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
ʼAshiiké ’éí ʼatsʼos bee ʼazhish biniiyé chahashʼoh ʼádeidoolííł.
boy-pl TOP feather 3-means-of dance 3-reason shade-house 3-3-pl-build.F’Akóyaa ’adah, t’áá baa ’áhólchįįh.
there-down down, just 3-to 2-aware.NI’Asdzą́ą́ Báhóózhóní yinishyée dooleeł.
woman happy 1-called.NI FUT’Ayóo la’ deesdoi, nahóółtą́ą́’ laanaa.
very disc 3-hot.SPN 3-rain.O hope’Ałah ’aleehgóó deesháál nínízinísh doodago béésh nitsíkeesí daats’í bee nidoonááł ’éí doodago t’áá hooghanídi daats’í KTNN yídíiłts’iił?
meeting-to 1-go-F 3-2 want.NI-Q or computer possibly 2-watch.F or just home-at possibly KTNN 3-2-listen.FWill you go to the Chapter meeting in person or watch on the computer or will you stay home and listen to KTNN?
bookmark- -góó to, toward, along, on, with a numeral it indicates a datefind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Future (F)
- déyá start to go
- Neuter Imperfective (NI)
- nisin think, want
- doodago orfind in Navajo Conjunction Lexicon
- -ísh enclitic for yes/no questionsfind in Navajo Questions Lexicon
- daats’í maybe, perhaps, possiblyfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -ee by means offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- -di atfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Future (F)
’Áde’óóyą́ą́’ lágo.
self-2-eat.O don’t’Áłah ’aleehdi hastiin léi’ t’óó yááłtih yiits’a’.
meeting-at man INDEF just 3-talk.Prog 3-be.heard.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.F"Binák’eegóó baa da’ashch’osh lá," didíínííł.
3-eye-between-around 3-to pl-3-infest.P DISC 3-2-tell.Fbik’ídadidoohdis
pl-3DO-2dpl-wrap.it.around.it.FCh’iyáán nináhíłnihgo haa nízahjį’ ’ánádįįh?
food 3-2-buy.R how 3-long.N-up.to 3-become.none.RChidíłtsooí bidááh síńzį́į dooleeł.
car-yellow-REL 3-for 2-stand.SPN FUTChidí ’ániidígíí beít’ą́ą́ léi’ ’áyąąńda bił dahózhǫ́.
car new-ÍGÍÍ 3-to-3-pass-bring.SRO.P since no.wonder 3-with pl-3-good.NIdadíníilkaad
pl-3DO-1dpl-start.to.herd.them.(animals).IDamǫ́ǫgo tódilchxoshí yishdlį́į́h.
Sunday-GO soda 3-1-drink.UDoo nił bééhózín da lá jiní. T’áá káhí la’ bił hóolne’!
NEG 2-with 3-knowledge.CI NEG disc 4-say.P just never some 3-with 2-tell.FYou don’t know about this. Just don’t say anything!!
bookmark- doo --- da frame to negativize verbs and phrasesfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)
- bééhózin there is knowledge
- lá jiní let’s play like, let’s pretend thatfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
- la’ puzzlementfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
Gohwééh t’áá bizhání ’éí doodaii’ ’abe’ biłgo daats’í nínízin?
coffee only TOP or milk perhaps 3-with 3-2-want.NIHa’át’íí biniiyé ’ákǫ́ǫ́ díníyá?
what 3-for.purpose there 2-start.go.PHaashíyee’ díí naak’ee sinilí biniitááh t’áá daats’í bee hoot’į́.
try.and.find.out this eyeglasses 3-2-try.IP just maybe 3-with area-pas-see.Prog.Nhadadíníilchał
pl-3DO-1dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).Fhaiłgéésh
3DO-3-cut.it.out.IHáí lá ’ałhosh?
who Q 3-sleep.IK’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
na’ashkǫ́ǫ́’
1-swim.IShidá’í, nilį́į́’ sha’níłteeh.
1-maternal.uncle 2-horse 1-to-3-2-lend.AnO.IShiyáázh ’ółta’góó deeyáhą́ą doo yénániih da.
1-son school-to 3-go.P-past one but NEG 3-3-remember.CI NEGShił naa’aash shį́į́! T’áá shǫǫdí shaná’níłtsóód!
1-with 3-go.dl.CI maybe please 1-to-back-3-2-feed.IOh, my cousin! Please give me (some of) the food back!
bookmark- Request, affirmativefind in Navajo Imperatives
- Imperfectivefind in Navajo Imperatives
- -ił withfind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)
- yish’aash go as a pair (with)
- shį́į́ perhaps, probably, possiblyfind in Navajo Particle Lexicon
- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)
- ba’nistsóód feed it




