máva
Who
Máva asks who.
How It Works
Use máva when you do not know who a person is or who did something. Put it first, add -pa, and then say the rest of the sentence.
| Question | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Mávapa haʼe? | Who is he? |
| Mávapa og̃uahẽ? | Who arrived? |
| Mávapa chereka hína? | Who is looking for me? |
In the last example, chereka already means “looks for me”. The marker che- says “me”, so no extra word is needed. The small word hína says that it is happening now. It has its own entry at Level 2.
The word has an accent on its first syllable because the stress is not on the last syllable. The accent stays when -pa is added: mávapa.
For things, ask with mbaʼe “what”.
Examples (4)
- Mávapa chereka hína?
Who is looking for me?
Mávapa starts the question, and che- inside chereka means “me”.
- Mávapa haʼe?
Who is he?
Máva plus -pa asks who a person is.
- Mávapa pe tapicha?
Who is that person?
The question works with no verb at all.
- Mávapa og̃uahẽ?
Who arrived?
Máva takes the place of the person who did it.
Common Mistakes
Leaving out the accent.
Mavapa haʼe?Mávapa haʼe?The stress of máva is on the first syllable, so the accent is written on á.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Máva asks who and works together with -pa, so -pa comes first.
Related Patterns
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice máva in Bubblegum
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