Diné bizaad
Navajo
Na-Dené (Athabaskan, Southern)
Also known as: Navajo, Diné, Dine
Navajo (Diné Bizaad) is a Southern Athabaskan language spoken across the Navajo Nation in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah and by Diné communities elsewhere. It is one of the most widely spoken Indigenous languages in the United States, but intergenerational transmission has declined, prompting immersion schools, family programs, teacher training, and other revitalization work. In December 2024 the Navajo Nation designated Diné Bizaad its official language, followed by a 2025 executive order for implementation in government. Its Latin-based orthography marks vowel length, nasalization, high tone, and the glottal stop; the language also has low tone, aspirated and ejective consonants, and highly complex verb-centered morphology. During World War II, Navajo Marines developed a specialized military code based on the language for Pacific communications: Navajo itself was not simply a code.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Navajo
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Na-Dené (Athabaskan, Southern)
| Meaning | Navajo | Western Apache | Hupa | Koyukon | Arapaho | Kiowa | Nez Perce |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | tó /tʰó/ | tu /tu/ | taʼna:n /taʔnaːn/ | too /toː/ | nec /netʃ/ | thǫ́ /tʰṍ/ | kúus /kúːs/ |
| Fire | kǫʼ /kʰõ̀ʔ/ | kǫʼ /kṍʔ/ | xoŋʼ /xoŋʔ/ | kkonʼ /kːonʔ/ | hisítee /hisíteː/ | phí: /pʰíː/ | ʼáala /ʔáːla/ |
| Sun | jóhonaaʼéí /tʃóhònàːʔéí/ | shándaʼá /ʃándaːʔá/ | wha /hʷa/ | so /so/ | hiisíis /hiːsíis/ | pái /pái/ | híisemtuks /híːsemtuks/ |
| Moon | tłʼéhonaaʼéí /tɬʼéhònɑ̀ːʔéí/ | tłʼéʼgonaʼáí /tɬʼéʔɡonaʔáí/ | hwa-ʼaŋʼ /hwaʔɑŋʔ/ | dołtʼolee /doɬtʼoliː/ | biikóusíis /biːkóusíis/ | pʼɔ́: /pʼɔ́ː/ | cikʼetpemeyéeye híisemtuks /tsikʼetpemejéːje híːsemtuks/ |
| Star | sǫʼ /sõ̀ʔ/ | sǫʼs /sṍʔs/ | tsingʼ /tsiŋʔ/ | tłoonʼ /tɬoːnʔ/ | hó3oʼ /hóθoʔ/ | tą́: /tã́ː/ | x̣icíyu /χitsíju/ |
| Night | tłʼééʼ /tɬʼéːʔ/ | tłʼéʼ /tɬʼéʔ/ | xiłeʼ /xiɬeʔ/ | łida /ɬida/ | téceʼ /tétʃeʔ/ | gį́dè:gyà /ɡĩ́dèːɡjà/ | cikʼéetin /tsikʼéːtin/ |
