The -toq Words: 'the one who ...' and Adjectives — Greenlandic Grammar

The suffix -toq, also -soq, turns a verb into a noun: "one who does it", or "something that is so". "sleeps" gives "one who is sleeping", and "is beautiful" gives "something beautiful". Such a word can name a person or a thing, describe a noun like an English adjective, or say "the one that …".

How It Joins

After a vowel the suffix is -soq: "works", "worker". After an r it is -toq and the r stays: "sings", . When the verb has a double consonant before its ending, as "is cold" does, that consonant becomes t: . A few verbs take -tsoq instead, such as "is cheap", .

The One Who, the Thing That

Many everyday nouns are built this way: "student" is "one who studies", "cook" is "one who cooks".

Kinaana erinarsortoq?
Who is singing?
Takutitsisartoq portullunilu tuattuuvoq.
That model is tall and slim.

Describing a Noun

Placed after a noun, a -toq word describes it, like an English adjective. It is plural when the noun is: -tut or -sut.

Asseq kusanartoq iikkami nivingavoq.
The beautiful photo hangs on the wall.
Ballonngit aappaluttut festernissannut pisiaraagit?
Did you buy these red balloons for your party?

With Case Endings

A -toq word takes case endings like any noun, on the stem -tu- or -su-: -tumik, -tumut, -tumi, and in the plural -tunik, -tunut, -tuni.

Ullumikkut soqutiginartumik oqaloqatiginnippunga.
I had an interesting conversation today.
Inuuneq sukkulaammut pooqqasumut assinguvoq.
Life is like a box of chocolates.

The One That Is In …

A place in -mi "in" or -ni, then -ip- "be", then -toq gives "the one in …", "what is at …". The p becomes t before -toq: -miittoq.

Sunaana puuliamiittoq? Inuusaq nutaaq?
What's in the plastic bag? A new doll?
Naqqaniittoq kisitsit takuiuk?
Do you see the number at the bottom?

Not

With "not" the suffix is -nngitsoq, "one that is not": "is open", "an open one", "one that is not open".

Peqqinnanngitsuinnarmik nerisariguit puallassaatit.
You will get fat if you only eat unhealthy food.

"Is a … One"

With -u- "be" after it, a -toq word becomes a verb again, "is a … one": -tuuvoq.

Qimmiaraataa inequnartorujussuuvoq.
Her little dog is very cute.
Eqiasuttuugama.
Because I am lazy. (eqiasuttoq "lazy one" + -u- + -gama "because I")

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Greenlandic course

56 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 47. A few of them, with the words “The -toq Words: 'the one who ...' and Adjectives” is about in bold:

Manniit aqqaneq marluk pisiaraakka, sukkulaatiminerlu ilinnoortoq.
I bought a dozen eggs and a candy bar for you too.
Lesson 47
Biilii sukkaallutillu akikitsuaraapput.
She has a slow, cheap car.
Lesson 110
Inortuinngilanga. Isiaartungaana. Nalinginnaasumik biileqarpoq.
I am not late. I am early. Traffic was normal.
Lesson 279

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