madi
Not Wanting an Action
The unwilling person is the subject of madi; an action complement can share that person or name another actor.
How It Works
Constantino describes madi as an actor-focus transitive verb whose actor is definite. The person who does not want something is its subject. Use subject forms such as -ak and kami, rather than the non-subject actor series used with patient-focus verbs. An unwanted thing can be a noun goal; an unwanted action can be a clause introduced by nga.
In the source-described shared-actor construction, the action clause has no separately expressed actor: Madiak nga agsala. means “I do not want to dance.” With different actors, express both: Madi ni Rosa nga agawidka. means “Rosa does not want you to go home.”
Compare Saanak nga agsala., “I will not dance,” which does not itself state unwillingness. Keep this madi nga frame distinct from the shared-actor kayat ti frame. In the noun example, iti marks the goal and exclusive kami excludes the addressee.
Examples (3)
- Madiak nga agsala.
I do not want to dance.
The speaker is the subject of madi and the understood actor of dancing.
- Madi ni Rosa nga agawidka.
Rosa does not want you to go home.
Rosa is the subject of madi; ka identifies the distinct actor of agawid.
- Madikami iti kape.
We, excluding you, do not want coffee.
Kami is the exclusive subject, and iti introduces the noun goal.
Related Patterns
- saanNegating a Predicate
Contrasts ordinary predicate negation with explicit non-desire.
Level 1 - kayátWanting Something
Compares wanting and not wanting while distinguishing their pronoun frames.
Level 2 - kayat + ti + ActionWanting to Do Something
Explains the shared-actor ti construction that should not automatically replace madi nga.
Level 2 - Who Performs a Needed Action
Develops the distinction between shared and separately expressed actors.
Level 4
Practice madi in Bubblegum
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