Lesson 12 - Actions and Arrival

Biindige - S/He just went inside.
Gii-biindige - S/He went inside.
Wii-biindige - S/He is going to go inside.
Da-biindige - S/He will go inside.
Zaagaam - S/He just went outside.
Gii-zaagaam - S/He went outside.
Wii-zaagaam - S/He is going to go outside.
Da-zaagaam - S/He will go outside.
Biindige gimaamaa - Your mother just went inside.
Daagoshin Joe - Joe just now arrived.
Maajaa - S/He just left.
Nisaye giimaajaa bijiinaago - My older brother left yesterday.
Zaagaamoog abinoojiyag - The children are going outside.
Bi-biindigewag - They are coming in.
Gii-daagoshinoog ogowe ininiwag dibikong - These men arrived last night.
Maagizha gii-biindigewag - Maybe they went inside.
Gii-ani-zaagaamoog na? - Did they go outside?
Aazha gii-zaagaamoog - They already went out.
Da-daagoshinoog ogowe ikwewag tibikak - These women will arrive tonight.
Nimbiindige - I am going inside.
Nizaagaam - I am going outside.
Nimaajaa - I am leaving.
Gigii-zaagaam na dibikong? - Did you go out(side) last night?
Ningii-maajaa bijiinaago - I left yesterday.
Ningii-daagoshin noomaya - I arrived a little while ago.
Ningii-daagoshin menwiinzha - I arrived long ago.
Giwii-maajaa na zemag? - Are you going to leave immediately?
Giga-bi-daagoshin na wiiba? - Will you arrive here soon?
Ninga-maajaa waabang - I'll leave tomorrow.
Gaawiin Joe wii-zaagaanzii - Joe doesn't want to go outside.
Gaawiin abinoojiyag gii-maajaasiiwag - The children didn't leave (some time ago).
Gaawiin niwii-biindigesii - I am not going to go inside.
Gaawiin ningii-daagoshininzii bijiinaago - I didn't arrive yesterday.
 
 

New Words:

daagoshin - he arrives
noomaya - a (little) while ago
mewiinzha - a long ago
abinooji(yag) - child
 
 

Note.

There are two differences in Ojibwe and English present tenses.

1) In English, the present tense is often used for future time, e.g.: 'he is leaving tomorrow', etc.
In Ojibwe the present tense is never used for future time! da- and wii- must be always placed.

2) But in Ojibwe the present tense is used not only for something that is happening right now, but also for something that has just now happened.
The past tense in Ojibwe is used only for something that happened longer ago than just now.

 

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