The passive voice is used in Inuktut (and in English) when we want to express that something is happening to someone, or they are at the receiving end of a particular action. It is used when we don’t know who is doing a particular action or if we want to be vague:
| Mialiup Simiuni takujanga. |
Mary sees Simiuni. (active voice: Mary sees.) |
| Simiuni takujaujuq. | Simiuni is seen. (passive voice: we don’t know who sees) |
| Piita atulauqtanga. | Piita used it. |
| atuqtaulauqtuq | It was used by someone. |
1. To make verbs in the passive voice in Inuktut, one adds the affix -jau-/-tau- right after the verb root. -jau- is used after roots ending in vowels, and -tau- after roots ending in consonants.
| ikaujuq- | to help |
| ikajuqtaujuq | He/she is being helped. |
| ikajuqtaujumavit? | Do you want some help (literally, 'do you want to be helped?') |
| ikajuqtaujumajunga. | I'd like some help; Can you help me? (literally, 'I want to be helped.') |
Some other examples:
| qaiqujaatit | She wants you to come; She has invited you |
| qaiqujaujutit | You are invited. |
| ainiaqtara | I will pick her up. |
| aijaujumajunga | I want to be picked up. |
2. -jau-/-tau- is used to make verbs in the passive voice. -ujjaq is a related affix used to make nouns in the passive voice:
| uqaq- | to say something |
| uqaujjaq | someone who is spoken to |
It is more likely that you will see these used in complete sentence:
| aullaujjaq | someone who is taken out on the land |
| aullaujjaujugut | We are being taken out on the land. |
| aullaujjaujumagama | (because) I would like to be taken out on the land. |
| apujjaq | someone who has been snowed in |
| apujjaujut | They are snowed in. |
| tinittuq | the tide goes out; drops |
| tinujjaujuq | It has been beached at low tide. |