Language/Tamil/Grammar/Tamil-Finite-Verbs-Conjugation

Tamil Finite Verbs Conjugation

Finite Verbs

Overview

Finite verb forms show tense, person and number (eg; I go, she goes, we went, etc.)

In Tamil, Finite Verbs generally have a 3 part structure:the ‘Verb Stem’the ‘Tense Suffix’ (to indicate past, present or future tense) ; anda ‘Subject Marker’ (to indicate Person, Number and Gender – ie I, We, He, She etc).Eg, The verb varuven means I will come. [varu- verb stem, v- marks future tense, en marks “I” (first person)]In this example, Varu is the Verb Stem, ‘v’ is used to indicate it is for future tense and ‘en’ is used when referring to ‘I’ (that is, the first person)

Types of Finite Verbs and Tense Suffixes

There are 7 main types of Finite verbs. These are purely classified on how they get conjugated (ie, based on which TENSE suffix is used).

The tense suffix for past and present tense also depends on whether you are talking in High Tamil or Colloquial Tamil

The tense suffix for future tense is the same in both High and Colloquial Tamil

The charts below show the Tense suffixes for each Type of Finite Verb for both High and Colloquial Tamil.

Rules are different for other kind of verbs 

Tense Suffixes for High Tamil with Tamil Script

	Past	Present	Future	Example	Other Examples
Type 1	த் | dh	கிற் | giR	வ் | v	sei (do)- செய்	nei (weave)
Type 2	ந்த் | ndh	கிற் | giR	வ் | v	aRi (know)- அறி	vizhu (fall), ezhu (rise), sari (roll or tumble down)
Type 3	இன் | in	கிற் | giR	வ் | v	vaangu (buy/get)- வாங்கு	thoongu (sleep), ezhuthu (write), anuppu (send)
Type 4	End consonant doubling	கிற் | giR	வ் | v	vidu ( leave)- விடு	PiDi (Catch/hold), KeDu (spoil), peru (get)
Type 5	ட் | t/d	கிற் | kiR/ giR	ப் | p/b	uN (eat) – உண்	kaaN (see), keL (listen)
Type 6	த்த் | tth	க்கிற் | kkiR	ப்ப் | pp	paDi(read/study)-படி	koDu (give), eDu (take), paar (see)
Type 7	ந்த் | ndh	க்கிற் | kkiR	ப்ப் | pp	naDa(walk)-நட	para (fly), kala (mix), marA (forget)

 

Verb Stem	Past	Present	Future (same as for Colloquial Tamil)
Type 1- Sei (do)	Seidhen (dh+en=dhen)	SeigiRyen (giR+en= giRean)	Seivean (Iv +en=vean)
Type 2- Ari (know)	Arindhean (ndh+en=dhean)	ArigiRean (giR+en=giRean)	Arivean (Iv +en=vean)
Type 3 – Vaangu (buy/get)	Vaanginean (in+en=inean)	VaangugiRean (giR+en=GiRean)	Vaanguvean (Iv +en=vean)
Type 4 – Vidu (leave)	Vittean (t+t+en)	VidugiRean (giR+en=giRean)	Viduvean (Iv +en=vean)
Type 5 – Un (eat)	Undean(d+en)	UngiRean (giR+en=giRean)	Unbean(b+en=bean)
Type 6 – Padi (read/study)	Paditthean (tth+en=tthean)	Padikkirean(kkiR+en=kkirean)	Padippean(pp+en=ppean)
Type 7 – Nada (walk)	Nadandhean(ndh+ean=ndhean)	NadakkiRean (kkir+en=kkirean)	Nadappean(pp+en=ppean)

Tense Suffixes for Colloquial Tamil with Tamil Script

	Past	Present	Future	Example	Other Examples
Type 1	ஞ்ச் | nj	ற் | R	வ் | v	sei (do)- செய்	nei (weave)
Type 2	ந்த் | ndh / ஞ்ச் | nj	ற் | R	வ் | v	aRi (know)- அறி	vizhu (fall), ezhu (rise), sari (roll or tumble down)
Type 3	உன் | u	ற் | R	வ் | v	vaangu (buy/get)- வாங்கு	thoongu (sleep), ezhuthu (write), anuppu (send)
Type 4	End consonant doubling	ற் | R	வ் | v	vidu ( leave)- விடு	PiDi (Catch/hold), KeDu (spoil), peru (get)
Type 5	ட் | t/d	ற் | R	ப் | p/b	uN (eat) – உண்	kaaN (see), keL (listen)
Type 6	த்த் | tth	க்கிற் | kkiR	ப்ப் | pp	paDi(read/study)-படி	koDu (give), eDu (take), paar (see)
Type 7	ந்த் | ndh	க்கிற் | kkiR	ப்ப் | pp	naDa(walk)-நட	para (fly), kala (mix), marA (forget)

