Introduction Quechua Language 4 and 5 lessons

Introduction Quechua Language 4 and 5 lessons

I have prepared a simple grammar course of 8 lessons.

Remember that in coming to Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and other places where this language is spoken, people are extremely pleased if you can talk with them in their own language, be it even on a simple level.

 If you have any comments titqaq@gmail.com

Bonus: Quechua PDF  https://bit.ly/2tFwZ5x

Quechua Lesson 4

Lesson 4 (tawa ñeqen yachay)

Nouns in Quechua.

Nouns in Quechua are treated like in English. There is one great exception, that is that nouns are conjugated when used in what we call a possessive relation.

wasi	house
wasi-y*	my house
wasi-yku*	our excl house
wasi-nchis	our incl house
wasi–yki*	your house
wasi-nkichis**	your pl house
wasi-n	his/her/its house
wasi-nku	their house

*note: the forms wasi-y, wasi-yki and wasi-yku are pronounced with a little prolonged, but almost imperceptable i-y, phonetically: wasee-eeku

** note: these forms with –nchis, also in verbs are often written as –ncheh, -nchik or ncheq. The Cuzco form is spoken as –nchis. For example there is a restaurant in Cuzco called Tupananchis. This means “we will come together,” from the verb tupa-y, to meet, which makes for we (incl) tupa-na-nchis. –na is the infix that in this case points to a future event that has some urgency. So the proper translation might be: we will have to come together.

Simply “We will come together” in Quechua would be tupa-sunchis. Here it is already shown that a little morpheme completely changes the meaning. When you say goodbye in Quechua an idiomatic expression is: tupananchiskama, which translates more or less: till we will (necessarily) meet again. One complex word in Quechua here translates into a whole sentence in English!

As you may have noticed, the suffixes for the conjugation of verbs in present tense are much alike the possessive suffixes.

To compare them:

	poss.	verbs
I	-y	-ni
We exlc	-yku	-niku or -yku
We incl	-nchis	-nchis
you	-yki	-nki
You pl	-ykichis	-nkichis
He/she/it	-n	-n
They	-nku	-nku

	poss.	verb
I	wasi-y	muna-ni
We excl	wasi-yku	muna-niku or muna-yku
We incl	wasi-nchis	muna-nchis
you	wasi-yki	muna-nki
You pl	wasi-ykichis	muna-nkichis
He/she/it	wasi-n	muna-n
They	wasi-nku	muna-nku

Note: the verb muna-y means to love, to like, to want.

As you can see this is very much alike. The differences are printed in bold. You have to learn this by heart. It is sometimes difficult to discern a noun form from a verb form. For instance yachanku from yachay, which has two different meanings as a verb, to know and to live, and as a noun it means knowledge or lesson, might have the meaning: they know or they live. The meaning has to be derived from the context. But, their lesson would be yachay-ni-nku.

Chay wasi-yki-chu? Literally: that house-you (question marker), is that your house?, on which the answer is: Arí, chay-qa wasi-y. yes, that (emphatic particle) house-mine (is, is understood). Or: chay-qa? Chay-qa, mana wasi-y-chu kan. That?, That (emphatic particle), not house-mine (negative marker) is.

Note: -chu can be a question marker and also it is a negative marker.

Negations in Quechua are composed as with ne …. pas in French. In Quechua the construction is mana …… -chu. For example: Llama-chu? Is it a llama? No it is not a llama: mana llama-chu. Note the emphasis! Or: Arí, Llama! Yes it is a llama (is, is understood). Where the negative marker –chu is placed, also stresses the topic of the sentence. For instance: Mana qamwan riyta munasanichu, I don’t want to go with you, also can be stated as: Mana qamwanchu riyta munasani, which then states that it is not with you that I want to go, but with someone else.

Are you from the US? Ustadus Unidus-manta hamu-sa-nkichu? (US-from come-(ing-form)-you. The answer could be: mana, noqa-qa mana Ustadus Unidus-manta hamu-sa-ni-chu, Holanda-manta hamu-sa-ni. No, I am not from the US, I come from Holland.

Note: Ustadus Unidus, US and Ustadus Unidus-manta, from the US.

The verb hamu-y means to come. Hamu-sa-ni means I am coming, US-manta is US-from.

Constructions with prepositions:

wasi-manta	from the house
wasi-man	to, in the direction of the house
wasi-yuq	with the house (possessive)
wasi-wan	with the house (instrumental)
wasi-ta	to, at the house
wasi-pi	in the house
wasi-pa	of the house (belongs to)
wasi-paq	for the house

All these prepositions can be combined with possessive forms.

Examples:

Wasi-y-manta	From my house
Wasi-nku-ta	To, at their house
Wasi-nchis-pi	In our house (incl)
Wasi-yki-man	To your house (in direction of)
Qan-kuna-pa	Of you (pl), yours pl.
Pay-kuna-paq	For them

Note that -ta also can be the object marker of a noun. Wasi-y-ta can be to my house of my house as the object of the sentence. Haku wasi-y-ta, let’s go to my house. Munasani wasi-y-ta, I like my house.

