Introduction to Navajo Adverbs
This lexicon is built on a list from Young & Morgan (1987:12-17). This list is a heterogeneous collection of expressions that certainly belong to more than one syntactic category. For instance, it includes time expressions like ’adą́ą́dą́ą́’ (‘yesterday’) and ’ałní’ní’ą́ (‘at noon’), but it also includes the negative frame doo…da and several expressions that are constructed with it, and it includes various particles that tend to appear before the verb (e.g., hah ’quickly’; dah ‘up’). These appear in various places within a clause. Oddly, ńt’éé (a particle denoting past time which is placed after the verb) is in the list, but dooleeł (a particle denoting future time which appears in the same position) is not in the list.
We constructed this tool using Young & Morgan’s list without making adjustments to it. There may be a future version that includes different selections.
An example search has returned 50 entries
’Adą́ą́dą́ą́’ shá bíighah kintahdi tádísháahgo shee ’i’íí’ą́.
yesterday sun proportionate town-at 1-go.about.Prog-GO 1-on 3-sun.went.down.P’Ahbínídą́ą́’ t’áadoo ’ííyą́ą́’góó biniinaa wónáásdóó sitsiits’iin díínii’.
morning-past neg 1-eat.P-GO.NEG because soon 1-head 3-ache.PI didn’t eat this morning, so my head started to ache.
bookmark- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ashą́ eatfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- díínii’ ache, be in painfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ahbínídą́ą́’ this morning
- -niinaa because of, on account offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
’Azhą́ hasistih ndi ’ayóo ’eesh’į́.
even.though 1-be.old.P even.though very 3-1-see.Prog’Ałk’idą́ą́’ ’ayóo nahałtin ńt’éé’.
long.ago very areal-rain.I past’ałk’idídą́ą́’
’ániidígo
’át’ahígo
’Hágoónee’, béeso shaa ní’aah.
well money 1-for 2-give.SRO.I-go
Bikáá’ dah ’asdáhí bikáa’gi doodaai’ ni’góó daats’í nishdaah?
chair 3-top-at or floor-on perhaps 1-sit.NICh’į́į́góó baa ntséskees.
fail 3-about 1-think.ICh’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Diné Bizaad naalkaah doo shił bééhózin da. K’ad éí t’áá shxǫǫd shił báá hózin.
formerly Navajo language research NEG 1-with 3-of ho-know.CI NEG | now TOP luckily 1-with 3-about-ho-know.CIFrom the beginning, I didn’t know about Navajo linguistics. Now I’m finally able to understand it.
bookmark- bééhózin there is knowledgefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ formerly, originally
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- k’ad now
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- bééhózin there is knowledgefind in Navajo Verb Modes
- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrases
Ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ Na’nízhoozhídi kééhasht’į́ ńt’éé’.
formerly Gallup-at 1-live.I pastChidí ’anáshdlééh, háálá doo naalnish da.
car 3-1-repair.I because NEG 3-work.I NEGChidí bitooʼ ʼásdįįdgo doo diitsʼį́į da dooleeł.
truck 3-gas 3-exhaust.NP-GO NEG 3-start.I NEG 3-become.Fdeigo
Dichin bik’ee doo bííchįįd da.
hunger 3-account neg 3-become.hopeless.P negDíí chidí ’ayóo dilwo’ ha’ní ’áko ndi doo baa jííníshłíi da.
this car very 3-fast 3-say.P CONJ NEG 3-about 4-1-rely.P NEGDoo t’áá k’ad chidí na’ní’ą́ą da.
NEG just now vehicle 2-3-1-lend.P NEGDzi’izí bikee’ náásxis nít’éé’ bił daalkaałí baa’íí’á.
bicycle 3-tire 3-3-turn.Prog past nail 3-into-3-extend.NPHa’a’aahgo doo jiztįį da, johonaa’ai hwił ołtáh jíní.
sunrise-GO NEG 4-lay.O NEG, sun 4-with count 4-say.IHalah doo bííghah jiztį́į da.
opposite.sibling NEG 3-beside 4-lay.O NEGHádą́ą́’ ’áłtsé chidí naat’a’í nił nast’a’?
