naʼałbąąs
The English phrase "driving" is translated into Navajo as naʼałbąąs.
The term naʼałbąąs refers to the action of operating a motor vehicle.
Meaning: action of operating a motor vehicle (noun)
Did you know?
- Because Navajo is an agglutinative language, the word for 'driving' can be expanded with prefixes and suffixes to specify who is driving, for whom they are driving, and how many vehicles are involved.
- In Navajo, many modern technical terms are constructed using descriptions of how a machine functions rather than inventing a single abstract noun.
- Because Navajo is a verb-heavy language, a person 'is driving' is often more grammatically central than the 'driving' itself. The vehicle is often treated as a participant in a continuous state of motion rather than an object being controlled.
Example conversation
Kyle and Jessica are talking about their trip to the city.
- KyleNaʼałbąąąs tʼáá ááníyá.Driving is very tiring.
- JessicaHaaí, tʼáá ááníyá.Yes, it really is.
- KyleJessica, naʼałbąąs łichíʼíní?Jessica, is driving difficult for you?
- JessicaÁkóóʼtá, tʼáá áání.No, I like it.
