Grammar » 5 » Asking Questions

Inuktut has a series of verb endings that are used just for asking questions. To ask a question, we add one of these endings to a verb root or affix. The verb ending indicates who we are asking about:

nigiven?	Are you eating?
nigivâ / nigijong?	Is he / she eating?

 

When asking about something I, we or you are doing, the verb endings start with v- :

tukisivingâ?	Do I understand?
tukisiven?	Do you understand?
tukisivinok?	Do we (2) understand?
tukisivitâ?	Do we (3+) understand?
tukisivitek?	Do you (2) understand?
tukisivise?	Do you (3+) understand?

When asking about something he, she, it or they are doing, the verb endings start with j- :

tukisijong?	Does he/she understand?
tukisijok?	Do the two of them understand?
tukisijon?	Do they (3+) understand?

Pay close attention to the fact that Inuktut has different endings for the dual (dealing with two objects or people) and the plural (three or more objects or people) :

2 people
uingavitek?	Are you two sleepy?
uingajok?	Are the two of them sleepy?
3+ people
uingavise?	Are you (3+) sleepy?
uingajon?	Are they (3+) sleepy?