Model sentence: Wasi-yki-man ri-sa-ni: I am going to your house. Ri-y is to go. Ri-sa-ni means that I am busy going to (-man) wasi-yki (house-you).

You could say to your wife when somewhere: wasi-nchis-man ri-sun, let’s go home, when nobody hears you. But when you say it in the open, it should be wasi-yku-man ri-sun. let’s go home. The difference is the inclusive or exclusive form for we that is used. Risun, a friendly used imperative form makes no difference for the two forms of we.

It is very important to get to the point of thinking in Quechua in a way that your brain automatically uses the word order as the Quechua language seems fit. There will be a point where it is done almost automatically. For purposes of learning, it can be useful to try to make small sentences in Quechua of everyday events. Don’t use complex constructions at first (as you are used to) but only affirmative or negative statements of no more than four or five words. Look and think like a child. When I speak Quechua, I am like a child: Rima-spa-y runa-simi-ta warma hina ka-sa-ni: (literally, speak-ing. form-I Quechua child like be-ing. form-I). About complex constructions see Lesson 8

When you relate to people ask them to speak slowly: alli-chu! alli-llan-manta rima-ychis! please, good-just-from speak-(command marker)-plural. When you would sound more kind you can use the untranslatable infix -yku, which is a sort of intensifier and mollifier: rima-yku-ychis. -yku is often used. For instance: tapuykuykimanchu? could I ask you? uses this infix: tapu-yku-yki-man-chu (ask-yku-I to you- condicional-Q marker)

The complete sentence could be: Tapu-yku-yki-man-chu? alli-chu! alli-llan-manta rima-y-chis! Rima-spa runa-simi-ta, warma hina ka-sa-ni.

Rima-spa: -spa is the infix for an independent –ing form. Translated literally: speak-ing Quechua (runa-simi (-ta is object marker), I am like a child. My experience is that this really helps people to understand that if they see you as someone who is eager to learn, they will eventually slow down and explain what they are saying in Quechua.

Runa-simi is the Quechua word for the language. Runa means man. Simi means word or mouth. Runa-simi is Quechua. Used with an object marker as in speaking the language, the word becomes runa-simi-ta, which gives a quite different sound change. I cannot stress enough to speak this aloud to get to this very important characteristic of the language and indispensable to understand it when spoken to you or by you!

Quechua Lesson 5

Lesson 5 (phisqa ñiqin yachay)

Greetings and answers

Alli-lla-n-chu? How are you?

Alli-lla-n-mi. I am fine, or Alli-lla-n-puni kasani: I am very fine. Note that –mi has nothing to do with “me”, the one that answers, it is an euphonic particle, used in Quechua to soften the flow of the spoken language, or to stress something or to express a form of certainty. Often it is only an –m, instead of –mi, for instance after a vowel.

Also possible is:

Imay-na-taq ka-sha-nki? How-are-you?. Or: imaynallataq kasanki?

The answer could be: Alli-lla-n-puni ka-sa-ni, or Waleh-lla-n-puni ka-sa-ni (both literally “Good-just-very be-I”).

Ima suti-yki? What is your name? (what name-you?)

Jan Willem suti-y. My name is Jan Willem. (Jan Willem name-I)

Ima-manta-taq hamu-nk-i? Where are you from? (what-from-and come-you?)

Ayacuchomanta hamuni. I am from Ayacucho. (Ayacucho-from come-I)

Note that these are simplified sentences, because a native speaker could insert all kinds of softeners and diminutive infixes and suffixes. As pointed out before, in this simplified course I try only to deal with the bare necessities.

Ima-pi tia-nki? Where are you staying? (what-in be-you?)

Tia-ni hutil-pi Monasterio sutin. I stay in the Monasterio* Hotel (be-I hotel-in M name-its)

*Note: the Monasterio Hotel in Cusco is the most luxurious hotel of the town.

When you know a person well or are in an informal environment, different forms of addressing are used.

An elderly woman might be addressed as: mamáy and an elderly man as taytáy. Note that here the emphasis changes.

As a foreigner you can be addressed with wiracocha, which is a formal title. But little boys in the street can say about you; k’ara runa, white man. K’ara has also a very different meaning, that of the (white) light of the energy field of “beings” incorporated or not, of high rank, like Apu’s. In normal Quechua the word for white is yuraq. Yuraq wasiman rini: I go to the white house, (literally, white house-to go-I).

Someone you know well can be addressed as brother or sister. In Quechua there are more words for these relationships, dependent of the gender of the speaker.

A man saying brother to a man says: wawke-y (literally, brother-I). A woman would say: turi-y. A man saying “sister” to a woman would say pani-y, and a woman ñaña-y. This also applies to family relations.

A man/woman asking a woman if she has a brother would say: turi-yuq kankichu?

A man/woman asking a man if he has a brother would say: wawke-yuq kankichu?

A man/woman asking a man if he has a sister: pani-yuq kankichu?

