2 Verbs
Kanyen’keha (the Mohawk language) is verb-based, like other Hodinohsó:ni languages, indicating that life is always in motion. Every word has a root word which are verbs that must be attached to the most appropriate prefix (red, blue, or purple). For example, to say I love him, I would say rinoronhkhwa. Ri- indicates ‘me to him’ and –nó:ronhkwe is the root word for love. The list below is just a brief number of verbs to describe our lives used in conjunction with pronoun prefixes and other language components indicating past, present or future tense.
| to like (object) | a-__-nòn:we’ne |
| to be called | a-__-iátsheke |
| to know (a fact) | a-__-tó:ken’se |
| to know (be familiar with) | a-__-ientéhrha’ne |
| to be married | a-__-niake |
| to have children | a-__-wiraién:ta’ne |
| to be working | a-__-ió’ten |
| to love | a-__-nó:ronhkwe |
| be somewhere | kak nón:we a-__-:sheke |
| be going | a-__-e |
| to have something | a-__-ién:take |
| to like the taste of | a-__-é:ka’we |
| to be walking | a-__-htén:ti |
| to be elder/adult | aonta-__-ién:ta’ne |
| to be a child | eksà:’a a-__-:ton |
| to be a person | ón:kwe a-__-:ton |
| to be saying | a-__-:ron |
| to write | a-__-hiá:ton |
| tell about | a-__-thrória’te |
| ask | a-__-rihwanón:ton |
| ask about | a-__-rihwanón:ton |
| tell (someone) | a-__-hró:ri |
| be similar, look alike | taons-___-tierénhake |
| be different, be dissimilar | ta-__ttihénhake |
| to read | a-__-wennahnó:ton |
| to be sick | a-__-nonhwákten |
| be an age | …naonta-__-ién:take |
| be about | aktóntie a-__-:sheke |
| be passed away | a-__-tohetstónhake |
| be dead | a-__-heiónhake |
| be alive | a-__-ónhnheke |
| be a non-Indigenous (White) person | a-__-tientatshónhake |
| be an Indigenous person | a-__-onkwehonwéhake |
| be one’s last name | ta-__-hsennà:serake |
| be # of years old | # ta-__-ohseriia’kónhake |
| have as a surname | ta-__-hsennà:serake |
| to have grandchildren | a-__-terè:shen |
| to have children (idiomatic) | a-__-wiraién:ta’ne |
| to hate it | a-__-swen |
| to be mother to | ontate’nisténha a-__-:ton |
| to be father to | ontate’níha a-__-:ton |
| to be child of | ontatièn:’a a-__-:ton |
| to be grandchild of | ontaterè:’a a-__-:ton |
| to be grandparent to | ontatshótha a-__-:ton |
| to be uncle to | ontatenonhà:’a a-__-:ton |
| to be aunt to | ontate’nisténha a-__-:ton |
| to be younger sibling to | ontate’kèn:’a a-__-:ton |
| to be older sibling to | ontathtsì:’a a-__-:ton |
| to be siblings | kiatate’kèn:’a a-__-:ton |
| to be cousins | onara’sè:’a a-__-:ton |
| to be friends, be bf/gf | atenrò:sera a-__-:ton, káskare a-__-:ton |
| be good friends/Indian friends | watenro’serí:ios a-__-:ton |
| be related/relatives | ontátenonhkwe a-__-:ton |
| in a relationship with someone | a-__-terihwísa |
| to be divorced or separated | ta-__-tekháhsi |
| to be engaged | a-__-terihwahserón:ni |
| to be single | a-__-nonhsanónhnhake |
| to be young | ken’ naonta-__-ién:take |
| to be learning | a-__-teweiénsthake |
| to be teaching | a-__-rihonnienníhake |
| to watch television | tká:ra’s a-__-terò:roke |
| to be eating | ta-__-tskà:hon |
| to be thirsty | a-__-nia’tatshénsheke |
| to be drinking | a-__-hnekihrénhake |
| to wake up | a-__-ie |
| to get dressed | a-__-thserón:ni |
| answer, reply | ta-__-rihwa’será:ko |
| begin (to do s.t.) | aonta-__-táhsawen |
| cook | -khón:ni |
| defecate | -ní’taien |
| do something | ok na-__-ier |
| eat a meal | te-__-tskà:hon |
| get up | -tkétsko, te-__-ta’n |
| happen | ok tha-__-tié:ren |
| help (physically) | -ié:nawa’s |
| help (supportive) | -ia’takéhnha |
| hide | -táhseht |
| listen | -tahónhsatat |
| look | -tkáhtho |
| open | -hnhotón:ko, -nontéksi, -te-__-tá:kwariht |
| prepare | -weiennén:ta’n |
| rain | -kennó:ron |
| rest | -toríhsen |
| say | -:ron |
| sleep | -:ta’wh |
| snow | -nieht |
| study | -téweienst |
| put away | -teweièn:ton |
| tidy | te-__-ohtáhrho |
| get tired | te-__-hwihsénheie |
| understand | -‘nikonhraién:ta’n |
| urinate | -nistiá:ke |
| wake up | -ie |
