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
Yadiizíní bigháníshgéésh.
can 3-through-1-cut.open.I’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’Ashkii yázhí bee’eldǫǫh yik’ee ’ádadeeznih.
boy little gun 3-on.account.of REFL-3-hurt.P’Ałk’ésdisí naháłnii’go sitsilí dóó shideezhí ’aheełt’éego bá ’ahá níjaa’.
candy 3-1-buy.P-GO 1-little.brother and 1-little.sister RECP-equal-GO 3-for RECP-for 3-lie.aligned.PlO.NP’Ałní’ní’ą́ągo tó háálínídi ’ahéédidiit’ash.
noon-GO spring-at refl-1du-meet.F’Eii łééchą̨ą’í t’áá ’áko taah yilwo’.
that dog immediately water.into 3-run.U-di
-ká
-sh
Chidí k’adę́ę yichxǫǫh lágo naháłnii’.
car almost 3-fall-apart.I altered 3-1-buy.PDamóo 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.PDamóogo ’áłah ’aleeh ’áko ’áadi nihaadíínááł.
Sunday 3-gather 3-be so there-at 1-Pl-to-2-arrive.Fdeeshį́į́ł
3DO-1-eat.it.FDibé dził binaashii nanishkaad.
sheep hill 3-across.from 3-1-herd.CIDibé nee hólǫ́, ya’?
sheep 2-with 3-exist.NI Qdiilbish
3DO-1dpl-boil.it.FDiné ła’ nizhónígo kéédahojit’į́ danihó’ní, ’áko ndi doo ’ákót’ée da.
people some 3-nice.NI-GO pl-4-3-reside.NI 3-Pl. so but NEG 4-think.CI NEGDíí ’abíní dibé tóógóó neeshkał.
this morning sheep water-to 3-1-herd.ProgDoo ’ííłta’go biniinaa t’áá ’ałtsojį’ t’áá shídin hazlį́į́’.
neg 1-go.to.school.P-GO 3-because every-up.to just 1-without 1-become.Phaa níłtsááz
haa nóolin
háádóó
Hooghan ’adeeshłííł ndi tsineheeshjíí’ shee ’ádin.
hogan 1-build.F but lumber 1-with 3-none.NIjoodlą́ą́’
3DO-4-drink.it.PMósí yázhí bimá yits’ą́ą́’ yóó’ííyá.
kitten 2-mother 3-from away-3-go.PNa’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