niłhin
The Navajo word for dirty is niłhin. Wiktionary also lists chin bąąh.
Meaning: covered with or containing dirt (adj)
Ways to say it
| Navajo |
|---|
| niłhin |
| chin bąąh |
This term is used to describe something that is covered with or contains dirt.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase chin bąąh literally translates to 'under the dirt' or 'at the dirt' to describe something being dirty.
Did you know?
- Navajo is a polysynthetic language, meaning a single word like niłhin is built from multiple small pieces of meaning, including a 'classifier' that categorizes the type of state the object is in.
- The word bąąh shares an ancestral root with words in Ahtna and Lower Tanana languages meaning 'edge' or 'shore'. This reveals a deep connection between Navajo and other Northern Athabaskan languages.
- The form of a Navajo word for 'dirty' can change depending on the physical shape or texture of the object being described.
Example sentences for Navajo are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Jessica and Brandon are cleaning the house together.
- JessicaBrandon, niłhin bee nitsíhááʼ.Brandon, your shoes are dirty.
- BrandonÁálo, tʼáá áání.Yes, they are very dirty.
- JessicaHózhóón bee tʼáá áání.The floor is very dirty too.
- BrandonShí niłhin bee tʼáá áání tʼáá áání.I will clean the dirty floor.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dirty” translations and entries niłhin, chin bąąh, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bąąh, niłhin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
