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Personal Pronouns
Plurals
Numbers
Adjectives
Possessives
Negatives
Verbs : general
Verb : nemi
Verb : ciwa
Verb : tekiti
Reflexives
Questions
Time
Verb : kustu
Verb : neki
Verb : qa
Verb : mumactia
Verb : altia (maltia)
Verb : altia (kaltia)
Prepositions
Demonstrative pronouns
Adverbial phrases
Diminutives
Gender
Verb : wiz
Verb : yawi
Verb : neki + verb
Verb : yawi + verb
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| Personal Pronouns |
Information
The personal pronouns are: |
Explanation
| naha | I |
| taha | you |
| yaha | s/he |
| tehemet | we |
| anmehemet | you (plural) |
| yahemet | they |
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Examples
| naha ninemi | I am/live |
| taha tinemi | you are/live |
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Note
You can omit the pronouns in Nawat as the verb has the information about who does
the action.
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| Plurals |
Information
To form the plural in Nawat, you repeat the first syllable and add a "h".
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Explanation
| xuhxucit | flowers ("xucit" means "flower") |
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Examples
| mahmasat | deer (plural) |
| qahqawit | trees |
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Note
There are other ways of forming the plural in Nawat, but this form is the most common.
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| Numbers |
Information
The number goes before the noun.
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Explanation
| se, ume, yey, nawi, maqil | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| ciqasen, cikuma, cikyey, ciknawi, mahtati | 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
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Examples
| ume eltiw | two brothers |
| se tatanoy | a/one grandfather |
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Note
Usually the noun stays in the singular form.
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| Adjectives |
Information
The adjective can go before or after the noun.
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Explanation
| tumakwak nutatanoy |
my grandfather is fat ("tumawak" (fat) goes before the noun "tatanoy" (grandfather)).
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| ne qawit tumak | the tree is big ("tumak" (big) goes after the noun "qawit" (tree)).
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Examples
| picawak muikaw | my brother/sister is slim |
| ne tultik tunal | the sun is yellow |
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Note
Many adjectives end in "wak" or "tik".
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| Possessives |
Information
The posessives go at the beginning of the noun.
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Explanation
| nu | my |
| mu | your |
| i | his/her |
| ti | our |
| anmu | your (plural) |
| in | their |
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Examples
| itatanoy | his/her grandfather |
| tinoya | our grandmother |
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| Negatives |
Information
To form negative sentences, you put "tesu" before the verb or adjective.
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Explanation
| tesu ninemi yek |
"tesu" + verb (I'm not well)
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| tesu tumawak | "tesu" + verb (is not fat) |
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Examples
| tesu nemi tik Santo Domingo | S/he does not live in Santo Domingo |
| tesu tumawak, yaha picawak | S/he is not fat, s/he is slim |
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Note
Sometimes, "tesu" is shortened to "te".
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| Verbs : general |
Information
The verbs in Nawat have the following format: |
(naha) metni +
verb
(taha) metti +
verb
(yaha) metti +
verb
(tehemet) ti +
verb + t
(anhemet) an +
verb + t
(yehemet) ti +
verb + t
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Note
Verbs end in "t" for we, you (plural) and they. |
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| Verb : nemi |
Information
"nemi" means "be/live". |
(naha) metninemi
(taha) mettinemi
(yaha) mettinemi
(tehemet) tinemit
(anhemet) annemit
(yehemet) tinemit
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| Verb : ciwa |
Information
"ciwa" means "do". |
(naha) metnikciwa
(taha) mettikciwa
(yaha) mettikiciwa
(tehemet) tikciwat
(anhemet) ankciwat
(yehemet) tikciwat
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Note
The the verb does not exist in Nawat, the verb "ciwa" (do) is prefixed
before the infinitive of the verb in Spanish. For example, "ciwa conectar" for
"to connect" ("conectar" is "to connect" in Spanish).
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| Verb : tekiti |
Information
"tekiti" means "work". |
(naha) metnitekiti
(taha) mettitekiti
(yaha) mettitekiti
(tehemet) titekitit
(anhemet) antekitit
(yehemet) titekitit
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| Reflexives |
Information
The reflexives go at the beginning of the verb. |
Explanation
| mu | general reflexive |
| nec | me |
| mez | you |
| k | him/her |
| tec | our |
| a + prefijo sujeto + mez | you (plural) |
| k + la primera silaba de la raíz + h | them |
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Examples
| neckukuya | I am sore ("kukuya" means "pain") |
| mezkukuya | you are sore |
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| Questions |
Information
There are two ways of forming questions: with question words and an normal phrase said
in a questioning tone of voice (like in English).
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Explanation
| tay? | what? |
| ken? | how? |
| kan? | where? |
| tay ika? | why? |
| tumawak mutatanoy? | is your grandfather fat? (literally: is fat your grandfather?) |
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Examples
| ken tinemi? | how are you? |
| kan tinemi? | where do you live? |
| picawak munoya? | is your grandmother slim? (Literally: is slim your grandmother?) |
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| Time |
Information
References to time have no fixed place in a sentence (they can go at the beginning
or end).
