Verbs: Contemporative Mood (-lu-)

01

The Endings

• "I": -llunga, -lunga
• "you": -llutit, -lutit
• "he, she, it": -lluni, -luni
• "we": -lluta, -luta
• "you" (several people): -llusi, -lusi
• "they": -llutik, -lutik

Because the subject is shared, -lluni "he, she" and -llutik "they" always mean the subject of the main verb.

• Ajorpunga, kaappunga, qilappunga qasullungalu.

  I feel bad, I'm hungry, thirsty and tired. (-llunga "I" + -lu "and")

• Tuaviorlutit aggilaarit.

  Please come as quickly as possible. (lit. hurrying, come)

• Pete Conrad pingajuulluni qaammammut apuuppoq.

  The third man on the moon was Pete Conrad. (lit. Pete Conrad, being the third, reached the moon)

• Filmeriariarluta parkimi aneersimaarta.

  Let's go to the movies first and then to the park. (-luta "we")

02

While, By, For

The contemporative verb tells what goes on at the same time, how something happens, or what it is done for.

• Sinitsillunga ilinniarsinnaanngilanga.

  I can't study while I'm asleep.

• Arsarlunga taliga napivara.

  I broke my arm playing soccer.

• Kinamukarusuppunga feeriarlunga.

  I want to go to China for vacation.

03

And

Two statements about the same subject are often joined this way: the second verb goes into the contemporative and takes -lu "and".

• Qimmiuteqarpunga qitsuuteqarlungalu.

  I have a dog and a cat. (lit. I have a dog, having a cat too)

• Biilii sukkaallutillu akikitsuaraapput.

  She has a slow, cheap car. (lit. her car is slow and cheap)

04

With an Object

With an object, the endings name it too: -llugu or -lugu "… him, her, it", and -llutit or -lutit "… you". With -niar- "intend to" in front, the verb says what something is done for.

• Naapillutit nuanneq.

  It was nice meeting you. (-llutit "… you": lit. meeting you, nice)

• Eqqarsaatigeqqillugu isumassarsiaq pitsaanngilaq.

  On second thought, that is a bad idea. (-llugu "… it")

• Sianertungaana nalunaarutiginiarlugu suliartorsinnaananga.

  I'm calling to let you know that I won't be coming in today. (-niar- + -lugu: to let you know it)

05

Without

With "not", the contemporative has its own endings, -nanga "I", -nani "he, she, it" and -natik "they", meaning "without …ing" or "and not".

• Nerinanga innarpunga.

  I went to bed without eating.

• Misilitsinninni angusivunga, aali ilinniarnikuunanga.

  I passed the exam, although I didn't study.