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
’Ashdladi oolkiłgo ’áko shį́į́ ’índa ákǫ́ǫ́ diikah.
five.at time-GO only until then there 1dpl-go.pl.I’Azhą́ hasistih ndi ’ayóo ’eesh’į́.
even.though 1-be.old.P even.though very 3-1-see.Prog’Ałk’idą́ą́’ ch’iyáán ’ ádayiilaa léi’ ła’ ’ánáádeiilyaa.
long.ago food pl-3-3-make.P Indef. some again-pl-3-1dpl-make.PAshkii tó nílinígíi yiih dzółhaał.
Boy flowing.water-ÍGÍÍ 3-in 3-3-fall.OCh’ééh déyá léi’ t’óó hanáshyį́į́h.
try 1.go.P since just 1.rest.IChidí daats’í bee hólǫ́ ’éí doodaii’ niísh chidí nee hólǫ́?
car maybe 3-with 4-exist.N TOP or 2-Q car 2-with 4-exist.NIChidí nahideeshnih ndi shibéeso ’ádin.
car 3-1-buy.F but 1-money 3-none.NIdeidooyį́į́ł
pl-3DO-3dpl-eat.it.FDíí dziłígíí shádi’ááh bich’ijígo ’ałkéé’ ’adíítąąd.
this mountain-Comp southward 3-toward-GO one-behind-another 3Pl-scatter.NPDoo t’áá k’ad bá’ólta’í sélį́į’ da.
NEG just now teacher 1-be.SPN NEGHa’át’ííshą’ hastiin dóó ’at’ééd ’áyiilaa?
what-Q man and girl 3-3-make.PHaaʼí yeeʼ dibé naakaí?
where-Q show.me sheep 3-walk.around.CIHastiin dóó ’at’ééd lá ha’át’íí ’áyiilaa?
man and girl Q what 3-3-make.PHazhóʼí sínídá. Tʼáadoo naaní’dííldisí.
careful 2-sit.I NEG again-2-wander.Prog-íSit still. Donʼt just run around.
bookmark- Progressivefind in Navajo Imperatives
- hazhóʼí carefullyfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Command, negativefind in Navajo Imperatives
- Command, affirmativefind in Navajo Imperatives
- t’áadoo notfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Progressivefind in Navajo Imperatives
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)
- sédá sit
- Progressive (Prog)
Há’át’íí lá hastiin dóó ’at’ééd ’áyiilaa?
what Q man and girl 3-3-make.PHáadi niyaa hazlį́į́’?
where-at 2-under area-grow.PHáíshą’ tsinaa’eeł ’áyiilaa?
who-Q boat 3-3-make.Pk’asdą́ą́’
Mary ha’át’íísh nayiisnii’?
Mary what-Q 3-to.buy.INa’azhǫǫshgi díkwíí shį́į́ shaa woobįįh?
hoop.and.pole.game-at how.much 1-to pass-win.INichxǫ' doo ájíníi da.
stop NEG 4-say.thus.NI NEGNizhé’é ha’át’íísh nahideeshnih nízin.
2-father-Q what 3-1-buy.F 3-want.NIńt’éé’
Shideezhí náneeskaadí ’ánáánéídlééh.
1-younger.sister tortilla 3-3-make.RShimá bighangóó shíni’ ńt’éé’ ch’ééh déyáago shił náhoogéé’.
1-mother 3-home-to 1-desire.to.go past in.vain 1-go.P-GO 1-with ho-become.lazy.XI wanted to go to my mother’s house however I was tired and became lazy.
bookmarkShiníbaal doo tó biníkáogeeh le’ ’át’éégóó ’íishłaa.
1-tent NEG water 3-through-3-flow.O proof.against-NEG 3-1-make.PSikétsíín diniihgo bik’í’dísdis.
1-ankle pain-GO 3-wrap.ISitsóóké da’ółta’go t’óó bik’iisdził.
1-grandchildren pl-school-GO just 3-1-support.ProgT’áá ’ałkéé’ ’azee’ííł’íní bił yah ’adahaadzá.
just one-behind-another doctor 3-with into 1Dist-4-go.IT’áá ’ákódí na’ach’ąą’ígíí bee nihił hweeshne’.
just here.at 3-picture.I-ÍGÍÍ 3-by.means.of 2du-with 1-tell.PThat is all I have to say about the picture.
bookmark