Example of Tense Suffixes for Colloquial Tamil

Verb Stem	Past	Present	Future (same as for High Tamil)
Type 1- Sei (do)	Senjean (nj+ean=jean)	Seirean (R+ean=rean)	Seivean (Iv +ean=vean)
Type 2- Ari (know)	Arinjean(nj+ean=jean)	Arirean(R+ean=rean)	Arivean (Iv +ean=vean)
Type 3 – Vaangu (buy/get)	Vaangunean(un+ean=unean)	vaangurean(R+ean=iRean)	Vaanguvean (Iv +ean=vean)
Type 4 – Vidu (leave)	Vittean (t+t+ean=ttean)	Vidrean (R+ean=Rean)	Viduvean (Iv +ean=vean)
Type 5 – Un (eat)	Undean(d+ean=dean)	UngiRean (giR+ean=giRean)	Unbean(b+ean=bean)
Type 6 – Padi (read/study)	Padichchean(chch+ean=chen)	Padikkirean(kkiR+ean=kkirean)	Padippean(pp+ean=ppean)
Type 7 – Nada (walk)	Nadandhean(ndh+ean=ndhean)	NadakkiRean (kkiR+ean=kkirean)	Nadappean(pp+ean=ppean)

Subject Markers

VSubject Markers indicate PERSON/NUMBER/GENDER (ie; I, We, He, She etc)

The subject markers are the same for all of the 7 types of Finite Verbs, only the Tense suffixes for each Type differs.

Following are the Subject Markers used for both High and Colloquial Tamil. 

Subject Markers for High Tamil

	Singular			Plural
First person	I ஏன் | En			We ஓம் | Om
Second person	You(singular) ஆய் | aay			You ( plural/respect) ஈர்கள் | iirkal / ஈர் | irr
Third Person	He ஆன் | aan	He /She (Polite) ஆர் | aar		She ஆள் | aal	They (Human) அனர்/ஆர்கள் anar */ aarkal
	It # அது | adhu			They (non human) அன | ana#*
*indicates that in future tense , nonhuman nouns take the ending “-um”(instead of -v/-p/-pp) . Eg athu varum (it’ll come) *indicates that in present tense, kiR/kiRR changes kinR/KKinRR Eg, SeikinRanar – They (human being) are doing.

Subject Markers for Colloquial Tamil

	Singular			Plural
First person	I Eñ			We O~m
Second person	You dha			You (Polite) eenga
Third Person	He dhaañ	She dhaa		He (Polite) aarù	She (Polite) aanga
	It dhu/chu			They dhunga / chunga

