yrõ / uvei

Otherwise and Rather: Yrõ and Uvei

Level 5

Yrõ means “or if not”, and uvei means “rather”.

How It Works

Yrõ and uvei are two small connecting words.

Yrõ gives a way out. It is probably the ending -ʼỹ “without” joined to -rõ “if”, so it means “if not”. Oúta María yrõ oúta Isabel says that María will come, and if she does not, Isabel will. The Academy grammar writes the word ỹrõ, with the nasal ỹ, and treats it as a plain “or”, like térã.

Uvei turns away from one thing and points to another. It often comes after a “no” or an ani “do not”: Ani pejepyʼapy mbaʼevére, pemoĩ uvei opa mbaʼe… “Do not worry about anything, rather put everything…”.

For plain “and” and “or” people use ha and térã.

Examples (3)

  1. Oúta María yrõ oúta Isabel.

    María will come, or if not, Isabel will come.

    Yrõ opens the second choice: the other one will come if the first does not.

  2. Ani pejepyʼapy mbaʼevére, pemoĩ uvei opa mbaʼe Ñandejára pópe pene ñemboʼépe.

    Do not worry about anything. Rather, put everything in the hands of our Lord in your prayers.

    Uvei comes after the “do not” and names what to do instead.

  3. Peimoʼãpiko che ajuhague aru hag̃ua pyʼaguapy ko yvy ári? Haʼe peẽme ahániriha, jejoavy uvei.

    Do you think that I came to bring peace to this earth? I tell you no, but rather division.

    After the “no”, uvei names what is true instead: division.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

yrõ / uveiLevel 5Otherwise and Rather: Yrõ and Uvei

Learn This First

Yrõ is a joining word that says if not, so learners need -rõ and ha or térã.

Words in This Pattern

yrõuvei