User:Sumiaz/PUCP Grammar
Translated from Spanish from Breve Gramática de Quechua. Examples and descriptions have been added or changed, often to describe elements relative to English, but the basic description of the language remains the same.
Unit 1 edit
Linguistic Typology of Quechua edit
Grammatically, Quechua is a very different language from Spanish. Following linguistic terminology, Quechua is a suffixing agglutinative language, which is to say that words are formed by the addition to the root of multiple small parts, called endings or suffixes, that don't change their form significantly upon combination within words. For example:
| Word | Meaning | Suffix | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| wasi | "house" | ||
| wasicha | "small house" | -cha | diminutive |
| wasichayki | "your small house" | -yki | 2sg possessive |
| wasichaykichik | "your (pl) small house" | -ykichik | 2pl possessive |
| wasichaykichikkuna | "your (pl) small houses" | -kuna | plural |
| wasichaykichikkunapaq | "for your (pl) small houses" | -paq | dative |
| wasichaykichikkunapaqchá | "maybe for your (pl) small houses" | -chá | putative |
The previous example corresponds to a substantive or nominal root, but one can do the same with verbal roots. For example:
| Word | Meaning | Suffix | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| qhaway | "to look at" | -y | infinitive |
| qhawapayay | "to watch over, observe" | -paya | repetitive |
| qhawapayachiy | "to make one watch" | -chi | causative |
| qhawapayachikuy | "to make oneself watch" | -ku | reflexive |
| qhawapayachikuchkay | "to be making oneself watch" | -chka | progressive |
| qhawapayachikuchkan | "he/she/it is making him/her/itself watch" | -n | 3sg |
| qhawapayachikuchkanku | "they are making themselves watch" | -nku | 3pl |
| qhawapayanachikuchkanku | "they are making themselves watch each other" | -na | reciprocal |
In this manner, many concepts that are expressed in Spanish using many words are expressed in Quechua using a single word made up of multiple suffixes.
Sentences edit
An important piece of information with respect to Quechua is that it has Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order. This contrasts with Spanish and English, languages in which the normal word order is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO). An example of this is as follows:
- Ñuqa t'antatam munani. "I want bread."
| ñuqa | t'anta | -ta | -m | muna- | -ni |
| I | bread | accusative | evidential | want | 1sg |
In ñuqa t'antatam munani, the order is as follows: ñuqa is the subject "I"; t'anta is the noun "bread" with a direct-object marker -ta that is described later and an evidential marker -m that is also explained in this grammar; and finally, the verb munani, munay "to want" conjugated in the fist-person singular, goes at the end of the sentence.
Personal Pronouns edit
Quechua has three grammatical persons (first-, second-, and third-person) that can be expressed in the singular or plural. The pronouns in Quechua is as follows:
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st-person | ñuqa "I" |
ñuqanchik "we (inclusve)" |
| ñuqayku "we (exclusive)" | ||
| 2nd-person | qam "you" |
qamkuna "you (plural)" |
| 3rd-person | pay "he/she/it" |
paykuna "they" |
The first-person plural has two distinct pronouns: ñuqanchik and ñuqayku, that are translated as "we" but are not equivalent. Ñuqanchik, called the "inclusive we", signifies "I/we and you". Ñuqayku, called the "exclusive we", signifies "I/we, but not you". So if a Peruvian says to another Peruvian, "we are Peruvian," the listener knows that the meaning of the sentence is "both you and I are Peruvian"; but if a third person, an Ecuadorian, arrives, and one of the others repeats the phrase, the Ecuadorian would understand that the sentence uttered by the Peruvian means "we, not you, are Peruvian". This is the distinction expressed between ñuqanchik and ñuqayku.
Another difference with respect to Spanish is that in Quechua there is no gender distinction, so pay means both "he" and "she", and paykuna could refer to groups of any gender (cf. Sp. "ellos", "ellas").
Demonstrative Pronouns edit
The demonstrative pronouns of Quechua are as follows:
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Proximal | kay "this" |
kaykuna "these" |
| Medial | chay "that" |
chaykuna "those" |
| Distal | haqay "that over there" |
haqaykuna "those over there" |
Only the singular forms kay, chay, and haqay can be used as determiners (e.g. kay wasi, kay wasikuna "this house, these houses"). These singular forms may also be used to form adverbs of place using case suffixes.
| Locative -pi |
Ablative -manta |
Comparative -hina | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proximal kay |
kaypi "here" |
kaymanta "from here" |
kayhina "like this" |
| Medial chay |
chaypi "there" |
chaymanta "from there" also "after that" |
chayhina "like that" |
| Distal haqay |
haqaypi "over there" |
haqaymanta "from over there" |
haqayhina "like over there" |
Plural Nouns edit
The plural in Quechua is very simple: just add the suffix -kuna. For example allqu "dog" becomes allqukuna "dogs", and urqu "hill" becomes urqukuna "hills". When the word contains a possessive suffix, -kuna is placed afterwards. For example, using wasi "house":
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| 1sg | wasiy "my house" |
wasiykuna "my houses" |
| 2sg | wasiyki "your house" |
wasiykikuna "your houses" |
| 3sg | wasin "his/her house" |
wasinkuna "his/her houses" |
| 1pl.incl | wasinchik "our(incl) house" |
wasinchikkuna "our(incl) houses" |
| 1pl.excl | wasiyku "our(excl) house" |
wasiykukuna "our(excl) houses" |
| 2pl | wasiykichik "your(pl) house" |
wasiykichikkuna "your(pl) houses" |
| 3pl | wasinku "their house" |
wasinkukuna "their houses" |
Other means of conveying the plural only need to be expressed once. When there exists another word that indicates the plural, the -kuna suffix is not used.
