Word order is SOV, similar to Japanese. SVO structures like in English or Chinese are rarely seen.
easir | iyotta | k= | eramasu | sinotca | anak | "ragtaymu" | sekor | a= | porose | p | ne |
さて | 一番 | 私・ | ~が好き | 歌 | は | 「ラグタイム」 | と | 人・ | ~を呼ぶ | もの | ~である |
well, | most | I | like | song | top | 'ragtime' | quot | people | call | thing | is |
numan | somo | k= | ek |
昨日 | ~ない | 私・ | 来る |
yesterday | not | I | come |
Zero arguments, e.g. pirka "to be good", sirpirka "to be nice out"
tanto | sir- | pirka |
今日 | 場所 | 良い |
today | place | to be good |
One argument, e.g. an "to be"
e= | iwanke | no | e= | an | a | ruwe |
あなた・ | 元気である | ように | あなた・ | いる | ~した | ですか |
you | to be well | seem | you | to be | pst | q |
Two arguments, e.g. ye "to say, call"
ragtaymu | sekor | a= | ye | itak |
ラグタイム | と | 人・ | ~を言う | 語 |
ragtime | quot | people | call | word |
Three arguments, e.g. epakasnu "to teach someone"
aynu | itak | eci= | epakasnu | kusne | na | poronno | eraman | ani |
アイヌ | 語 | 私があなたに・ | ~に~を教える | つもりだ | よ | たくさん | ~を覚える | ~してね |
Ainu | language | me to you | to teach | intend | cop | many | remember | cop |
Intransitive yaynu "to think" |
Transitive kor "to hold" | |
---|---|---|
3sg/3pl he/she/it/they |
yaynu 思 |
kor 持 |
1sg I |
ku=yaynu ク思 |
ku=kor ク持 |
1pl we |
yaynu=as 思アㇲ |
ci=kor チ持 |
2sg you (sg) |
e=yaynu エ思 |
e=kor エ持 |
2pl you (pl) |
eci=yaynu エチ思 |
eci=kor エチ持 |
indef indefinite |
yaynu=an 思アㇴ |
a=kor ア持 |
Ainu treats nouns differently if they refer to a location rather than a thing. For example, mountain can be translated as kim "mountain (as a place or direction)" or nupuri "mountain (as a thing)."
梟 神 自エ謡, Kamuycikap kamuy yaieyukar,
「白銀水 落々 周」 "Sirokanipe ranran piskan"
「白銀水 落々 周, 黄銀水 "Sirokanipe ranran piskan, konkanipe
落々 周,」 アリアン 囀ポ私キカネ ranran piskan." arian rekpocikikane
川沿 下アサイネ, 人村 上時 petesoro sapasayne, aynukotan enkasike
chi-kush-i kor shi-chor-pok-un inkar-ash ko
teeta wen-kur tane nispa ne, teeta nispa
tane wenkur ne kotom sir-an.
Atuy-teksam ta aynu-hekattar ak-sinot pon-ku
ak-sinot pon-ay e-u-we-shinot kor-okai.
“Siro-kani-pe ranran piskan,
kon-kani-pe ran-ran piskan.” arian rek-po
ci-ki kane hekaci-utar enka-sike
ci-kus awa, un-corpoke ehoyuppa
ene hawokai:――
“Pirka chikappo! kamui chikappo!
Keke hetak, akash wa toan chikappo
kamui chikappo tukan wa ankur, hoshkiukkur
sonno rametok shino chipapa ne ruwe tapan”
hawokai kane, teeta wenkur tane nishpa nep
poutari, konkani ponku konkani ponai
uweunupa untukan ko, konkani ponai 番えて私を射ますと,金の小矢を
shichorpok chikushte shienka chikushte,
rapokita, hekachiutar tumukeheta
shine hekachi yayan ponku yayan ponai
ukoani iyeutanne, chinukar chiki
wenkur poho ne kotomno imi ka wano
akoeraman. Kipnekorka shiktumorke
chiuwante ko, nishpasani nekotomno, shinnai-
chikapne iyeutanne. Anihi nakka yayan ponku
yayan ponai uweunu wa unramante ko,
teeta wenkur tane nishpanep poutari euminare
ene hawokai:――
“Achikara ta wenkur hekachi
toan chikappo kamui chikappo aokaiutar
akor konkaniai ka somouk ko, enepkoran
wenkur hekachi kor yayanai muninchikuniai
toan chikappo kamui chikappo shinoshino
uk nankor wa.”
hawokai kane wenkur hekachi ukooterke
ukokikkik. Kipnekorka wenkur hekachi
senne ponno ekottanu uneyoko.