| Rain | níłtsą́ /níɬtsã́/ | — | — | konh /konh/ | hoosóo /hoːsóː/ | sép /sép/ | — |
| Snow | yas /jɑ̀s/ | zas /zas/ | nundil /nʊndɪl/ | tseetl /tsʰiːtɬʰ/ | híií /híːi/ | tʼól /tʼól/ | méeqeʼ /méːqeʔ/ |
| Wind | níyol /níjol/ | níłchʼi /níɬtʃʼi/ | — | — | heséisen /heséisen/ | gómgyá /ɡómɡjá/ | háatya /háːtja/ |
| Earth | łeezh /ɬeːʒ/ | niʼ /niʔ/ | ninʼ /nɪnʔ/ | ninʼ /nɪnʔ/ | biitoʼowuʼ /biːtoʔowuʔ/ | dɔ́m /dɔ́m/ | wéetes /wéːtes/ |
| Stone | tsé /tsʰé/ | tsé /tsʰé/ | — | laʼona /laʔona/ | hohʼonóókee /hohʔonóːkeː/ | — | píswe /píswe/ |
| Mountain | dził /tsìɬ/ | dził /tsiɬ/ | — | — | hóheʼ /hóheʔ/ | kʼóp /kʼóp/ | méex̣sem /méːχsem/ |
| Sea | tónteel /tʰóntʰèːl/ | túnteel /túnteːl/ | — | — | héetéc /héːtétʃ/ | — | ʼeteyéekuus /ʔetejéːkuːs/ |
| Mother | shimá /ʃimá/ | shimá /ʃimá/ | -anʼ /-anʔ/ | eenaa /iːnaː/ | néinoo /néinoː/ | tsɔ́: /tsɔ́ː/ | píke /píke/ |
| Father | shizhéʼé /ʃiʒéʔé/ | shitaa /ʃitaː/ | -taʼ /-taʔ/ | eetaa /iːtaː/ | neisónoo /neisónoː/ | tɔ́l /tɔ́l/ | píst /píst/ |
| Daughter | shichʼéʼé /ʃitʃʼéʔé/ | shitsiʼ /ʃitsiʔ/ | -tse:ʼ /-tseːʔ/ | — | notóóneh /notóːneh/ | — | páhap /páhap/ |
| I | shí /ʃí/ | shíí /ʃíː/ | whe /hʷe/ | see /siː/ | nenééninoo /nenéːninoː/ | nɔ́ /nɔ́/ | ʼíin /ʔíːn/ |
| You | ni /ni/ | ni /ní/ | niŋ /nɪŋ/ | nee /niː/ | nenéénin /nenéːnin/ | ám /ám/ | ʼíim /ʔíːm/ |
| We | nihí /nihí/ | nohwí /nohwí/ | nehe /nehe/ | — /—/ | nenéénínoʼ / nenééníniʼ /nenéːnínoʔ / nenéːníniʔ/ | nɔ́ /nɔ́/ | kíye / núun /kíje / núːn/ |
| Name | ázhiʼ /ʔáʒìʔ/ | -zhiʼ /ʒìʔ/ | -ooziʼ /oːzɪʔ/ | oos /oːs/ | -íisiʼ /íːsiʔ/ | khɔ̨́:gyà /kʰɔ̃́ːɡjà/ | weʼníikt /weʔníːkt/ |
| Person | diné /tìné/ | nnee /nːeː/ | kʼiwinyaʼa:n /kʲʼiwinjaʔaːn/ | dinaa /dinaː/ | hinenítee /hineníteː/ | — | titóoqan /titóːqan/ |
| Head | atsiitsʼiin /atsiːtsʼiːn/ | bitsitsʼin /bitsitsʼin/ | — | -tłeeʼ /tɬiːʔ/ | hóókuhúʼee /hóːkuhúʔeː/ | — | húusus /húːsus/ |
| Eye | anááʼ /ʔanáːʔ/ | bidáá /bidáː/ | -na:ʼ /-nɑːʔ/ | -noghaʼ /noɣaʔ/ | besíiseʼ /besíiseʔ/ | tá:dè /táːdè/ | sílu /sílu/ |
| Ear | jaaʼ /tʃaːʔ/ | shijaaʼ /ʃidʒaːʔ/ | -chiwʼ /-tʃiwʔ/ | — | wónotónoʼ /wónotónoʔ/ | tʼɔ́:dé /tʼɔ́ːdé/ | macʼáyo /matsʼájo/ |
