Expressing possession

The verb "to have" does not exist in Bodzika as it does in languages like English. Instead, a noun in genitive case is placed directly preceding a noun in nominative case in order to make indicative statements regarding one noun's  possessing another.

E.g.

In the following examples, the genitive endings of the possessing nouns are marked in bold font, and the nominative noun endings of possessed nouns are underlined.

tap ko kaj - I (Masc.) have (2) eyes.

cip ko kă - You all have eyes.

čup ko kaj - she has (2) eyes.

Mušap ko ka - the cat has an eye.

Since no verb is present in such sentences, the mood, tense, and aspect prefixes normally attached to verbs are affixed instead to the possessing noun. If the possessing noun begins with a consonant, then a short vowel sound "-ă-" is inserted between the prefix and the root noun to make pronunciation easier. The present simple tense and indicative mood are assumed if no prefix is used.

E.g.

ak ătap kokaj - I had (2) eyes.

at ătap kokaj - I will have (2) eyes.

Note: When the noun in genitive case follows the noun in nominative case, then the genitive noun acts as a possessive determiner rather than an active possessor.

E.g.

čup ko kaj - she has eyes

ko kaj čup - her eyes