Bon, Bwa, Bye, Pa
Byé as a preverb…
Hau, byébidgén éwisneyen. Oh, come in and eat.
Wnago gi byéwisnet o shkenwé. Yesterday that young man came and ate.
Nemé’wgemgok égi byé ngemowat gi négmojek. The singers came and sang at the church.
Ébyé mokit o gises. The sun is coming up.
Hau byéjibteben émbwach’ewéshen. Oh, come sit down and visit with me.
Égi byé jibtebet o kwé égi mbwach’ewéshet wnago. That woman came and sat and visited me yesterday.
Byénkwéshkew o nnikan Yabwambish. Come and meet my friend, Luke Warmwater.
Byédon I mbop dopwenek. Bring the soup to the table.
Byéna o gdekwéyom gishpen ébyayen. Bring your wife if you come.
Ébyé bgembozet o nmeshomes. My grandfather is arriving by vehicle.
Pa – To go about…
Épandewébnayan ndo shkemot. I’m searching about for my purse.
Weswabek nwi pabmades kiwédnon. I will travel north day after tomorrow.
Odanek nwi zhyamen éwi pa bmoséygo ngoji. We will go to town to walk around somewhere.
Dawéwgemgwén éwi pa zgabyéngéyak ode gizhnawkwék. We will drive around to the stores this afternoon.
Zibik épa bmadgéwat gi gigabyék. Those boys are swimming around in the river.
Mbishkik épa giwséyan ngom. I will go about hunting at the marsh.
Shpemek épa bmiséwat gi kejkanéshiyek. The chickadees are flying about in the air.
Shpemsegok épa bmashiwat gi gnoyek. The eagles are soaring about somewhere above.
Mtegwakik épa zhyayak éwi pandewébneyak I mshkekiwen. We will go about in the forest searching around for medicine.
Jigbyék épazhyayan égdemojgéyan. I will go around on the shore fishing.
O gigyago épa bmenashkot o gigabé – That girl is chasing that boy about.
Bon – stop an action
Nwi madmo ébon yaknogéyen. I will pray that you will stop being sick.
Gégo bon madmoken. Don’t stop praying.
Ndépseni ma shna ébon wisneyan. I’m full so I will stop eating.
Gégpi ébon gméyamget. It has finally stopped raining.
Gaga she wi kchegmowen ébonzhitayak ézagjeséyak. It will soon rain hard so we will stop getting ready to go outside.
Nwi madmo éwi mishkwesyan ébon wdeméyan. I will pray for the strength to stop smoking.
Bégesh na ébon wdeméyan. I wish I could stop smoking.
Neshkamak gi penojék ébon nodagzewat. Get after those kids to stop making noise.
Gi bonimget wnago. It snowed yesterday. (Don’t confuse the preverb “bon” with “snowing!”)
Bwa – Prevent an action. Can’t, Won’t, Shouldn’t.
Wigéyzen ébwa jagzayen. Be careful so you don’t get burned.
Ngi bokkadéshen ébwa byé nimediyan. I broke my leg so I can’t come dance.
Dkobjegén o nemosh ébwa wébiwét o. Tie up that dog so he doesn’t run away.
Cho she zhonya ndetosin ma shna ébwa tadiyan. I don’t have any money so I can’t gamble.
Épich ngashknabagwé ébwa kigdoyan. I’m so thirsty I can’t talk.
Cho she bapkoyan ndetosin ébwa wzhetoyan gégo. I don’t have any material so I can’t make anything.
Ngi ngeto i déwé’genatek ébwa déwé’géyan pkonyak. I lost my drumstick so I can’t drum tonight.
Bégishek ngi mba ébwa wzhitayan wa je zhechkéyak pkonyak. I slept all day so I didn’t get ready for what we are going to do tonight.
Éshkadzet o nene ébwa nabanjigazot éniganit gi bémadsejek. That man is angry because he wasn’t chosen to lead the people.
Gishokwenéyen ébwa bigéjyen. Dress in warm clothes so you don’t get cold.
Cho she msén ndetosimen ébwa wjandaygo. We don’t have any wood so we can’t cook.
Mix it up…
Gi gimo pa bamadgéwat gi gigoyek ébwa gwdemogéyan weye. Those fish were sneakily swimming about so I didn’t catch any of them.
Égi byé kewabnojét o wéshgetkwé dbekok égi pa odankéyan. The young woman came and babysat last night so I could go about town.
Abdek ébon wdeméyék ébwa pené’éyék. It is necessary for you all to quit smoking to keep from getting a disease (cancer, emphysema, etc. pene’ewen is a serious illness).
Kyet nam she bwakawik gi gigoyek I ye I emijyan mteno gi pegdebewjek. Those fish are sure smart, that is why I eat only the dumb ones.
Neaseno 