| Nose | áchįįh /átʃĩːh/ | bichį́h /bitʃĩ́h/ | — | — | béʼis /béʔis/ | mɔ̀:kʼɔ̀n /mɔ̀ːkʼɔ̀n/ | núusnu /núːsnu/ |
| Mouth | azééʼ /àzéːʔ/ | bizéʼ /bizéʔ/ | -daʼ /-daʔ/ | — | bétii /bétiː/ | — | hímʼ /hímʔ/ |
| Tooth | awooʼ /awoːʔ/ | ghoʼ /ɣoʔ/ | woʼ /woʔ/ | aghoʼ /axoʔ/ | béíci3 /béítʃiθ/ | zǫ́: /zṍː/ | tít /tít/ |
| Tongue | atsooʼ /atsoːʔ/ | atsooʼ /ʔatsoːʔ/ | sastan /sastan/ | łolaʼ /ɬolaʔ/ | bei3ón /beiθón/ | dén /dén/ | péews /péːws/ |
| Hand | álaʼ /ʔálaʔ/ | bigan /biɡan/ | -laʼ /-laʔ/ | -loʼ /loʔ/ | béecét /béetʃét/ | mɔ́n /mɔ́n/ | ʼípsus /ʔípsus/ |
| Foot | akeeʼ /ʔàkʰèːʔ/ | shikee /ʃikeː/ | -xeʼ /-xeʔ/ | -kkaaʼ /kːaːʔ/ | wóʼoo3 /wóʔoːθ/ | ɔ̀nsôi /ɔ̀nsôi/ | ʼéx̣we /ʔéχwe/ |
| Heart | ajéí /ʔɑ̀tʃéí/ | bijíí /bidʒíː/ | -piŋ /-piŋ/ | -dzaayaʼ /tsæːjəʔ/ | betéé /betéː/ | thén /tʰén/ | timʼíne /timʔíne/ |
| Bone | tsʼin /tsʼin/ | tsʼin /tsʼin/ | -tsʼinʼ /-tsʼinʔ/ | tlʼin /tɬʼin/ | hix /hix/ | thêm /tʰêm/ | píips /píːps/ |
| Blood | dił /tìɬ/ | dił /tiɬ/ | tse:lin /tseːlin/ | lakona /lakona/ | beʼ /beʔ/ | ôm /ôm/ | kikéʼt /kikéʔt/ |
| Poop | chąąʼ /tʃãːʔ/ | bichan /bitʃʰan/ | chwungʼ /tʃʷuŋʔ/ | — | bee /beː/ | — | cʼáyn /tsʼájn/ |
| Love | ayóóʼánóshní /ɑjóːʔɑ́nóʃníː/ | ayóigóʼíí /ʔajóiɣóʔíː/ | na-wh-ʼishtʼeʼn /nɑwʔɪʃtʼɛʔn/ | kʼoonejee /kʼooneʒeː/ | bixóó3etíit /bixóːθetíːt/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | tsin /tsin/ | tsin /tsin/ | kin /kɪn/ | kʼeyh /kʼejh/ | hohóót /hohóːt/ | á:dɔ̀ /áːdɔ̀/ | tewlíikt /tewlíːkt/ |
| Dog | łééchąąʼí /ɬéːtʃãːʔí/ | góshé /ɡóʃé/ | łingʼ /ɬiŋʔ/ | łeek /ɬeːk/ | hé3 /héθ/ | tségùn /tséɡùn/ | ciqʼáamqal /tsiqʼáːmqal/ |
| Cat | mósí /mósí/ | gídí /ɡídí/ | — /—/ | dotonh /dotonh/ | woʼóoo /woʔóoo/ | báò: /báòː/ | pícpic /pítspits/ |
| Fish | łóóʼ /ɬóːʔ/ | łóg /ɬóɡ/ | ło:qʼ /ɬoːqʼ/ | tookkʼa /toːkʼa/ | nowoʼ /nowoʔ/ | ɔ́:pį́ /ɔ́ːpĩ́/ | cúuyʼem /tsúːjʔem/ |
| Bird | tsídii /tsʰítìː/ | dlǫ́ʼ /dlṍʔ/ | — | — | niiʼéíhii /niːʔéíhiː/ | tʼę̀:né /tʼẽ̀ːné/ | payóopayo /pajóːpajo/ |
| Butterfly | kʼaalógii /kʼɑ̀ːlókìː/ | doolé /doːlé/ | — | — | níhʼootéibéíhii /níhʔoːtéibéíhiː/ | — | — |
| Egg | ayęęzhii /ajẽːʒiː/ | iyęęzh /ijẽːʒ/ | — | — | noon /noːn/ | tʼą́y /tʼã́j/ | táamʼam /táːmʔam/ |
