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
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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

’Ajótł’óół laanaa nissin ndi ’aghaa’ shee ’ádin.

4-weave.O hope 3-1-want.CI but wool 3-1-with.me 3-none.NI
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I wish to weave, but I don’t have any wool.

’Ak’ah kǫ’ dishtłi’go sédá.

candle 3-1-cause.burn.NI-GO 1-sit.SPN
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I’m burning the candle sitting here.

’Ałk’ésdisí naháłnii’go sitsilí dóó shideezhí ’aheełt’éego bá ’ahá níjaa’.

candy 3-1-buy.CI-GO 1-little.brother and 1-little.sister 3-1 split-GO.I 3-for 3-1 gave.I

-dą́ą́’

past time, also used in conditionals, marking the antecedent

-gi

-ii’

CONJ

-ts’ą́ą́’, -ts’á

Asdzą́ą́ yázhí bichidí doondó’ ndi naalnish da.

woman little 3-car not.even but 3-work.P NEG

Bichidí yichǫ’ yę́ędą́ą́’ ’ashkii t’áani’ nálwod.

3-vehicle 3-P-ruin past boy on.foot 3-P-return
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The boy returned on foot when his car broke down.

bik’ídóhdis

3DO-2dpl-wrap.it.around.it.I

Ch’į́į́góó ch’ééh tádííyá.

fail in.vain 1-go.P
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I went everywhere (looking for something but without success).

Chidí binaashnish yę́ę ’áádóó t’óó ni’ kwíishłaa.

vehicle 3-1-work.CI past and.then just stop 1-stop.P
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I was working on the vehicle and then I just let it be.

dadołhį́į́h

pl-3DO-2dpl-melt.it.I

dazhdooyį́į́ł

pl-3DO-4dpl-eat.it.F

Dibé hólǫ́ǫgo ła’ níjół’ah laanaa.

sheep exist-GO some 4-butcher.O hope
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I wish we could butcher, if we had sheep.

didadołjeeh

pl-3DO-2dpl-start.fire.I

diidííłjéé’

3DO-3-start.fire.P

Díí kwe’é biká’ígíí ’índa bik’i’diitą́.

this here 3-on.NOM until.then 3-1.understand.P
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All this writing I now understand it.

doo --- ndi

Doo hanii kintahgóó díníyáa da nisin.

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

Ha’a’aahjíísh ’éí doodago ’e’e’aahjíísh nighan?

east-from-Q 2-home TOP or west-from-Q 2-home

ha’át’éegi

where (at what particular location)

Haahláyéé ch’íjíghááh.

don’t.dare out-4-come.I
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Don’t you dare come out!

hadadoołtééł

pl-3DO-2dpl-carry.him/her.up.out.of.something.F

hadínóołchał

3DO-2dpl-card.it.(as.in.wool).F

haiłgéésh

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

hágoónee’

Hodíina’go bááh dootł’izhí deeshį́į́ł dóó ’ahwéé b ła’ deeshdlį́į́ł.

after.a.while-GO bread blue 3-1-eat.F and coffee 3-with some 3-1-drink.F
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In a while, I will eat blue corn bread and drink some coffee with it.

Hoozdohgóó daats’í deeshááł ’éí doodaii’ Be’eldííldahsínilgóó deeshááł.

Phoenix-toward maybe 1-walk.F or Albuquerque-toward 1-walk.F

K’aa’ísh ’aní’á biyaa doodago daats’í báhátis ’ayiist’oh?

arrow-Q bridge 3-under or perhaps 3-over 3-3-shot.P

Mary yíká hoolne’.

Mary 3-for 3-call.P

Naat’áanii bich’į’ yáshti’.

leader 3-toward 1-talk.I

Nahółtą́ą́’ laanaa t’óó daniidzin.

rain hope just pl-3pl-want.O
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We wish it would rain.

Nichidí háadish nííníłbą́ą́z?

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

Nidlóóhísh doodaii’ doo daats’í nidlóoh da?

2-cold.I-Q or neg perhaps 2-cold.I neg

shiilbéézh

3DO-1dpl-boil.it.P

Shileechąą’í halǫ́ǫ́ ńt’éé’ są biis.

1-dog have past old.age 3-die.of.P
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I used to have a dog but it died of old age.

Shiye’ bicheii yi’ká ’análwo’dooleeł biniiyé ba’niłtį́į́́ nt’éé’ sits’ą́ą́’ yił nikidíńiit’ą́ą́zh. (YM 1987:632)

1-son 3-grand.father for 3-1-help.F for 3-loan for 1-away with 2-dpl.walk.P
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I loaned my son to his grandfather to help him and he just kept him.

Shíká ’anánílwo’ doodaii’ t’áadoo shaa nánít’íní.

1-for 3-run.R or just-neg 1-to 2-1-bother.I
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Help me or else don’t bother me!

T’áá ’ashání ’ashą́ą ndi sitsį’ yę́ę ’áádįįł.

just 1-eat.I-í 1-eat.I but 1-flesh past 3-dwindle.Prog
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I eat and eat but I keep right on losing weight.

Tsékooh góyaa tł’óół bee ’adanásh’nah.

canyon areal-down 3-with 1-climb.down.R

Tsiiyi’di náá’dzítseeł yiits’a’.

forest.up.to 4-again.chop in.sound.R
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It sounds like he’s chopping wood in the forest again.

Tł’óo’di kǫ’ diltłi’ bikáa’gi chéch’il ła’ dináádísh’nííł.

outside-at fire 3-burn.NI 3-on-at oak some fire-again-3-1-move.PlO.I

Tł’óodiísh t’ah ’áłchíní nidaané?

outside-Q still children pl-3-play.I

wooshóó’

3DO-2dpl-brush/comb.it.P

woołhį́į́’

3DO-2dpl-melt.it.(snow).P

yik’ídéididis

pl-3DO-3dpl-wrap.it.around.it.I

yishóóh

3DO-1-brush/comb.it.I

yiłbéézh

3DO-3-boil.it.I

yínídlą́ą́’

3DO-2-drink.it.P