Sentences Without a Verb for Is
A noun or a describing word can be a whole sentence, and Guarani needs no word for is.
How It Works
English needs “am”, “is” or “are”. Guarani does not. A describing word with a person marker stands alone as a sentence.
| Person | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| I | chevareʼa | I am hungry |
| you | ndekatupyry | you are capable |
| he, she, it | iporã | it is good |
To say who someone is, put two noun phrases side by side: Nde sy mboʼehára “Your mother is a teacher”. A noun followed by a marked describing word also works: Kuña imbarete “The woman is strong”. In speech, a slight pause after the first phrase shows that it is a sentence.
A free pronoun in front stresses the person: Che chekaneʼõ “I am tired”.
To say where someone is, Guarani uses the verb ime instead. See Being Somewhere: ime.
Examples (5)
- Iporã.
It is good.
The marker i- and the word porã make a whole sentence.
- Chekaneʼõ.
I am tired.
The marker che- and the word kaneʼõ make a whole sentence.
- Chevareʼa.
I am hungry.
There is no word for am.
- Kuña imbarete.
The woman is strong.
The noun kuña comes first, then imbarete, which is i- plus mbarete “strong”.
- Nde sy mboʼehára.
Your mother is a teacher.
Two noun phrases side by side: nde sy “your mother” and mboʼehára “teacher”.
How It Connects
Learn This First
A sentence with no verb is built from an inactive marker, so the markers come first.
Related Patterns
- Two Sets of Person Markers
The markers che-, nde- and i- come from the inactive set.
Foundations - imeBeing Somewhere: Ime
Where a person or thing is takes the verb ime.
Level 1 - haʼe as a Verb for Is
Later on, haʼe can act as a verb for is.
Level 4 - One Root, Many Jobs
A root can be a noun, a verb or a describing word.
Foundations
Practice Sentences Without a Verb for Is in Bubblegum
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