| Bear | shash /ʃaʃ/ | shash /ʃaʃ/ | sa:tsʼ /saːtsʼ/ | sis /sis/ | wox /wox/ | ɔ̀nhá:dè /ɔ̀nháːdè/ | yáakaʼ /jáːkaʔ/ |
| Horse | łį́į́ʼ /ɬĩ́ːʔ/ | łį́į́ʼ /ɬĩːʔ/ | łingʼ /ɬiŋʔ/ | — | wóxhóox /wóxhóːx/ | — | síkʼem /síkʼem/ |
| House | hooghan /hoːɣɑn/ | kįh /kĩh/ | xontah /xontɑh/ | yah /jah/ | hoʼóowuʼ /hoʔóowuʔ/ | tó: /tóː/ | ʼiníit /ʔiníːt/ |
| Milk | abeʼ /àpèʔ/ | ibeʼ /ibeʔ/ | — | tlʼooʼ /tɬʼoːʔ/ | be3énec /beθénetʃ/ | — | qáhas /qáhas/ |
| Honey | tsísʼná bitłʼizh /tsʰísʔnɑ́ pìtɬʼìʒ/ | gosnih /ɡosnih/ | — | — | koohóʼokuukóúhuyooʼ /koːhóʔokuːkóúhujoːʔ/ | — | — |
| Salt | áshįįh /ʔáʃĩːh/ | ishįįh /ʔiʃĩːh/ | łehqʼonchʼ /ɬehqʼontʃʼ/ | sol /sol/ | niicooʼowuʼ /niːtʃoːʔowuʔ/ | — | kéetwenʼes /kéːtwenʔes/ |
| Wine | wáán /wɑ́ːn/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rice | alóós /alóːs/ | — | — | — | hiʼíisóó /hiʔíisóː/ | — | seheywéekuʼs /sehejwéːkuʔs/ |
| Iron | béésh /péːʃ/ | bésh /béʃ/ | — | — | béiʼcí3eʼ /béiʔtʃíθeʔ/ | — | — |
| Wheel | bąąs /pãːs/ | — | — | — | hotíí /hotíː/ | — | weyelikilíikt /wejelikilíːkt/ |
| Book | naaltsoos /nɑːltsoːs/ | nałtsoos /naɬtsoːs/ | — | — | wo3onohóe /woθonohóe/ | — | tíimʼes /tíːmʔes/ |
| Eat | yishą́ /jiʃã́/ | yiyąą /jijãː/ | na-ya:n /nɑjɑːn/ | kʼahonh /kʼahonh/ | bii3íhi /biːθíhi/ | pɔ́ttɔ̀ /pɔ́ttɔ̀/ | hipíse /hipíse/ |
| Drink | yishdlą́ /jiʃtɬã́/ | yidlą /jidlã́ʔ/ | na-ʼa:n /nɑʔɑːn/ | kʼisinoonh /kʼisinoːnh/ | bénee /bénéː/ | thónmɔ̀ /tʰónmɔ̀/ | ʼinéekuuse /ʔinéːkuːse/ |
| Sleep | ałhosh /aɬhoʃ/ | iłhosh /iɬhoʃ/ | — | — | nókohú /nókohú/ | — | — |
| One | tʼááłáʼí /tʼɑ́ːɬɑ́ʔí/ | dáłaʼá /dáɬaʔá/ | łaʼ /ɬaʔ/ | kʼeetakkʼee /kʼiːtakʼiː/ | ceeséeʼ /tʃeːséːʔ/ | pá: /páː/ | náaqc /náːqts/ |
| Two | naaki /nɑːki/ | naki /naki/ | nahx /naːx/ | niteekkʼee /nitiːkʼiː/ | niis /niːs/ | yí: /jíː/ | lepít /lepít/ |
| Three | tááʼ /tʰáːʔ/ | táági /táːɡi/ | ta:qʼ /taːqʼ/ | tokkʼee /tokʼiː/ | nééso /néːso/ | phą́:ò /pʰã́ːò/ | mitáat /mitáːt/ |
| Four | dį́įʼ /tĩ́ːʔ/ | dįįʼ /dĩːʔ/ | dinkʼ /dinkʼ/ | — | yein /jein/ | yí:kyá /jíːkjá/ | píilept /píːlept/ |
| Five | ashdlaʼ /aʃtɬaʔ/ | ashdlaʼ /aʃtɬaʔ/ | chwolaʼ /tʃʷolaʔ/ | — | yoo3on /joːθon/ | ɔ́ntʼɔ̀ /ɔ́ntʼɔ̀/ | páax̣at /páːχat/ |
