Editing Soddo language (section)

===Copula and existential verbs===

The copula (positive and negative) is irregular in the [[present tense]]:

{| class="wikitable"
! English
! be
! not be
|-
| I am
| ''näw(h)''
| ''ädäbukk''
|-
| you (m. sg.) are
| ''nähä''
| ''ädäbəkkä''
|-
| you (f. sg.) are
| ''näš''
| ''ädäbəčč''
|-
| he is
| ''-n, -ən'' (after a consonant)
| ''ädäbəll''
|-
| she is
| ''na''
| ''ädäbəlla''
|-
| we are
| ''nänä''
| ''ädäbəllänä''
|-
| you (m. pl.) are
| ''nähəm''
| ''ädäbəkkəm''
|-
| you (f. pl.) are
| ''nähma''
| ''ädäbəkkəma''
|-
| they (m.) are
| ''näm''
| ''ädäbəlläm''
|-
| they (f.) are
| ''näma''
| ''ädäbəäma''
|}

Example: ''zämmidi nähä'' "you are my brother".

The past tense ("he was", etc.) is expressed by the verb ''näbbär'' conjugated regularly in the perfect; "he was not" etc. is with ''annäbär''.  The future tense is expressed by the imperfect of ''hono'': ''yəhonu'' "he will be", etc.  The negative future tense is likewise expressed by ''tihon''.  The present copula  in subordinate clauses is expressed by the subordinate perfect of ''honä'', e.g.: ''däffär yähonä tädi-goy yalfu'' "he who is courageous will go with me.

"It is he", etc. can be expressed by adding an element ''-tt'' between the pronoun and the copula: e.g. ''kʷa-ttə-n'' "it is he".

The existential verb "be at", "exist" in the present is:

{| class="wikitable"
! English
! be at/there
! not be at/there
|-
| I am
| ''yinähi''
| ''yellähu''
|-
| you (m. sg.) are
| ''yinəho''
| ''yellähä''
|-
| you (f. sg.) are
| ''yinäšin''
| ''yelläš''
|-
| he is
| ''yino''
| ''yellä''
|-
| she is
| ''yinätti''
| ''yellät''
|-
| we are
| ''yinäno''
| ''yellänä''
|-
| you (m. pl.) are
| ''yinähmun''
| ''yellähəm''
|-
| you (f. pl.) are
| ''yinähman''
| ''yellähma''
|-
| they (m.) are
| ''yinämun''
| ''yelləm''
|-
| they (f.) are
| ''yinäman''
| ''yelləma''
|}

In the past and future, it is expressed just like the copula, with ''näbbärä'' and ''honä''.  In subordinate clauses the present is expressed with ''-allä'' conjugated in the perfect (negative ''-lellä''), e.g.: ''bämeda yalləmi säbočč araš näm'' "the people who are in the field are farmers".

The possessive verb "he has" etc. is expressed with the existential verb ''yino'' "it is" (agreeing with the object possessed) plus object suffix pronouns (i.e. "it is to him" etc.)