chahaʼoh
The English word "park" (referring to a ground for recreation) is chahaʼoh in Navajo.
Meaning: ground for recreation (noun)
Which one should you use?
While chahaʼoh is the standard term, hóka is another way to express the concept of a park.
Did you know?
- The pronunciation of chahaʼoh requires a glottal stop, which is a sudden constriction of air in the throat similar to the middle of 'uh-oh'.
- Because Navajo is an Athabaskan language, the internal logic used to build the word chahaʼoh shares no common ancestor with the logic of English or Spanish.
- Navajo is a verb-heavy language, so many terms describing a place like a 'park' are actually derived from verbs describing what happens in that place.
Example conversation
Michelle and Brandon are deciding where to walk.
- MichelleChahaʼoh tʼáá ááłááh.Let's go to the park.
- BrandonÁáʼlaʼ ałtsooh.That is a good idea.
- MichelleChahaʼoh tʼáá ííʼdááʼ.The park is right there.
- BrandonHózhóóh.It is beautiful.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry chahaʼoh, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
