The grammar of the Klingon language was created by Marc Okrand for the Star Trek franchise.
The Klingon language has a number of unusual grammatical features, as it was designed to sound and seem alien, but it has an extremely regular morphology.
[3] DoʼfortunatelyDujship-+DaqLOCghoqwIʼspySamfindlaʼcommanderDoʼ Duj - Daq ghoqwIʼ Sam laʼfortunately ship + LOC spy find commanderFortunately, the commander found the spy aboard the shipSentences can be treated as objects, and the word ʼeʼ is placed after the sentence.
vengcity-+HomDIM-+meyPL-+qoqDUB-+chajtheir-+DaqLOCveng - Hom - mey - qoq - chaj - Daqcity + DIM + PL + DUB + their + LOCin their so-called villagesThis type has three suffixes: ghomgroup→ ghomʼaʼcrowdghom → ghomʼaʼgroup {} crowdyuQplanet→ yuQHomplanetoidyuQ → yuQHomplanet {} planetoidvavfather→ vavoydaddyvav → vavoyfather {} daddyghubaby→ ghuʼoydear babyghu → ghuʼoybaby {} {dear baby}This type of suffix forms plurals.
qetwIʼrunner→ qetwIʼpuʼrunnersqetwIʼ → qetwIʼpuʼrunner {} runnersghophand→ ghopDuʼhandsghop → ghopDuʼhand {} handsquSchair→ quSmeychairsquS → quSmeychair {} chairsghotperson→ ghotmeypeople all over the placeghot → ghotmeyperson {} {people all over the place}A noun does not require a plural suffix if a pronoun, pronominal prefix, or context serves to indicate that it is plural,[10] or if it is being used in conjunction with a number.
There are three suffixes: QaHthe help→ QaHqoqthe so-called helpQaH → QaHqoq{the help} {} {the so-called help}choHchange→ choHHeyapparent changechoH → choHHeychange {} {apparent change}jupfriend→ jupnaʼtrue friendjup → jupnaʼfriend {} {true friend}This type of suffix indicates possession or specifies which object is referred to.
There are ten possession suffixes, indicating who is the possessor of the object, which may be a person.
For first- and second-person possessors, there are different forms depending on whether the "object" is a being capable of using language.
There are also two determiner suffixes:[14] Examples: navpaper→ navwIjmy papernav → navwIjpaper {} {my paper}qeSwIʼpuʼadvisors→ qeSwIʼpuʼlIʼyour advisorsqeSwIʼpuʼ → qeSwIʼpuʼlIʼadvisors {} {your advisors}Sojfood→ Sojvamthis foodSoj → Sojvamfood {} {this food}This type of suffix serves a syntactic role in the sentence.
juHmajour home→ juHmajDaqin our homejuHmaj → juHmajDaq{our home} {} {in our home}qojcliff→ qojvoʼaway from the cliffqoj → qojvoʼcliff {} {away from the cliff}ghuʼsituation→ ghuʼmoʼbecause of the situationghuʼ → ghuʼmoʼsituation {} {because of the situation}jeʼwIʼbuyer→ jeʼwIʼvaDto/for the buyerjeʼwIʼ → jeʼwIʼvaDbuyer {} {to/for the buyer}Klingon verbs mark for aspect but not for tense, which is indicated where necessary by context and by time adverbs.
[18] The presentation of the verb stem as an infinitive in this article's example sentences is just to show the individual morphemes.
* Expressed with the type-5 verb suffix -luʼPrefixes must be present even if the nouns or pronouns they reference are declared explicitly.
[20] Examples: Qongsleep→ jIQongI sleepQong → jIQongsleep {} {I sleep}nobgive→ DunuQIt annoys younob → DunuQgive {} {It annoys you}laDread→ yIlaDRead itlaD → yIlaDread {} {Read it}This type of suffix forms reflexive verbs.
chojaʼYou tell me→ chojaʼnISYou need to tell mechojaʼ → chojaʼnIS{You tell me} {} {You need to tell me}lungevThey sell it→ lungevqangThey are willing to sell itlungev → lungevqang{They sell it} {} {They are willing to sell it}ghuʼ pojHe/She analyzes the situation→ ghuʼ pojrupHe/She is ready to analyze the situation{ghuʼ poj} → {ghuʼ pojrup}{He/She analyzes the situation} {} {He/She is ready to analyze the situation}ghoghlIj qonIt records your voice→ ghoghlIj qonbeHIt is ready to record your voice{ghoghlIj qon} → {ghoghlIj qonbeH}{It records your voice} {} {It is ready to record your voice}bImejYou leave→ bImejvIpYou are afraid to leavebImej → bImejvIp{You leave} {} {You are afraid to leave}This type of suffix describes the action of the verb.
yItHe/she/it walks→ yItchoHHe/she/it starts walkingyIt → yItchoH{He/she/it walks} {} {He/she/it starts walking}DoqIt is red→ DoqchoHIt becomes redDoq → DoqchoH{It is red} {} {It becomes red}yIQongSleep!→ yIQongqaʼGo back to sleep!yIQong → yIQongqaʼSleep!
