The suffix -qa is essential in Quechua, it appears everywhere and in all kinds of sentences, so it is vital that you learn it. We will start with the use of this suffix in the third person.
This suffix marks the main topic or topic of the sentence, has an emphatic function, goes to the end of the word that you want to emphasize (we already saw a little of this suffix in the lesson about the verb Kay). It has no equivalent in English.
For example, the sentence: ‘He is helping her’, without -qa would be: ‘Pay payta yanapashan‘, it sounds a bit weird to say in a run way: ‘Pay payta’, but with -qa it would look like this: ‘Payqa payta yanapashan‘.
Another example, the sentence: ‘José teaches Maria’, without -qa would be: ‘Jose Mariata yachachin‘; confusing, right? Imagine that there is someone called ‘José María’, so that Quechua sentence could be translated: ‘[He] teaches José María‘, that’s why there is the suffix -qa: ‘Joseqa Mariata yachachin‘, it shows that José is someone different from María.
Under the influence of Spanish, some people might say: ‘Jose yachachin Mariata’, the idea is understood, but the suffix -qa is used in many other different ways, not only in simple sentences like this, so it is worth getting used to using it in these sentences that are simple, and that will help us get used to using -qa.
To reinforce this idea, let’s look at some examples:
1. Sentences with personal names and pronouns
| Without -qa (wrong) | With -qa (right) | Meaning |
| Marco Antoniota yanapashan | Marcoqa Antoniota yanapashan | Marco is helping Antonio |
| Juan Carlosta yachachiran | Juanqa Carlosta yachachiran | Juan taught Carlos |
| Maria Juliata munakun | Mariaqa Juliata munakun | María loves Julia |
| Marco Antonio Antoniota yanapashan | Marco Antonioqa Antoniota yanapashan | Marco Antonio is helping Antonio |
| Juan Juan Carlosta yachachiran | Juanqa Juan Carlosta yachachiran | Juan taught Juan Carlos |
| Maria Julia Juliata munakun | Maria Juliaqa Juliata munakun | Maria Julia loves Julia |
It’s not that hard, right?😀
2. Sentences with demonstrative pronouns
As all demonstrative pronouns allude to a third person are perfect to understand how to use -qa in these situations.
In the following table I show you the same sentences, first without -qa (the incorrect ones) and then with -qa (the correct ones), you will realize that -qa points to the subject, the one who performs the action, and how the verb is at the end, to achieve this it is vital to differentiate the subject from the object.
New vocabulary:
- Wikch’uy: to throw
- Q’opa: garbage
| Without -qa (wrong) | With -qa (right) | Meaning |
| Kay wiraqocha wawanta yachachin | Kay wiraqochaqa wawanta yachachin | This gentleman teaches his son |
| Kay wiraqochakuna wawankuta yachachinku | Kay wiraqochakunaqa wawankunta yachachinku | These gentlemen teach their children |
| Chay sipaskuna mamaykita yanaparanku | Chay sipaskunaqa mamaykita yanaparanku | Those girls helped your mom |
| Chay waynakuna taytaykuta yanapasharanku | Chay waynakunaqa taytaykuta yanapasharanku | Those boys were helping our father (not the hearer’s) |
| Haqay runa ususiykita turiasharan | Haqay runaqa ususiykita turiasharan | That man was bothering your daughter |
| Haqay runakuna q’opata wikch’usharanku | Haqay runakunaqa q’opata wikch’usharanku | Those man were throwing garbage |
Although it is often used with the third person, it can also be added to the first and second person: noqaqa, qanqa, but do not overdo it, it cannot be used indiscriminately.