Áhát’íinii - Verbs in Navajo

There are two ways how Navajo verbs can express the past: one with some addition in the middle of the verb, and the other is by making the final vowel of the word stronger. Ways to make it stronger may include nasalizing, adding high tone, or changing it to another vowel. There's no infinitive in Navajo, so the most basic verbal form is the third person singular present. 

Navajo's main part of the root is at the end of the word, but the beginning of the word specifies the meaning in terms of repetition or who’s affected. The end of the word is the main root, and the beginning of the word is a secondary root. The root is all around the meaning of time and person.

The past is called perfective and the present is called imperfective. Perfective refers to a completed action which is most usually referring to some past event. Imperfective refers to an incomplete action so that’s most commonly referring to a present event.

Verbs that earn a Z.

• naané / naazne’ = plays / (he/she) played
• atł’óh / aztł’óh = weaves / wove
• náhágod / náházgod = hoes / hoed
• nahaniih / nahaazníí = sells / sold
• naabé / naazbį́į́’ = waters / water (plants)
• na’nitin / na’neeztą́ą́ = teaches / taught

Verbs that earn an S (usually coming from an ł).

• yiłt’ees / yist’é = roasts / roasted
• nayiiłnih / nahiisnii = buys / bought
• na’ałkǫ́ǫ́ / na’askǫ́ǫ́ = swims / swam
• naniłkaad / naneeskaad = herds /herded
• tó’ ádígis / tó ádeesgis = showers / shower

ł is an l with a slash on It’s an sh produced on the site of an l. At the beginning of the syllable, it’s a k produced on the site of an l.

Verbs that earn an SH (usually coming from an l):

• naalnish / naashnish = works / worked
• naalzheeh / naashzhee’ = hunts / hunted
• yiłbéézh / yishbéézh = boils / boiled

Verbs that earn an OO (usually coming from an A):

• halne’ / hoolne’ = tell
• yich’ahashké / yich’ahooshké = scolds / scold
• yidlą́ / yoodlą́ą́ = drinks / drank

Verbs that earn an (Y)ÍÍ:

• yółta / yiyííłta’ = reads / read
• binaał / bíínaał = watches / watched
• ’ííleeh / ayiilaa = prepares / prepared
• k’i’dilé / k’i’díílá = plants / planted
• sezí / yiizí = stands / stood
• diidiłjeeh / didííłjeeh = builds / built
• e’e’áád / i’íí’ááh = votes / voted
• haadziih / haadzíí’ = starts speaking / started speaking
• yi’aał / deiyíí’aał = chews / chewed 

Usually they just add an sh = I, or ni = you (sg). To make the plurals, we/2 adds a double ii in the middle, you/2 adds oo, and they/2 is usually the same as she/he. To turn them into plural(3), some form of D- is added, maybe DA or DEI. Variations on these may happen to make it sound similar to neighboring sounds. 

The conjugations and meanings were taken from Diné Bizaad Bináhoo'aah, by Evangeline Parsons-Yazzie,Margaret Speas,2007.