Total Physical Response

Total Physical Response is an approach to language learning that starts with comprehension of verbs.

This page lists groups of verbs to try. The instructor (a local) could give instructions using the imperative form, e.g. yiborledmen, and then the newcomer could perform the action, while saying what they are doing, e.g. ngaborledme. Optionally, the newcomer could also say the past perfect version once the action is completed, e.g. ngaborledmeng.

-me verbs

These verbs have an imperative form ending in -men, and past perfect ending in -meng. (This is the first conjugation.)

Kunwok	English	Comments
-birrhme	sweep, clean up	(the noise of sweeping?)
-borledme	turn around
-derrehme	move over (away)
-dokme	set off (home)
-karrme	have, hold, touch	confusible with kurrme, think of the "a" of have
-kurrme	put sth	confusible with karrme, think of the "u" of put
-lobme	run, drive, function	("lope")
-wurlebme	go into water, shower

Here is a second group of -me verbs

Kunwok	English	Comments
-rohrokme	try, test, measure	(some people say wohrokme)
-kayhme	call, sing out
-buhme	blow
-dangbalhme	close	close an opening, like a door, a container
-njudme	blow nose
-wungme	smoke (cigarette)
-yame	spear	throw a spear
-biddjibme	stir, mix	e.g. as when making a cake

-ke verbs

These verbs have an imperative form ending in -kemen, and past perfect ending in -keng. Some of these verbs are paired with -me verbs. (This is the second conjugation.)

Kunwok	English	Comments
-bakke	break sth	(notice how it sounds like it's meaning)
-baye	bite
-borledke	turn something around/over	(cf -borledme when you do it to yourself)
-derrehke	shift sth over/along	(cf -derrehme)
-dadjke	cut, chop
-borrkke	dance
-bobarlke	fill with liquid	bo+barlke
-biwke	bend sth
-bebke	take out, reveal	(cf -bebme, arrive)
-djuhke	splash sth