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Greenlandic grammar · A1

Half-Transitive Verbs: -si- and -nnip-

Alexander StebnerCreator of Lingora · Updated 14 October 20262 min readComments

Some suffixes turn a verb with an object into a verb without one: the object becomes "someone" or "something", and the verb takes ordinary endings. The most common are -si- and -tsi-: "shows it" becomes "shows something". A thing named with such a verb takes -mik.

  • Assersuummik takutitsisinnaavit?

    Can you give me an example? (lit. can you show an example?)

  • Tuluttut ilinniartitsisuuvunga, tuluttut ilinniartitsisarpunga.

    I'm an English teacher. I teach English. (ilinniartitsi- "teach someone")

  • Qujanaq, allaanerusumik ujaasivunga.

    Thanks, but I'm looking for something different. (ujaasi- "look for something")

01

Giving and Buying

"gives something" works the same way. Do not confuse this -si- with -si- "buy, get" on a noun: "buys something" is pi- "something" + that -si-, and the thing bought also takes -mik.

  • Kammaga anaanaminut tunissummik tunisivoq.

    My friend gave a present to her mother.

  • Atuagaq pisoqaavoq. Nutaamik pisisa.

    This book is old. Let's buy a new one.

02

-nnip-

-nnip- does the same after some verbs: "talks with him" gives "has a conversation".

  • Ullumikkut soqutiginartumik oqaloqatiginnippunga.

    I had an interesting conversation today.

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