Shipibo Foundations · Module 5: The Suffix World · Lesson 3 of 5

Talking about what is happening now

By the end you can say what is happening right now, and how it is being done.

4 new words · about 8 minutes

Bewa bewashamani! Singing, excellently! — Chána is with you for Module 5.

Then the action happens — in three flavors of present. Simple: -ai (béwai — singing). Along the way: -bainkin — built on bai, path — the action moves forward as it happens (soa soabainkin — clearing along the way). And excellently: -shamani — doing it in the finest way, right now (bewa bewashamani). Notice the doubling: repeating the root is rhythm and thoroughness at once.
Three presents
-aisimply happeningbéwai — singing
-bainkinmoving forward as it happenssoa soabainkin
-shamaniin the finest way, right nowbewa bewashamani
Culture note. The heavy work lives here — the doing suffixes repeat and repeat, like the motion they describe.
✓ sourced recorded class 3 01:14–01:15 · nothing invented

The words

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

-aisimple present
-bainkinalong the way (bai = path)
-shamaniexcellently, in the present
baipath

Cover the meaning

Say it before you flip. Be honest — "again" brings it back.

tap to reveal
tap to flip back

In a sentence

Try translating each line yourself before you tap.

Bewa bewashamani.
tap to translate
Singing, singing excellently.
Soa soabainkin.
tap to translate
Clearing, clearing along the way.
Make makebainkin.
tap to translate
Perfecting, perfecting along the way.
Try it. Take béwati (to sing) through all three: béwai → bewa bewabainkin → bewa bewashamani.

Check yourself

-bainkin is built on the word for…
'Singing excellently right now' is…
Chána

Lesson complete

Chána approves — Jakonshaman!

You can now say what is happening right now, and how it is being done.

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