A man/woman asking a woman if she has a sister: ñaña-yuq kankichu?

The answer would be: (if no) mana …..-yuq kanichu, or (if yes) Arí, wawke-yuq kani (brother-with be-I). Then you could say Tawa wawke-y(-kuna)-yuq kani. I have four brothers. (literally, four brother-I-(plural)-with (be-I)), but you also could say Tawa wawke-y-kuna kanku (four brothers-mine be they, there are four brothers). *Note, the plural form –kuna is optional in this case because tawa (four) already conveys the plural. Also note that kanku, “they are,” is also optional. But as a foreigner it is best to use the whole sentence, even if only to understand for yourself what you are saying.

To say goodbye

There are several ways to say goodbye in Quechua, as there are in almost every language.

Very informal is: huk ratukama, which translates as “see you later,” or “until later.” Huk is “a” or “one.” Ratu is “a little while.” Kama means “until.”

The central word is –kama, until.

Al kinds of time pointers can be used: paqarinkama or qhayakama, “See you tomorrow.” Or domingukama, “See you on Sunday (next). Or huk kutikama, (literally “One/another time until”), “See you next time.” Or the more elaborate: tupananchiskama (literally “Meet-future/urgency-us (all incl)-until”).

Then there is the simple Adiyús, borrowed from Spanish adios.

Saying that you are glad to meet someone: Kusi-ku-sa-ni reqsi-su-spa-y! (“As I am getting to know you, I am being glad,” or literally, “Glad-self-being-I know-intensive marker(untranslatable)-ing form-I”).

Note: Just to show how the Quechua language operates we turn the sentence around: Are you glad to meet (know) me? Kusikusankichu reqsisuspawanki? Most of this we already covered: kusi-ku-sa-nki-chu resi-su-spa-yki: (literally, “Glad-self-being-you-question marker Know-intensive marker-ing form-you”).

Subject/object conjugations

Quechua has a form which seldom arises in lother anguages (as far as I know), i.e. that the subject and object are comprised in one conjugation.

For example muna-yki: I love you. Muna-wa-nki: You love me. Qu-yki: I give to you. Qu-wa-nki: You give to me. With the verb Quy (to give) often the infix –pu- to is inserted. So: Qu-pu-yki: I give to you. Qu-pu-wa-nki: you give to me. -pu here has the meaning as a marker for benefit or sometimes the opposite.

Uyari-yki: I hear you. Uyari-wanki: You hear me. (uyari-y is to hear)

These are the most important ones. Others are covered later on.

To say that you are glad that someone is with you: Kusikuni kaypi kasanki: “I am glad you are here.” (literally, Glad-self-I this-in be-you.) Or in the plural: Kusikuni kaypi kansankichis (kasankichis the plural of kansanki).

I am glad to be here: Kusikusani kaypi kasani. (note: these forms can also be expressed in a cause-effect relation in complex sentences. see lesson 8)

When making a despacho you could express what the despacho is for.

There are different kinds of despachos: General despachos of thanksgiving to Pachamama or Apus and special despachos to obtain something, like a quality. Despachos can be for your family, wife, children, intention on a specific family topic as a wish or desire, or as a thanksgiving. Despachos can also be for asking something, for example a better connection to Pachamama or Apus et cetera.

So if a despacho is for the family, it is a: Despacho ayllu-pah, (children) wawakunapah, or for money: Qullqi-pah (literally, Silver-for) or for love: munaypah, for work: llamkaypah, for knowing: yatchaypah. Or for someone you love: munasqa-y-pah (literally, loved-I-for).

Other despachos may hold a special wish. Note that despachos are not to lure someone in, then it becomes black magic. But you may wish to change something in your environment or for yourself. For example, change the atmosphere at your work: Llamkanaypi kawsayta huqniraqyayta munasani (literally, Work-my-at energy-object marker change-object marker want-be-ing.form-I).

When you want to say that you “would or could” something, a conditional form is used: muna-y-man: I would like to: muna-y-man …..

I would like to make a despacho: Ruwa-y-ta muna-y-man despacho-ta. Ruwa-y is “to make.”

I would like you to make a despacho for me (this sentence you should be able to make yourself by now): Ruwa-y-ta muna-yki-man despacho-ta.

I would ask you to make a despacho for …. : Tapu-yki-man ruwa-y-ta despacho-ta …….. paq.

The Quechua term for a despacho is Haywarisqa, from haywarikuy, to make an offering. So where in the sentences before the word despacho was used, it could be substituted by haywarisqa. (literally, been offered, being –sqa the past particle marker.)

I would like you to make a despacho for me so Apus will talk to me: Muna-y-man despacho-ta ruwa-wa-nki, chay hinaqa apu-kuna noqa-pah rimanqaku. Chay hinaqa is an adverb for “so” as a consequence. Rima-nqaku is “they will speak.” Rima-y is “to speak” and –nqaku is the future form in third person plural.

If you have any comments titqaq@gmail.com

Bonus: Quechua PDF  https://bit.ly/2tFwZ5x