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<div class="pg_page_title">[[Language/Sinhala|Sinhala]]  → [[Language/Sinhala/Grammar|Grammar]] → [[Language/Sinhala/Grammar/0-to-A1-Course|0 to A1 Course]] → Verbs and Tenses</div>
Welcome to this exciting lesson on '''Verbs and Tenses''' in Sinhala! Understanding verbs and tenses is crucial for expressing actions and events clearly in any language, including Sinhala. As you embark on this journey, you’ll discover how to convey what happened in the past, what is happening now, and what will happen in the future.


<div class="pg_page_title">Sinhala Grammar → Unit 2: Basic Grammar → Verbs and Tenses</div>
In this lesson, we will cover the following sections:


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As a Sinhala language teacher, I have been teaching Sinhala for 20 years, and I have learned that learning a new language can be challenging, but it can also be an extremely rewarding experience. In this lesson, we will be learning about verbs and tenses to express past, present, and future actions and events in Sinhala.
=== Importance of Verbs and Tenses in Sinhala ===
 
Verbs are the heart of any sentence, acting as the action or state of being. Tenses help us place those actions in time. In Sinhala, just like in English, using the correct tense is essential for clear communication. Whether you’re telling a friend about your day, describing an event, or planning for the future, knowing how to use verbs and their respective tenses will empower you to express yourself more fluently.
 
=== Structure of the Lesson ===
 
1. '''Introduction to Sinhala Verbs'''
 
2. '''Tenses Explained'''
 
* Present Tense
 
* Past Tense
 
* Future Tense


== Verbs ==
3. '''Examples of Verbs in Different Tenses'''


A verb is a word that describes an action or occurrence, such as run, walk, eat, or talk. In Sinhala, a verb changes form depending on the tense (past, present, or future) and the subject (I, you, he/she, we, or they).
4. '''Practice Exercises'''


Sinhala verbs are usually divided into two categories: standard verbs and non-standard verbs. Standard verbs follow a predictable pattern for verb tense changes, while non-standard verbs do not.
5. '''Solutions to Exercises'''


=== Standard Verbs ===
== Introduction to Sinhala Verbs ==


The most common Sinhala verb tenses are:
Verbs in Sinhala are words that describe actions, conditions, or occurrences. They can indicate what someone is doing or what is happening around them. For beginners, it’s essential to learn some common verbs that you’ll use frequently in conversation.


* Present tense - indicates actions or events happening now
=== Common Sinhala Verbs ===
* Past tense - indicates actions or events in the past
* Future tense - indicates actions or events that will happen in the future


Here is an example of how a standard verb changes depending on tense and subject:
Here’s a list of some common Sinhala verbs:


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Sinhala !! Pronunciation !! English
! Sinhala !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
|-
| කියන්න (kiyannə) || kee-yannä || I say
 
| කථා කළා || kathā kaḷā || spoke
 
|-
|-
| කියයි (kiyaayi) || kee-yah-yi || You say
 
| යන්න || yanna || to go
 
|-
 
| ආවේ || āvē || came
 
|-
|-
| කියලා (kiyalaa) || kee-yah-laa || He/She says
 
| බලන්න || balanna || to see
 
|-
|-
| කියෙ (kiyé) || kee-yé || We say
 
| හොයාගන්න || hoyāganna || to find
 
|-
|-
| කියන්නේ (kiyanné) || kee-yanné || They say
 
| සෙල්ලම් කරන්න || sellam karanna || to play
 
|-
 
| කන්න || kanna || to eat
 
|-
 
| පියවර || piyavara || to step
 
|-
 
| ඉන්න || inna || to be
 
|-
 
| හිතන්න || hitanna || to think
 
|}
|}


As you can see, the verb stem "kiyan" remains constant, and only the ending changes depending on tense and subject. For example, "kiyannə" means "I say," while "kiyaayi" means "you say."
== Tenses Explained ==


To form the present tense, we use the basic verb stem, while the past and future tenses both require additional endings. Here are some examples:
Tenses in Sinhala indicate the time of an action. There are three primary tenses we will focus on: '''Present''', '''Past''', and '''Future'''. Each tense has its own unique form and usage.
 
=== Present Tense ===
 
The present tense is used to describe actions happening now or general truths. In Sinhala, the present tense is often marked by specific verb endings.
 
==== Present Tense Structure ====
 
For most verbs, the present tense is formed by adding the suffix '''-යි''' ('''-yi''') or '''-නවා''' ('''-navā''') to the root verb.
 
Examples:


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Sinhala !! Present tense !! Past tense !! Future tense
 
! Sinhala !! Pronunciation !! English
 
|-
 
| මම කතා කළා || mama kathā kaḷā || I speak
 
|-
|-
| කරනවා (karənawaa) || I do || කරාවී (karawaayi) || කරනවාද? (karənawaada?) Will I do?
 
| ඔහු යන්නේ || ohu yannē || He is going
 
|-
|-
| හරිමටත් (hari-mattə) || We like || හරිමු (hari-muu) || හරිමටත්ද? (hari-mattada?) Will we like?
 
| අපි ආවේ || api āvē || We come
 
|-
|-
| යවන්නෙ (yavaanɛ́) || They give || දෙනවා (dənavaa) || යවන්නෙද? (yavaanɛ̀da?) Will they give?
 
| ඔබ බලනවා || oba balanavā || You see
 
|-
 
| ඔයා හොයාගන්නවා || oyā hoyāgannavā || You find
 
|}
|}


=== Non-Standard Verbs ===
=== Past Tense ===


Non-standard verbs, also known as irregular verbs, do not follow the same predictable pattern as standard verbs. They must be memorized individually. Here are a few examples:
The past tense describes actions that have already happened. In Sinhala, the past tense can be formed by changing the verb ending.
 
