Giving orders or instructions is one of the easiest ways to express ourselves.
To make direct commands, requests, orders, instructions, or supplications in Quechua simply use the endings -y, -ychis, -chun, -chunku and -sun.
For example: ¡hamuy! means ¡come!
Wait a minute, didn’t we agree that “hamuy” was an infinitive? 🤨 You’re right. What happens is that the ending “-y” has several functions, including the infinitive and the imperative.😌
1. Second person (singular and plural)
We use this when we want our addressee or addresses to do something: “Do this!” or “you guys, come here!”
If the request is addressed to only one person, the termination “-y” must be used, and if it is addressed to several persons, the termination “-ychis” must be used, let’s look at some examples:
When the request is addressed to only one person:
| ¡Apay! | Carry! |
| ¡Hamuy! | Come! |
| ¡Churay! | Put! |
| ¡Ruway! | Do! |
| ¡Qhaway! | Look! |
When the request is addressed to several people:
| ¡Apaychis! | [You guys,] Carry! |
| ¡Hamuychis! | [You guys,] Come! |
| ¡Churaychis! | [You guys, Put! |
| ¡Ruwaychis! | [You guys,] Do! |
| ¡Qhawaychis! | [You guys,] Look! |
In the next lessons there will be more examples.
2. Third person (singular and plural)
We use this when we want someone (who is not present) to do something: “May he/she do this!” or “May they do that!”
In these cases we use the ending -chun for the singular and the ending -chunku for the plural.
| ¡Apachun! | May he/she carry! | ¡Apachunku! | May they carry! |
| ¡Hamuchun! | May he/she come! | ¡Hamuchunku! | May they come! |
| ¡Churachun! | May he/she put! | ¡Churachunku! | May they put! |
| ¡Ruwachun! | May he/she do! | ¡Ruwachunku! | May they do! |
| ¡Qhawachun! | May he/she look! | ¡Qhawachunku! | May they look! |
3. First plural person (noqanchis)
This is used when someone talks to a group and encourages them to perform an action (including himself): Let’s do this!
In this case the ending “-sun” is used, which we have already studied in the conjugation of the future tense, this ending can also be used as an imperative.
| ¡Apasun! | Let’s carry! |
| ¡Llank’asun! | Let’s work! |
| ¡Churasun! | Let’s put! |
| ¡Ruwasun! | Let’s do! |
| ¡Qhawasun! | Let’s look! |
What about the negative imperatives? Do not worry, it is the following subtitle.😃
4. Negative imperatives
These are used to prohibit, restrict a possible action: “Do not do this!”, “May they not move!” or “Let’s not do this!”
Simply put the word ¡Ama! (don’t!) and add the suffix -chu at the end of the verb, do not confuse it with the verbal ending -chun, they are totally different.
The suffix -chu is very important, it is used for interrogative and negative sentences, we will see that later, but for the moment we will see how it works in the negative imperative mood, you will see that it is very easy.
| ¡Ama puñuychu! | Don’t sleep! |
| ¡Ama puñuychischu! | [You guys,] Don’t sleep! |
| ¡Ama puñuchunchu! | May he/she not sleep! |
| ¡Ama puñuchunkuchu! | May they not sleep! |
| ¡Ama puñusunchu! | Let’s not sleep! |
And so with all the verbs.