When past first airplane 2-with 3-fly.PK’ad cháshk’eh góyaa tó de ’anool’ąął.
now wash down water up 3-rise.ProgK’ad shį́į́ deesk’aaz hodooleeł.
now probably cold area-become.Fk’adę́ę
K’adę́ę ’ałné’e’áahgo díchin bik’ee shitah ’anahodí’niitłi’.
now noon hunger 3-account 1-among 1-shake.RKintah góyaa yishááł ńt’éé’ béeso ńdiiłtsooz
areal-down 1-go.Prog past money 3-1-pick.FFO.PKʼadí! Tʼáadoo tʼóó ’ííyį́į̨́łí.
stop NEG just 2-eat.Prog-íNanise’ígíí ch’iyáán daohsą́ ’áko bee nihits’íís bitah yá’ádahoot’ééh dooleeł.
plant-ÍGÍÍ food pl-2-eat.I so 3-with 2pl-body 3-among pl-3-good.NI futureNida’iilyéego ’áłt’ąą yiską́ągo ’índa yínááł doo.
pass.pay.I-go after.all tomorrow only.then 2-come.Prog futureAfter all, you’ll finally show up for payday tomorrow.
bookmark- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- -go verb and subordinating enclitic
- ’áłt’ąą after all, in spite of unfortunatelyfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
- yiską́ągo tomorrow
- ’índa and only thenfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- Progressive (Prog)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- doo, dooleeł futurefind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
Níwe, doo tł’ée’go ’ízdísooł da!
stop NEG outside-GO 4-whistle.I NEGShinaaí ła’í ndi chizh t’áadoo ła’ yaah ayiitą́ą da.
1-older.brother not.even.one but firewood just-NEG some directional-3-3-gather.P NEG.Shizhé’éésh łį́į́’ yiyííshǫǫdę́ę ’ayóó ’eelwod?
1-father horse-Q 3-3-tame.P-COMP.past really 3-run.away.PShínaaí łahda bił náhoniidoh.
1-older.brother sometime 3-with 3-become.warm.RSohodizingo t’áá ká nídoó’nééh lágo.
prayer-GO neg 2-get.up.O LÁGOT’ah ’ałk’idídą́ą́’ ’éí Diné tát’áá góyaa kéédahat’íinii t’éiyá díí tábąąhgóó bidáda’ak’eh naaznil ńt’éé’.
still quite.long.ago the people water-near areal-down pl-3-reside.NI-NOM only this water-edge-toward farm 3-lie.PlO.SPN pastT’áadoo naaltsoos dayínółta’í.
neg book pl-3-2dpl-read.I-ÍT’áá shǫǫ t’áadoo chidí bitoo’ nihits’ą́ą́’ ’asdįįd da.
just good NEG car 3.poss-gas 1pl-away 3-dwindle.P NEGTsinaabąąs bikáádę́ę́’ ’adaashááh nt’éé shitł’aakał ’íízǫ́ǫ́z.
wagon 3-from downward-1-go.I past 1-skirt 3o-1-tear.PTsinaabąąs bikáá’dę́ę́’ t’áá ’ałkéé’ ’adahaago’ ndeii’néego.
wagon 3-top-from just one-after-another down-1Pl-fall.P 3Pl-play.CI-GO.CITł’óodi didíłjeeh.
outside 3-2-start.fire.IYiską́ągo nighandi naadeeshááł.
tomorrow 2-home-at 2-to-1-go.FYiską́ągo Na’nízhoozhídi, háádish ’adeeshį́į́ł ninízin?
tomorrow Gallup-at where-Q 2-eat.F 2-want.CIWhere do you want to eat in Gallup tomorrow?
bookmark- yiską́ągo tomorrow
- -di atfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- háá-P.ENCLITIC wherefind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- yíshą́ eat itfind in Navajo Verb Modeslook up conjugationhide conjugation ▾
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nisin think, wantfind in Navajo Verb Modes