| Singular | Plural | achka "many" |
tawa "four" |
waranqa "thousand" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| runa "person" |
runakuna "people" |
achka runa "many people" |
tawa runa "four people" |
waranqa runa "1,000 people" |
| allqu "dog" |
allqukuna "dogs" |
achka allqu "many dogs" |
tawa allqu "four dogs" |
waranqa allqu "1,000 dogs" |
| sach'a "tree" |
sach'akuna "trees" |
achka sach'a "many trees" |
tawa sach'a "four trees" |
waranqa sach'a "1,000 trees" |
Possessive Suffixes edit
As seen in the above table with wasi, the possessive suffixes can be added to any noun. There is one suffix for each grammatical person. The possessor can be emphasized by including, before the noun, the relevant pronoun followed by the genitive -p/-pa "of, 's". For example, ñuqap wasiy is literally translated as "my house of mine", and qampa wasiyki as "your house of yours". When this suffix is preceded by a consonant, as in kuntur "condor", the possessive ending must be preceded by -ni- to prevent consonant clusters. Note that the suffixes remain the same in the case of kunturcha "little condor", since the possessive suffixes are preceded by a vowel, in this case the diminutive -cha.
| Suf | wasi "house" |
kuntur "condor" |
wasicha "little house" |
kunturcha "little condor" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ñuqap "my" |
-y | wasiy | kunturniy | wasichay | kunturchay |
| qampa "your" |
-yki | wasiyki | kunturniyki | wasichayki | kunturchayki |
| paypa "his/her" |
-n | wasin | kunturnin | wasichan | kunturchan |
| ñuqanchikpa "our(incl)" |
-nchik | wasinchik | kunturninchik | wasichanchik | kunturchanchik |
| ñuqaykup "our(excl)" |
-yku | wasiyku | kunturniyku | wasichayku | kunturchayku |
| qamkunap "your(pl)" |
-ykichik | wasiykichik | kunturniykichik | wasichaykichik | kunturchaykichik |
| paykunap "their" |
-nku | wasinku | kunturninku | wasichanku | kunturchanku |
Suffixes Seen in Unit 1 edit
Case endings or suffixes in Quechua function much like prepositions in Spanish. That is to say, they indicate the role of a word within a sentence, conveying information such as place, direction, means, etc.. As we will see, the case suffixes accompany words functioning as direct objects, indirect objects, and subjects (the subject is marked by a null suffix). The following case suffixes are seen in this unit, accompanied by their technical names:
Nominative edit
Suffix: [null]
The nominative case serves to indicate the subject of the sentence. This case has no suffix, making all nouns nominative by default.
Genitive -p/-pa edit
This suffix indicates the possessor. It has two forms: -p is used after vowels, and -pa is used after consonants.
- wasip "of the house, the house's"
- quyllurpa "of the star, the star's"
- Karluspa wasin "the house of Carlos, Carlos's house"
Locative -pi edit
Suffix: -pi "at, in"
This suffix indicates a position in a place.
- wasipi "at the house, in the house"
- Ñuqa Truhillupim tiyani "I live in Trujillo."
Accusative -ta edit
Suffix: -ta
This suffix indicates the direct object of the sentence, or the point of arrival when using a verb that conveys movement, like "to go." Note that -ta is sometimes translated as a in Spanish, but whereas Spanish may or may not require the preposition a when referring to a direct object, -ta is always used in Quechua.
- wasita "to the house"
- Karlusta rikuchkani. "I am looking at Carlos."
- Qillqanata munani. "I want a pen."
- Wasiykita risunchik. "We will go to your house."
Ablative -manta edit
Suffix: -manta "from"
This suffix indicates a point of origin, in terms of location as well as time.
- wasimanta "from the house"
- chay p'unchawmanta "after that day"
- Maymantam hamunki? "Where do you come from?"
Instrumental -wan edit
Suffix: -wan "with"
This suffix indicates the instrument or company with which an action is realized.
- wasiwan "with the house"
- chay runakunawan "with those people"
- Piwantaq hamuchkanki? "Who are you coming with?"
