katu / ha katu
But and Just: Katu
Haʼe hoʼyta porã, iñamígo katu ndoʼytakuaái “He swims well, but his friend cannot swim”.
How It Works
Katu has three main jobs.
| Use | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| after a word | iñamígo katu ndoʼytakuaái | but his friend cannot swim |
| ha katu between statements | Ahase, ha katu ndaikatúi. | I want to go, but I cannot. |
| after a command | Ehókatu. | Go ahead. |
Katu leans on the word before it, so it usually comes second in its part of the sentence.
Katu can also mean “just”. Other contrast words are built with it: térã katu “otherwise” and ág̃a katu “however”. Pero is the Spanish word with a similar job, and formal Guarani prefers katu.
Examples (4)
- Haʼe hoʼyta porã, iñamígo katu ndoʼytakuaái.
He swims well, but his friend cannot swim.
Katu follows iñamígo and sets the friend against him.
- Ahase, ha katu ndaikatúi.
I want to go, but I cannot.
Ha katu joins the two statements that contrast.
- Ehókatu.
Go ahead.
After a command, katu gives permission.
- Che sy oñeʼẽ guaraníme, che ru katu castellánope.
My mother speaks Guarani, but my father speaks Spanish.
Katu follows che ru and sets him against her.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Ha katu is ha plus katu, so learners need ha first.
Related Patterns
- peroBut: Pero
Pero is the Spanish word that does a similar job in everyday speech.
Level 3 - e- / pe-Commands
Ehókatu is a command with katu added.
Level 1 - yrõ / uveiOtherwise and Rather: Yrõ and Uvei
Uvei means “rather”, and it also goes against what came before.
Level 5 - -nteOnly: -nte
The ending -nte means “only” and can also set a word apart.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice katu / ha katu in Bubblegum
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