In this unit you will learn how to ask questions. Next we will start looking at negative sentences, which are a bit complex in K’iche’.
Le al We’l kusolij le a Xwan pa le ro’ch jela’ Nawalja’.
Manuela visits Juan at his house in Nahualá.
We’l: Saqarik a Xwan!
Xwan: Saqarik al We’l!
We’l: La k’o le anan?
Xwan: K’olik.
We’l: Maltyox!
Xwan: La k’o k’u le axb’al ?
We’l: Maj.
We’l: Good morning, Juan!
Xwan: Good morning, Manuela!
We’l: Is your mom home?
Xwan: She is.
We’l: Thanks!
Xwan: And your brother, is he home ?
We’l: He’s not.
Yes/no questions in K’iche’
In K’iche’ yes/no questions simply require placing the particle La at the beginning as well as adding a raising intonation at the end. Listen carefully to the examples below.
-La k’o le atat? -Je’, k’olik. |
-Is your dad (home)? -Yes, he is. |
The particle je’ is utilized as yes. As we have seen, the particle k’o becomes k’olik when it is in the phrase final position.
-La k’o le a Xwan? – Je’, k’olik. |
-Is Xwan here/home? -Yes, he is. |
– La oj nab’e? – Je’, oj nab’e. |
-Are we first? -Yes, we are first |
Please listen to the following examples. Practice answering the questions.
– La k’o awe? – K’olik. OR: – Je’, k’o we. |
-Do you have a girlfriend/boyfriend? -I do.-Yes, I have a girlfriend/boyfriend. |
– La nim le atinamit? – Je’ nim. OR: – Je’, nim le nutinamit. |
-Is your town big? -Yes, (it) is.-Yes, my town is big. |
– La at k’o ruk’ le atz’i’? – In k’olik. OR: – Je’, in k’o ruk’ le nutz’i’. |
-Are you with your dog? -I am.-Yes, I am with my dog. |
– La rax le juyub’? – Je’, rax. OR: – Je’, rax le juyub’. |
-Is the mountain green? -Yes, green.-Yes, the mountain is green. |
– La k’o le ajastaq? – Je’, k’olik. OR: – Je’, k’o le nujastaq. |
-Do you have your things? -Yes, I do.-Yes, I have my things. |
– La awachalal le al We’l? – Je, wachalal. OR: – Je’, wachalal le al We’l. |
-Is Manuela your relative? -Yes, (she is)my relative.-Yes, Manuela is my relative. |
– La ix k’o pa le tijob’al? – Je’ oj k’olik. OR: – Je’, oj k’o pa le tijob’al. |
-Are y’all at the school? -Yes, we are.-Yes, we are at the school. |
Negation in non-verbal sentences
In Nahuala K’iche’, the negative answer to yes/no questions is maj. The Spanish loanword no’ with a glottal stop is often heard as well. An answer with maj alone may be interpreted as somewhat curt but sometimes it is enough. Negation in K’iche’ is periphrastic: It requires two negation markers as French, for example. The first is the optional particle na preceding the predicate; the second is obligatory ta or taj in sentence final position. Negative existential sentences in Nahuala start with maj and do not carry the existential k’o/k’olik. Let’s look at some examples:
Negation big Negation its-leg this tree
This tree is not tall.
(Remember the construction nim raqan means tall)
NEG green NEG its-face the mountain
The mountain is not green.
NEG his/her-money art. drunk (person)
The drunk (person) has no money.
NEG good NEG art. her-sewing art. marker Mariy
Mariy’s sewing is not good.
NEG yellow NEG its-face art. our-banana
Our banana is not yellow.
NEG rain right now
There is no rain right now.
NEG sun rays yesterday
There were no clouds yesterday.
sak’aj | smart, bright |
kax | difficult |
chaq’ | younger sibling of the same sex |
chwe’q | tomorrow |
iwir | yesterday |
kamik | today |
chanim | right now |
jab’ | rain |
uwaq’ij | sun rays |
prut | banana |
q’abarel | drunk |
t’isom | sewing |
jas taq | things |
-achalal | relative |
From the following word pairs, form questions indicating possession and answer them in the affirmative and as in the negative.
Example : at/ixoqil : La k’o awixoqil ? –Je’, k’olik. /Maj.
- At/wuj
- Al Nela/chak/pa tijob’al
- At/ xajab’
- Nan Xe’p/po’t
- A Si’s, al Xe’p/xajab’
- At/chak
- Ajtij/ Chakub’al/
- Ix/pwaq
- Tz’i’/Wa
- B’i/tz’i’
- At/chaq’
Now, practice asking and answering the following questions in k’iche:
- Are you in the United States?
- Do you (ya’ll) have a dog?
- Xwan, is your younger brother home?
- Is your dad a lumberjack?
- Are you drunk?
- Is the mayor in his office?
- Are we smart in class?
- Is the k’iche’ class difficult?
- What’s your name (addressing an elder)?
- Is Mariy’s huipil green?