Conjugation edit
The conjugation of verbs in Quechua is always regular and, because of this, it is easy for learners. There is only one means of conjugating all verbs in Quechua; this is different from Spanish, where conjugation may vary depending on the verb (c.f. -ar, -er, -ir verbs, irregular verbs). We see below the conjugations for the verbs tiyay "to live, reside" and kay "to be."
| Suf | tiyay "to live" |
kay "to be" | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ñuqa "I" |
-ni | ñuqa tiyani | ñuqa kani |
| qam "you" |
-nki | qam tiyanki | qam kanki |
| pay "he/she/it" |
-n | pay tiyan | paymi |
| ñuqanchik "we (incl)" |
-nchik | ñuqanchik tiyanchik | ñuqanchik kanchik |
| ñuqayku "we (excl)" |
-yku | ñuqanchik tiyayku | ñuqanchik kayku |
| qamkuna "you (pl)" |
-nkichik | qamkuna tiyankichik | qamkuna kankichik |
| paykuna "they" |
-nku | paykuna tiyanku | paykuna kanku |
Note that in the third-person singular conjugation of kay, there is a small exception. Never would one say pay kan to mean "he/she/it is." In place of that, the evidential suffix -m/-mi is used. This is because the conjugated form kan is only used to mean "there is/are." For example:
- Kaypi huk runam kan. "There is one person here."
- Patachaypi achka liwrum kan. "There are many books on my table."
- Ñuqapmi huk atillchay kan. "I have a friend."
- Pay atillchaymi. "He is my friend."
The Verb "To Have" edit
In Quechua there is no verb that directly means "to have" (Sp. tener). However, there are two ways to express the same idea.
The first way to express this involves use of possessive suffixes and of kay "to be" conjugated in the third-person impersonal, kan "there is/are" (Sp. hay).
- Ñuqap karruymi kan. "I have a car." (lit. "My car is of me.")
- Qampa wasiyki kanmi. "You have a house." (lit. "Your house is of you.")
- Paypam iskay wawqin kan. "He has two brothers." (lit. "His two brothers are of him.")
The other way is to use the suffix -yuq "with" and kay conjugated for the possessor.
- Ñuqa karruyuqmi kani. "I have a car." (lit. "I am with a car.")
- Qam wasiyuqmi kanki. "You have a house." (lit. "You are with a house.")
- Pay iskay wawqiyuqmi. "He has two brothers." (lit. "He is with two brothers.")
pay iskay wawqi- -yuq- -mi he two brother POSS EVID
Note that in the three sentences above, kay appears in its conjugated form, excepting the third sentence, where -mi takes its place.
First-Hand Evidential -m/-mi edit
The ending -m/-mi is known as a validator or evidential suffix. This suffix indicates that the speaker is certain about what is being said, since it has been directly seen, and as such, constitutes first-hand information. We use this when speaking with certainty about the topic.
The suffix has two forms. If the word ends in a vowel, the suffix is realized as -m; while if the word ends in a consonant, the realization of the suffix is -mi.
- Ñuqa Karlusmi kani. "I am Carlos."
- Ñuqa Pidrum kani. "I am Pedro."
As mentioned earlier, the verb kay is not conjugated in the third-person singular, and in these cases, the evidential suffix behaves like "is."
- Karlus Qusqumantam. "Carlos (is) from Cusco."
- Pay yachachiqmi. "He/She (is) a teacher."
Finally, it's necessary to point out that the suffix -m/-mi can theoretically be placed on any word in a sentence. It is placed on the most important word, whatever information is to be highlighted; this is called the focus of the sentence. For example, all sentences below can be translated as "Carlos eats bread now," but the focus of the sentence changes based on the placement of the evidential:
- Karlusmi kunan t'antata mikhun. "It is Carlos that eats bread now."
- Karlus kunanmi t'antata mikhun. "It is now that Carlos eats bread."
- Karlus kunan t'antatam mikhun. "It is bread that Carlos eats now."
- Karlus kunan t'antata mikhunmi. "Carlos eats bread now."
When you want to highlight the sentence as a whole, the suffix is placed on the verb, as in the last example above.
Interrogative Pronouns edit
The interrogative pronouns of Quechua are as follows:
- ima "what"
- pi "who"
- may "where"
- mayqin "which"
- hayk'a "how many"
- hayk'ap "when"
- imahina, shortened to imayna "how"
- imapaq or imaptin "why"
To construct an interrogative sentence, these pronouns should be accompanied by the evidential suffix -mi or the conjunctive suffix -taq. In the latter case, the sentence becomes more friendly or courteous. For example:
- Imam sutiyki? or Imataq sutiyki? "What is your name?"
- Pim kanki? or Pitaq kanki? "Who are you?"
Also, these pronouns can take on case suffixes, forming new interrogative pronouns. For example:
- Maytam richkanki? "Where are you going to?"
- Maymantataq kanki? "Where are you from?"
- Imamanmi hamunki? "What do you come for?"
- Hayk'apkamataq qhipakunki? "When do you stay until?"
Upon answering these questions, the evidential suffix -m/-mi is placed on the requested information. For example, in response to the above questions:
- Qusqutam richkani. "I am going to Cusco."
- Wamanqamantam kani. "I am from Ayacucho (Huamanga)."
- Watunapaqmi hamuni. "I come to visit."
- Pawqarwaray killakamam qhipakuni. "I stay until March."
Topic Suffixes -qa and -ri edit
The topic suffixes indicate the element of the sentence that has been or will be mentioned, that is the topic of the sentence. Two such suffixes exist: -qa and -ri.
The suffix -qa is preferentially used in affirmative and negative sentences. It doesn't have an exact translation in Spanish (cf. Ja. は). In most cases it may be omitted in translation; occasionally it may serve as a definite article; sometimes it may be translated as "about" or "in regards to" as in "to talk about something" to indicate a topic. For example:
- Karlusqa yachachiqmi. "Carlos is a teacher."
- Paytaqa manam riqsinichu. "I don't know him."
- Allquqa manam kanchu. "The dog is not around."
- Wasipiqa achka runam. "In the house (there are) many people."
The suffix -ri is also used to highlight a topic, but is used when asking about it. It can be translated as "and...?" or "and regarding..." It gives the question a sense of amicability or courtesy. For example:
- Karlusri maypim kachkan? "And Carlos, where is he?"
- Pitaq qamri kanki? "And who are you?"
- Imataq chayri? "And what is that?"
- Maypitaq tiyankiri? "And where do you live?"
Progressive -chka edit
In order to form the progressive aspect, use the suffix -chka (pronounced -sha or -sya in Cusco) between the root and the person suffix. For example:
- rikuy "to see" → rikuchkay "to be seeing"
- yachay "to learn" → yachachkay "to be learning"
- yachachiy "to teach" → yachachichkay "to be teaching"
- kay "to be (Sp. ser)" → kachkay "to be (Sp. estar)"
As seen in the last example above, the progressive aspect of kay "to be" is translated as estar in Spanish, and is used to indicate a transient, ongoing quality.
These new progressive verbs can be conjugated like any other verb. For example:
| rikuchkay "to be seeing" |
yachachkay "to be learning" | |
|---|---|---|
| ñuqa "I" |
rikuchkani | yachachkani |
| qam "you" |
rikuchkanki | yachachkanki |
| pay "he/she/it" |
rikuchkan | yachachkan |
| ñuqanchik "we (incl)" |
rikuchkanchik | yachachkanchik |
| ñuqayku "we (excl)" |
rikuchkayku | yachachkayku |
| qamkuna "you (pl)" |
rikuchkankichik | yachachkankichik |
| paykuna "they" |
rikuchkanku | yachachkanku |
Conjunctives -pas and -taq edit
The suffixes -pas and -taq are suffixes that, in some ways, can be seen as opposites. The first has an additive value similar to the Spanish y "and" or también "also."
- Chay warmim tusun takinpas. "That woman dances and sings."
This suffix can also be used to join nouns together, as in Karlus Natipas "Carlos and Nati."
For its part, -taq can be translated into Spanish as o "or" or por otro lado "on the other hand." For this reason, it is known as a contrastive suffix and its use can be seen below:
- Chay warmim tusun takintaq. "That woman dances or sings."
In interrogative sentences, this suffix can also be used as a means of emphasizing the question. It appears in the following example:
- Maymantataq kanki? "Where are you from?"
Negation edit
Negation in Quechua is employed via use of the particle mana accompanied by the evidential -m and means "no" or "not". This is also used along with the negating suffix -chu, which is placed on the negated element. This is shown as in the following examples:
- Manam yachachiqchu kani. "I am not a teacher."
- Manam munanichu. "I do not want."
Unit 2 edit
Suffixes Seen in Unit 2 edit
Plural -kuna edit
- See #Plural Nouns
Suffix: -kuna
The plural in Quechua is very simple: it is constructed by adding the plural suffix -kuna to whatever word is to be made plural, as seen below:
Diminutive -cha edit
Suffix: -cha "little" (c.f. Sp. -ito/ita)
- wasi "house" → wasicha "little house, cottage"
- warmi "woman" → warmicha "little woman, lady
- allqu "dog" → allqucha "little dog, puppy"
Comparative -hina edit
Suffix: -hina "like, as"
Limitative -kama edit
Suffix: -kama "until"
- wasi "house" → wasikama "to the house, until (reaching) the house"
- kimsa ura "three o'clock" → kimsa urakama "until three o'clock"
Interrogatives edit
Interrogatives Using -chu edit
Yes-no questions can be constructed in Quechua by adding the suffix -chu to the information being requested. It is important to say these questions in a similar intonation as questions in Spanish or English.
- Rimanki. "You speak." → Rimankichu? "Do you speak?"
- Wasikamayuq kanki. "You are an architect." → Wasikamayuq kankichu? "Are you an architect?"
Tenses edit
Experienced Past -rqa edit
We use this suffix when we want to talk about past events that we have been a direct witness to; for this reason it is known as the experienced past. This tense is formed by placing the suffix -rqa between the root and present-tense person markers.
| tiyay "to live" |
kay "to be" | |
|---|---|---|
| ñuqa "I" |
ñuqa tiyarqani | ñuqa karqani |
| qam "you" |
qam tiyarqanki | qam karqanki |
| pay "he/she/it" |
pay tiyarqan | pay karqan |
| ñuqanchik "we (incl)" |
ñuqanchik tiyarqanchik | ñuqanchik karqanchik |
| ñuqayku "we (excl)" |
ñuqayku tiyarqayku | ñuqayku karqayku |
| qamkuna "you (pl)" |
qamkuna tiyarqankichik | qamkuna karqankichik |
| paykuna "they" |
paykuna tiyarqanku | paykuna karqanku |
Reported Past -sqa edit
We use this tense when we want to speak about past events which we have not directly witnessed; for this reason we call it non-experienced or reported. This time is used, for example, when telling myths, stories, or legends. It is formed by introducing the suffix -sqa between the root and the person suffix.
In Andean Spanish, the meaning of this suffix corresponds very well with dice "say". When it is used with the first-person, it carries a hue of presumption or express what others think of the speaker (c.f. Sp. dicen que yo... "they say that I...").
| tiyay "to live" |
kay "to be" | |
|---|---|---|
| ñuqa "I" |
ñuqa tiyasqani | ñuqa kasqani |
| qam "you" |
qam tiyasqanki | qam kasqanki |
| pay "he/she/it" |
pay tiyasqan | pay kasqan |
| ñuqanchik "we (incl)" |
ñuqanchik tiyasqanchik | ñuqanchik kasqanchik |
| ñuqayku "we (excl)" |
ñuqayku tiyasqayku | ñuqayku kasqayku |
| qamkuna "you (pl)" |
qamkuna tiyasqankichik | qamkuna kasqankichik |
| paykuna "they" |
paykuna tiyasqanku | paykuna kasqanku |
Imperatives edit
To give orders or ask for something in Quechua, it is necessary to conjugate the verbs in the imperative mode. The imperative forms of verbs are as follows:
- Mikhuy! "Eat!"
- Mikhuychik! "Eat! (pl)"
Notice that the the marker -chik is the same plural form as we encountered in earlier verb conjugation.
Negative Imperatives edit
To construct a negative imperative, in the sense of "don't do such a thing", we must use the word ama "not" and the negative suffix -chu in the relevant imperative.
- Ama mikhuychu! "Don't eat!"
- Ama mikhuychikchu! "Don't eat! (pl)"
"To Have" edit
Affirmative Intensifier -má edit
-má is a suffix with a very high expressive value. It is often used when the speaker wants to emphasize one of their statements. There is not an exact correlation to Spanish, but we can translate it as "in all ways."
- sumaq "pretty" → sumaqmá "in all ways, definitely, pretty"
- aripuni "of course, obviously" → aripunimá "absolutely yes, in all ways"
Certainty edit
Second-Hand Evidential -s/-si edit
Different from the suffix -m/-mi, the affix -s/si indicates that the speaker is not certain about the information that is stated, having not seen or experienced it directly and, as such, constitutes second-hand information. We use it when speaking of mythical or historical occurrences, or of information that have been relayed to us by others. In English this can be translated as "they say that" or "it is said that."
The suffix has two forms. If the word ends in a vowel it is realized as -s, while if the word ends in a consonant the suffix is realized as -si.
- Pay Karlussi. "They say he is Carlos."
- Pay Pedrus. "They say he is Pedro."
- Pay yachachiqsi. "They say he is a teacher."
- Karlus Qusqumantas. "They say Carlos is from Cusco."
Finally, it's necessary to point out that the suffix -s/-si can theoretically be placed on any word in a sentence. It is placed on the most important word, whatever information is to be highlighted; this is called the focus of the sentence. For example, all sentences below can be translated as "Carlos eats bread now," but the focus of the sentence changes based on the placement of the evidential:
- Karlussi kunan t'antata mikhun. "They say that it is Carlos that eats bread now."
- Karlus kunansi t'antata mikhun. "They say it is now that Carlos eats bread."
- Karlus kunan t'antatas mikhun. "They say that bread is what Carlos eats now."
- Karlus kunan t'antata mikhunsi. "They say that Carlos eats bread now."
When you want to highlight the sentence as a whole, the suffix is placed on the verb, as in the last example above.
Certitudinal -puni edit
This suffix -puni can be translated as "certainly, with total certainty" and is used often in Quechua. When the speaker wants to give total faith in what is being said, using -puni is a good strategy.
Causative -rayku edit
Suffix: -rayku "for, because" This suffix indicates the cause by which something occurs.
- chay "that" → chayrayku "because of that"
- Ima? "What?" → Imarayku? "Why?"
Direction of Verb Action edit
Reflexive -ku edit
In Spanish we have reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, etc.) that serve to indicate that the consequence of an action described by the verb falls on the subject. This is expressed in Quechua using the suffix -ku, placed between the root of the verb and conjugation suffixes.
- maqay "to hit" → maqakuy "to hit oneself"
- Ñuqa maqakuchkani. "I am hitting myself."
- armay "to bathe" → armakuy "to bathe oneself"
- Pay armakurqan. "He bathed himself."
Reciprocal -naku edit
The reciprocal suffix -naku is placed between the root of the verb and its attached particles. Its semantic value is to express an action performed in a mutual manner by two or more people.
- much'ay "to kiss" → much'anakuy "to kiss one another"
- Paykuna much'anakurqanku. "They kissed each other."