EXAMPLE

padi		read or study
padikka		to read
vaasi		read
	High	colloquial	English meaning
Past Tense	naan padiththaen	Naañ Padichæñ	I read (past)
Present Tense	Naan padikkiRaen	Naañ Padikiræñ	I am reading
Future Tense	naan padaippaen	Naañ padipæñ	I will read
Past Informal	nii padiththaai	Nii padichæ	you read (past) – informal
Past Formal	niingaL padiththiirgaL	Niinga padichiinga	you read (past) – formal
Present Informal	nii padikkiRaa	Nii padikiræ	you are reading – informal
Present Formal	niingaL padikkiRiirgaL	Niinga padikireenga	you are reading – formal
Future Informal	nii padippaai	Nii padipæ	you will read – informal
Future Formal	niingaL padippiirgaL	Niinga padipiinga	you are reading – formal
Imperative informal	nii padi	Nii padi	you read ……. (order statement) – informal
Imperative Formal	Niinga padinga	Niinga padipiinga	you read ……. (order statement) – formal
Past Informal	avan padiththaan	avañ Padichchaañ	he read – informal
Past Formal	avar padiththaar	avrù padichchaarù	he read – formal
Present Informal	avan padikkiRaan	avañ padikkiraañ	He is reading – informal
Present Formal	avar padikkiRaar	avrù padikiraar	he is reading – formal
Future Informal	avan padippaan	avañ padippaañ	he will read – informal
Future Formal	avar padippaar	avar padippaarù	he will read – formal
Past Informal	avaL padiththaaL	ava(L) padichchaa(L)	she read – informal
Past Formal	avargaaL padiththaargaL	avanga padichchaanga	she read – formal
Past Formal	avargaaL padiththaargaL	avanga padichchaanga	she read – formal
Present Informal	avaL padikkiraaL	ava(L) padikkiraa(L)	she is reading – informal
Present Formal	avargaL padikkiraargaL	avanga padikkiraanga	she is reading – formal
Future Informal	avaL padippaaL	ava(L) padippaa(L)	she will read – informal
Future Formal	avargaL padippaargaL	avanga padippaanga	she will read – formal
Past Informal	naam padiththoam	naama padichcho~m	we read – listener included
Past formal	naangaL padiththoam	naanga padichcho~m	we read – listener excluded
Present Informal	naam padikiroam	naama padikiroa~m	we are reading – listener included
Present Formal	naangaL paddikkiroam	naanga padikkiroa~m	we are reading – listener excluded
Future Informal	naam paddippoam	naama paddippoa~m	we will read – listener included
Future Formal	naangaL paddippoam	naanga paddippoa~m	we will read – listener excluded

Tense Suffixes for High Tamil without Tamil Script

	Past	Present	Future	Example	Other Examples
Type 1	dh	giR	v	sei (do)- செய்	nei (weave)
Type 2	ndh	giR	v	aRi (know)	vizhu (fall), ezhu (rise), sari (roll or tumble down)
Type 3	in	giR	v	vaangu (buy/get)	thoongu (sleep), ezhuthu (write), anuppu (send)
Type 4	End consonant doubling	giR	v	vidu ( leave)	PiDi (Catch/hold), KeDu (spoil), peru (get)
Type 5	t/d	kiR/ giR	p/b	uN (eat)	kaaN (see), keL (listen)
Type 6	tth	kkiR	pp	paDi(read/study)	koDu (give), eDu (take), paar (see)
Type 7	ndh	kkiR	pp	naDa(walk)	para (fly), kala (mix), marA (forget)

Tense Suffixes for Colloquial Tamil without Tamil Script

	Past	Present	Future	Example	Other Examples
Type 1	nj	R	v	sei (do)- செய்	nei (weave)
Type 2	ndh / nj	R	v	aRi (know)	vizhu (fall), ezhu (rise), sari (roll or tumble down)
Type 3	un	R	v	vaangu (buy/get)	thoongu (sleep), ezhuthu (write), anuppu (send)
Type 4	End consonant doubling	R	v	vidu ( leave)	PiDi (Catch/hold), KeDu (spoil), peru (get)
Type 5	t/d	R	p/b	uN (eat)	kaaN (see), keL (listen)
Type 6	chch / tth	kkiR	pp	paDi(read/study)	koDu (give), eDu (take), paar (see)
Type 7	ndh	kkiR	pp	naDa(walk)	para (fly), kala (mix), marA (forget)

Transliteration

VOWELS	CONSONANTS

Tamil script	Transliteration	Tamil script	Transliteration
அ	A	க	ka ga
ஆ	Aa	ங	nga
இ	I	ச	cha sa
ஈ	Ii
உ	U	ஞ	nja
ஊ	Uu E	ட	ta da
எ	E/ae	ண	Na
ஏ	Ai	த	tha dha
ஐ	O	ந	na
ஒ	O/oa	ப	pa ba
ஔ	Au	ம	ma
		ய	ya
		ர	ra
		ல	la
		வ	va
		ள	Au
		ழ	Azha
		ள	La
		ற	Ra
		ன	na

 

VOWELS FOUND IN SPOKEN TAMIL

æ ŭ | ù ñ / ~m	The vowel sound ‘E’ at end of words is often realised as ‘æ’ in spoken Tamil. half-u nasalisation of vowel	æ is sound of ‘a’ in the english word b’a’t.

 

GRANTHA LETTERS

ஹ	ha
ஜ	ja
ஸ	sa
ஷ	sha
ஶ	ś
க்ஷ	ksha
ஸ்ரீ\	Sri

Sources

• https://ilearntamil.com/spoken-tamil-lessons-colloquial-tamil-where-here-there-lesson3/