Language/Classical-quechua/Grammar/Questions

Classical Quechua Grammar - Questions

Hi Classical Quechua learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on questions in Classical Quechua.

Basics

In Classical Quechua, there are several ways to form questions. The easiest way is to add a question particle at the end of the sentence. This particle is "chu". For example:

• **Rimaykullaychu?** (Are you speaking?)

As you can see, "chu" is added to the end of the sentence to turn it into a question. Note that the sentence can also be used as a statement without "chu": "Rimaykullay." (You are speaking.)

Another way to form a question is by using question words such as "qa" (who), "imayna" (where), "maypi" (when), "ypi" (why), and "chaymanta" (how). For example:

• **Qammi qonqonam qan?** (Who is singing over there?)
• **Imaynallamanta kani?** (Where can I find you?)
• **Maypimanta qanqorqin?** (When did you arrive?)
• **Ypin hukninchikmi pakarinkichu?** (Why are you criticizing us?)
• **Chaymantapash ranti?** (How did you do that?)

By using these question words, you can ask more specific questions. However, note that the order of the words is important. For example, in the last sentence, "chaymantapash" (how) comes at the beginning of the sentence, while "ranti" (you did) comes at the end.

Verb to be

To ask a question about the existence of something, the verb "kaq" (to be) is used. For example:

• **Kani kaqmi?** (Where are you?)
• **Kanmi kaqmi?** (Am I here?)
• **Qammi kaq?** (Who exists?)

In Classical Quechua, "kaq" has three forms: "kaq", "taq", and "raq", depending on the tense, number, and person. Here are some examples:

Classical Quechua	Pronunciation	English
Kaqmi	kahk-mee	I am
Taqmi	tahk-mee	You are
Raqmi	rahk-mee	He/she/it is
Kaqmikuna	kahk-mee-koo-nah	We are
Taqmikuna	tahk-mee-koo-nah	You all are
Raqmikuna	rahk-mee-koo-nah	They are

Here is an example dialogue to practice:

• Person 1: **Kani kaqmi?** (Where are you?)
• Person 2: **Qollanpimanmi kaq.** (I am at home.)

Word order

In Classical Quechua, the word order is generally subject-object-verb. However, in questions, the word order may change depending on the emphasis. For example:

• **Kani kaqmi?** (Where are you?)
• **Kaqmi kani?** (Is it me who is here?)

In the second sentence, the word order is object-verb-subject, which puts emphasis on "it".

Indirect questions

Indirect questions are used to ask a question without using question words. In Classical Quechua, they start with the word "nano", which means "to know". For example:

• **Nanoqa rikunki amutapi?** (Do you know if he will come tomorrow?)

Note that in this example the question particle "chu" is not used, but rather the word "nanoqa" (do you know).

Practice

Here are some questions for you to practice:

• **Maypimanta kaniwanchu?** (When are you coming?)
• **Qamqa uyarichiqchu?** (Who is reading?)
• **Imaynallamanta wayllunichisqa?** (Where did you dance?)
• **Ypinmanta musuqchasqa?** (Why did you change?)

If you need more practice, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Conclusion

Congratulations! You now know how to form questions in Classical Quechua. Remember to practice regularly and to use what you have learnt in real-life situations. To improve your Classical Quechua Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website.

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Sources

• Quechuan Languages
• Classical Quechua