Pasaykamuy! Welcome!

Quechua, like Mongolian and other Turkic languages, is an agglutinative language. The grammar of Quechua is built up of many suffixes that are usually attached to certain verb roots and nouns. Suffixes are essentially the building blocks for navigating information and direction in Quechua. You can also download the PDF of the Quechua suffix table at end of post.

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Culture Fact

The potatoes laying on the ground in the picture above are called chuño. These potatoes are left on the ground to cook overnight during chilly and sometimes sub zero temperatures. They are also left outside during the say to cook under the direct heat of the sun. The cooking practices of chuño are even said to predate the Inca empire.

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Now back to grammar, here are some of the most commonly used suffixes used in Quechua. And, remember that, once you combine suffixes to word roots, you will be speaking, reading, and writing in Quechua in no time.

Quechua Suffix Recipe:

-Manta	From	Qosqo llaqta-manta (From Cuzco)
-Pi	In (location)	Qosqo-pi llank’a-ni (I work in Cuzco)
-q/pa If ending in a vowel use –q If ending in a consonant use- pa	‘S (possession)	Noqa-q Qochay-mi (My lake) Ivan-pa Mochila-n (Ivan’s backpack)
-Kama	Until	Tupananchis-kama (See you later) Tuta-kama (See you tonight) Paqarin-kama (See you tomorrow)
-Ta	1) Object marker for direct and indirect object 2) Destination	1) Cuy-ta mihushani (I am eating guinea pig) 2) Qosqo-ta rishani (I am going to Cuzco)
-Man	To(wards)	Qosqo-man purishani. (I am walking towards Cuzco)
-pis/pas	And/also/too	Noqa-pis (Me too) Karru-pis avión-pis runa-kuna Qosqo-ta rinku. (You can go to Cuzo by car and by plane)
– Wan	With	Mamay-wan rimashani (I am talking with my mother)
-Rayku	Because of, due to, on behalf of	Machu Picchu rayku-n Qosqo-man hamurqani (I came to Cuzco because of Machu Picchu)
-Kuna	To make words plural	Runa-kuna (people) Cuy-kuna (Guinea pigs)
-Chu	Marks questions and negatives	Allillanchu (Hello, how are you?) Qan runasimi-ta rimanki-chu? (Can you speak Quechua?) Answer-> Ari, noqan runasimi-ta rimani. (Yes, I can speak Quechua) Manan, noqa runasimi-ta rimani-chu. (No, I can’t speak Quechua)
-Niq/neq	Near	Noqa Qosqo-neq-pi tiyashani yachashani ima. (I live and study near Cuzco)
-Paq	For	Pi-paq? (For who?) Pipaq chay pollera-ta rantiranki? (For whom was this skirt bought?) Answer-> Urpichay-paq pollera-ta rantirani. (I bought this skirt for my sweetheart/ my love.) Mamay-paq llank’ani (I work for my mother)
-May	Where	May-man? (to where?) May-man purishanki? (To where are you walking)
-Cha	Used to emphasize something “little.” It is used in the same context as words ending in –ito, ita, and –cito, -cita in Spanish.	Wasi= House (Casa) Wasicha- Little house (Casita) Erqe-cha= Little boy/child

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Phrases:

Maypi tiyanki? = Where do you live?

pi– in/ location (en in Spanish)

nki– (Qan- You) conjugation for the verb Tiyay= To live

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Imawan? = With what?

Ima= what? (Que?)

wan= with

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Noqapas allillanmi kashani = I am also doing well

pas= also (tambien)

ni= (I) Vern conjugation for Kashay= To be (estoy/ estar)

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Some Need to Know Nouns:

• Pachamama= Mother nature (Madre naturaleza)
• K’illu= Street (Calle)
• Mayu= River (rio)
• Llaqta= City/ village (Pueblo)
• Qhatu= Market (Mercado)
• Qocha/ Qocha mama= Lake (Lago)
• Yunka= jungle (Selva)
• Orqo= Mountain (Montaña)
• T’ika= Flower (flor)
• Wasi= House (Casa)
• Alqo= Dog (Perro)
• Khuntur= Condor
• Michi= Cat (Gato)
• Kawallu= Horse (Caballo)
• K’illa= Moon (La luna)
• Sara= Corn (Maiz)
• Khunpa= Friend (Amigo)
• Ukuku= Bear (El oso)
• Rit’i= Snow (Nieve)
• Ayllu= Family (Familia)
• Apu= Mountain God
• Layqa= Witch (Bruja)
• Quyllurkuna= Stars (La estrella)
• Phuyu= Cloud (Nube)

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PDF of Suffix Table:

Banner image taken by me at Saqsaywahuaman near Cuzco city in Perú.