Nahuatl Language Learning

Explore Nahuatl (Nahuatlahtolli), the beautiful Uto-Aztecan language of Central Mexico, spoken by over 1.7 million Nahua peoples and the language of the ancient Aztec Empire.

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Essential Vocabulary

Common Phrases

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Grammar Basics

Word Order

Nahuatl has flexible word order, but Verb-Subject-Object (VSO) is common. The verb often comes first.

Example: Quicua in tlacatl in tlaxcalli.
Eats the person the tortilla
"The person eats the tortilla."

Pronouns

Personal pronouns in Nahuatl:

nēhuātl - I
tēhuātl - you
yēhuātl - he, she, it
tēhuāntin - we
amēhuāntin - you (plural)
yēhuāntin - they

Verb Conjugation

Nahuatl verbs are conjugated with prefixes and suffixes. Here's the verb "cua" (to eat):

nicua - I eat
ticua - you eat
cua - he/she eats
ticuah - we eat
ancuah - you (plural) eat
cuah - they eat

Agglutination

Nahuatl is highly agglutinative, meaning many word elements can be combined:

nictlazohtla - I love something
ni-c-tlazohtla (I-it-love)

nimitztlazohtla - I love you
ni-mitz-tlazohtla (I-you-love)

Nahuatl Writing System

Modern Nahuatl uses the Latin alphabet. Here are the main sounds and letters:

Letter
Sound
Description
Example