Language/Tamil/Grammar/Past-tense

VERBS - TAMIL PAST TENSE

The following table shows how to put verbs in the past tense, depending on their verbal class.

From this lesson, we have included the verb class number by superscript at the root of the verb.

After mastering this lesson, these related pages might interest you: Verb Classes, Adjective and Adverb Relationships, Past Tense & Continuous tense.

Past tense & verbal class

Class	Past Tense
1a	add த் + verb suffix
1b	drop the -ள், then add ண்ட் + verb suffix
1c	drop the -ல், then add ன்ற் + verb suffix
2	add ந்த் + verb suffix
3	add இன் + verb suffix
4	drop the -உ, double the last letter, and add the verb suffix
5	–
6	add த்த் + verb suffix
7	add ந்த் + verb suffix

The past tense is the part of the past tense verb before the verb suffix.

Thus, for the verbs தடு and காத்திரு, the past tense stems would be தடுத்த்- and காத்திருந்த்-.

Other Lessons

• That, This, and Question Words
• Plural nouns
• Prepositions
• Negation
• Plural Noun Suffix Addition
• Continuous tense
• Strong Middle Weak Verbs
• Pronouns
• Questions
• Cases
• Future Tense எதிர்காலம்
• Adjective and Adverb Relationships
• Plurals
• Present Tense