Tense and aspect

Lack of inflection

Mon verbs are not inflected for either tense or subject:


  1. 7ua che'n.
    I love

    'I love/I loved/I will love.'

  2. Cakaw che'n.
    you love

    'You love/ you loved/you will love.'

  3. Nyeh che'n.
    he/she love

    'He/she (older than speaker) loves/he or she loved/he or she will love.'

  4. Poy taw7 che'n.
    we plural love

    'We love/we loved/we will love.'

  5. Cakaw taw7 che'n.
    you plural love

    'You love/you loved/you will love.'

  6. Nyeh taw7 che'n.
    he/she/ plural love

    'They love/they loved/they will love.'

    Tense may be shown through the inclusion of an adverb of time or an aspectual particle:


  7. Nukanay 7ua kway 7a phè'a.
    yesterday I walk go school

    'Yesterday I walked to school.'

  8. [Ngoa ye'] 7ua 7a phè'a no'ng.
    [tomorrow] I go school irr

    'Tomorrow I will walk to school.'

  9. Nukanay 7akhing naw7 7ua karù' mo'ng.
    yesterday time this I cry prog

    'Yesterday, at this time, I was crying.'

  10. [Ngoa ye'] 7akhing naw7 7ua karù' mo'ng.
    [tomorrow] time this I cry prog

    'Tomorrow, at this time, I will be crying.'

    Aspect Particles

    Aspectual distinctions are indicated with particles.

    Perfective aspect

    Perfective aspect is indicated with the particle toa, as seen in the following example:

  11. Padua ka' chamoat ngoa cow tecam kit taw maraykaso'
    In prep grade sun 10 8 pain [month] December

    sanam 1988 ko' tala 7awe panan sem ket 7ana toa
    year 1988 foc. Majesty power military [take away] power finish

    dè'7 to'7 palawm palay ta tana tapah chondea kamalayn toa.
    he pl. [break down] throw- away place demonstration pl. finish.

    'On December 18, 1988, after the military coup, the military broke down the boycott station.'

    As this example shows, toa generally shows up at the end of a verb phrase, following any direct object.

    Toa also functions as a verb meaning 'to finish', and in this case it may take a NP object:

  12. Kala 7ua kloin homework toa mekeh, 7ua pè TV no'ng.
    If I work homework finish then I watch TV irr

    'If I finish my homework, then I will watch TV.'

    Progressive aspect

    Progressive aspect is shown by the use of the particle mò'ng

  13. 7ua 7a mò'ng.
    I go progressive marker

    I am going.

    Mòng also functions as a main verb meaning 'live' or 'exist':

  14. Poy mòng padua hoa7.
    we live in house

    'We live in a house.'

    Unlike the particle toa, mòng comes immediately after the verb, and before any direct object:

  15. Mì 7ua dun mòng pu'ng.
    mother I cook prog rice

    'My mother was cooking rice.'

    Irrealis

    Unreal events (including those that take place in the future) are shown through the use of the particle no'ng.


  16. Kala 7ua kloin homework toa mekeh, 7ua pè TV no'ng.
    If I work homework finish then I watch TV irr

    'If I finish my homework, then I will watch TV.'

    Aspectual adverbs

    Habitual actions may be shown through the use of adverbs like khana7 khana7 'often' and lamò'n 'often'.


  17. Khana7 khana7 7ua 7a phya.
    often I go store

    I often go to the store.

  18. 7ua khana7 khana7 7a phya.
    I often go store

    I often go to the store.

  19. 7ua ti7 7a phya lamò'n.
    I drive go store always

    I always drive to the store.

    Potential events

    Potential events are expressed by the insertion of /tò' man/ after the verbs in the sentence.


  20. So' ngoa naw7 7ua kloin homework toa tò' man mò'ng.
    Low sun this I work homework finish be able prog

    'I may finish my homework this evening.'

    Contrast this with the more definite:

  21. So' ngoa naw7 7ua kloin homework toa no'ng.
    low sun this I work homework finish irr

    'I will finish my homework this evening.'


    The following two sentences show the same contrast:


  22. 7ua 7a tò' man mò'ng.
    I go be able prog

    I may go.

  23. 7ua 7a mò'ng.
    I go prog

    I am going.