==== Past Tense Structure ====
 
Past tense is typically formed by adding the suffix '''-ලා''' ('''-lā''') or '''-නවා''' ('''-navā''') to the root verb.
 
Examples:
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
! Sinhala !! Pronunciation !! English
 
|-
 
| මම කථා කළා || mama kathā kaḷā || I spoke
 
|-
 
| ඔහු ගියා || ohu giyā || He went
 
|-
 
| අපි ආවා || api āvā || We came
 
|-
 
| ඔබ බලලා || oba balalā || You saw
 
|-
 
| ඔයා හොයාගත්තා || oyā hoyāgatthā || You found
 
|}
 
=== Future Tense ===
 
The future tense is used to express actions that will happen. It is formed by adding the suffix '''-න්නේ''' ('''-nnē''') or '''-නවා''' ('''-navā''') to the root verb.
 
==== Future Tense Structure ====
 
Examples:


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
! Sinhala !! Present tense !! Past tense !! English
 
! Sinhala !! Pronunciation !! English
 
|-
 
| මම කථා කරන්නම් || mama kathā karannam || I will speak
 
|-
|-
| මිලදී (milədi) || I come || මිලියම් (miliyam) || Came
 
| ඔහු යනවා || ohu yānawā || He will go
 
|-
|-
| ඔබ කතා කරමු (obə kathaa karamu) || You speak || ඔබ කතා කළා (obə kathaa kəlaa) || Spoke
 
| අපි ආවන්නම් || api āvannam || We will come
 
|-
|-
| ඔහු යවනවා (ohu yavaanawaa) || He gives || ඔහු යවී (ohu yavaayi) || Gave
 
| ඔබ බලන්න || oba balanna || You will see
 
|-
 
| ඔයා හොයාගන්නවා || oyā hoyāgannavā || You will find
 
|}
|}


== Tenses ==
== Examples of Verbs in Different Tenses ==
 
Let’s delve deeper into how verbs change according to the tense, using more examples:
 
=== Present Tense Examples ===
 
* I eat rice. (මම බත් කනවා || mama bath kanavā)
 
* She reads a book. (ඇය පොත කියනවා || æya potha kiyanavā)
 
* They play cricket. (ඔවුන් ක්‍රිකට් ක්‍රීඩා කරනවා || ovun krikaṭ krīḍā karanavā)
 
* We dance at the party. (අපි පක්ෂයේ නටනවා || api pakṣayē naṭanavā)
 
* You write a letter. (ඔබ ලිපිය ලියනවා || oba lipiya liyānawā)
 
=== Past Tense Examples ===
 
* I ate rice. (මම බත් කාලා || mama bath kālā)
 
* She read a book. (ඇය පොත කියලා || æya potha kiyalā)
 
* They played cricket. (ඔවුන් ක්‍රිකට් ක්‍රීඩා කළා || ovun krikaṭ krīḍā kaḷā)
 
* We danced at the party. (අපි පක්ෂයේ නටලා || api pakṣayē naṭalā)
 
* You wrote a letter. (ඔබ ලිපිය ලියා || oba lipiya liyā)
 
=== Future Tense Examples ===
 
* I will eat rice. (මම බත් කනවා || mama bath kanavā)
 
* She will read a book. (ඇය පොත කියනවා || æya potha kiyanavā)
 
* They will play cricket. (ඔවුන් ක්‍රිකට් ක්‍රීඩා කරනවා || ovun krikaṭ krīḍā karanavā)
 
* We will dance at the party. (අපි පක්ෂයේ නටනවා || api pakṣayē naṭanavā)
 
* You will write a letter. (ඔබ ලිපිය ලියනවා || oba lipiya liyānawā)
 
== Practice Exercises ==
 
Now that we have explored the verbs and tenses thoroughly, it's your turn to practice! Here are some exercises to reinforce your learning:
 
=== Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks ===
 
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.
 
1. මම (යන්න) ______.
 
2. ඇය (කියන්න) ______.
 
3. ඔවුන් (ඉන්න) ______.
 
4. අපි (ඉස්සර) ______.
 
5. ඔබ (කන්න) ______.
 
=== Exercise 2: Translate the Sentences ===
 
Translate the following sentences into Sinhala.
 
1. I will find a book.
 
2. They saw the movie.


In Sinhala, tense is the grammatical category that signals the time of an action or event. There are three main tenses: past, present, and future.
3. She eats rice.


=== Present Tense ===
4. We went to the beach.
 
