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

Tamil Finite Verbs Conjugation

Finite Verbs

Overview

Finite verb forms show tense, person and number (e.g. 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 – i.e. I, We, He, She etc).

• Example: The verb "varuven" means "I will come".

In this example:

• Varu is the Verb Stem
• v is used to indicate it is for future tense
• en is used when referring to "I" (that is, the first person)

Types of Finite Verbs and Tense Suffixes

The Tamil language has 7 main types of finite verbs. These are classified according to their conjugation (i.e. according to the TENSE suffix used).

• The tense suffix for the past and present tense also depends on the language register (high or colloquial)
• The future time suffix is the same regardless of the register
• The tables below show the time suffixes for each type of finite verb for each register

NB: Those rules are different for other kinds of verbs.

Tense Suffixes

Tense Suffixes for High Tamil with the 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)

 

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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 the 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 the 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

Tense Suffixes for High Tamil without the 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)

Subject Markers

• Subject Markers indicate PERSON / NUMBER / GENDER (i.e. 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) . E.g. athu varum (it"ll come) *indicates that in present tense, kiR/kiRR changes kinR/KKinRR E.g. 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

Examples

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

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 in Spoken Tamil

æ ŭ | ù ñ / ~m	The vowel sound "E" at end of words is often pronounced as "æ". half-u nasalisation of vowel	æ is sound of "a" in the english word "bat".

 

Grantha Letters

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

Sources

• https://ilearntamil.com/how-to-conjugate-finite-verbs-in-tamil/

Other Lessons

• Conditional Mood
• Negatives
• Adjective and Adverb Relationships
• Negation
• Plural Noun Suffix Addition
• Verb Classes
• Plural nouns
• Present Tense
• Future Tense எதிர்காலம்
• Continuous tense
• Strong Middle Weak Verbs
• That, This, and Question Words
• Cases
• Adjective (பெயரடை)