaked away with our children one group after another, to Navajo Mountain.
bookmark- -káá’ on, on top offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
- -gi atfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)
- yę́ędą́ą́’ pastfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- Neuter Imperfective (NI)
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- accompaniment
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)
Díí yiską́ągo ’íídííłtah.
this tomorrow 3-2-read.FDlǫ́ǫ́’ ’a’ą́ą́dę́ę́’ hanoolne’ dóó naneesne’.
prairie.dog hole-from stick.head.up.out.P and 3-look.around.PDzi’izí bikee’ náásxis nít’éé’ bił daalkaałí baa’íí’á.
bicycle 3-tire 3-3-turn.Prog past nail 3-into-3-extend.NPDíí jį́ Nida’iiníísh ’áko shį́į́ nihich’į’ nida’iilyé, ya’?
today Friday then.maybe 1pl-toward 1pl-payment.I QDíí tł’óół yílééł.
this rope 3-2-carry.SFO.ProgHa’át’íí baa ’áłah ’aleeh jiní?
what 3-for meeting 4-say.NIHaa'íyee' shinááł Diné bizaad bíhwiidííł'aał.
lets.see 2-1-watch.Prog Navajo language 3-2-learn.FI would like to see you learn the Navajo language.
bookmarkHaidą́ą́’ ’a’áán góne’ naashnish ńt’éé’ --- doo shił yá’áhoot’éeh da.
winter-past mine.shaft 1-work.I past neg 1-with 3-good.N negI worked in the mine (shaft) last year and I didn’t like it.
bookmark- -dą́ą́’ past timefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -ne’ behindfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)
- naashnish work
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- ńt’éé’ relates to past timefind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrasesfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
Hastóíí dóó sáanii k’inááda’didlé.
3-men and 3-women planting.again.PL.RHatáaldi 'iikááh 'atah 'ajóle’.
ceremony-at sandpainting among 4-make.OHodíina’go bááh dootł’izhí deeshį́į́ł dóó ’ahwéé bił ła’ deeshdlį́į́ł.
after.a.while-GO bread blue 3-1-eat.F and coffee 3-with some 3-1-drink.FK’ad shicheii bíká ’iishyeed.
now 1-grandfather 3-for 1-run.INa’nishkaadgo nídíshchííyaagi hanáshyį́į́h ńt’éé’ ’iiłhaazh lá, t’ah nít’éé’ shilééchąą’í ch’ééshinísid.
1-herd.I-GO pinetree-under-at 1-rest.I past 1-slept.P DISC all.of.sudden 1-dog 1-woke.up.PWhen I was out herding I was resting under a pinetree and I went to sleep but suddenly to my surprise my dog woke me up.
bookmark- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)
- na’nishkaad herd, go out herding
- -yaa under, beneath, downfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- location
- -gi atfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)
- hanááshyį́į́’ rest
- ńt’éé’ relates to past timefind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)
- ’iishháásh sleep
- t’ah ńt’éé’ all of a suddenfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)
- ch’ééníssííd awaken him/her
nidasiilyá
pl-3DO-1dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.Pcarry a ropelike thing around, 1st person plural
bookmark