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Explanation
| tik ne tunalku tutunik | at the beginning: in summer it's hot |
| niqa peyna | at the end: I eat early |
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Examples
| tik ne xupna tanesi maqil | in winter the sun rises at 5 |
| tay tikciwa tayuwa? | what do you do in the evening? |
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| Verb : kustu |
Information
"kustu" means "to like". |
(naha) metnukustu
(taha) metmukustu
(yaha) mettiikustu
(tehemet) tikustut
(anhemet) anmukustut
(yehemet) tiinkustut
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Note
Note that the verb "kustu" takes a possessive. |
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| Verb : neki |
Information
"neki" means "to like/want". |
(naha) metnikneki
(taha) mettikneki
(yaha) mettikineki
(tehemet) tiknekit
(anhemet) anknekit
(yehemet) tikinekit
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| Verb : qa |
Information
"qa" means "to eat". |
(naha) metniqa
(taha) mettiqa
(yaha) mettiqa
(tehemet) tiqat
(anhemet) anqat
(yehemet) tiqat
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Note
"ta" is added when the object is not specified (or it's not known if there is
an object).
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| Verb : mumactia |
Information
"mumactia" means "to study". |
(naha) metnimumactia
(taha) mettimumactia
(yaha) mettimumactia
(tehemet) timumactiat
(anhemet) anmumactiat
(yehemet) timumactiat
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| Verb : altia (maltia) |
Information
"altia" means "to wash".
The "m" at the beginning makes it reflexive.
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(naha) metnimaltia
(I wash myself)
(taha) mettimaltia
(you wash yourself)
(yaha) mettimaltia
(s/he washes her/himself)
(tehemet) timaltiat
(we wash ourselves)
(anhemet) anmaltiat
(you (plural) wash yourselves)
(yehemet) timaltiat
(they wash themsleves)
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Note
The "m" comes from the reflexive prefix "mu", which is shortened before a vowel.
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| Verb : altia (kaltia) |
Information
"altia" means "to wash".
With a "k" at the beginning, it means that someone else is being washed.
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(naha) metnikaltia
(I wash him/her)
(taha) mettikaltia
(you wash him/her)
(yaha) mettikaltia
(s/he washes him/her)
(tehemet) tikaltiat
(we wash him/her)
(anhemet) ankaltiat
(you (plural) wash him/her)
(yehemet) tikaltiat
(they wash him/her)
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| Prepositions |
Information
Usually, the prepositions go before the noun. |
Explanation
| kaitan ne qawit | preposition + ne + noun (underneath the tree) |
| inakastan | beside |
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Examples
| nemi tec ne apan | it's near the river |
| nemi ipan ne tyupan | it's to the left of the church |
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| Demonstrative pronouns |
Information
The demonstrative pronouns are: |
Explanation
| ini | this |
| uni | that |
| yaha né | that one over there |
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Examples
| nikneki ini | I want this (one) |
| tikneki yaha né | you want that one (over there) |
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Note
There are other demonstrative pronouns, but these are the most common.
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| Adverbial phrases |
Information
Adverbial phrases go after the verb.
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Explanation
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Examples
| nemi ka nikan | it's over here |
| nemi ka né | it's over there |
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Note
Note the accent on the word "né" to distinguish it from the word "ne"
(the article).
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| Diminutives |
Information
The word "cin" is added at the end of a word to make it diminitive.
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Explanation
| tututcin | noun + "cin" (little bird) |
| mistuncin | kitten |
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Examples
| kalancin mututucin! | your little bird is lovely! |
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| Gender |
Information
If you wist to specifiy that something is female, you can use the word "siwat"
before the verb.
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Explanation
| siwatmistun | siwat + noun (female cat) |
| siwatpelu | female dog |
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Examples
| tumawak musiwatmistun! | your female cat is fat! |
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| Verb : wiz |
Information
"wis" means "to come". |
(naha) metniwiz
(taha) mettiwiz
(yaha) mettiwiz
(tehemet) tiwizet
(anhemet) anwizet
(yehemet) tiwizet
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Note
Note that the verb "wiz" is a little irregular. |
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| Verb : yawi |
Information
"yawi" means "to go". |
(naha) metniyaw
(taha) mettiyaw
(yaha) mettiyawi
(tehemet) tiyawit
(anhemet) anyawit
(yehemet) tiyawit
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Note
Note that the verb "yawi" is a little irregular".
Also, there are shortened forms. For example, sometimes "niyaw" becomes "niw" in
conversation.
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| Verb : neki + verb |
Information
"neki" + "verb" means "to want to do something".
Let's look at an example with "qa" (to eat) (in other words, to want to eat).
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(naha) metnikneki niqa
(taha) mettikneki tiqa
(yaha) mettineki qa
(tehemet) tiknekit tiqat
(anhemet) ankineki anqat
(yehemet) tinekit qat
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| Verb : yawi + verb |
Information
"yawi" + "verb" means "to be going to do something".
Let's look at an example with "qa" (to eat) (in other words, to be going to eat)
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(naha) metniyaw niqa
(taha) mettiyaw tiqa
(yaha) mettiyawi qa
(tehemet) tiyawit tiqat
(anhemet) anyawit anqat
(yehemet) tiyawit qat
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