Xáwe
Jakón yantán!Good afternoon! — Xáwe is with you for Module 3.
Shipibo Foundations · Module 3: People and Possession · Lesson 4 of 5

Three kinds of water

English has 'water.' Shipibo, a river people's language, is more precise: páro — the river; jene — wild water; ompax — gathered water. The river itself has a name: Okayari, the Ucayali.

Culture note. A river people's language treats water precisely — the three-way distinction is basic vocabulary, not poetry. Even 'Ucayali' began as Shipibo: the name describes the river where the oka — small black birds that descend in flocks on riverbank rice — are found, later reshaped by Spanish speakers.
✓ sourced Chat 1-1 00:53 · nothing invented

Learn the words

Tap to flip. Be honest — "again" brings it back.

tap to reveal
tap to flip back

Match the pairs

Tap a Shipibo word, then its meaning.

In a sentence

Try translating each line yourself before you tap.

Metsá paro.
tap to translate
Beautiful river.
Try it. Next time you see water, classify it: páro, jene, or ompax?

Now you write it

Accents optional while you learn — jakon = jakón.

Check yourself

'gathered water' is…
Okayari is…
Xáwe
✓

Lesson complete

Xáwe approves — Jakonshaman!

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