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
Hííłch’į’go ’índa ta’iideeshnih.
evening.GO until 1-mix.dough.F’Ashiiké yázhí nináádaa’né.
boys young pl-3-play.R’Ashkii yázhí éí bimá kingóó yił yi’ash.
boy little TOP 3-mother store-to 3-with 3-walk.du.Prog’Ayóo deesk’aazgo beeldléí ditánígíí biih násh’nah.
very cold-GO blanket 3-thick.NI-ÍGÍÍ 3-into 1-crawl.R’Azhą́ níchíil ndi dibé ch’ínínil.
even 3-snow.I but sheep 3-1-release.P’Ooljéé’ hanáníbąsgo Diné bikédaayahgi ’ashiiké nidahachíí jiní.
moon up.out-3-full.moon.R-GO navajo.people 3-pl-land-at boy-pl pl-3-birth.R 4-say.I’Ólta’di ’áłchíní binaashii sédáago ’ííníshta’.
school-at children 3-across.from 1-sit.SNP 3-read.NI’Ólta’góó dayínóhkááh.
school-toward pl-2dpl-go.pl.I’Óshą́ą́’ laanaa’ dichin shi’niiłxį́.
1-eat.O wish hunger 1-3-kill.I’Íídeeshwosh daats’í doodaii’ saad naalkaah bindeeshnish.
1-sleep.F maybe or word research 3-1-work.FBáhóóchįįd.
3-for-3s-anger.PBéésh hataałí t’áádoo de nídíłki’í.
radio NEG up 2-volume.turn.I-Íbik’ídazhdidoodis
pl-3DO-4dpl-wrap.it.around.it.FCh’iyáán t’óó ’ahayóí ndi tó ’ádin.
food lots but water 3-none.NIChidí nidabinóołtłáád.
car pl-3-2dpl-stop.ODíí tł’éé’ t’áá ká dóola dá’ák’eólyeed lágo.
this night NEG bull into.field-3-run.O hope.not LÁGODziłgóó ’o’ooldee’ yę́ę ná’ooldah.
mountain-to 3-go.pl.P past 3-return.pl.Ihadazhneeshchaad
pl-3DO-4dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).Phadeidínóołchał
pl-3DO-3dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).Fhadeneeshchaad
pl-3DO-3dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).Phajiłgéésh
3DO-4-cut.it.out.IHáí lá bił nanilnish?
who Q 3-with 2-work.IHáí lá kintahgóó shił adoołbąs?
who-Q town-to 1-me 3-drive.FK’ad ’ałníí’góó ’eeshtł’óół doo yę́ę ła’ damóo yę́ędą́ą́’ t’áadoo ’asétł’ǫ́ǫ da.
now half-toward 1-weave.Prog future past one Sunday when.past NEG 1-weave.P NEGI could have been halfway through weaving, but last week I didn’t weave at all.
bookmark- Progressive (Prog)
- ’ashtł’ó weave
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)
- ’ashtł’ó weave
- k’ad nowfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a datefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- goal
- -dą́ą́’ past timefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- time
- yę́ędą́ą́’ pastfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon




