Gekinawaabid 9
Verbs Animate Intransitive and Negation
A.  INTRODUCTORY NOTES:
     So far, we have only learned how to write VAI Verbs in their "positive" form. But, what if I want to say, "I am not hungry," or "You are not sleeping"? In this lesson, we will take a look at how one can make negative statements with all three types of VAI Verbs.
NEGATION
      As mentioned above, there are times when one wants to relate a negative message - "I am not sleeping." or "I am not happy." or "I am not relaxed." Below you will find the Conjugation Tables for all three VAI Verbs. Notice that one must add the word "gaawiin," which is a Particle denoting "no" or the negative aspect of the sentence, before the Verb.
VAI1 Verbs - Negative Conjugation
Nibaasii - "to not sleep"
Speaker
Verb + Ending
English
I
Gaawiin ninibaasii
I do not sleep (am not sleeping).
you
Gaawiin ginibaasii
You do not sleep (are not sleeping).
s/he
Gaawiin nibaasii
S/he does not sleeps (is not sleeping).
we(ex)
Gaawiin ninibaasiimin
We do not sleep (are not sleeping).
we (inc)
Gaawiin ginibaasiimin
We do not sleep (are not sleeping).
you all
Gaawiin ginibaasiim
You all do not sleep (are not sleeping).
they
Gaawiin nibaasiiwag
They do not sleep (are not sleeping).
In some cases as you can see above, after the required negative suffix "sii,"  we add the appropriate person suffix.
VAI2 Verbs - Negative Conjugation
 
Minwendanzii - "to not be glad/happy"
Speaker
Verb + Ending
English
I
Gaawiin niminwendanzii
I am not happy.
you
Gaawiin giminwendanzii
You are not happy.
s/he
Gaawiin minwendanzii
S/he is not happy.
we(ex)
Gaawiin niminwendanziimin
We are not happy.
we (inc)
Gaawiin giminwendanziimin
We are not happy.
you all
Gaawiin giminwendanziim
You all are not happy.
they
Gaawiin minwendanziiwag
They are not happy.
  • Hopefully, the obvious changes jump out at you.
  • When the Verb ends in the consonant "m," we change it to "n."
  • After the consonant "n," we add a slightly harder sounding negative suffix, "zii.
  • The only other significant change is to the Third Person Plural, which now ends in a vowel sound. Therefore, we now return to the first ending we learned there, which was "wag."
 
VAI3 Verbs - Negative Conjugation
 
Dagoshinzii -"to not arrive" - Negative Conjugation
Speaker
Verb + Ending
English
I
Gaawiin nindagoshinzii
I do not arrive (am not arriving).
you
Gaawiin gidagoshinzii
You do not arrive (are not arriving).
s/he
Gaawiin dagoshinzii
S/he does not arrives (is not arriving).
we(ex)
Gaawiin nindagoshinziimin
We do not arrive (are not arriving).
we (inc)
Gaawiin gidagoshinziimin
We do not arrive (are not arriving).
you all
Gaawiin gidagoshinziim
You all do not arrive (are not arriving).
they
Gaawiin dagoshinziiwag
They do not arrive (are not arriving).
B. VOCABULARY:
      Once again we will begin with Nouns: Practice saying each word and its plural.
Zhaaganaashiimowin
Ojibwemowin
Plural Suffix
Ojibwe Indian(s) (female)
Anishinaabekwe
-g
Ojibwe Indian(s) (male)
Anishinaabe
-g
Singer(s) (female)
nagamowikwe
-g
Singer(s) (male)
nagamowinini
-wag
Worker(s) (female)
anokiiwikwe
-g
Worker(s) (male)
anokiiwinini
-wag
     And now, let us add in our new VAI3 Verbs.
Zhaaganaashiimowin
Ojibwemowin
to laugh
baap(i)
to fall
bangishin
to go home
giiwe
to be happy
jiikendam
to sing
nagam(o)
to sit
namadab(i)
to stand
niibaw(i)
to be thirsty
noondeminikwe
to play
odamin(o)
to speak Ojibwe
Ojibwem(o)
C.  OJIBWE SENTENCES:
     Just as a reminder: To make a simple sentence, place the Noun first, in its correct form, Singular or Plural, then put the Verb, which is conjugated to reflect the Noun. This time, however, we must insert the particle "gaawiin" in front of the negatively conjugated verb. Example: (The) student is not thirsty.   Gikinoo-amaagan gaawiin noondeminikwesii.
     Write the following sentences using the Vocabulary Lists above and your knowledge of Personal Pronouns and VAI Verb endings from Lessons 6   7  and  8.  Print off this page, and you can write on the space provided. When finished, pass the cursor over the arrowheads, and the answer will appear. Again remember, articles (the, a, an) are not used in Ojibwemowin.
  1. You do not laugh (are not laughing).
  2. I am not thirsty.
  3. Male workers do not go home (are not going home).
  4. You all are not happy.
  5. Indian (f) does not speak (is not speaking) Ojibwe.
  6. Singers (m) do not sing (are not singing). 
  7. I do not fall (am not falling).
  8. You do not stand (are not standing).
  9. We (incl) do not sit (are not sitting). 
10. We (excl) do not play (are not playing).
Answer Box
Answer Box
D. TRANSLATIONS:
Were you able to write them all correctly? If not, go back and study the tables above (Top). If you did well, now let's go back the other direction. Write down the translations of the following sentences.
   1. Nagamowikwe gaawiin nagamosii.
   2. Gaawiin giniibawisiimin.
   3. Gaawiin baapisiiwag.
   4. Anishinaabeg gaawiin namadabisiiwag.
   5. Gaawiin gidodaminosii. 
   6. Anokiiwikweg gaawiin jiikendanziiwag.
   7. Gaawiin ningiiwesii.
   8. Gaawiin ginoondeminikwesiim ina?
E. REVIEW:
   
Answer Box
  Again, we will do some review. The sentences below will use VAI1, VAI2, and VAI3 Verbs, as well as Nouns. Let's see how well you can do. As always, finish the exercise then check your responses.
  1. Boy is paying attention 
  2. Is the cat lying still?.
  3. We (ex) do not understand.
  4. You lie down (are lying down).
  5. Girls are not called "women.".
  6. You all are not in the sky.
  7. We (incl) are not glad.
  8. I arrive (am arriving).
  9. You are not hurt (feeling pain).
10. You all are not exhausted.
F. CONTINUED STUDY:
      You may wish to look through the dictionary or one of the Internet link sites to find a few more VAI1, VAI2, and VAI3 Verbs with which to practice. There is a page of VAI2 and VAI3 Verbs on the resources page. Include some other Nouns of your choice as well. Lesson 10 begins a new look with Verbs Inanimate Intransitive.
© 2008 James A. Starkey, Jr.  All Rights Reserved