- rimay "to speak" → rimanakuy "to speak to one another"
- Rimanakuychik! "Speak to each other!"
Causative -chi edit
The suffix -chi is attached to the root of the verbal root and changes the meaning. Effectively, when this appears as the verbal suffix, it indicates not that the verb itself is realized by the speaker, but that the action is realized by another, and for this reason, it is known as a causative suffix. In English this may be translated as "to cause one to do something" (Sp. hacer que otro haga tal cosa).
This suffix is very important in Quechua and is widely used. Examples of this are shown below:
- yachay "to know, learn" → yachachiy "to teach" (lit. "to cause to know, learn")
- Ñuqaqa runasimita yachani. "I know Quechua."
- Ñuqaqa Karlusta runasimita yachachini. "I teach Carlos Quechua." (lit. "I make Carlos learn Quechua.")
- mikhuy "to eat" → mikhuchiy "to feed" (lit. "to cause to eat")
Interactive Conjugation edit
In Quechua it is necessary to learn a system of conjugation in which the interaction between people is described. The table below summarizes this system:
| Object (→) Subject (↓) |
n/a | ñuqata "me" |
qamta "you" |
payta "him/her/it" |
ñuqanchikta "us(incl)" |
ñuqaykuta "us(excl)" |
qamkunata "you(pl)" |
paykunata "them" |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ñuqa "I" |
-ni | -yki (-ni-ki) |
-ykichik (-ni-ki-chik) |
|||||
| qam "you" |
-nki | -wanki | -wankiku (-wa-nki-ku) |
|||||
| pay "he/she/it" |
-n | -wan | -sunki (-su-n-ki) |
-wanchik (-wa-n-chik) |
-wanku (-wa-n-ku) |
-sunkichik (-su-n-ki-chik) |
||
| ñuqanchik "we(incl)" |
-nchik | |||||||
| ñuqayku "we(excl)" |
-yku (-ni-ku) |
-ykiku (-ni-ki-ku) |
-ykiku (-ni-ki-ku) |
|||||
| qamkuna "you(pl)" |
-nkichik (-nki-chik) |
-wankichik (-wa-nki-chik) |
-wankiku (-wa-nki-ku) |
|||||
| paykuna "they" |
-nku (-n-ku) |
-wanku (-wa-n-ku) |
-sunkiku (-su-n-ki-ku) |
-wanchik (-wa-n-chik) |
-wanku (-wa-n-ku) |
-sunkichik (-su-n-ki-chik) |
For linguists edit
Note the following suffixes which appear in the table:
- -wa - First-person object.
- rimanki "you talk" → rimawanki "you talk to me"
- riman "he talks" → rimawan "he talks to me"
- rimankichik "you(pl) talk" → rimawankichik "you(pl) talk to me"
- rimanku "they talk" → rimawanku "they talk to me" OR "they talk to us(excl)"
- -ki - Second-person object.
- rimani "I talk" → rimaniki → rimayki "I talk to you"
- -su - Second-person object, third-person subject. Appears with -ki.
- riman "he talks" → rimasunki "he talks to you"
- -ku - Plural.
- riman "he talks" → rimanku "they talk"
- rimani "I talk" → rimaniku → rimayku "we(excl) talk"
- rimayki "I talk to you" → rimaykiku "we talk to you" OR "we talk to you(pl)"
- rimawanki "you talk to me" → rimawankiku "you talk to us" OR "you(pl) talk to us"
- -chik - Second-person plural, sort of.
- rimanki "you talk" → rimankichik "you(pl) talk"
- rimasunki "he talks to you" → rimasunkichik "he talks to you(pl)" OR "they talk to you(pl)"
- rimawan "he talks to me" → rimawanchik "he talks to us(incl)"
- rimawanku "they talk to me" → rimawanchik "they talk to us(incl)"
For learners edit
Many grammars opt to treat combinations of the above suffixes as single units, since the rules governing their use are not readily apparent to language learners. The student learning Quechua may find it easier to memorize the following rules instead:
| Object | Action |
|---|---|
| third-person | No special treatment necessary. Conjugate as usual. |
| first-person singular |
Add -wa before the usual ending: |
| first-person inclusive plural |
-wanchik (third-person subject) |
| first-person exclusive plural |
-wankiku (second-person subject) -wankichik (third-person subject) |
| second-person singular |
-yki (first-person singular subject) -ykiku (first-person plural subject) -sunki (third-person singular subject) -sunkiku (third-person plural subject) |
| second-person plural |
-ykichik (first-person singular subject) -ykiku (first-person plural subject) -sunkichik (third-person subject) |
rikuy "to see" edit
An example table using rikuy "to see". Forms in bold are unique to this interactive conjugation. Forms in italic are reflexive.
