This unit introduces type 6 verbal suffixes, which can be used to show how confident you are about the statement you are making, or how close to reality the verb is.

There are four of these: -law', -bej, -ba', -chu'

-law'

The verbal suffix -law' indicates some degree of doubt—It seems that…, I think that…, I suspect that…, Apparently….

For example, ghunglaw' puq means It seems that the child is hungry; I suspect that the child is hungry; the child is apparently hungry.

-bej

The verbal suffix -bej indicates a high degree of confidence. It can be translated as certainly, definitely, or undoubtedly.

-ba'

The verbal suffix -ba' indicates that something is obvious.

For example, nepba'taH qama' would mean the prisoner is obviously lying. (Note the order of the suffixes: the type 6 suffix -ba' obviously comes before the type 7 aspect suffix -taH -ing.)

-chu'

The verbal suffix -chu' can be translated as clearly, perfectly, or completely, depending on the sentence.

Note in this connection that the placement of the negative suffix -be' matters when there are multiple suffixes, as it acts on the one in front of it.

So qayajlaHbe'chu' (qa- I-you, yaj understand, -laH can, able, -be' not, -chu' completely) means something like I am completely unable to understand you, i.e. the -laHbe' not able state is perfect or complete.

On the other hand, qayajlaHchu'be' would mean something like I can understand you, but not perfectly, i.e. the -laH able state is -chu'be' not perfect.

These distinctions are sometimes a bit difficult to capture naturally in English.