Shipibo Foundations · Module 4: Verbs and Real Conversation · Lesson 4 of 6

Doing things to things

By the end you can say that you are doing something to something.

6 new words · about 10 minutes

Jaweki min akai? What are you doing? — Nonón is with you for Module 4.

When the action lands on something else (transitive), the pronoun changes: éa → én, and takes -nra: Enra xobo soai — I clean the house. Starter set: piti to eat, xeati to drink, chokati to wash, soati to clean, saweti to dress.
When the action lands on something
éa → énthe pronoun changes
-nramarks the doerEnra xobo soai — I clean the house
Culture note. This two-track pronoun system (éara/enra) runs through the whole language — Shipibo always marks whether your action stays with you or lands on the world. And listen to the cleaning verbs: many sound like what they do. Soa soa — a cloth wiping a surface. Choro — pushing into a knot and pulling it loose. Chokati carries water in it: it's the everyday word for washing clothes, and any washing done with liquid.
✓ sourced Module 1-3 Jaweki deck slides 11–15 · nothing invented

The words

Read each one. The next screen hides the meaning so you can test yourself.

pitito eat
xeatito drink
chokatito wash
soatito wipe / clean
sawetito dress
én / enraI (acting on something)

Cover the meaning

Say it before you 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.

Enra xobo soai.
tap to translate
I clean the house.
Enra maxko xobo soai.
tap to translate
I clean the small house.
Janra tari saweai.
tap to translate
He dresses in a tunic.
Jatonra paranta piai.
tap to translate
They eat plantain.
Try it. Describe three chores with enra + object + verb.

Build the sentence

Tap the words into order.

Say:

Now you write it

Accents optional while you learn — jakon = jakón.

Check yourself

'I clean the house' is…
When the action lands on something else, 'I' becomes…
Nonón
✓

Lesson complete

Nonón approves — Jakonshaman!

You can now say that you are doing something to something.

← Previous Next lesson →

All lessons