chaH

tlh
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they, them, those people
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/t͡ʃɑx/
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A third-person plural reference to beings capable of language that also links identities and can point out a group in context.

Examples

  • chaH neHHa' wovmoH jul.
    The sun lit up not only them.
  • Humanpu' chaH.
    Those are Humans.
  • val chaH.
    They are smart.
  • tlhInganpu' chaH loDpu''e'.
    As for the men, they are Klingons.
  • puq lulegh chaH.
    They see the child.

Similar words

Meanings

Usage

Choose chaH for several language users, bIH for other plural referents, and ghaH for one language user.

Common mistakes

pu'HIchmey chaH treats disruptor pistols as language users, while such plural objects require bIH.

Etymology

Marc Okrand lists chaH in The Klingon Dictionary as the pronoun for “they” or “them” when the referents are capable of language. No further derivation is attested.

FAQ

What does chaH mean?

chaH means “they” or “them” for a group of beings capable of language, and can also correspond to “these” or “those” when pointing out such a group.

How is chaH pronounced?

chaH is pronounced /t͡ʃɑx/, with Klingon ch as in English church, an open a, and the strong, rough H sound.

What is the difference between chaH and bIH?

chaH refers to plural language users. bIH normally refers to plural animals, plants, body parts, objects, and other non-language-users.

Does chaH show gender?

No. chaH is plural and does not mark the gender of any member of the group.

When is chaH stated beside a verb?

Verb prefixes often make a third-person plural subject or object clear. chaH adds emphasis or removes ambiguity, and it also serves as the predicate in identity statements.

Comments & contributions

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Fond Fox
4 days ago
the capital H is doing work here, chah isnt how I would read it out loud
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Wandering Iguana
Jul 6
small learner trap: if you add a plural ending with chaH, use the people one. jagh chaH is already plural enough, but jaghmey chaH sounds like enemies scattered around unless you really mean that
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Proud Mole
6 days ago
same reason puqpu' chaH, not puqmey chaH for normal kids
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Soft Quail
4 days ago
body parts still take bIH though, mInDu' bIH, even on a person. weird first time u see it
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Loyal Hippo
Jun 21
For the to-be sentences, chaH can take the verb suffixes itself. So are the men Klingons? is tlhInganpu' chaH'a' loDpu''e'? The English flips word order, Klingon just tags chaH.
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Early Coyote
Jun 23
this one took me forever, I kept trying to make a verb appear where Klingon just uses the pronoun
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