-na

Please with -na

Level 1

-na turns a command into a polite request.

How It Works

Use -na when you want to ask politely. It follows the command verb and is written as part of the word.

Command	Polite request
ehecha “look”	ehechána “look, please”
ehendu “listen”	ehendúna “listen, please”
epytuʼu “rest”	epytuʼúna “take a rest, please”
pepytuʼu “rest” (you all)	pepytuʼúna “rest, please” (you all)

The suffix is unstressed, like -ta and -ma. The stress stays on the last syllable of the verb, so that syllable gets an acute accent.

Other small endings change the force of a command in other ways: -mi is a gentle plea, -ke is firmer and -py urges.

Ehechána.
Look, please.
-na added to ehecha makes the request polite.
Ehendúna.
Listen, please.
The accent on du shows that the stress stays on the root.
Epytuʼúna.
Take a rest, please.
-na follows the one-person command epytuʼu.
Pepytuʼúna.
Rest, please, all of you.
-na also follows a pe- command to a group.

Leaving out the accent when -na is added.
Ehechana.
Ehechána.
The suffix -na is unstressed, so the stress stays on cha and the accent must be written.

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

-naLevel 1Please with -na

The ending -na only softens a command, so commands come first.

-na-mi-ke

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