-uka
Having Something Done: -uka
-uka means “have it done”: ajapouka che aorã “I am having clothes made for me”.
How It Works
Compare the plain verb and the verb with -uka:
| Plain verb | With -uka |
|---|---|
| hecha “see” | hechauka “show” (make someone see) |
| japo “make” | japouka “have it made” |
| poru “use” | poruka “lend” (let someone use) |
The person with the active prefix is the one who gets the work done, not the one who does it. In ajapouka che aorã I am the one who orders the clothes, and the maker is not mentioned.
Some verbs with -uka have a meaning of their own, such as hechauka “show” and poruka “lend”.
To tell someone to do something, speakers often use heʼi “says” and the plain verb instead of -uka.
Examples (4)
- Ajapouka che aorã.
I am having clothes made for me.
Japo “make” plus -uka. The one who makes the clothes is not named.
- Reiporukána chéve viru.
Please lend me money.
Poru ends in u, so the ending is -ka: reiporuka “you lend”. The ending -na asks politely.
- Ehechauka chéve pe aranduka.
Show me the book.
E- is the command, and hechauka is “show”. Chéve is “to me”.
- Pintura ohechauka ñandéve mbaʼéichapa mitã reko.
A painting shows us what a child is like.
Ohechauka “shows” has its own meaning. Ñandéve is “to us”.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The ending -uka is used when the verb already has an object, so learners need mbo- for comparison.
Related Patterns
- People or Things: poro- and mbaʼe-
These prefixes leave the object out, which is another way to change who is involved.
Level 4 - -naPlease with -na
-na asks politely, as in reiporukána chéve viru.
Level 1 - chéve / ndéve / ichupeTo Me, To You, To Him: Chéve, Ndéve, Ichupe
These words mean “to me”, “to you” and “to him or her”.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice -uka in Bubblegum
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