Inuktitut has a series of affixes that are used just for asking questions. To ask a question, we add one of these affixes to the end of a verb. The affix that is used changes depending on who the subject of the verb is.
| tukihi- | span class="translation">to understand |
| tukihivit? | Do you understand? |
The following affixes are used with roots that end in vowels:
| tukihi- | to understand |
| tukihivunga? | Do I understand? |
| tukihivit? | Do you understand? |
| tukihiva? | Does he/she understand? |
| tukihivinuk? | Do we (2) understand? |
| tukihivita? | Do we (3+) understand? |
| tukihivihik? | Do you (2) understand? |
| tukihivihi? | Do you (3+) understand? |
| tukihivaak? | Do they (2) understand? |
| tukihivat? | Do they (3+) understand? |
If you want to add these affixes to a root ending in a consonant (q, k, t), you use the same endings as above, replacing the v with a p.
| hinik- | to sleep |
| hinikpunga? | Am I sleeping? |
| hinikpit? | Are you sleeping? |
| hinikpa? | Is he/she sleeping? |
| hinikpinuk? | Are the two of us sleeping? |
| hinikpita? | Are we (three or more) sleeping? |
| hinikpihik? | Are you two sleeping? |
| hinikpihi? | Are you (three or more) sleeping? |
| hinikpaak? | Are the two of them sleeping? |
| hinikpat? | Are they (three or more) sleeping? |
Speakers of Nunavut's western dialects (including Nattilingmiut) insert the affix -niaq- after many verbs when asking questions about events that are happening right now:
| ani- | to go out |
| aniniaqpit? | Are you going out (right now)? |
| aniniaqpa? | Is he going out (right now)? |