Observative

Observative is an adjective used in linguistics to describe grammatical forms or constructions whose primary function is to mark information as derived from direct observation by the speaker or narrator, rather than from inference, assumption, or hearsay. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with observative mood or observational mood, though practice varies across languages and scholarly traditions. It contrasts with evidential marks that indicate the source of knowledge more broadly (e.g., whether something is witnessed, reported, or inferred). In an observative construction, the verb or accompanying marker signals that the speaker actually observed the event or state.

In typological descriptions, an observative or observational mood may be realized through dedicated verbal inflections, particles, or tonal/prefix-suffix patterns. It often coexists with past or present tenses and can be used in narrative to foreground witnessed events. The semantic core is the speaker's sensory engagement with the event, rather than the mere knowledge of it.

Observative marking is not uniformly recognized across languages; some descriptions treat it as a subtype of evidentiality, while others treat it as a distinct perceptual mood. In studies of grammatical mood systems, observative forms contribute to the broader spectrum of how languages encode source of information and speaker stance.

See also: evidentiality, perceptual evidential, observational mood, direct vs indirect perception.