NLesson22

Grammar Rule #39
The past tense of a verb is formed by eliminating the last vowel and adding the letter "O" to the beginning of the present form of the verb.

Examples:
NEKI = to desire TLANEKI = he/she desires OTLANEK = he/she desired
TEKI = to cut TLATEKI = he/she cuts OTLATEK = he/she cut
KAKI = to hear TLAKAKI = he/she hears OTLAKAK = he/she heard

There are exceptions to this rule however which will be covered in the rule.

Grammar Rule #40
a) If when the last vowel of the verb is eliminated to create the past tense, there remains an "M" at the end of the verb, it is converted to an "N".

Examples:
NEMI = to live NEMI = he/she lives ONEN = he/she lived
TEMA = to bathe in vapors in a Temazkalli MOTEMA = he/she bathes OMOTEN = he/she bathed
NEHNEMI = to walk NEHNEMI = he/she walks ONEHNEN = he/she walked

b) If when the last vowel of the verb is eliminated to create the past tense, there remains a "TZ", it is coverted to a "Z".

Examples:
KITZA = to go out KITZA = he/she goes out OKIZ = he/she went out
TLATZA = to throw TLATZA = he/she throws OTLAZ = he/she threw

c) If when the last vowel of the verb is eliminated to create the past tense, there remains a "U" at the end of the verb, an "H" is added behind it.

Examples:
EUA = to rise up MEUA = he/she rises up OMEUH = he/she rose up
CHIUA = to do TLACHIUA = he/she does (something) OTLACHIUH = he/she did (something)
ELZIZIUI = to sigh ELZIZIUI = he/she sighs OELZIZIUH = he/she sighed

Grammar Rule #41
It is also possible to form the past tense of a verb by adding a "K" to the end.

a) When the "K" is added to the end of monosyllable verbs only the "O" is added to the beginning but the last vowel is not dropped.

Example:
KUI = to grasp TLAKUI = he/she grasps OTLAKUIK = he/she grasped

b) The "K" ending is added to a verb when there are two consonants before the last vowel while the vowel is not dropped.

Example:
ITTA = to see TEITTA = he/she sees OTEITTAK = he/she saw

c) The "K" ending is added to a verb when there is a "K" preceding the last vowel.

Examples:
MAKA = to give TLAMAKA = he/she gives OTLAMAKAK = he/she gave
TOKA = to plant TLATOKA = he/she plants OTLATOKAK = he/she planted

d) A "K" is also added to the end of verbs ending with an "O".

Examples:
TEMO = to lower TEMO = he/she lowers OTEMOK = he/she lowered
PANO = to pass PANO = he/she passes OPANOK = he/she passed

e) The "K" ending is added to verbs that end with "OTL".

Examples:
MAUITZOTL = has dignity OMAUITZOK = had dignity
TENYOA = to make famous OTENYOAK = he/she was made famous

f) The "K" ending is added to verbs that end with "IA". "X" can also take the place of the "A" at the end to create the past tense.

Examples:
TOTONIA = to heat               OTOTONIAK = he/she heated
                                             OTOTONIX = he/she heated
TZOPELIA = to make sweet   OTZOPELIAK = he/she made (something) sweet                                                OTZOPELIX = he/she made (something) sweet
MIAKIA = to be abundant      OMIAKIAK = he/she made (something) abundant
                                             OMIAKIX = he/she made (something) abundant

Grammar Rule #42
The present tense can also be formed by adding an "X" to the verb ending.

Examples:
PIA = to have TLAPIA = he/she has OTLAPIX = he/she had
CHIA = to look TLACHIA = he/she looks OTLACHIX = he/she looked

Verbs ending with a "YA" are replaced with an "X"

Examples:
OYA = to cast TLAOYA = he/she casts OTLAOX = he/she cast (off)
MEMEYA = to flow OMEMEX = it flowed
KOKOYA = to be sick OKOKOX = he/she was sick

Grammar Rule #43
There are six verbs in which an "H" is added to the end.

TLAMAMA = to take something to hills OTLAMAMAH = he/she took something to the hills
TLAIHUA = to send OTLAIHUAH = he/she sent
TZOMA = to frown OMOTZOMAH = he/she frowned
TLAMA = to capture OTLAMAH = he/she captured
TLAPA = to dye TLAPAH = he/she dyed something
KUA = to eat OTLAKUAH = he/she ate

Grammar Rule #44
All of the verbs which have "K" as an ending in the past tense change to a "KEH" ending in the plural past tense form.

Grammar Rule #45
There exists a few irregular verbs which do not follow any of the above rules when converted to the past tense. They are very important because they are used frequently.

a) The most common:
KAH = to be
IAUH = to go
UALLAUH = to come
KOCHTOK = to be thrown
IKAK = to be standing up
TEMI = to be sitting down

b) The least common:
ONOK = to be lying down
MANI = to be spread out
UITZ = to come to visit
TIKOANKOKE = to be sitting down in a circle
NEUATIKA = to be settled
CHOPANTOK = to be squashed
CHACHAYAKAOK = to have houses
ONKA = to have

When an irregular verb is combined with another verb it always goes at the end.

Examples:
NITLAKUATIKAH = I am eating
ONITLAKUATIKATKA = I was eating
NITLAKUATIEZ = I will be eating

Grammar Rule #46
The future tense is formed by adding a 'Z" to the final vowel of the verb.

If the verb ends in "IA" or in "OA" and in the past tense it loses the "A" ending, it will also lose it in the future tense also.

Examples:
TITLAKUI = you drink      TITLAKUIZ = you will drink
PANO = he/she passes        PANOZ = he/she will pass
NICHOKA = I cry              NICHOKAZ = I will cry
TINEUA = You get up        TINEUAZ = You will get up
NITLATEKIPANOA = I work   ONITLATEKIPANOH = I worked
NITLATEKIPANOZ = I will work

In the plural form of the future tense, after the "Z" is added, "KEH" is placed after it.

Examples:
NIPATLANIZ = it will fly    TIPATLANIZKEH = we will fly
TINEMIZ = you will live      ANNEMIZKEH = You (plural) will live
TLANEKIZ = he will desire TLANEKIZKEH = They will desire