Answer Key for Lecsyony Gai (5)

Tarea Teiby xte Lecsyony Gai. (§5.1) For this tarea (exercise) translate the following sentences into English.

a. Rzhuny cabai.

The horse runs.

b. Rbany mniny.

The child wakes up.

c. Rduax becw.

The dog barks.

d. Rzhuny Gyeily.

Miguel runs.

e. Rtyis mna.

The woman jumps.

f. Rbany Lia Len.

Elena wakes up.

g. Rtyis becw.

The dog jumps.

h. Rdieby nyis.

The water boils.

Tarea Tyop xte Lecsyony Gai. (§5.1)

Part Teiby. As you read the Zapotec sentences below you will notice that they don’t make much sense! Fix each sentence by changing either the subject or the verb. Practice saying each new sentence aloud, and then tell what it means in English.

Answers will vary. Here are some possible answers.

a. Rduax mes.

Rduax becw.  “The dog barks.” or Mes rzhuny.   “The teacher runs.”

b. Rdieby muly.

Rdieby nyis. “The water boils.”

c. Rbany plum.

Rbany mniny.  “The child wakes up.”

d. Rtyis nyis.

Rtyis cabai.  “The horse jumps.”

e. Rzhuny guet.

Rzhuny zhyap. “The girl runs”

Part Tyop. Make up five new Zapotec sentences using words that you’ve learned, following the basic sentence pattern given above. Then translate each sentence into English. Practice reading each sentence out loud.

Answers will vary.  Here are some possible answers.

Rcyetlaz zhyap. “The girl is happy.” Or Rzhuny becw.  “The dog runs.”

Tarea Chon xte Lecsyony Gai. (§5.2)

Part Teiby. Underline the verbs and circle the nouns in the following sentences in Zapotec, then translate them into English.

a. Rzhuny (becw).

“The dog runs.”

b. Rbany (cabai). 

“The horse wakes up.”

c. Rdieby (nyis)

“The water boils.”

d. Rzhuny (banua)

“The scorpion runs.”

e. Rcyetlaz (Lia Len)

“Elena is happy.”

e. Rtyis (buny)

“The man jumps.”

Part Tyop. Answer the following English questions in Zapotec, using a complete sentence. Then translate your answers into English. (Remember that answers to “what” and “who” questions usually use focus. You should underline the focused nouns in English translations of Zapotec focus sentences, just as in the translations above.)

a. What barks?

Becw rduax.  “The dog barks.”

b. Who jumps?

Mniny rtyis.  “The child jumps.”

c. Who wakes up?

Mna rbany.  “The woman wakes up.”

d. What boils?

Nyis rdieby.  “The water boils.”

e. Who runs?

Cabai rzhuny.  “The horse runs.”

Part Chon. Write the following Zapotec sentences using a different word order. Give translations for both the original and new sentences that show how they differ in meaning.Read your new sentences aloud.

a. Rbany zhyap. “The girl wakes up.”

Zhyap rbany. “The girl wakes up.”

b. Mniny rzhuny. “The boy runs.”

Rzhuny mniny. “The boy runs.”

c. Rtyis Bed. “Pedro jumps.”

Bed rtyis. “Pedro jumps.”

Tarea Tap xte Lecsyony Gai. (§5.3)

Part Teiby. Practice saying “this” and “that”.  Below is a list of noun phrases that use “this” and “that”.  First translate them into Zapotec.  Then, working with a partner, pick a noun phrase and say it out loud to your partner.   You partner should be able to tell which noun phrase you are saying!   After you’ve done a few, switch roles.

a. this dog

becw re

b. that dog

becw re

c. this horse

cabai re

d. that horse

cabai re

e. this teacher

mes re

f. that teacher

mes re

g. this pen

plum re

h. that pen

plum re

i. this book

liebr re

j. that book

liebr re

Part Tyop. Translate the following sentences into Zapotec. Remember to focus the “this” and “that” phrase subjects. When you’re done, practice reading your sentences aloud to another class member. Make sure he or she can tell whether you’re saying “this” or “that”.

a. This water boils.

Nyis re rdieby.

b. That girl is happy.

Zhyap re rcyetlaz.

c. This boy runs.

Mniny re rzhuny.

d. That woman wakes up.

Mna re rbany.

e. This dog jumps.

Becw re rtyis.

Tarea Gai xte Lecsyony Gai (§5.4)

Part Teiby.  Make up a sensible Zapotec sentence from the words in each of the following sets. Translate your sentences into English. (There may be more than one possible answer.)

Answers will vary.  Here are some possible answers.

a. banua — mna — rguad

Rguad banua mna.  “The scorpion stings the woman.”

b. rnaz — bel — buny

Rnaz Buny bel.  “The person grabs the snake.”

c. doctor — rsudieby — nyis

Rsudieby doctor nyis.  “The doctor boils the water.”

d. manyser — rguad — zhyap

Rguad manyser zhyap.  “The bee stings the girl.”

e. rcwany — zhyap — becw

Rcwany zhyap becw.  “The girl wakes up the dog.”

Part Tyop.  Write a sentence to describe each of the following pictures.

Answers will vary.  Here are some possible answers.

a.

Rsudieby mna nyis.

b.

Rzhuny buny.

c.

Rtyis zhap.

Tarea Xop xte Lecsyony Gai. (§5.4) Are these sentences complete?  Read each of the following Zapotec sentences and decide if the sentence is complete or not.  Some of the sentences are complete and are good Zapotec sentence as is, but other sentences are missing objects.  If the sentence is complete, translate it into English.  IF the sentence is not complete, add an appropriate object, and then translate your sentence into English.

a. Rbany Bed.

Rbany Bed.  “Pedro wakes up.”

b. Rcwany mna.

