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
-ą́ą́h
-lááh
-naashii
Asdzání ní’jookąąhgo kintahdi nijighá.
woman-NOM Rep-3a-beg.I-GOtown-at about-3a-walk.IBini’ íídeeshtah doodago ’éiyá yóó’ ’adeeshwoł.
let will-1-school or only away 1-off-run.PCh’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-IDa’ 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.NIDaniel hahgosh hidilníísh?
Daniel when-Q 3-start.work.IDíigi ’át’éegoósh ’ájiił’įįh?
this-at 3-be-GO-Q SUP-4-do.PDíí haa yit’éego ’atiin?
this how 3-be.NI roadDíísh haa yit’éego ’atiin?
this-Q how 3-be.NI roadHa’át’íí neidiyoołnih nínízin?
who 3-3-buy.F 2-think.NIHaa níníłnééz?
what 2-tall.relatively.NIHastiin dóó ’at’ééd lá ha’át’íí ’áyiilaa?
man and girl Q what 3-3-make.Pháádóó
Háíshą’ tsinaa’eeł ’áyiilaa?
who-Q boat 3-3-make.PHooghangóó nikéédeeshdááł nisin ndi ółta’di ’éí náshiilkááh.
home-toward 1-go.F 1-want.NI but school-at there 1-spend.night.N CHECK VERB GLOSSESKin bighą́ą́’dę́ę́’ hadah ’adzííłhaal ndi t’áadoo ’ádadénih da.
house 3-to-from down 1-tumble.P but NEG RFLX-1-hurt.P NEGI tumbled off the housetop but I didn’t get hurt.
bookmark- -ghą́ą́h attaching to, hitched to, connected tofind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -dę́ę́’ from a general location or point in space or time, also out of, off offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)
- ndi butfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)
- t’áadoo notfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
Kwii nináá’nísh’aah.
here again-3-1-place.Rle’ ’át’éégóó
Mósí dóó łeechą́ą́’ii’ baniłts’ood’ii’, bił hózhǫ́.
cat dog 3-1-feed.P-and 3-with 3-happy.NINa’nízhoozhígóó nihił ’adeeswod ’áko shį́į́ ’adiidį́į́ł chidí nihá ’ánálnéehgo.
Gallup-to 1-with INDEF-drive.P then maybe 1-dual-eat.F car 1-for 3-fix.I-GOnaohłé
3DO-2dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.Icarry a ropelike thing around, 2nd person dual
bookmarkNáshdóí yę́ę noonéełgo wónáásdóó k’adę́ę ’ádįįh jiní.
wildcat former 3-die.off.Prog-GO soon nearly 3-extinct.I 4-say.NInidííleeł
3DO-2-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.Fcarry a ropelike thing around, 2nd person singular
bookmarkńt’éé’
Shimá sání Mary níigo yee ’ádójí.
1-grandmother Mary 3-say.I-GO 3-by reflexive-3-call.NIShizhé’é bidá’ák’eh ’éí shicheii bidá’ák’eh táadi yilááh ’ánáníłtso.
1-father 3-field TOP 1-grandfather 3-field three-at 3-big 3-again-big.NIShínaaí chidí bił dah diilwodgo bizánághah góne’ łeezh ’adzíísi’.
older.brother car 3-with up 3-run.I-GO 3-around areal-in dust 3-trail.PSiláo yik’ee noochééł.
police account 3-flee.Progt’éiyá
Tó Haach’i’dę́ę́’ ’ííyisíí naashá.
Tohatchi-from truly 1-go.CITł’éédą́ą́’ t’áadoo hazhó’í ’ííłhaazh da léi’ bił nisin.
night.last NEG good 1.sleep.P NEG since sleepy 3-1.desire.NITł’óodiísh t’ah ’áłchíní nidaané?
outside-Q still children pl-3-play.IAre the children still playing outside?
bookmark