Introduction to Navajo Postpositions
This is a lexicon of Navajo postpositions and postpositional enclitics.
Postpositions are pretty much the same as prepositions in English but a postposition appears after its noun phrase object rather than before it. Postpositions tend to be short words with meanings that indicate information about location, direction, or timing of an event described by the verb in the sentence, or about the kind of role played by the noun phrase in the event.
There is a relatively small number of postpositions, so by memorizing them, language learners can quickly improve their comprehension of Navajo.
This lexicon includes 14 postpositional enclitics and 75 postpositions based on Young & Morgan (1987:25-26).
In example (1), sha’áłchíní bá is a postpositional phrase, meaning ‘for my children’.
| Sha’áłchíní | bá | ch’iyáán | ’íishłaa. |
| 1-children | 3-for | food | 3-1-cook.P |
| I cooked for my children. | |||
The postposition is -á, and the pronoun prefix is b-. This is a third person prefix, which is why the gloss underneath bá has a 3 in it. The meaning of -á is ‘for’, and this is also indicated in the gloss. Also, the sh in the word sha’áłchíní, ‘my children’, is a first person pronoun prefix. This pronoun prefix also appears inside the verb ’íishłaa. Note that the gloss is 3-1-cook.P; this indicates that the word means ‘I cooked it’: 3-1 in the gloss indicates that the subject of the verb is first person (‘I’), and the object is third person (‘it’). For a guide to glossing, click here.
The first person prefix appears again on the postposition -ił (‘with’), in the example below:
| Chidí | k’asdą́ą́’ | shił | ’adah | ch’éélwod. |
| car | almost | 1-with | down | off-3-go.P |
| The car almost ran off (the road) with me. | ||||
Postpositional Enclitics do not have pronoun prefixes, and instead attach directly onto another phrase. In the example below, the enclitic is -di (‘at’). It is attached directly to Na’nízhoozhí (‘Gallup, New Mexico’). There is no pronoun prefix:
| Ch’óóshdą́ą́dą́ą́’ | Na’nízhoozhídi | kééhasht’į́ ńt’éé’. |
| formerly | Gallup-at | 1-live.I past |
| I used to live in Gallup. | ||
In the example below, the enclitic -gi is attached to the postpositional phrase tsé biká (‘on the rock’). The pronoun prefix bi- is attached to the postposition -káá (‘on’), not to the enclitic:
| Tsé | bikáa’gi | béésh | dah | si’ą́. |
| rock | 3-on-at | knife | up | 3-sit.SNP |
| The knife is on the rock. | ||||
Note that both -di and -gi are glossed as ‘at’. The enclitic -di is used for more general locations, and -gi is used for more specific ones.
The postpositional enclitics in this lexicon are, from the list in YMM (1992:938-09):
- -dą́ą́’
- past time
- -dę́ę́’
- from a general location or point in space or time, also out of, off of
- -di
- at a general location
- -dóó
- from a specific location or point in space or time
- -ę́ę-dą́ą́’ =yę́ędą́ą́’
- back when
- -gi
- at a specific location
- -góó
- to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a date
- -í-jígo
- over in the direction of the place where
- -jigo
- toward, northward
- -jí
- designates ceremonies, religious and political institutions and lifeways
- -jí
- on the side of, in the direction of, in the manner of
- -jí-k’ehgo
- in the manner of
- -jį́’
- up to, as far as
- -k’eh -jí
- in the way(s) of
The pronoun prefixes, which can appear on postpositions, are shown below:
| singular | dual-plural | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person | shi- | nihi- |
| 2nd person | ni- | nihi- |
| 3rd person | yi-/bi- | |
| 4th person | ho- | |
| unspecified | ’a | |
| reciprocal | ’ahi- | |
| reflexive | ’ádi- | |
| area | ha-; ho-; go- | |
In using these prefixes, the final vowel sometimes changes due to the sound that comes next (e.g. shi-ałchiní → sha’áłchíní; ni- ’asdzą́ą́ → ne’asdzą́ą́; bi- ’awéé’ → be’ewéé’ / be’awéé’).
An example search has returned 50 entries
’Abínídą́ą́’ kintahgóó dah didoohkah.
morning-past town-GÓÓ up start-3pl.go.FYou all go to town in the morning. (YM1987: 344)
bookmark- Command, affirmativefind in Navajo Imperatives
- Futurefind in Navajo Imperatives
- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a date
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ahbínídą́ą́’ this morningfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- dah up at an elevation, off, static, holdingfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
’Aoo’, ’ashdladigóó ’oolkiłgo ’áádę́ę́’ shił ná’ílwod.
yes five-at-toward clock-GO there-from 1-with 3-return.PYes, I drove back from there at 5 o’clock.
bookmark- -di at
- location
- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a date
- goal
- -dę́ę́’ from a general location or point in space or time, also out of, off of
- location
- -ił with
- transportation
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- na‘oolwoł returnfind in Navajo Verb Modes
’Ałk’idą́ą́’ Naayéé’ Neizghání ha’a’aahjigo ’atsiniltł’ish bił dah yizdéél jiní.
long.ago Monster Slayer east-to lightning 3-with up 3-move.SFO.P 4-say’Hágoónee’, béeso shaa ní’aah.