[24] Examples: muchpresentationbejwatch-+luʼINDF SBJmuch bej - luʼpresentation watch + {INDF SBJ}the presentation is watched, someone watches the presentation [Note 1]vII-it-+tlhaʼchase-+luʼINDF SBJvI - tlhaʼ - luʼI-it + chase + {INDF SBJ}I am chased, someone chases mevII-it-+bomsing-+laHable tovI - bom - laHI-it + sing + {able to}I can sing itThis type indicates the speaker's opinion of the action of the verb.
qaSIt occurs→ qaSpuʼIt has occurredqaS → qaSpuʼ{It occurs} {} {It has occurred}vIghorI break it→ vIghorpuʼI have broken itvIghor → vIghorpuʼ{I break it} {} {I have broken it}Qu' QIjShe explains the mission→ Qu' QIjtaʼShe has explained the mission{Qu' QIj} → {Qu' QIjtaʼ}{She explains the mission} {} {She has explained the mission}vIghorI break it→ vIghortaʼI have broken it (on purpose)vIghor → vIghortaʼ{I break it} {} {I have broken it (on purpose)}jItlhuHI breathe→ jItlhuHtaHI keep breathingjItlhuH → jItlhuHtaH{I breathe} {} {I keep breathing}megh vIvutI prepare lunch→ megh vIvutlIʼI am preparing lunch{megh vIvut} → {megh vIvutlIʼ}{I prepare lunch} {} {I am preparing lunch}The perfective aspect can also be indicated by the use of the verb form rIntaH after the main verb.
[32] Time Cause and effect (Relative and purpose clauses) This type of suffix is known as a lengwIʼ in Klingon, which is translated as rover (leng wander + wIʼ).
wInaDWe praise it→ wInaDbeʼWe do not praise itwInaD → wInaDbeʼ{We praise it} {} {We do not praise it}boʼollaHYou are able to verify it→ boʼollaHbeʼYou are not able to verify itboʼollaH → boʼollaHbeʼ{You are able to verify it} {} {You are not able to verify it}yIQIpBe stupid→ yIQIpQoʼdon't be stupidyIQIp → yIQIpQoʼ{Be stupid} {} {don't be stupid}vIlonI abandon it→ vIlonQoʼI refuse to abandon itvIlon → vIlonQoʼ{I abandon it} {} {I refuse to abandon it}narghqangHe is willing to escape→ narghqangquʼHe is really willing to escapenarghqang → narghqangquʼ{He is willing to escape} {} {He is really willing to escape}yIchuʼActivate it→ yIchuʼHaʼDe-activate ityIchuʼ → yIchuʼHaʼ{Activate it} {} {De-activate it}boloʼyou (plural) use it→ boloʼHaʼyou (pl.)
misuse it}bIQuchYou are happy→ bIQuchHaʼYou are unhappybIQuch → bIQuchHaʼ{You are happy} {} {You are unhappy}The position of the rover suffixes affects the meaning of the word.
A third-person subject that is not a pronoun must go after the pronoun-verb and carry the type-5 noun suffix -ʼeʼ[37] Examples: Klingon does not have adjectives as a distinct part of speech.
Instead, many intransitive verbs can be used as adjectives, in which case they follow the noun they modify.
[41] wa'leStomorrowghaytanlikelynuthey-us-+jatlhspeakwa'leS ghaytan nu - jatlhtomorrow likely they-us + speakThey will probably speak to us tomorrow.Adverbs can take the rover suffix -Haʼ to denote the opposite adverbial.
[44] chuSto be noisySajpetngevsell-+boghRELghotperson-+-ʼeʼFOCchuS Saj ngev - bogh ghot - -ʼeʼ{to be noisy} pet sell + REL person + FOCThe person who sells the pet is noisychuSbe noisySajpet++-ʼeʼFOCngevsell- boghRELghotpersonchuS Saj + -ʼeʼ ngev - bogh ghot{be noisy} pet + FOC sell {} REL personThe pet which the person sells is noisySince there is already a type-5 noun suffix marking the head noun, nothing other than the subject or the object can be marked as head noun.
[44] juyou-us-+mersurprise-+meH,purposebIyou-+Soʼhide-+ʼeghselfju - mer - meH, bI - Soʼ - ʼeghyou-us + surprise + purpose you + hide + selfYou hid yourself in order to surprise us.QaQbe goodvII-it-+Dubimprove-+meHpurposeqechidea-+lIjyourQaQ vI - Dub - meH qech - lIj{be good} I-it + improve + purpose idea + yourYour idea on how I should improve it is good/Your idea for improving it is good.
However, many (but not all) of the comparatives have unusual word orders that don't parse as regular Klingon sentences.
this-building new many – home-your new few)qIDvetlhthat joketlhaQbe funnylaw' Hoch tlhaQbe funnypuS.
For example, chorghmaH eighty is a combination of the word chorgh eight and the number forming suffix -maH ten.