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:
/ya, yauh, yohui/ “to go”
/ihhuiya/ “to go” (had gone) only in the past tense
/hualla, huallauh, huallohui/ “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
Tlamanextilli ahahuiltiliztli tlen tlachihualiztli huan cequin tlahtolpamitl (Example of the conjugation of verbs and some sentences)
/ya, yauh, yohui/ “to go”
Present
Niyauh “I go”
Tiyauh “You go”
Yohui “She/he goes”
Tiyohuih “We go”
Inyohuih “You (plural) go”
Yohuih “They go”
Past
Niyahqui “I went”
Tiyahqui “You went”
Yahqui “She/he went”
Tiyahqueh “We went”
Inyahqueh “You (plural) went”
Yahqueh “They went”
Future
Niyaz “I will go”
Tiyaz “You will go”
Yaz “She/he will go”
Tiyazceh “We will go”
Inyazceh “You (plural) will go”
Yazceh “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
Niyazquia “I should go”
Tiyazquia “You should go”
Yazquia “She/he should go”
Tiyazquiah “We should go”
Inyazquiah “You (plural) should go”
Yazquiah “They should go”
Imperative
Ma niyauh “I go!”
Xiyauh “Go!”
Ma yohui “She/he goes!”
Ma tiyacan “We go!”
Xiyacan “You (plural) go!”
Ma yacan “They go!”
Pablo yohui quiittati iyoltzin ce tiotlac.
Notatah yahqui millah cualcan huanya ichichi.
Nomimi mohmoztlah yohuiyaya mahuiltia caltlamachtihcan huanya itequipoyohuan.
/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”
Chicueyiya niihhuiya ichan nonanan pampa oncac tlaixpiyalli.
/hualla, huallauh, huallohui/ “to come”
Present
Nihuallauh “I come”
Tihuallauh “You come”
Huallauh “She/he comes”
Tihuallohuih “We come”
Inhuallohuih “You (plural) come”
Huallohuih “They come”
Past
Nihuallahqui “I came”
Tihuallahqui “You came”
Huallahqui “She/he came”
Tihuallahqueh “We came”
Inhuallahqueh “You (plural) came”
Huallahqueh “They came”
Future
Nihuallaz “I will come”
Tihuallaz “You will come”
Huallaz “She/he will come”
Tihuallazceh “We will come”
Inhuallazceh “You (plural) will come”
Huallazceh “They will come”
Imperfect
Nihuallayaya “I was coming”
Tihuallayaya “You were coming”
Huallayaya “She/he was coming”
Tihuallayayah “We were coming”
Inhuallayayah “You (plural) were coming”
Huallayayah “They were coming”
Conditional
Nihuallazquia “I should come”
Tihuallazquia “You should come”
Huallazquia “She/he should come”
Tihuallazquiah “We should come”
Inhuallazquiah “You (plural) should come”
Huallazquiah “They should come”
Imperative
Ma nihuallauh “I come!”
Xihuallauh “Come!”
Ma huallauh “She/he comes!”
Ma tihuallacan “We come!”
Xihuallacan “You (plural) come!”
Ma huallacan “They come!”
Tochan huallauh ichocho Juana huanya mahuiltia imachicniuh.
Naman, huallohuih noicnihuan pampa titlacuazceh zancehco.
Pan chicueyi tonatiuh huallazceh notatahhuan pampa quizaz ce 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 tielican “We are!”
Xielican “You all are!”
Ma elican “They are!”
Yehyectzin eli toctli notatah imillah. (Come to do something)
Juana iconeuh elqui tepahtihquetl quen ya quinequiyaya.
Carlos eli yaz ichan campa itztoqueh itatahhuan ni ilhuitl pampa quinequi quicuaz 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 tiitztocan “We be!”
Xiitztocan “You all be!”
Ma itztocan “They be!”
¿Quiniuhqui tiitztoc? Niciauhtoc. Niyolpactoc. Nicueciuhtoc. Nicualantoc.
¿Canin itztoqueh Pablo huan Lucia? Pedro huan Lucia itztoqueh monechca.
Tequitl ce (Activity One): Write 5 sentences with of the verbs in whichever tense you would like