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:

’Oółháásh lágo.

2-sleep.O don’t
listenloadingplaying

Don’t go to sleep.

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

’Anishkeed, t’áá ká nóólk’oł lágo.

2-3-photograph.I neg 2-blink.O LÁGO

’Ashdladi oolkiłgo ’áko shį́į́ ’índa ákǫ́ǫ́ diikah.

five.at time-GO only until then there 1dpl-go.pl.I
listenloadingplaying

At 5 o’clock only then we’ll leave for there.

’Ashkii bi’éé’ hazhó’ó ’ayíyiischid dóó ’ólta’ góne’ yah ’ííyá.

boy 3-shirt nicely 3-3-tuck.in.P and 3-go.P

’Ałk’idą́ą́’ shimá b na’nishkaadgo ’aghaa’ yisdizígíí dibé yázhí yichíihgo yizénéíłt’ih.

long ago 1-mother 3-with SUP-1-herd.I-GO wool 3-spin.P-ígíí lamb 3-birth.P-GO 3-neck-around-3-tie.P

’Ólta’góó daats’í deeshááł doodaii’ jooł bee nideeshneeł.

school-toward maybe 1-walk.F or ball 3-with 1-play.F

'Ólta’góó dayínóhkááh.

school-toward pl-2dpl-go.pl.I

Béégashii báháchxį’go bik’ee neeshchééł.

cattle 3-become.angry.I-GO 3-on.account.of 1-flee.Prog

Bilagáana bizaad bił nantł’a.

English language 3-with 3-difficult.NI

Chidí bitoo’ hadi’dííłbį́į́łgo ’índa Na’azhǫǫshgóó diikah.

car 3-fuel 3.fill.up-GO.P only.then casino-GOO 3pl.go.F
listenloadingplaying

Fill up the gas and we’ll go to the casino.

Chidí naa’na’í ’ayóo bídin nishłį́.

tractor really 3-without 1-be.NI
listenloadingplaying

I really want a tractor.

Chidí nidabinóołtłáád.

car pl-3-2dpl-stop.O

Chidí sits’ą́ą́’ hashtł’ish yiih yilwodgo t’áá ch’į́į́góó ch’ééh ’ííł’įįd.

car 1-away mud 3-into 3-go.P-GO just fail in.vain 3-1-act.P

Diné bikéyah bikáa’gi ndahonidzood yę́ędą́ą́’ Naatsis’áán hoolyégóó niha’áłchíní bił ’adahineet’į́į́’.

Navajo 3-land 3-on-at pl-areal-3-flee.pl.P past Navajo.Mountain areal-be.called.NI-to 1pl-children 3-with pl-1dpl-sneak.off.P

Díigi ’át’éegoósh ’ájiił’įįh?

this-at 3-be-GO-Q SUP-4-do.P

Díí ’abíní dibé tóógóó neeshkał.

this morning sheep water-to 3-1-herd.Prog

Díísh haa yit’éego ’atiin?

this-Q how 3-be.NI road

Doo ’áłah diidleeł da.

NEG together pl-1dpl-meet.pl.F NEG

Doo hanii kintahgóó díníyáa da nisin.

NEG contrary town-toward 2-start.go.P NEG 1-think.CI

Doo t’áá k’ad chidí na’ní’ą́ą da.

NEG just now vehicle 2-3-1-lend.P NEG
listenloadingplaying

I don’t want to lend you a car.

Doo yéé niiłtsán.

NEG fear .P. 2-1-see-NOM
listenloadingplaying

It’s a good thing I didn’t see you!

Dziłdę́ę́’ hoołtį́į́ł ńt’éé’ t’áá nihich’į’jį’ ’ásdįįd.

mountain-from areal-rain.Prg past just 1pl-toward-up.to 3-disappear.P

Ha’át’éegoshą’ t’áadoo ’azee’ál’į́į́góó nisíníyáa da?

why-Q NEG hospital-to 2-go.sg.P NEG

Haash nízah kodóó nighanjį’?

how-Q 3-long.N here-from 2-home-to

hadajishgizh

pl-3DO-4dpl-cut.it.out.P

hadaniilchaad

pl-3DO-1dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).P

hadeidínóołchał

pl-3DO-3dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).F

haiłgéésh

3DO-3-cut.it.out.I

Hatáálgóó déyáago shikélchí t’óó tsxį́į́łgo bił ’ada’shéshiizhgo ńdaséłkad.

ceremony-1-go-Fut-GO 1-moccasin merelyhurry.GO 3-with 3-1-pierce-GO 3-1-sew-P
listenloadingplaying

Since I was going to a ceremony, I hurriedly pierced holes in my moccasins and sewed them.