| Object (→) Subject (↓) |
n/a | ñuqata "me" |
qamta "you" |
payta "him/her/it" |
ñuqanchikta "us(incl)" |
ñuqaykuta "us(excl)" |
qamkunata "you(pl)" |
paykunata "them" |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ñuqa "I" |
rikuni | rikukuni | rikuyki | rikuni | rikuykichik | rikuni | ||
| qam "you" |
rikunki | rikuwanki | rikukunki | rikunki | rikuwankiku | rikunki | ||
| pay "he/she/it" |
rikun | rikuwan | rikusunki | rikun rikukun |
rikuwanchik | rikuwanku | rikusunkichik | rikun |
| ñuqanchik "we(incl)" |
rikunchik | rikunchik | rikukunchik | rikunchik | ||||
| ñuqayku "we(excl)" |
rikuyku | rikuykiku | rikuyku | rikukuyku | rikuykiku | rikuyku | ||
| qamkuna "you(pl)" |
rikunkichik | rikuwankichik | rikunkichik | rikuwankiku | rikukunkichik | rikunkichik | ||
| paykuna "they" |
rikunku | rikuwanku | rikusunkiku | rikunku | rikuwanchik | rikuwanku | rikusunkichik | rikunku rikukunku |
Purposive Construction -na-paq edit
When we want to express that we are realizing an action as a means of accomplishing another, that is to say, an action done not for its own end but for another purpose. In Quechua this construction is formed by using the suffixes -na and -paq, with the subject agreement marker is placed in between. The literal breakdown of -na-paq is the gerundive -na to indicate a pending action, and the dative -paq; this can be translated in English as "in order to".
- Ñuqaqa tusunaypaq hamurqani. "I came to dance."
- Qamqa mikhunankipaq khamunata rantirqanki. "You bought cookies for you to eat."
Infinitives with "Want" or "Can" -y-ta edit
The infinitive construction -y-ta is used with verbs like munay "to want" or atiy "to be able to", as in "I want to sleep" or "I can eat." In Quechua this is accomplished by attaching the infinitive suffix -y and the accusative, direct object marker -ta.
- Mikhuni. "I eat."
- Mikhuyta munani. "I want to eat."
- Mikhuyta atini. "I can eat."
- Puñuni. "I sleep."
- Puñuyta munani. "I want to sleep."
- Puñuyta atini. "I can sleep."
Note that in Quechua the word order is the inverse as in English.
Reported Discourse ñispa ñiy edit
As in other languages, in Quechua there is a structure that allows the speaker to express that what is being said was said by another person. This structure is formed with the verb ñiy "to say", which appears twice: first with the gerund ending -spa, then conjugated in the usual manner.
- "Mariya ancha sumaqmi," ñispa mamay ñirqan. "My mother said, 'Maria is very pretty.'"
- "Imam sutiykichik?" ñispa paykuna ñichkanku. "They are saying, 'What are your names?'"
It's important to point out that this Quechua structure has passed into South Andean Spanish in the form dice diciendo or diciendo dice and is used to introduce reported discourse.
Subordinate Clauses edit
Present Participle -spa edit
The ending -spa is the Quechua ending that serves to construct gerunds (c.f. Sp. -ando, -iendo; En. -ing). As in our language, this form is used to construct subordinate clauses.
- Ukuku kaspa, wawanqa ancha kallpayuqsi kasqan. "(They say that) being an ukuku, his son was very strong."
However, the peculiarity of these subordinate clauses is that the subjects of both clauses are the same; so in the example above, "his son" was an ukuku and was also very strong.
Subordinator -pti edit
The suffix -pti is the Quechua ending used to construct sentences with subordinate clauses describing different subjects. For example, in the sentence below, it is the mother of the ukuku that is sad, and it is the ukuku that asks the question. It is possible to translate it as a gerund similarly to -spa, except when the subjects of both clauses are different. Another way of translating the meaning of this suffix into Spanish is by using the forms cuando "when" or mientras "while" (c.f. "When his mother became sad..."). After the suffix -pti, it is obligatory to use the person agreement suffix for the respective subject.
- Maman llakikuptin, huk p'unchaw wayna ukuku ñisqan, "Imaraykutaq llakikunki, mamitay?"
- "His mother becoming sad, one day the young ukuku said, 'Why do you become sad, mother?'"
Adjectives and Adverbs edit
Past Participle -sqa edit
As in Spanish, in Quechua we can convert verbs to adjectives. Just like how in Spanish we can derive amado "loved, beloved" from the verb amar "to love," in Quechua we can derive khuyasqa "loved, beloved" from khuyay "to love." This is accomplished by using the suffix -sqa, analogous to the Spanish -ado/-ada (c.f. En. "-ed").
These forms can also take possessive suffixes, for example:
- khuyusqay "my beloved"
- khuyasqayki "your beloved"
- khuyasqan "his/her beloved"
Accusative -ta edit
In addition to being used to indicate the direct object of a verb, the ending -ta can also be added to certain adjectives in order to modify or qualify verbs (i.e. an adverb). For example, as allin "good, well" modifies nouns, allin-ta can be used to modify verbs. Note the dual use of the accusative in the second example below.
- Ñuqa allinta rimani. "I speak well."
- Ñuqa runasimita allinta rimani. "I speak Quechua well."
Unit 3 edit
Cardinal Numerals edit
The basic cardinal numbers consist of the following figures: ones, tens, hundreds, and thousands.
