This unit introduces you to the three type 3 noun suffixes -qoq, -Hey, -na', which indicate the speaker's attitude towards the noun, or how sure the speaker is that the noun is being used appropriately.

These are tricky to translate into natural English; sometimes, an adverb or verb may work better than an adjective.

-qoq

The suffix -qoq indicates that the noun is being used ironically or otherwise not with its literal meaning. So-called is usually a good translation. It's similar to the practice of using "finger quotes".

For example, if someone is asking a question "for a friend," the listener might inquire about jupqoqlI' your so-called friend or your "friend."

-Hey

The suffix -Hey indicates that the speaker is not sure what the object he is discussing is but suspects that it may be this noun.

For example, if the speaker sees a humanoid figure in the distance and thinks it might be a Ferengi, but isn't sure yet because he can't see clearly enough, he might say verenganHey vIlegh which might be translated as I see an apparent Ferengi, but perhaps a rewording to I see what might be a Ferengi, or I think I see a Ferengi, or I suspect that it's a Ferengi that I see might capture the sense of the Klingon sentence better.

-na'

The suffix -na', on the other hand, indicates that the speaker is sure that the word he/she is using is appropriate.

If, in the previous example, the humanoid comes close enough that the speaker can clearly discern their brow ridge and the shape of their ears and knows without a doubt that it is, indeed, a Ferengi, he may use the word verenganna' definitely a Ferengi, an undoubted Ferengi to describe him.