Há’át’íí lá hastiin dóó ’at’ééd ’áyiilaa?

what Q man and girl 3-3-make.P
listenloadingplaying

What did the man and the girl make?

Hái da shą’ tsinaa’eeł ’ájiilaa lá?

who DA Q boat 3-4-make.P DISC
listenloadingplaying

(I wonder) who made this boat?

hááłgizh

3DO-1-cut.it.out.P

jíí’aal

3DO-4-chew.it.P

K’ad nitsii’ yiilch’ííł ’ákó doo niba’ da doo.

now 2-hair 3-2-curl.I so.then.NI NEG 2-wait NEG will.be.F
listenloadingplaying

Curl your hair right now so that we won’t be waiting for you.

Náńsdzáago t’áá ’íídą́ą́’ ’ííníyą́ą’ dooleeł.

back-1-go.sg.P-GO just already INDEF-2-eat.P FUT
listenloadingplaying

When I get back, you will/should already have eaten.

Nichidí háadish nííníłbą́ą́z?

2-car where-at-Q 3-2-park.P

nidasiilkáá’

pl-3DO-1dpl-investigate.it.P

Níwe, doo tsésǫ’ góne’ ch’ééjí’nah da!

stop NEG window 3-into 4-crawl.R NEG
listenloadingplaying

Stop, one does not crawl through the window.

Sha’áłchíní béeso ’ashladiin baa nínil ńt’éé’ t’ááła’ajį́ ’ałtso yibadooskai.

1-children money 50 3-for 2-put.PlO.P past at-once all 3-3-exhaust.P

Shighanídóó ’e’e’aah bich’ijígo shádí bighan.

1-home-from west 3-in.the.direction.of older.sister 3-dwell.N

Shik’is b ’ílyeed ’áko shį́į́ da’diidį́į́ł.

1-friend 3-with 3-drive CONJ 1-Pl-eat.F

Shizhé’é nihwiiłdlaadgo bikéé’ naad’ ’adaashjaah łeh.

1-father 3-3-plow.I-GO 3-behind corn 3Pl-1-drop.I Cust.
listenloadingplaying

As my father plows it is my custom to follow along behind and drop the corn kernels.

T’áadoo hosh biih dadoołtaałí.

neg cactus 3-in pl-2dpl-step.O-Í

T’áá ní’áłtsé hooghandi nánísdzá.

thus you first home-at 1-arrived.Rev. P

Tó bąąhjí naa’ołí k’idíílá.

Tó lą’ígo nidlą́ ’áko bee nitah yá’áh’hoot’ééh dooleeł.

water many 3-2-drink.DI so 3-with 2-among pl-3-good.NI future

Tsé dzídzahashníiłgo baa naashá, daniidoiigo táchééh góne’ yah ’adoo’nił biniiye.

rock into.fire-3-1-put.P-GO 1-go.I 3-become.hot.P-GO sweathouse into in 3-PASS.put.PlO.F 3-because
listenloadingplaying

I’m busy putting stones into the fire, to be taken into the sweathouse when they get hot.

yidííłhį́į́’

3DO-3-melt.it.P

Yooch’ííd wolyéii doo bił bééhózin da.

lie 3-be.called.NI NEG 3-with 3-about.be.known.CI NEG
listenloadingplaying

He is incapable of lying, he does not know what it means to lie.

Ła’ damóo yę́ędą́ą́’ dah ’iyétł’ónée, k’ad ’ałníí’góó ’eeshtł’óół.

one Sunday past up 3-1-set.P-past now middle-toward 1-weave.Prog

Ńló bik’ee hooghan góne’ yah ’aniidzood.

hail 3-on.account.of house areal-in 3-in 1Pl-flee.P
listenloadingplaying

We took refuge from the hail by fleeing into the house.