átʼé

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ate"

Navajo

Etymology

ʼá- (comparative) + -∅- (ni-modal 3rd person subject prefix) + -∅- (classifier) + -tʼé (imperfective stem of root -TʼEʼ, “to be”)

Verb

átʼé

1. it is

   Díí tó átʼé. ― This is water.

   Ałʼąą átʼé. ― They are different.

2. could

Usage notes

This verb is generally used for inanimate subjects. When describing people, use the verb nilį́ instead.

This is a neuter verb and needs an auxiliary verb for modes other than the imperfective mode.

Conjugation

Paradigm: Neuter imperfective (ni)

IMPERFECTIVE	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	áníshtʼé	ániitʼé	ádaniitʼé
2nd person	áńtʼé	ánóhtʼé	ádanohtʼé
3rd person	átʼé		ádaatʼé
4th person	ájítʼé		ádajítʼé

PERFECTIVE	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	áníshtʼéé nítʼééʼ	ániitʼéé nítʼééʼ	ádaniitʼéé nítʼééʼ
2nd person	áńtʼéé nítʼééʼ	ánóhtʼéé nítʼééʼ	ádanohtʼéé nítʼééʼ
3rd person	átʼéé nítʼééʼ		ádaatʼéé nítʼééʼ
4th person	ájítʼéé nítʼééʼ		ádajítʼéé nítʼééʼ

FUTURE	singular	duoplural	plural
1st person	áníshtʼée doo	ániitʼée doo	ádaniitʼée doo
2nd person	áńtʼée doo	ánóhtʼée doo	ádanohtʼée doo
3rd person	átʼée doo		ádaatʼée doo
4th person	ájítʼée doo		ádajítʼée doo