In this unit, you will learn to speak about locations: being in a place or going to or from a place. You will also learn to specify a currently ongoing action.

-Daq

The type 5 noun suffix -Daq is a generic locative—depending on context, it can mean at, in, on, by, to. A noun with -Daq would normally come before the object of the sentence.

Depending on the verb, you may not need -Daq; some verbs have destinations or locations built in to them and the destination or location is treated as an object. Though in English we say that one would go to somewhere, Klingon does not use -Daq because the verb jaH already includes the idea of to when used with an object.

The word nuqDaq is usually translated as where and is placed into the same position that the location would go if it were a statement. Even with verbs that have movement built in and would not normally have -Daq added to the destination, nuqDaq is used to ask where. Since this is a question word, the interrogative verb suffix -'a' is not used.

-vo'

The type 5 noun suffix -vo' means from and is used to specify a starting point or origin.

As both are type 5 noun suffixes, you may not use both -Daq and -vo' on the same noun. They can be used with other suffixes, such as plurals, -vam, or -vetlh. When used with other suffixes, the type 5 noun suffixes always go last.

When using -Daq or -vo' on a noun + adjectival verb, the type 5 suffixes (but not others) will go at the end of the entire phrase, appearing to attach to the verb: loDpu' wochvo' from the tall men.

-taH

The type 7 verb suffix -taH is used for continuous or ongoing actions. Its meaning is very similar to that of the English -ing in I am running.

Since Klingon doesn't have tense, jIqettaH can mean I am running or can mean I was running or I will be running—the -taH only shows that it is, was, or will be an ongoing action.

-lI'

The type 7 verb suffix -lI' is similar to -taH and also identifies an ongoing action; however, it also implies that the action is heading towards a specific end or goal.

tera' vIjaHlI' (with jaH go (to)) could be translated as I am on my way to the Earth—with the suffix -lI' implying that the going is not only ongoing but that you are making progress towards a known end point (when you reach the Earth, you will stop).

As both are type 7 verb suffixes, you may not use -taH and -lI' on the same verb. They can, however, be used with other suffix types.

To be in, at, on or by a place

As noted before, pronouns help to fill the role of the verb to be in Klingon. This is also true with locations, such as, monDaq 'oH It is in the capital.

As with other to be sentences, if you want to explicitly state the subject when using a pronoun as the verb to be, you have to use the noun suffix -'e'. yuQDaq 'oH veng'e' The city is on the planet.

-taH with pronouns

Klingon often uses -taH in combination with a pronoun and a location to indicate a temporary, but currently ongoing presence—for example, Qo'noSDaq ghaHtaH mara'e' Mara is on Kronos (the Klingons' home world); a bit more literally, As for Mara, she is being on Kronos.

Sum and Hop

The adjectives Sum and Hop mean (be) near and (be) far, respectively.

On their own, they usually mean that something is near the speaker or far from the speaker. For example, Sum mara would mean Mara is close (to me).

If you want to say that something or someone is close to (or far from) someone else, you can use -Daq to make the reference point explicit: SoHDaq Sum mara (literally, At you, Mara is close) would mean Mara is near you, while SoHDaq Hop mara (literally, At you, Mara is far) would mean Mara is far away from you.

Above and below

Klingon doesn't have prepositions such as above or below or next to.

Instead, there are nouns that mean area above, area below, area next to, and so on, and things are described as being in (-Daq) those areas.

The area nouns that you will encounter in this lesson, together with a rough preposition equivalent in English, are:

bIngDaq in the area below = under
DungDaq in the area above or overhead = over
jojDaq in the area between = between, among
retlhDaq in the area beside or next to = next to
tlhopDaq in the area in front = in front of
'emDaq in the area behind = behind

nagh retlhDaq ghaHtaH torgh'e' Torg is next to the rock literally means something like Torg is in the rock's area-beside.

Note that in standard Klingon, the way to say something like in front of me jIH tlhopDaq and behind you is SoH 'emDaq. Later you will learn possessive suffixes (like my and your), but they are not used with these area nouns.