The basic numbers are as follows:
1. huk "one"
2. iskay "two"
3. kimsa "three"
4. tawa "four"
5. pichqa "five"
6. suqta "six"
7. qanchis "seven"
8. pusaq "eight"
9. isqun "nine"
Multiples of ten are formed from the base chunka "ten", which is multiplied by the number that precedes it (cf. Zh. 二十 "twenty"), as follows:
10. chunka "ten"
20. iskay chunka "twenty"
30. kimsa chunka "thirty"
Intermediate integers between tens are formed by first saying the number in the tens place followed by a number 1-9 with the possessed suffix -yuq "with, and". Note that when the number ends in a consonant, the suffix is realized as -niyuq to avoid consonant clusters (n.b. this applies to huk, iskay, qanchis, pusaq, and isqun).
11. chunka hukniyuq "eleven" (lit. "ten and one")
12. chunka iskayniyuq "twelve" (lit. "ten and two")
Multiples of one hundred are formed using the base pachak "hundred" preceded by a number 2-9 similarly to the tens place.
100. pachak "one-hundred"
200. iskay pachak "two-hundred"
300. kimsa pachak "three-hundred"
Numbers between the hundreds are formed by addition of the numbers 1-99 to each multiple of a hundred. In this case, tens (i.e. numbers ending in 0) can take the 3rd-person possessive -n or the usual -yuq. Numbers that don't end in 0 retain their usual ending.
101. pachak hukniyuq "one-hundred-one"
102. pachak iskayniyuq "one-hundred-two"
110. pachak chunkan OR pachak chunkayuq "one-hundred-ten"
120. pachak iskay chunkan OR pachak iskay chunkayuq "one-hundred-twenty"
151. pachak pichqa chunka hukniyuq "one-hundred-fifty-one"
152. pachak pichqa chunka iskayniyuq "one-hundred-fifty-two"
Numbers in the thousands are formed by using the base waranqa "thousand" arranged similarly as above.
1,000. waranqa "one-thousand"
2,000. iskay waranqa "two-thousand"
10,000. chunka waranqa "ten-thousand"
25,000. iskay chunka pichqayuq waranqa "twenty-five-thousand"
100,000. pachak waranqa "one-hundred-thousand"
101,000. pachak hukniyuq waranqa "one-hundred-thousand-one"
236,000. iskay pachak kimsa chunka suqtayuq waranqa "two-hundred-thirty-six-thousand"
Future Tense edit
The future in Quechua has a distinct conjugation from those we have studied thus far. For this reason, it is necessary to memorize the following paradigm:
| Suf | tusuy "to dance" |
kay "to be" | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ñuqa "I" |
-saq | ñuqa tususaq | ñuqa kasaq |
| qam "you" |
-nki | qam tusunki | qam kanki |
| pay "he/she/it" |
-nqa | pay tusunqa | pay kanqa |
| ñuqanchik "we (incl)" |
-sunchik | ñuqanchik tususunchik | ñuqanchik kasunchik |
| ñuqayku "we (excl)" |
-saqku | ñuqanchik tususaqku | ñuqanchik kasaqku |
| qamkuna "you (pl)" |
-nkichik | qamkuna tusunkichik | qamkuna kankichik |
| paykuna "they" |
-nqaku | paykuna tusunqaku | paykuna kanqaku |
Desiderative -naya edit
The desiderative suffix -naya is used to express an action which has not occurred, but one which the speaker has a desire to realize. It can be translated as querer "to want", tener ganas de "to feel like", or desear "to desire".
- Huk k'uyunatam pitani. "I smoke a cigarette."
- Huk k'uyunatam pitanayani. "I want to smoke a cigarette."
Benefactive -pu edit
The benefactive case, -pu is very difficult to translate into Spanish, as it has no particles with a similar meaning. This suffix expresses that the realized action is for the benefit of someone or something, and in this sense, is similar to the periphrastics para su provecho "for your pleasure" or con mucho placer "with much pleasure."
- Huwan huk khamunata mikhurqan. "Juan ate a cookie."
- Huwan huk khamunata mikhupurqan. "Juan ate a cookie (for his own benefit)."
Assistive -ysi edit
The assistive suffix -ysi is added to a verb expressing an action to form a meaning of "to help accomplish [action]".
- Huwan purin. "Juan walks."
- Mariya Huwanta puriysin. "Maria helps Juan walk."
As we see in the second example, the suffix -ysi introduces a new person, someone that helps another complete an action. In this case, Mariya assists Huwan with walking, and Huwan takes the accusative marker -ta.
Static -raya edit
The static suffix -raya carries the meaning of an action permanently realized; that is to say, the action described is realized over a prolonged period. For example, qhaway "to look" can take this suffix to form qhawarayay "to contemplate"; or away "to weave" can form awarayay "to weave for a prolonged period." In English this suffix carries a meaning similar to "always" or "for a long time."
- Chay raymipi, Mariya sirwisatam upyarqan. "Maria drank beer at that party."
- Chay raymipi, Mariya sirwisatam upyarayarqan. "Maria drank for a long time at that party."