(1) Aaniin niij-Anishinaabedog!

Hello my fellow Indians!

(2) (English name) indizhi-wiinigoo. (Indian Name) dash indizhinikaaz.

My given name is (name).  But my name is (Indian Name).  (This is a way to emphasize your Indian name.)

(3) Ajina-go niwii-tazhindaan i'iw gaa-izhiwebiziyaan aabiding.

Just for a little while, I want to talk about what happened to me one time.

 

aabiding = one time

bijiinaago = yesterday

iwedi gaa-pimiseg = last week

iwedi waa-pimiseg = next week (or ge-bimiseg)

o'ow bemiseg = this week

(Ajina-go niwii-tazhimaa nimaamaa.)

Just for a little while, I want to talk about my mom.

 

nibaabaa = my dad

indede = my dad

ninaabem = my husband

niwiiw = my wife

nibaadinem = my buddy

indikwezensim = my girlfriend

nigwiiwizensim = my boyfriend

(4) Iwedi gaa-pimiseg, nigii-ayaa imaa immersion program. Wicoie Nandagikendan Immersion Project izhinikaade.

Last week, I was at the immersion program. It's called the Wicoie Nandagikendan Immesion Project.

 

(5) Gii-pi-dagoshinaan imaa, ingoding-go nigii-pi-naazikaag bezhig ingiw indabinoojiiminaanig gaa-izhid, "Awanigaabaw, I'm hungry.".

When I got there, pretty soon one of our (pre-school) children came up to me and then told me, "Awanigaabaw, I'm hungry."

 

(6) Mii dash gaa-inag a'aw ikwezens, "Gego ikidoken I'm hungry. Nibakade ikidon."

And then I told that little girl, "Don't say I'm hungry, say nibakade."

(7) Mii dash gaabige gaa-izhid, "Nimakade".

And then immediately she told me, "I'm black."

 

(8) Gaa-izhi-ginigaapiyaan bangii, gii-inag, "Gaawiin gimakadewizisiin. Gibakade gosha!"

Then I chuckled a little bit and told her, "You're not black. You're hungry!"

(9) Mii sa go minik!

That's all!

Ahaw, mii iw!

Okay, that's it!

Miigwech bizindawiyeg.

Thank (all of) you for listening to me.

Mii imaa wenji-ikidoyaan, "Giishpin ojibwemotawaasiwangwaa gidabinoojiiminaanig, gaawiin da-ojibwemosiiwag."

That why I say, "If we don't speak Ojibwe to our kids, they won't speak Ojibwe.'

Simple Past Tense

Nigii-wiisin. Or Ingii-wiisin. 'I ate.'

Gii-wiisini. 'S/he ate.'

Nigii-mikwendaan. 'I remembered it.'

Ogii-mikwendaan. 'S/he remembered it.'

Nigii-waabamaa Jon. 'I saw Jon.'

Nigii-waabamig Jon. 'Jon saw me.'

Negative sentences

Gaawiin nigii-wiisinisiin. 'I didn't eat.'

Gaawiin gii-wiisinisiin. 'S/he didn't eat.'

Gaawiin nigii-mikwendanziin. 'I didn't remember it.'

Gaawiin ogii-mikwendanziin. 'S/he didn't remember it.'

Gaawiin nigii-waabamaasiin Jon. 'I didn't see Jon.'

Gaawiin nigii-waabamigosiin Jon. 'Jon didn't see me.'

And then…

Mii dash gaa-izhi-maajaad. 'And then he left.'

Mii dash gaa-izhi-maajaayaan. 'And then I left.'

Mii dash gaa-izhi-biindigeyaan, gii-maajii-anokiiyaan. 'And then I came in, and began working.'

When I verbed…

Gii-wiisiniyaan, 'When I ate, …'

Gii-pi-dagoshinaan, 'When I got arrive, …'

Gii-waabamag Jeff, 'When I saw Jeff, …'

Gii-ishkwaa-wiisiniyaan, nigii-maajaa. 'When I finished eating, I left.'

After I verbed…

Gaa-wiisiniyaan, 'After I ate, …'

Gaa-pi-dagoshinaan, 'After I got arrive/got there, …'

Gaa-waabamag Jeff, nigii-maajaa. 'After I saw Jeff, I left.'

That's when I verbed.

Mii iw wapii gaa-maajaayaan. 'That's when I left.'

Mii iw wapii gaa-kagwejimid…. 'That's when he asked me…'

Mii iw wapii gaa-maajii-nagamod. 'That's when he started singing.'

Or add dash to give it flow from sentence to sentence:

Mii dash iw wapii gaa-pi-giiweyaan. 'And that's when I got home.'

At the time

iw wapii = at that time

Gaawiin nigii-wiisinisiin iw wapii. 'I didn't eat at that time.'

Time after events happen

Yadda yadda. Ingoding dash, yadda. 'Yadda happened. Then pretty soon, yadda yada.'

Yadda yadda. Gomaapii dash, yadda. 'Yadda happened. Then after awhile, yadda yada.'

Introducing times of day

Azhigwa ani-dibikak, … 'As it was getting dark, …'

Azhigwa ani-aabitaa-dibikak, … 'As it was getting to be midnight, …' or 'just before midnight'

Azhigwa ani-gigizhebaawagak, … 'As it was getting to be morning (or early), …'

Azhigwa ani-ziigwang, … 'As it becomes Spring, …' or 'Along toward spring, …'

Notice initial change

Azhigwa wayaabang, ... 'The next day, …'

Azhigwa gegizhebaawagak, … 'In the morning, … (after morning started already)'

Azhigwa ayaabitaa-dibikak, … 'After midnight, …'

Azhigwa debikak, … 'When it got dark (completed)…' or 'After it got dark, …'

Hope this helps with your story.

Niin,

Awanigaabaw (Brendan Fairbanks)