Navajo

Verb

naaghá

1. he/she is going around, walking about
2. he/she goes and returns

   Marianne hádą́ą́ʼ Ahééhéshį́į́hgóó naayá? — When did Marianne go to Phoenix?

   Áłchíní daʼółtaʼígíí naaki nídeezidídą́ą́ʼ Wááshindoongóó naaskai. — The school children went to Washington two months ago.

3. (with -di or an adverb of place) he/she is at/in

   Mary dóó Kii bimá sání yighandi naaʼaash. — Mary and Kee are at their grandmother’s house.

   Ashiiké ółtaʼígíí kǫ́ǫ́ naaʼaash. — The two boys who are students, are around here.

4. (with -dę́ę́ʼ) he/she comes from

   Hastiin Hall Ohio hoolyéédę́ę́ʼ naaghá. — Mr. Hall hails from a place called Ohio.

   Díí kweʼé atah daʼółtaʼígíí háádę́ę́ʼ ndaakai? — Where do these students come from?

5. (with baa) he/she is busy with; he/she is doing it

   Diné bizaad bóhooshʼaahgo baa naashá. — I’m busy learning Navajo.

   Áłchíní haʼátʼíí yaa naakai? — What are the children doing?

6. (with chʼaa) he/she is on trip

   Chʼaa naashá ńtʼééʼ. — I was on trip.

7. (with yínííł “with mind”) he/she is sad/blue/worried

   Yínííł naaghá. — He is sad.

8. (with ká) he/she is sickly/invalid

   Ká naashá. — I am sickly.

9. buddy, friend (used by males, the 3rd-person dual can be used in this way to refer to male cousins)

   shił naaʼaash — my clan brother; my buddy; my cousin ("father’s sister’s son" or "mother’s brother’s son")

Usage notes

Like all go-verbs, this verb uses three different roots for 1 subject going alone, 2 subjects going in a pair, and 3+ subjects going in a group. All three roots can be conjugated in all 3 numbers (singular, duoplural, distributive plural), with practical different meanings. See chʼéghááh, chʼéʼaash, chʼékááh for further details.

Conjugation

Paradigm: Continuative (Ø/si) .

Related terms

• chʼéghááh
• dighááh
• yíghááh