| wash s.t. | -nóhare |
| wash oneself | -tia’tóhare |
| watch | -terò:rok |
| work | -ió’ten |
| borrow | -tén:ni |
| lend | -:ni |
| buy | -hní:non |
| buy for s.o. | -hní:non’s |
| buy from s.o. | -hní:non |
| get/obtain | -ko, -ié:na |
| go get | -kóha |
| give | -ion |
| lend | -ni |
| sell | -tenhní:non |
| sell to | -tenhní:non’s |
| steal | -nénsko |
| trade, switch | te-__-tá:ton |
| be big | a-__-kowanénhake |
| be cheap, inexpensive | a-__-tiesénhake |
| be dark in colour | a-__-hsohkwahon’tsíhake |
| be dirty, soiled | ta-__-‘tsón:take |
| be dry | a-__-stathénhake |
| be expensive | a-__-norónhake |
| be hard | a-__-hnirónhake |
| be heavy | a-__-ksteke |
| have a hole | a-__-kahrón:take |
| be light in colour | a-__-hsohkwara’kénhake |
| be long | a-__-ónsheke |
| be bad, evil | a-__-hetkénhake |
| be short | ken’ na-__-onsháhake |
| stink | a-__-kera’ne |
| be soft | a-__-‘nhétska’ne |
| be ugly | a-__-hetkénhake |
| be wet | a-__-na’nawénhake |
| eat s.t. | a-__-ke |
| make soup | a-__-tkátston |
| make a bread product | a-__-na’tarón:ni |
| get full | a-__-hta’ne |
| be good or proficient at | a-__-weientehtónhake |
| small | ken’ ni-__-à:’a |
| afraid | -tshà:nis |
| angry | -na’khwèn:’on |
| annoyed | -hkará:rens |
| awake | -iè:’on |
| big | -kowá:nen |
| body type, looks | tsi ni-__-ia’tò:ten |
| busy | te-__-weienhnharà:’on |
| cold | -wístos |
| concerned, worried | te-__-tate’nikónhrhare |
| content | -erien’tí:ios |
| crazy | te-__-nonhwarawén:rie |
| crying | te-__-shénthos |
| dark-skinned | -hnahòn:tsi |
| depressed | -‘nikonhrèn:ton |
| drunk | -nonhwarahtòn:’on |
| enjoy | -on’wéskwani |
| famous | -hsennowá:nen |
| fat | -re’sen |
| funny | -ia’tasté:ris |
| good-looking | -onkwe’tí:io |
| good person | -onkwe’tí:io, t-__-rihwaié:ri |
| happy | -tshennón:ni, -tonhnháhere |
| heavy | -ia’tákste |
| hot | -‘tarihèn:’on |
| hungry | -tonhkária’ks |
| intelligent | -ttókha |
| jealous | -‘nóshas, -ten’kéwhen |
| lazy | -entóhrha |
| light-skinned | -hnarà:ken |
| lonely | -entón:nis |
| lucky | -tera’swí:io |
| cross, nasty, mean | -hétken |
| need | te-__-tonhwentsó:ni |
| poor | -:ten |
| pregnant | -wirahninòn:re |
| ready, prepared | -tateweiennentà:’on |
| rich | -hwistowá:nen |
| sad | -‘nikonhráksens |
| short | ken’ ni-__-hneniésha |
| shy | -tshé:iaron |
| sick | -nonhwáktani |
| sleepy | -serénhtara’s |
| smiling, laughing | -iéshon |
| strong | -‘nikonhkátste, -‘shátste, te-__-hwi’shátste |
| stubborn, determined | -nontsistahní:ron |
| surprised | -nehrakò:’on |
| talking | -hthare |
| tall | -hnén:ies |
| skinny | -tí:wen |
| thirsty | -nia’táthens |
| thrilled, ecstatic | -‘nikonhrinekèn:’on |
| have time | -náktote |
| tired | te-__-hwihsenhé:ion |
| ugly, homely | -hétken |
| unlucky | -tera’swáksen |
| well, healthy | -kwátshe |
| waiting | -hrhá:re, te-__-nèn:raien |
| weak, sickly | -tsì:ios, -tsi’ióhtare |
| working | -ió’te |
| spread out, spread around | te-__-renia’tonhátie |
| setting | -héhrha |
| in | -a |
| in (liquid or abstract), be part of | -o, -re |
| standing (of an object) | -:niote |
| hanging over | -hren’tónhkhwa |
| hanging down, suspended | -háhrha |
| inserted, wedged in | te-__-hsiharáhtha |
| standing (animate) | -te |
| sitting (animate) | -tskote |
| lying down (animate) | -ia’tión:ni |
| in (animate) | -ià:ti |
| break (apart, into pieces) | te-__-kháhsions, te-__-hrihtánions |
| hear | -thón:te, -hrón:kas |
| listen | -tahónhsate |
| listen to s.o. | -wennaráhkhwa, -hónhsate |
| obey, listen to | -tewennaráhkhwa |
| do (with or to s.t.) | tsi ni-__-iéhrha |
| insert, wedge into | -ò:roks |
| leave behind, let go | -ties |
| put s.t. in s.t. | -éta’as |
| put up onto s.t. | -héhrha |
| set down | -:iens |
| stand up an object | te-__-tástha, -hniótha |
| bite | -tekhwákwas |
| sniff | -teswáhtha |
| bleed | -nekhwà:’on |
| hit (tap, strike) | -hwà:’e |
| touch | ken’ nie-__-iéhrha |
| grab | -ié:nas |
| rub | -rakén:rie |
| scratch | -tké:ton |
| sore | -hkará:rens |
| itchy | -rónhkwani |
| injured | -karewáhton |