Helping verbs

Helping verbs are the words like cï, cee bï, cë, bë, cïï, kën, and ee (we have already seen examples of the helping verbs ca, cää cäk, and ba. They are like helping verbs in English like “have” and “will”.

 Let’s take a closer look at these examples

1.    In Ɣɛn cï thɛ̈t Awalwalla = I have cooked Awalwalla.  “Have” is the helping verb and “cooked” is the main verb.

2.    In Ɣɛn bï cam Awalwalla kënnë = I will eat this Awalwalla.  “Will” is the helping verb and “eat” is the main verb.

Here are some more examples of helping verbs in Thuɔŋjäŋ:

1.    Dhuk acë woŋ miit = the boy pulled the cow (simple past tense).

2.    Dhuk abë woŋ miit = the boy will pull the cow.

3.    Ɣɛn cï woŋ miit = I have pulled the cow(present perfect tense)

4.    Yen acï woŋ miit =He has pulled the cow ( present perfect tense)

5.    Weŋ acï miit = the cow has pulled( present perfect tense)

6.    Dhuk acïï woŋ mit = the boy is not pulling the cow.

7.    Dhuk akën woŋ miit = the boy did not pull the cow (Negative past tense).

8.    Ɣɛn ye cam në awalwala eenë në nyindiɛ = I eat awalwala there every day.

9.    Dhuk acï woŋ miit = the boy has pulled the cow.

10.  Dhuk abë woŋ miit = the boy will pull the cow.

11.  Woŋ acë miit = the cow was pulled.

12.  Woŋ acï miit = the cow was pulled.

13.  Woŋ acï miit = the cow has pulled.

14.  Woŋ acï miit ke aŋu kën guɔ cop = the cow had pulled before the hyena arrived(Past perfect tense)

15.  Dhuk acïï woŋ mit = the boy is not pulling the cow (Negative present tense).

16.  Moc acïi dom pur në tɔŋpiiny = the man is not cultivating the farm with peanut butter (Negative Present tense).

17.  Dhuk akën woŋ miit = the boy did not pull the cow.

18.  Ɣɛn ye cam eenë në nyindiɛ = I eat there every day (simple present tense).