Sentences

Sentence structure for statements

The basic sentence order is:
(Subject/actor) (conjugated principal verb) (object) (location).

The subject/actor can be dropped if it’s clear from context. Add an appropriate preposition before the object or location if the sentence requires it for clarity.

Conjugating a verb

To create the simple present tense, drop the last letter of the principal or auxiliary verb. Verbs are not changed to match the subject. Mando'a only has the simple form for verbs; in standard grammar, there is no way to form continuous (progressive), perfect, imperfect, or other forms that most Earth languages have.

The most common auxiliary verbs in Mando'a are liser (can) and enteyor (must). Cuyir (to be), ganar (to have), narir (to do), and vaabir (to do) are never used as auxiliary verbs. Secondary verbs in a sentence are not conjugated.

Note that, in Mando’a, all unconjugated verbs include the particle “to” and it is thus incorrect to add the Mando’a word for “to” before a verb.

In some languages, the ending of the verb changes based on various factors; in basic, standard Mando'a grammar, the ending of the verb does not change regardless of the subject, object, or almost anything else. The grammar used in songs and poems deals with conjugation differently, and fanon dialects often add their own touches to how to form sentences. For more about songs and poems, see Songs and poems.

Examples (one from each kind of verb ending:

Aalar. To feel. Ni aala. I feel.
Parer. To wait. Ni pare. I wait.
Akaanir. To fight. Ni akaani. I fight.
Betenor. To sigh. Ni beteno. I sigh.
Chakur. To steal. Ni chaku. I steal.

For other kinds of sentences, see:

Using “to be”

Most uses of “to be” in English are passive voice and can be made active; for example: I am writing becomes I write, which translates to Ni miit’gaana. If cuyir (to be) is used with an auxiliary verb, cuyir is included in the sentence and is not conjugated. Specific dialects may have additional uses for cuyir.