As you learn verbs, it is essential to understand these action words represent the complexity of the world around us. Anishinaabemowin gives speakers four ways to think about action:

• as something that happens independently in the universe, and may happen or exist continuously (for example weather, truth, time…)
• as something that a living being can do
• as something a living being can do to an object unable to respond
• as something a living being can do with another living being

The idea of what is a “living being” is not fixed. It is true that all people and animals are usually spoken about as animate, but things English speakers think of as non-living are also connected to the animate verbs, for instance cars, potatoes and bread to name a few. In some cases this is an arbitrary linguistic habit for which there is no longer an epistemological reason, which is to say that if there ever was a worldview that caused the potato to be animate, it is no longer common knowledge. In other cases the storyteller may make a choice to talk about a thing as inanimate in one instance and animate in another. For example, a rock or a cross may take on different descriptions depending on how it is used in the sentence. As you learn new words, be sure to find out how they are predominantly used. This is what a fluent child would learn by listening and what second-language speaker needs to spend a little time memorizing.

There are only four types of increasingly complicated verbs and some fairly simple rules about which one to use when. Before any sentence can be understood, a speaker or listener will ask himself or herself, “What is happening and who or what is involved?” The answer to those questions will determine which verb is used.

Type 1 (Intransitive Inanimate) – Something happens with no pronoun involved.

IPV-Type 1

• Gimiwan – Rain
• Waabanjigaade – It is seen
• Giizhaanamad – Hot wind
• Awan – Fog

Type 2 – (Intransitive Animate) One of the seven pronouns does something without anyone else or any objects involved. Anything related to being inanimate.

IPV-Type 2

• Niwaab – I see
• Nimbimose – I walk
• Nindizhinikaaz – I am named
• Ningiiwe – I am going home

Type 3 – (Transitive Inanimate) – One of the seven pronouns is doing something with a direct object in the inanimate (i’iw) category.

IPV-Type 3

• Makizin niwaabandaan. – The shoe I see.
• Dopwin nindozhitoon – A table I am making.
• Gidaapnaan ozhibiiganatig. – You are taking a pen.
• Miinan omiijinaawaan. – The blueberries they are eating.

Type 4 – (Transitive Animate) – One of the seven pronouns is doing something with a direct object in the animate (a’aw) category. This means there are actually two pronouns involved.

IPV-Type 4

• Giwaabamin. – I see you.
• Giwaabamaa. – You see him or her.
• Owaabamaawaan. – They see them.
• Mishiiminag nindamwaanaanig – We (just us) are eating apples.
• Gimiigwechwigo – We (just us) all thank just you.

Please note: As you learn more about Anishinaabemowin, you will realize that some things in the world fall into unexpected categories. They don’t always align with the english viewpoint of what is animate and inanimate.