Sometimes it is important to say someone is not doing something.

For this type of verb always use this order when creating your sentence:

In this type of sentence “gaawiin” is a separate word and could mean no. But when saying someone is not doing something “gaawiin” and “sii” are both used and the “sii” becomes part of the verb.

Note that any “i” or “o” that was dropped in 1st or 2nd person (the “niin” or “giin” pronoun) returns when you add “sii”. Also, be sure to put the “sii” before the pronoun suffix. When using the “wiinawaa” (them) pronoun, the suffix is almost always ends in “wag” when something is not happening. This is because the “sii” ends in a vowel.

Try identifying 1) the root verb and 2) who is doing the action

To begin a sentence, choose a root verb that you learned in the previous lesson “Verb Type II – How to Say Someone Does Something.” Then indicate who is doing the action by adding the right parts to the front and/or back of the root verb.

Writing Sentences

Sentences are written like this:

Verb Types 2 Not Happening Part 1

Gaawiin nimbakadesii (w) Gaawiin n’bakadesii (e)
– I am not hungry

Gaawiin nimbakadesiimin (w) Gaawiin n’bakadesiimi (e)
– We (just us) are not hungry

Gaawiin niminobimaadizisii (w) Gaawiin n’minobimaadizisii (e)
– I am not doing well

Gaawiin nindayekozisii (w) Gaawiin nindayekozisii (e)
– I am not tired

Makwag gaawiin nibaasiiwag (w) Makwag gaawiin nibaasiiwag (e)
– The bears are not sleeping.

Giishpin gaawiin minobimaadizisiiyaan (w) Giishpin gaawiin minobimaadizisiiyaanh (e)
– If I am not doing well.

Note:
In this lesson you hear both western (w) and eastern (e) versions. Keep in mind there are variations within those broad dialects as well. For instance, not all speakers use the “m” before the verb “bakade”. This is shown in the above examples.

Beyond variations in pronunciation there are sometimes variations in meaning. The word “bakade” can also mean “thin” and you may need to use the context to determine which meaning is intended.

Aanikanootan (Translate It)

Practice translating the following sentences

Verb Types 2 Not Happening Part 2

Bizindan (Listen to It)

Listen to the conversation below. Do you recognize any verbs or verb parts? Did you notice how “wenji-___” is used? “Wenji-___” is like saying “this is the reason.” Did you notice how a speaker may begin a statement with “gaawiin” and use two verbs with “sii” meaning they both mean not happening but “gaawiin” is only used once? Did you notice how a root verb ending in “am” was conjugated? Verbs ending in “am” are conjugated a little bit differently than most Type 2 verbs.

Verb Types 2 Not Happening Part 3 – Conversation