jį́
/t͡ʃĩ́/
The English word "day" is translated into Navajo as jį́.
jį́ is a noun referring to a period of 24 hours.
Meaning: period of 24 hours (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/tʃĩ́/
Did you know?
- Navajo is part of the Athabaskan language family, making it a distant relative of languages spoken in Alaska and Canada.
- The tonal system of Navajo means that changing the pitch of jį́ could potentially change the word's meaning entirely.
- The word jį́ features a nasalized vowel, requiring the speaker to direct some air through the nose to produce the correct sound.
Examples in context
- jį́ dóó tłʼééʼDay and nightThis example shows how to combine jį́ with another term to express the concept of "day and night".
Example conversation
Brandon and Sarah are talking about their schedules.
- BrandonDíí jį́ tʼáá ákooda.This day is almost over.
- SarahÁá', tʼáá ákooda.Yes, it almost is.
- BrandonDiłʼį́ jį́ tʼáá ákooda.Tomorrow's day is almost here.
- SarahHózhǫ́ǫ́jį́!That is good!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “day” translations and entries jį́, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
