The document discusses the concept of volition in the Tibetan language, explaining that volition refers to the difference between verbs that express actions one chooses to do versus actions outside of one's control. It notes that in Tibetan, some verbs are considered volitional while others are not, and this distinction affects which affixes and grammatical forms can be used with each verb type, such as non-volitional verbs generally not taking the imperative mode.

1. The volition in Tibetan

2. What is the volition?
The volition is the difference between two kinds
of verbs:
• what you want to do
• what you do not want to do,
Some languages use words and phrases for that,
others use case marking, auxiliaries or affixes.

3. A few examples:
• Volitional verbs, you choose to do it:
to listen, to watch, to go, to speak, to wake up,
to sleep, to eat
• Non-volitional verbs, you do not choose it:
to hear, to see, to be born, to die, to forget, to
be sick (and if you are a lazy student wishing to
get sick, it is still a non-volitional verb ;-) )

4. In Tibetan
Some verbs are volitional, some others are not,
you will have to know because the affixes you
have to use are not always the same for each
group.
Also, the non-volitional verbs cannot use the
imperative mode (except a few exceptions).