well money 1-for 2-give.SRO.I-jí + -k’ehgo
-k’ą́ą́h
-na’
beside, at one’s side, in place of, waiting for
bookmark-nánii
Át’ah ’índa shaa náádíídááł.
later 1-to again-2-come.FBikáá’ na’anishí ’éí doo bikáá’ dah ’asdáa da.
table TOP NEG 3-on up 3i-sit.P NEGCh’ah ’éí doodaii’ nák’ee sinilí łizhinígíí daats’í nee hólǫ́’?
hat or sunglasses perhaps 2-with 4-exist.NIChidíísh bee hólǫ́ doodaii’ ni daats’í chidí nee hólǫ́?
car-Q 3-with 4-exist.NI or 2 maybe car 2-with 4-exist.NIDa’ ’áájí ’ałdó’ ’áłah ’azlį́į́’?
Q that-side also meeting 1-happen.PDa’ chidíísh bee hólǫ́ doodaii’ ni daats’í chidí nee hólǫ́?
Q car-Q 3-with 4-exist.NI or 2 maybe car 2-with 4-exist.NIDamóo yę́ędą́ą́’ dziłghą́ą́’dę́ę́’ shádí dóó ba’áłchíní bił ’adaashkai.
sunday past-time mountain top.of-from 1-elder.sister and 3-children 3-with downward-1-go.Pl.PDeenásts’aa’ shił naaldloosh ńt’éé’ shimá siiłtsą́, yiniinaa násineestsxas.
ram 1-with 3-trot.CI past 1-mother 1-3-see.P 3-because 1-3-whip.PDibé doo deeghánígóó ’ałkéé’ ’adíítąądgo hooghanjį’ náákah.
sheep neg long.distance-neg-GO following.behind 3-in.a.line.NP-GO home-up.to return.go.IDibé tóógóó dínóshkaad.
sheep water-toward 3-1-start.herd.ODiné nihaikaíígíí nihizaad nideilkaahgo ayóó bił danilį́ ’áko ndi doo ’akót’ée da.
people 1dpl-3-come.pl.P-COMP 1dpl-language pl-3-1-investigate.I-GO very 3-with pl-3-be.NI even so NEG thus-3-be.NI NEGDíí dziłígíí shádi’ááh bich’ijígo ’ałkéé’ ’adíítąąd.
this mountain-Comp southward 3-toward-GO one-behind-another 3Pl-scatter.NPDíí éé’ shił nizhónígo nahideeshniih nisin nt’éé’ ’áko ndi ayóo ilį́į́ lá.
this clothing 1-with 3-like-GO 3-1-buy.F 1-think.Cl Past even then very 3-expensive DiscI want to buy this dress because I like it but it is expensive.
bookmark- Neuter Imperfective (NI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- -ił with
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nahashniih buy, sellfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- nisin think, wantfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ńt’éé’ relates to past timefind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- ’áko ndi even so, even thenfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- lá I discoveredfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
Doo ’atiin bąąhgóó ch’il ’ahwééh ’áłah ’ájíléeh da.
NEG road 3-beside-along plant coffee together 3-4-gather.SFO.I NEGDon’t gather tea along the roadside.
bookmark- Indirect command with negationfind in Navajo Imperatives
- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrasesfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- 4th person admonition, negative, Imperfectivefind in Navajo Imperatives
- -ąąh on, beside
- location
- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a date
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
Doo ’áádę́ę́’ naagháa da nít’éé’ ’áłt’ąą nida’iilyéego ’índa níyá.
NEG there.from 3-go.about.I NEG past after.all pass.pay.I-go only.then 3-arrive.PHe never used to come, suddenly he’s here since it’s payday.
bookmark- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrasesfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -dę́ę́’ from a general location or point in space or time, also out of, off of
- ńt’éé’ relates to past timefind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- ’áłt’ąą after all, in spite of unfortunatelyfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
- ’índa and only thenfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
Doozhǫǫgo da’ííłta’ígíí t’éiyá yá’át’éehgo naanish bá dahólǫ́.
satisfactory pl-3-study.P-NOM only 3-good.N-GO work 3-for pl-3-exist.NIGohwééh t’áá bizhání ’éí doodaii’ ’abe’ biłgo daats’í nínízin?
coffee only TOP or milk 3-with-GO perhaps 3-2-want.NIHa’át’éego lá ’íiyisíí ’atiinjį’ ’ańdeeshdááł lá?
how Q main road-up.to 1-back-on-go.F DISCHaash nízah kodóó nighanjį’?
how-Q 3-long.N here-from 2-home-toHáádę́ę’shą’ díí ch’ah nizhóní léi’ naa yílts’id?
where-from-Q DEM hat 3-beautiful.NI INDEF 2-to 3-move.air.SRO.PNa’nízhoozhígóó chídí doo nił dah didoolwoł da.
Gallup-to car NEG 2-with up start-3.drive.F NEGYou will not go to Gallup with the car.
bookmark- Command, negativefind in Navajo Imperatives
- Futurefind in Navajo Imperatives
- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a date
- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrasesfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -ił with
- dah up at an elevation, off, static, holdingfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Future (F)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’oolwoł drivefind in Navajo Verb Modes




