The Nahuatl language divides its verbs between intransitive and transitive forms. In this lesson, we will learn intransitive verbs, which means that these verbs do not affect or direct an object. In a following lesson, we will learn more about transitive verbs.
Intransitive verbs in the present tense have three parts: a prefix (just as substantive nouns), a verbal base, and a suffix that marks singular and plural forms. In the present tense, the verbal base does not undergo a grammatical transformation, this means that its singular form is followed by the suffix “ø,” while the verbal base in its plural form is followed by the letter “h.” For example:
Tlamanextilli ahahuiltiliztli tlen tlachihualiztli huan ce tlahtolpamitl (Example with the conjugation of verbs and a sentence)
ni – (verbal base) – ø
ti – (verbal base) – ø
ø – (verbal base) – ø
ti – (verbal base) – h
in – (verbal base) – h
ø – (verbal base) – h
/ehua/ “to be from, come from”
Niehua Mexco. “I am from Mexico.”
/tequiti/ “to work”
Nitequiti caltlamachtiloyan. “I work at school.”
/momachtia/ “to study”
Nimomachtia Nahuatl. “I study Nahuatl.”
/tici/ “to grind”
Nitici huanya nonanan. “I grind (corn) with with my mother.”
/tlamachtia/ “to teach”
Nitlamachtia Nahuatl ica yahuatzinco. “I teach Nahuatl in the morning.”
Conjugate the follow verbs with all the prefixes of the subject and the suffixes in singular and plural. For example:
/choca/ “to cry”
nichoca “I cry”
tichoca “you cry”
choca “she/he cries”
tichocah “we cry”
inchocah “you all cry”
chocah “they cry”
/Ahqui/ “to swim”
/Huetzca/ “to laugh”
/Atli/ “to drink water”
/Cececui/ “to be cold”
Now make small sentences with the following verbs. For example:
/Cochi/ “to sleep”
Na nicochi pan mahtlactli huan ome cahuitl.”
“I sleep at twelve.”
/Quiza/ “to go out”
/Choloa/ “to escape”
/Maltia/ “to bathe, shower”
/Mihtotia/ “to dance”