High Valyrian Grammar Basics

Introduction to High Valyrian Grammar

High Valyrian is a constructed language (conlang) created by linguist David J. Peterson for HBO's Game of Thrones. It was the language of the Valyrian Freehold, an ancient civilization in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire.

Noun Cases

High Valyrian has eight grammatical cases:

• Nominative: Used for the subject of a sentence
• Accusative: Used for the direct object
• Genitive: Indicates possession
• Dative: Used for the indirect object
• Locative: Indicates location
• Instrumental: Indicates the means by which an action is performed
• Comitative: Indicates accompaniment
• Vocative: Used for direct address

Verb Conjugation

High Valyrian verbs conjugate for tense, mood, voice, and person. The basic verb tenses include:

• Present: Actions happening now
• Past: Actions that have already happened
• Future: Actions that will happen
• Perfect: Completed actions with present relevance

Word Order

The basic word order in High Valyrian is Subject-Object-Verb (SOV), though there is some flexibility due to the case system.

Example Sentences

Here are some basic High Valyrian sentences with their English translations:

• Valar morghulis. - All men must die.
• Valar dohaeris. - All men must serve.
• Zaldrīzes buzdari iksos daor. - A dragon is not a slave.
• Avy jorrāelan. - I love you.