In this lesson we will see the grammatical structure of the first five irregular verbs. These are verbs that do not follow a regular model when their verbal base is conjugated with tense and number. In fact, there are some verbs that have completely different forms. The first five irregular verbs are the following:
/yā, yāuh, yohui/ “to go”
/ihhuiya/ “to go” (had gone) only in the past tense
/huālla, huāllauh, huāllohui/ “to come”
/eli/ “to be, to become, to grow, to do something after all” (verbal base can be conjugated with all tenses, but only in singular number because it refers to inanimate objects)
/itztoc/ “to be in a place, to be in a certain state” (for human and animal subjects)
Interview with Mardonio Carballo CC BY Biblioteca de Investigación Juan de Córdova
Tlamanēxtilli ahāhuiltiliztli tlen tlachīhualiztli huan cequin tlahtolpāmitl (Example of the conjugation of verbs and some sentences)
/yā, yāuh, yohui/ “to go”
Present
Niyāuh “I go”
Tiyāuh “You go”
Yohui “She/he goes”
Tiyohuih “We go”
Inyohuih “You (plural) go”
Yohuih “They go”
Past
Niyāhqui “I went”
Tiyāhqui “You went”
yāhqui “She/he went”
Tiyāhqueh “We went”
Inyāhqueh “You (plural) went”
Yāhqueh “They went”
Future
Niyāz “I will go”
Tiyāz “You will go”
Yāz “She/he will go”
Tiyāzceh “We will go”
Inyāzceh “You (plural) will go”
Yāzceh “They will go”
Imperfect
Niyohuiyaya “I was going”
Tiyohuiyaya “You were going”
Yohuiyaya “She/he was going”
Tiyohuiyayah “We were going”
Inyohuiyayah “You (plural) were going”
Yohuiyayah “They were going”
Conditional
Niyāzquia “I should go”
Tiyāzquia “You should go”
Yāzquia “She/he should go”
Tiyāzquiah “We should go”
Inyāzquiah “You (plural) should go”
Yāzquiah “They should go”
Imperative
Ma niyāuh “I go!”
Xiyāuh “Go!”
Ma yohui “She/he goes!”
Ma tiyācān “We go!”
Xiyācān “You (plural) go!”
Ma yācān “They go!”
Pablo yohui quiittati īyōltzin cē tiotlac.
Notatah yāhqui mīllah cualcan huanya īchichi.
Nomimi mohmōztlah yohuiyaya māhuiltia caltlamachtihcan huanya ītequipoyohuan.
/ihhuiya/ “to go” (had gone) only in the past tense
Niihhuia “I had gone”
Tiihhuia “You had gone”
Ihhuia “She/he had gone”
Tiihhuiah “We had gone”
Inihhuiah “You (plural) had gone”
Ihhuiah “The had gone”
Chicuēyiya niihhuiya īchān nonanān pampa oncac tlaixpiyalli.
/huālla, huāllauh, huāllohui/ “to come”
Present
Nihuāllauh “I come”
Tihuāllauh “You come”
Huāllauh “She/he comes”
Tihuāllohuih “We come”
Inhuāllohuih “You (plural) come”
Huāllohuih “They come”
Past
Nihuāllahqui “I came”
Tihuāllahqui “You came”
Huāllahqui “She/he came”
Tihuāllahqueh “We came”
Inhuāllahqueh “You (plural) came”
Huallahqueh “They came”
Future
Nihuāllaz “I will come”
Tihuallaz “You will come”
Huāllaz “She/he will come”
Tihuāllazceh “We will come”
Inhuallazceh “You (plural) will come”
Huāllazceh “They will come”
Imperfect
Nihuāllayaya “I was coming”
Tihuāllayaya “You were coming”
Huāllayaya “She/he was coming”
Tihuāllayayah “We were coming”
Inhuāllayayah “You (plural) were coming”
Huāllayayah “They were coming”
Conditional
Nihuāllazquia “I should come”
Tihuallazquia “You should come”
Huāllazquia “She/he should come”
Tihuāllazquiah “We should come”
Inhuallazquiah “You (plural) should come”
Huāllazquiah “They should come”
Imperative
Ma nihuallauh “I come!”
Xihuallauh “Come!”
Ma huāllauh “She/he comes!”
Ma tihuāllacān “We come!”
Xihuallacan “You (plural) come!”
Ma huāllacān “They come!”
Tochān huāllauh īchocho Juana huanya māhuiltia īmachicnuh.
Naman, huāllohuih noicnīhuan pampa titlacuāzceh zancehco.
Pan chicuēyi tōnatiuh huāllazceh notatahhuan pampa quīzaz cē nochocho pan caltlamachtihcan.
/eli/ “to be, to become, to grow, to do something after all” (verbal base can be conjugated with all tenses, but only in singular number because it refers to inanimate objects)
Past
Nielqui “I was”
Tielqui “You were”
Elqui “She/he was”
Tielqueh “We were”
Inelqueh “You all were”
Elqueh “They were”
Future
Nieliz “I will be”
Tieliz “You will be”
Eliz “She/he will be”
Tielizceh “We will be”
Inelizceh “You all will be”
Elizceh “They will be”
Imperfect
Nieliyaya “I was being”
Tieliyaya “You were being”
Eliyaya “She/he was being”
Tieliyayah “We were being”
Ineliyayah “You all were being”
Eliyayah “They were being”
Conditional
Nielizquia “I should be”
Tielizquia “You should be”
Elizquia “She/he should be”
Tielizquiah “We should be”
Inelizquiah “You all should be”
Elizquiah “They should be”
Imperative
Ma nieli “I am!”
Xieli “Be!”
Ma eli “You are!”
Ma tielicān “We are!”
Xielicān “You all are!”
Ma elicān “They are!”
Yehyēctzin eli tōctli notatah īmīllah. (Come to do something)
Juana īconēuh elqui tēpahtihquetl quen ya quinequiyaya.
Carlos eli yāz īchān campa itztoqueh ītatahhuan ni ilhuitl pampa quinequi quicuāz chichiquilli. (Doing something afterall)
/itztoc/ “to be in a place, to be in a certain state” (for human and animal subjects)
Present
Niitztoc “I am”
Tiitztoc “You are”
Itztoc “She/he is”
Tiitztoqueh “We are”
Initztoqueh “You all are”
Itztoqueh “They are”
Past
Niitztoya “I was”
Tiitztoya “You were”
Itztoya “She/he was”
Tiitztoyah “We were”
Initztoyah “You all were”
Itztoyah “They were”
Future
Niitztoz “I will be”
Tiitztoz “You will be”
Itztoz “She/he will be”
Tiitztozceh “We will be”
Initztozceh “You all will be”
Itztozceh “They will be”
Conditional
Niitztozquia “I should be”
Tiitztozquia “You should be”
Itztozquia “She/he should be”
Tiitztozquiah “We should be”
Initztozquiah “You all should be”
Itztozquiah “They should be”
Imperative
Ma niitzto “I be!”
Xiitzto “You be!”
Ma itzto “She/he be!”
Ma tiitztocān “We be!”
Xiitztocān “You all be!”
Ma itztocān “They be!”
¿Quīniuhqui tiitztoc? Niciauhtoc. Niyōlpactoc. Nicueciuhtoc. Nicualāntoc.
¿Cānin itztoqueh Pablo huan Lucia? Pedro huan Lucia itztoqueh monechca.
Tequitl cē (Activity One): Write 5 sentences with of the verbs in whichever tense you would like