Rcwany mna mniny.  “The woman wakes up the child.”

c. Rcyetlaz Lia Len.

Rcyetlaz Lia Len.  “Elena is happy.”

d. Rdeiby nyis.

Rdieby nyis. “The water boils.”

e. Rduax becw.

Rduax becw.  “The dog is barks.”

f. Rguad manyser.

Rguad manyser Jwany.  “The bee stings Juan.”

g. Rgyan doctor.

Rgyan doctor zhyet.  “The doctor feeds the cat.”

h. Rnaz mes.

Rnaz mes plum.  “The teacher grabs the pen.”

i. Rnudizh Gyeily.

Rnudizh Gyeily Lia Len.  “Miguel asks Elena a question”

j. Rsudieby buny.

Rsudieby buny nyis.  “The person boils the water.”

k. Rtyis mniny.

Rtyis mniny.  “The child jumps.”

Tarea Gaz xte Lecsyony Gai. (§5.5)

Part Teiby. Translate the following sentences into Zapotec. Remember to focus “this” and “that” noun phrase subjects, as well as any noun phrase that’s underlined in the English translation.

a. The bee stings that boy.

Rguad manyser mniny re.

b. This bee stings the boy.

Rguad manyser re mniny.

c. The bee stings the boy.

Mniny rguad manyser.

d. That woman wakes up.

Rbany mna re.

e. The woman wakes up.

Mna rbany.

f. The child feed this horse.

Rgyan mniny cabai re.

g. That child feeds the horse.

Rgyan mniny re cabai.

h. The child feeds the horse.

Mniny rgyan cabai.

Part Tyop. For each of the Zapotec sentences you created in Part Teiby, underline the verb and circle the subject. Circles are indicated with parentheses in the answer key.

a. Rguad (manyser) mniny re.

b. Rguad (manyser re) mniny.

c. Mniny rguad (manyser).

d. Rbany (mna re).

e. (Mna) rbany.

f. Rgyan (mniny) cabai re.

g. Rgyan (mniny re) cabai.

h. (Mniny) rgyan cabai.

Tarea Xon xte Lecsyony Gai. (§5.5)

Part Teiby. Read each of the sentences below. Underline the verb and circle the subject. (In some cases there might be more than one possibility.)

a. Rcwany (becw) mna.

b. Nyis re rsudieby (doctor).

c. (Manyser) rguad mniny.

d. (Mes) rnaz liebr.

e. (Buny) rcwany zhyap. OR Buny rcwany (zhyap).

f. (Doctor) rnudizh mna. OR Doctor rnudizh (mna).

g. Rgyan (mniny) becw.

h. Muly re rnaz (buny).

Part Tyop. Now translate each of these sentences into English. If more than one translation is possible, give all the translations that make sense. (Note that when you see the word re written, you can’t be sure whether it is “this” or “that”! If your teacher reads these sentences aloud for you, you’ll be able to tell which one he or she means. But otherwise, the written word could be pronounced either way.)

a. Rcwany becw mna.

The dog wakes up the woman.

b. Nyis re rsudieby doctor.

The doctor boils that water.

c. Manyser rguad mniny.

The bee stings the boy.

d. Mes rnaz liebr.

The teacher grabs the book.

e. Buny rcwany zhyap.

The girl wakes up the person.

f. Doctor rnudizh mna.

The woman asks the doctor a question.

g. Rgyan mniny becw.

The child feeds the dog.

h. Muly re rnaz buny.

The person grabs that money.

Tarea Ga xte Lecsyony Gai. (§5.6)

Part Teiby. Translate the following sentences into Zapotec. Remember, even though English can put the recipient object and the given object in different orders, only one order works in Zapotec “gives” sentences that start with the verb.

a. Elena gives the pen to the teacher.

Rdeidy Lia Len plum mes.

b. The woman gives Miguel the money.

Rdeidy mna muly Gyeily.

c. The person gives the teacher the book.

Rdeidy buny liebr mes.

d. The child gives Pedro the stick.

Rdeidy mniny gyag Bed.

e. The teacher gives the dog to the child.

Rdeidy mes becw mniny.

f. Miguel gives the money to the teacher.

Rdeidy Gyeily muly mes.

Part Tyop. Some of the sentences below are good Zapotec sentences, but some don’t make any sense! If the sentence makes sense, read it aloud and then translate it into English. If not, first correct the sentence by changing one or more words or the word order, and then read and translate it.

a. Bel rdeidy manyser guet.

Bed rdeidy Lia Len guet.  “Pedro gives the tortilla to Elena.”

b. Guet rdieby.

Nyis rdieby.  “The water boils.”

c. Rsudieby zhyap nyis.

“The girl boils the water.”

d. Rduax banua.

Rduax becw.  “The dog barks.”

e. Becw re rguad zhyap gyag.

“The girl pokes that dog with a stick.”

f. Rbany mniny mes.

Rcwany mniny mes.  “The child wakes up the teacher.”

g. Liebr re rdeidy mes Bed.

“The teacher gives that book to Pedro.”

h. Rgyan becw Lia Len.

Rgyan Lia Len becw.  “Elena feeds the dog.”

i. Rdeidy doctor nyis liebr.

Rdeidy doctor nyis Gyeily.  “The doctor gives water to Miguel.”

j. Banua re rguad Gyeily.

“This scorpion stings Miguel.”

Tarea Tsë xte Lecsyony Gai. (§5.7) Translate the following sentences into Zapotec, using uas. Practice reading each of your Zapotec sentences out loud.

a. The dog really runs.

Uas rzhuny becw.

b. The water really boils.

Uas rdieby nyis.

c. The horse really jumps.

Uas rtyis cabai.

d. The bee really stings the teacher.

Uas rguad manyser mes.

e. Pedro is very happy.

Uas rcyetlaz Bed.