Who and Which: -va
Pe kuimbaʼe iporãva che ména “That handsome man is my husband”.
How It Works
-va does not take the stress, so the word keeps its accent mark.
| Use | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| after a noun | kuimbaʼe iporãva | a man who is handsome |
| with no noun | reʼuséva | what you want to eat |
| with a negative | ndoʼúiva | the one who does not eat |
In everyday speech people often put la in front of a clause with no noun: he la jaʼúva “what we are eating is tasty”.
After a place word, Guarani uses -gua in place of -va: pe kyse mesaʼárigua “the knife that is on the table”.
Examples (4)
- Pe kuimbaʼe iporãva che ména.
That handsome man is my husband.
Iporãva describes kuimbaʼe: “the man who is handsome”.
- Reʼu reʼuséva.
You eat whatever you want to eat.
There is no noun, so reʼuséva stands for “what you want to eat”.
- Ndaipóri ouséva plázape.
There is nobody who wants to come to the square.
Ouséva means “who wants to come”, with no noun in front.
- Jukysy ndoʼúiva arakaʼeve ndokakuaái.
Those who do not eat soup never grow.
The negative ndoʼúi stays inside the clause, and -va comes last.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The ending -va is added to a verb or describing word, and it grows out of kóva and péva, so those come first.
- Present or Past With No Ending
Know the plain verb, because -va is added to the end of it: Reʼu reʼuséva “Eat whatever you want to eat”.
Level 1 - Describing Words After the Noun or Verb
Know that a describing word follows its noun, since a -va clause does the same: Pe kuimbaʼe iporãva che ména “That handsome man is my husband”.
Level 1 - kóva / péva / upévaThis One and That One
Know kóva and péva, because they already use -va to name the thing itself: Kóva peteĩ huʼy “This is an arrow”.
Level 2
Related Patterns
- Who Did and Who Will: -vaʼekue / -vaʼerãWho Did and Who Will: -vaʼekue and -vaʼerã
These endings put the -va clause in the past or the future.
Level 3 - That-Clauses: -ha / -hagueThat-Clauses: -ha
The ending -ha makes a clause that follows a verb such as know or say.
Level 3 - la Before a -va Clause
Speakers often put la before a clause that ends in -va.
Level 4 - Usually: -va
The same ending -va can also show a habit.
Level 4 - -háraThe One Who Does It: -hára
The ending -hára names the person who does something.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Who and Which: -va in Bubblegum
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