na-: Happening Now or Often
Subject + na- + verb: Ha na-eri nri.
How It Works
Na- is the helper for something going on now or happening again and again.
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ọ na-eri nri. | He or she is eating. |
| Anyị na-agụ akwụkwọ. | We are reading. |
| Ọ na-agba ọsọ. | He or she is running. |
Context separates “now” from “habit”: add taa “today” or mgbe niile “always”. With m, the pronoun follows the helper: Ana m eri nri “I am eating”. The pronoun before na- is ọ or ị. The negative helper is naghị.
Examples (4)
- Ọ na-eri nri.
He or she is eating.
The verb takes e- after na-.
- Anyị na-agụ akwụkwọ.
We are reading.
The verb takes a- after na-.
- Ha na-agba ọsọ.
They are running.
Gba ọsọ is a verb with its own noun.
- Ị na-aga ahịa?
Are you going to the market?
A question with the same helper.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Na- follows the subject pronoun, goes before the verb and is written with a hyphen, so all three come first.
- Subject Pronouns
Know the subject pronouns, because na- stands right after the pronoun: Anyị na-agụ akwụkwọ “we are reading”.
Level 1 - Verb Names With i- or ị-
Know verb names, because na- is followed by the verb with a- or e- in front: Ọ na-eri nri “he or she is eating”.
Level 1 - Writing na- and ga- With a Hyphen
Know the hyphen rule, because na- is always written joined to the verb: na-agụ “is reading”.
Foundations
Related Patterns
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice na-: Happening Now or Often in Bubblegum
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