| Hundred | neeznádiin /neːznáːtiːn/ | gonenadín /ɡonenadín/ | łaʼ-dikin /ɬaʔdikʲin/ | — | béteetósooʼ /béteːtósoːʔ/ | — | puuteʼéptit /puːteʔéptit/ |
| Hello | yáʼátʼééh /jɑ́ʔɑ́tʼéːh/ | dagotʼee /daɡotʼeː/ | tsʼehdiyaʼ /tsʼɛhdɪjaʔ/ | — /—/ | héébe /héːbe/ | wé: /wéː/ | ʼehé /ʔehé/ |
| Thank you | ahéheeʼ /ʔɑ̀héhèːʔ/ | ahíyiʼé /ʔahíjiʔé/ | na:nehs-ʼe:n /nɑːnɛhsʔɛːn/ | baaseeʼ /baːseːʔ/ | hohóu /hohóu/ | àhô /àhô/ | qeʼciyéwʼyewʼ /qeʔtsijéwʔjewʔ/ |
| Good | yáʼátʼééh /jɑ́ʔɑ́tʼéːh/ | nzhǫǫ /nʒõː/ | niwhoŋ /nɪwhoŋ/ | nizoonh /nizoːnh/ | hi3éíhi /hiθéíhi/ | tʼá:gyà /tʼáːɡjà/ | táʼc /táʔts/ |
| New | ániid /ániːt/ | áníidé /áníːdé/ | — | — | wooyóó /woːjóː/ | — | kímti /kímti/ |
| Red | łichííʼ /ɬitʃʰíːʔ/ | łichíí /ɬitʃʰíː/ | łitsʼ /ɬitsʼ/ | nełtseeyh /neɬtseːjh/ | beeʼee /beːʔeː/ | gúl /ɡúl/ | ʼilpʼílp /ʔilpʼílp/ |
| White | łigai /ɬìkɑ̀ì/ | łigai /ɬiɡai/ | łiqay /ɬɪqɑj/ | — | noocóó /noːtʃóː/ | — | x̣ayx̣áyx̣ /χajχájχ/ |
| Black | łizhin /ɬìʒìn/ | diłhił /diɬhiɬ/ | — | — | woʼóteeyóó /woʔóteːjóː/ | — | cimúuxcimux /tsimúːxtsimux/ |
| Green | dootłʼizh /tòːtɬʼìʒ/ | dotłʼizh /dotɬʼiʒ/ | łitsow /ɬitsow/ | — | cenéeteeyóó /tʃenéːteːjóː/ | — | palóot /palóːt/ |
| Blue | dootłʼizh /tòːtɬʼìʒ/ | dotłʼizh /dotɬʼiʒ/ | — | — | cenéeteeyóó /tʃenéːteːjóː/ | — | yoosyóos /joːsjóːs/ |
| Cuckoo | — /—/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Computer | béésh nitsékeesí /péːʃ nìtsékèːsí/ | bésh eʼléhí /béʃ eʔléhí/ | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tea | dééh /téːh/ | — | — | — | biiciixo /biːtʃiːxo/ | — | písqu /písqu/ |
| Coffee | gohwééh /kohʷéːh/ | tudiłhiłi /tutiɬhiɬi/ | — | — | wooʼteenoowuʼ /woːʔteːnoːwuʔ/ | — | lálx /lálx/ |
| Sugar | áshįįh łikan /ʔáʃĩːh ɬikɑn/ | — | — | — | niisiscooʼ /niːsistʃoːʔ/ | — | tahaywáakoʼs /tahajwáːkoʔs/ |
| Orange | chʼil łitsxooí /tʃʼil ɬitsʰxoːí/ | — | — | — | — | — | mímqas /mímqas/ |
| Ninety-nine | náhástʼédiindóó baʼaan náhástʼéí /náhástʼétiːntóː paʔaːn náhástʼéí/ | ngostʼádin ngostʼáí /ŋɡostʼádin ŋɡostʼáí/ | — | — | — | — | — |
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