Learn Aymara: Complete Beginner's Guide
Table of Contents
1. Why Learn Aymara? 2. History and Legacy of Aymara 3. Writing System and Pronunciation 4. Basic Grammar: Suffixes and SOV Logic 5. Greetings and Essential Expressions 6. Essential Vocabulary by Theme 7. Aymara Philosophy: Reversed Time 8. Andean Culture: Living Traditions 9. The Aymara Diaspora Worldwide 10. Learn Aymara with Targumi---
Why Learn Aymara?
Aymara is one of the great indigenous languages of the Americas, spoken by approximately 2 million people in Bolivia, Peru, and Chile. It is the second most widely spoken indigenous language in South America after Quechua, and one of Bolivia's three official languages (alongside Spanish and Quechua).
Aymara is not an exotic curiosity. It is the language of Tiwanaku, one of the oldest and most mysterious Andean civilizations, which flourished a thousand years before the Incas. It is also the language of Evo Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president (2006-2019), and of a cultural and political movement that has redefined South American identity in the 21st century.
A radically different worldview. The Aymara see the past in front of them and the future behind. This is not a metaphor: in the Aymara language, the word for "past" (nayra) literally means "in front of the eyes," and the word for "future" (qhipa) means "behind." This unique conception of time has fascinated linguists and philosophers worldwide. Learning Aymara means discovering another way of thinking about time itself. An official, living language. In Bolivia, Aymara has been co-official with Spanish and Quechua since the 2009 Constitution. It is taught in public schools, used in government administration, and has media in the language. The city of El Alto, adjacent to La Paz, is the largest Aymara city in the world with over one million inhabitants. A stepping stone to Quechua. Although Aymara and Quechua are distinct languages, they share grammatical structures and vocabulary due to centuries of contact. Learning Aymara greatly facilitates learning Quechua, and vice versa.---
History and Legacy of Aymara
Aymara is a language isolate — it has no proven relationship with other major language families. It belongs to the Aymaran (also called Jaqi) family, which also includes Jaqaru and Kawki, two endangered languages spoken in central Peru.
Tiwanaku: The Mother Civilization
The civilization of Tiwanaku (approximately 500 BC to 1000 AD) is considered the cultural cradle of the Aymara people. Located on the shores of Lake Titicaca at 3,800 meters altitude, Tiwanaku was a metropolis of over 40,000 inhabitants, featuring monumental temples, a sophisticated irrigation network, and cultural influence extending thousands of kilometers.
The Gate of the Sun at Tiwanaku — a 10-ton finely carved monolith — remains one of the most fascinating archaeological mysteries of the Americas.
The Inca Empire and Aymara
When the Incas conquered Aymara territories in the 15th century, they imposed Quechua as an administrative language but never eradicated Aymara. The two languages coexisted and mutually influenced each other. After the Spanish conquest, Aymara survived through the cultural resistance of highland rural communities.
Aymara in the 21st Century
The election of Evo Morales in 2006 marked a historic turning point. Bolivia's 2009 Constitution recognized 36 indigenous languages as co-official. Aymara became a symbol of national pride and indigenous identity. The concept of Suma Qamaña (Living Well) was enshrined in the Constitution as state philosophy.
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Writing System and Pronunciation
Aymara is written in the Latin alphabet with a standardized orthographic system since 1984.
Vowels
Aymara has only 3 vowels: a, i, u. This is one of the simplest vowel systems in the world.
Consonants — Three Series
Aymara distinguishes three series of stop consonants, a linguistic rarity:
| Series |
| Examples |
| -------- |
| ---------- |
| Plain |
| pata (high) |
| Aspirated |
| phaxsi (moon) |
| Ejective |
| q'ara (bald) |
| Person |
| Example with sara- (to go) |
| -------- |
| ------------------------------- |
| I |
| saratha |
| You |
| sarata |
| He/She |
| sari |
| We (incl.) |
| saratana |
| We (excl.) |
| saratanxa |
| You (pl.) |
| sarapxata |
| They |
| sarapxi |
| Aymara |
| English |
| -------- |
| --------- |
| Kamisaki? |
| How are you? (formal) |
| Kamisaraki? |
| How are you? (informal) |
| Waliki |
| Good, fine |
| Walikiskiwa |
| I'm fine |
| Jiskhantkama |
| See you soon |
| Yuspajaraxa |
| Thank you |
| Janiwa |
| No |
| Jisa |
| Yes |
| Kunasa sutima? |
| What's your name? |
| Sutijaxa... -wa |
| My name is... |
| Aymara |
| Note |
| -------- |
| ------ |
| uma |
| qullu |
| inti |
| also the Inca sun god |
| phaxsi |
| aspirated |
| jallu |
| uraq |
| panqara |
| nina |
| Aymara |
| Note |
| -------- |
| ------ |
| allpachu |
| iconic Andean animal |
| llama |
| passed directly to English |
| kunturi |
| largest flying bird |
| anu |
| challwa |
| titi |
| Lake Titicaca = "lake of the cat" |
| Number |
| -------- |
| 1 |
| 2 |
| 3 |
| 4 |
| 5 |
| 10 |
| 100 |
| 1000 |
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Aymara Philosophy: Reversed Time
The Past in Front, the Future Behind
The most famous linguistic fact about Aymara was documented by linguists Rafael Núñez and Eve Sweetser (UC Berkeley, 2006). Unlike virtually every other known culture, the Aymara conceptualize the past as being in front of them and the future behind:
The logic is fascinating: the past is what we have seen, what we know — so it is before our eyes. The future is unknown, invisible — so it is behind our backs. Aymara speakers' gestures confirm this orientation: they point forward when discussing the past and backward for the future.
Suma Qamaña (Living Well)
The concept of Suma Qamaña — "Living Well" or "Living in Plenitude" — has been enshrined in Bolivia's Constitution since 2009. Its core principles: Ama Suwa (don't steal), Ama Llulla (don't lie), Ama Qhilla (don't be lazy).
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Andean Culture: Living Traditions
Oruro Carnival
The Oruro Carnival in Bolivia is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage site since 2001. It is one of the most spectacular festivals in South America, blending pre-Columbian Aymara traditions with colonial Catholicism.
Pachamama Festival
August 1st marks the beginning of offering season to Pachamama. Aymara communities place food, coca leaves, alcohol, and sugar figurines into holes dug in the earth — to nourish Mother Earth and ensure good harvests.
Aymara Textiles
Aymara textile art is extraordinarily complex and beautiful. The aguayos (multicolored woven cloths) are not mere decorations — each motif (pallay) is a language telling the community's history, social status, and religious beliefs.
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The Aymara Diaspora Worldwide
The Aymara diaspora is primarily concentrated in South America:
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Learn Aymara with Targumi
Targumi is one of the few platforms in the world offering structured Aymara courses for English and French speakers. Our approach combines:
Aymara is a language that makes you see the world differently — literally. Its reversed conception of time, its evidentiality system, and its Suma Qamaña philosophy are intellectual treasures accessible through language learning.
Start your Aymara journey for free on Targumi.---
Sources: Ethnologue (SIL International), Núñez & Sweetser — With the Future Behind Them (Cognitive Science, 2006), Cerrón-Palomino — Lingüística Aimara, Wikipedia.