Places and Tools: -ha
Add -ha to a verb for the place where it happens or the tool you use: jerokyha “dance party”, haiha “pencil”.
How It Works
The ending -ha turns a verb into a noun. It does two main jobs.
- It names a place or a time. Jeroky “dance” gives jerokyha “dance party, dance hall”, and guapy “sit” gives guapyha “seat”. The verb in these words usually has no object.
- It names a tool. Hai “write” gives haiha “pencil”, and joʼo “dig” gives joʼoha “shovel”. The verb in these words usually acts on something.
The ending -ha is stressed. A short ending such as -pe “at, in” does not take the stress, so the stress stays on -ha and the word gets an accent: jerokyhápe “at the dance party”.
Many of these nouns are now ordinary words, so you can learn each one as a single piece. The letters -ha also appear in other endings, such as the ordinal peteĩha “first”. The meaning of the whole word tells them apart.
Examples (4)
- Egueru chéve peteĩ haiha.
Bring me a pencil.
Haiha “pencil” is hai “write” plus -ha: the tool for writing.
- Ko guapyha iporã.
This seat is nice.
Guapyha “seat” is guapy “sit” plus -ha: the place for sitting.
- Marta oho jerokyhápe.
Marta goes to the dance party.
Jerokyha is jeroky “dance” plus -ha. The unstressed -pe follows, so the stress stays on -ha and shows as á.
- Rosa opurahéi jerokyhápe.
Rosa sings at the dance party.
The unstressed -pe follows, so the stress stays on -ha and shows as á.
Common Mistakes
Leaving out the accent when -pe follows -ha.
Marta oho jerokyhape.Marta oho jerokyhápe.The stress stays on -ha, so the á needs its accent.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The ending -ha names a place or tool, and it is the shorter cousin of -hára.
Related Patterns
- That-Clauses: -ha / -hagueThat-Clauses: -ha
The same -ha also ends a verb in a “that” clause, and the sentence shows which one it is.
Level 3 - First, Second, Third: -ha
A different -ha goes on numbers: peteĩha “first”.
Level 4 - In, On, At and To: -pe / -meIn, On, At and to: -pe
-pe “in, at” often follows a place noun made with -ha.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice Places and Tools: -ha in Bubblegum
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