Vocabulary 1: Quechua language basic verbs

To learn a language and be able to have a non-complex conversation, you don’t need much vocabulary, on average with about 800 essential words it is more than enough to start.

Little by little I will give you batches of new words so that you can learn them and enrich your vocabulary. The key is in practice, do your best to use these new words, even in your thoughts.

Remember that W (when going after a vowel and before a consonant) has the same sound as U.

You may also be interested: The pronunciation of Quechua.

I won’t put the stress mark, but I’ll put the stressed syllable in bold and red.

Basic Quechua verbs list

Verbs are essential in any language, they serve to indicate all kinds of actions.

Keep in mind that Quechua verbs in infinitive always end in -y. These are 20 of the most important verbs in Quechua:

	Verb	Meaning
1	Kay	To be (e.g. to be a person), to exist and to have, don’t worry, this verb will have its own explanatory article. 😃
2	Kashay	To be (e.g. to be in a place).
3	Hamuy	To come
4	Saqey	To leave
5	Riy	To go (This verb highlights the movement). It is not used to conjugate the future tense like: I’m going to study tomorrow.
6	Churay	To put, to place, to deposit something in a certain place.
7	Hap’iy	To grab, to catch.
8	Apay	To carry, to transport or to drive something.
9	Apamuy	To bring
10	Qoy	To give, to grant, to donate.
11	Chaskiy	To receive
12	Ruway	To do, to make, to perform, to act.
13	Qhaway	To observe, to look, to see.
14	Niy	To say
15	Munay	To want, to crave.
16	Munakuy	To love
17	Uyariy	To hear, to listen.
18	Tiyay	To sit down | To reside (somewhere)
19	Llank’ay	To work
20	Mikhuy	To eat

Basic Quechua verbs list II

I suggest that before continuing with the following verbs you see the conjugation of verbs in present simple, continuous, past and future.

Nro	Verbo	Significado
1	Kawsay	To live
2	Willay	To tell
3	Puriy	To walk
4	Rimay	To speak, to talk.
5	Sayariy	To stand up
6	Tapuy	To ask, to inquire.
7	Yachay	To know, to learn.
8	Yanapay	To help
9	Mañakuy	To ask for, to pray.
10	Puñuy	To sleep.
11	Ripuy	To go, to leave, to depart. This verb highlights the action of leaving a place, not the movement.
12	Kutipuy	To return, to back (to the place where he left)
13	Kutimuy	To return, to back (towards the speaker or listener)
14	T’aqsay	To wash (clothes, hair)
15	Maqchiy	To wash (hands, utensils)
16	Kichay	To open
17	Wisq’ay	To close
18	Takiy	To sing
19	Tusuy	To dance
20	Rantiy	Tu buy