In this unit you will learn how to ask questions. Next, we will take a look at how to construct negative sentences, which are a bit complex in K’iche’.

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 xukul le a Xwan? – Je’, xukulik.

-Is Xwan kneeling? -Yes, he is.

– La oj oj nab’e? – Je’, oj oj nab’e.

-Are we first? -Yes, we are first

Please listen to the following examples and 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) big. -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, (it is) 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, in other words, it requires two negation markers as in French, for example. The first is the (optional) particle na preceding the predicate. The second (obligatory) particle is 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:

sak’aj	smart, bright
k’ax	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 (person)
t’iso’m	sewing
jastaq	things
-achalal	family relative

 

From the following word pairs, form questions indicating possession and answer them in the affirmative and in the negative. Example : at/ixoqil : La k’o awixoqil ? –Je’, k’olik. /Maj. -Do you have a wife? Yes, I do./ No, (I do not).

1.   At/wuj
2.  Al Nela/chak/pa tijob’al
3.   At/ xajab’
4. Nan Xe’p/po’t
5.  A Si’s, al Xe’p/xajab’
6.  At/chak
7. Ajtij/chakub’al/pa Nahualja’
8. Ix/pwaq
9. Tz’i’/wa
10. B’i/tz’i’
11. At/chaq’

Answers

1. La k’o le awuj? Je’ k’olik. Maj.
2. La k’o uchak al Nela pa tijob’al? Je’ k’olik. Maj.
3. La k’o axajab’? Je’ k’olik. Maj.
4. La k’o upo’t le Nan Xe’p? Je’ k’olik. Maj.
5. La k’o kixajab’ le a Si’s chi’l le al Xe’p? Je’ k’olik. Maj.
6. La k’o achak? Je’ k’olik. Maj.
7. La k’o uchakub’al le ajtij pa Nawalja’? Je’ k’olik. Maj.
8. La ix k’o ipwaq? Je’ k’olik. Maj.
9. La k’o uwa le tz’i’? Je’ k’olik. Maj.
10. La k’o ub’i’ le tz’i’? Je’ k’olik. Maj.
11. La k’o achaq’? Je’ k’olik. Maj.

Now, practice asking and answering the following questions in k’iche:

1. Are you in the United States?
2. Do you (plural) have a dog?
3. Xwan, is your younger brother home?
4. Is your dad a lumberjack?
5. Are you drunk?
6. Is the mayor in his office?
7. Are we smart at school?
8. Is the k’iche’ class difficult?
9. What’s your name (addressing an elder)?
10. Is Mari’y’s huipil green?

Answers

1. La at k’o pa Estados Unidos? Je’ in k’olik. In maj.
2. La ix k’o jun itz’i’? Je’ k’olik. Maj.
3. Xwan, la k’o le achaq’ pa awo’ch? Je’ k’olik. Maj.
4. La b’anal si’ le atat? Je’ b’anal si’ le nutat. Na b’anal si’ ta le nutat.
5. La at q’abarel? Je’, in q’abarel. Na in q’abarel taj.
6. La k’o le alkalte’ pa uchakub’al? Je’ k’olik. Maj.
7. La oj sak’aj pa tijob’al? Je’ oj sak’aj pa tijob’al. Na oj sak’aj taj.
8. La k’ax le tijonik re K’iche’? Je’ k’ax le tijonik. Na k’ax ta le tijonik.
9. Jas b’i’ la? Max le nub’i’.
10. La rax le upo’t le al Mari’y? Je’, rax le upo’t. Na rax ta le upo’t.