In this lesson we will learn about directionals. These are particles attached to verbs expressing motion to or from a place to complete the verbal action. They are /co/, /qui/, /to/, and /ti/, which attach in verb final position of both transitives and intransitives. The roots of class 3 verbs, those ending in /ia/ and /oa/, drop their final “a.” Because directional particles take the place of past and future markers, verbs use the present tense to mark number, “ø” for singular and “h” for plural.
Tlamanextilli ahahuiltiliztli tlen tlachihualiztli huan cequin tlahtolpamitl (Examples)
/-co/ “someone came” (to do something in the past)
Nitlachpāna “I sweep”
Nitlachpānaco “I came to sweep”
Nitlacuā “I eat”
Nitlacuāco “I came to eat”
Carlos īcihuāuh tlachpānaco nicān tochān.
Maria tlacuāco huanya īyōltzin yālhuaya.
/-qui/ “someone will come” (to do something in future tense)
Nimomachtia “I study”
Nimomachtiqui “I will come to study”
Titlacuā “You eat”
Titlacuāqui “You will come to eat”
Monica pan cē xīhuitl huāllaz momachtiqui cāmpa itztoqueh iicnīhuan.
Carla tlacuāqui mōztla tochān pampa axacah inanān.
/-to/ “someone went” (to do something in past tense)
Nimāltia “I bathe”
Nimāltito “I went to bathe”
Niātlacui “I grab water”
Niātlacuito “I went to grab water”
Norma māltito.
Yālhuaya niātlacuito huanya nonanān.
/-ti/ “someone will go” (to do something in the future tense)
Nicuatleco “I climb a tree”
Nicuatlehcoti “I will go to climb a tree”
Timomachtia “You study”
Timomachtiti “You will go to study”
Moztla nicuatlehcoti pan alaxocuahuitl.
Niyaz nimomachtiti amoxcalli.
Tequitl ce (Activity one): Make sentences with the following verbs
Pixca
Cuīca (to sing)
Cōhua
Chiya
Māltia
Ihtoā
Nāhua
Pa