5. You will play cricket.
 
=== Exercise 3: Verb Tense Identification ===
 
Identify the tense of the following sentences.
 
1. මම පාසලට යනවා.
 
2. ඔහු කථා කළා.
 
3. අපි ගියා.
 
4. ඇය පොත කියනවා.
 
5. ඔවුන් ක්‍රිකට් ක්‍රීඩා කරනවා.
 
=== Exercise 4: Create Your Own Sentences ===
 
Using the verbs below, create sentences in different tenses.
 
1. (කන්න)
 
2. (යන්න)
 
3. (කථා කළා)
 
4. (ඉන්න)
 
5. (හිතන්න)
 
=== Exercise 5: Matching Exercise ===
 
Match the Sinhala sentences with their English translations.
 
1. මම කථා කරනවා.
 
2. ඔහු ගියා.
 
3. ඔබ බලනවා.
 
4. අපි ආවා.
 
5. ඔවුන් කෑවා.
 
A. You see. 
 
B. They ate. 
 
C. I am speaking. 
 
D. He went. 
 
E. We came. 
 
=== Exercise 6: Verb Conjugation ===
 
Conjugate the verb "කන්න" (to eat) in all three tenses:
 
1. Present
 
2. Past
 
3. Future
 
=== Exercise 7: Change the Tense ===
 
Rewrite the following sentences in the past tense.
 
1. මම යනවා.
 
2. ඔබ බලනවා.
 
3. ඔහු හිතනවා.
 
4. අපි කතා කරනවා.
 
5. ඔවුන් සෙල්ලම් කරනවා.
 
=== Exercise 8: Sentence Correction ===
 
Correct the following sentences if they contain any mistakes.
 
1. ඔහු කථා කළා.
 
2. මම බලනවා.
 
3. අපි කන්න.
 
4. ඔබ යනවා.
 
5. ඔවුන් ආවා.
 
=== Exercise 9: Describe Your Day ===
 
Write a short paragraph about your day using at least five verbs in different tenses.
 
=== Exercise 10: Role Play ===
 
Pair up with a partner and create a dialogue using verbs in different tenses. One person describes their day, while the other asks questions.
 
== Solutions to Exercises ==
 
=== Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks ===
 
1. මම (යන්න) යනවා.
 
2. ඇය (කියන්න) කියනවා.
 
3. ඔවුන් (ඉන්න) ඉන්නවා.
 
4. අපි (ඉස්සර) ගියෙමු.
 
5. ඔබ (කන්න) කනවා.
 
=== Exercise 2: Translate the Sentences ===
 
1. මම පොත හොයාගන්නවා.
 
2. ඔවුන් චිත්‍රපටය දැකලා.
 
3. ඇය බත් කනවා.
 
4. අපි මුහුදට ගියා.
 
5. ඔබ ක්‍රිකට් ක්‍රීඩා කරන්නෙමු.
 
=== Exercise 3: Verb Tense Identification ===
 
1. Present
 
2. Past
 
3. Past
 
4. Present
 
5. Present
 
=== Exercise 4: Create Your Own Sentences ===
 
(Answers will vary. Here are examples.)
 
1. මම කන්න යනවා. (I will go to eat.)
 
2. ඇය යන්න යනවා. (She is going.)
 
3. ඔහු කථා කළා. (He spoke.)
 
4. අපි ඉන්නෙමු. (We are being.)
 
5. ඔවුන් හිතනවා. (They think.)
 
=== Exercise 5: Matching Exercise ===
 
1 - C 
 
2 - D 
 
3 - A 
 
4 - E 
 
5 - B 
 
=== Exercise 6: Verb Conjugation ===
 
1. Present: කනවා (kanavā) 
 
2. Past: කාලා (kālā) 
 
3. Future: කන්නම් (kannam) 


The present tense is used to describe present actions or ongoing events happening right now. In Sinhala, the present tense is formed by using the verb stem.
=== Exercise 7: Change the Tense ===


Here are some examples:
1. මම ගියෙමි. 


* මම පැන ගත්තා (mama pæna gaththa) - I am studying
2. ඔබ බලලා. 
* අපි කොටස් දෙනවා (api kotəs dənavaa) - We give lessons
* ඇය කරලා තවත් කතාකරනවා (aayi karalaa thawath kathàkarənawaa) - She is talking about something else


=== Past Tense ===
3. ඔහු හිතාගිය. 


The past tense is used to describe actions or events that happened in the past. In Sinhala, the past tense is formed by adding "-ා" (-aa) or "-කා" (-kaa) to the verb stem, depending on the verb type.
4. අපි කථා කළා.


Here are some examples:
5. ඔවුන් සෙල්ලම් කළා. 


* මම පැන ගත්තාව (mama pæna gaththawaa) - I studied
=== Exercise 8: Sentence Correction ===
* අපි කොටස් දෙනවාව (api kotəs dənavaa) - We gave lessons
* ඇය කරලා කතා කරනවාව (aayi karalaa kathaa karənavaa) - She talked


=== Future Tense ===
(Answers will vary depending on the original sentences provided.)


The future tense is used to describe actions or events that will happen in the future. In Sinhala, the future tense is formed by adding "-දෙනවා" (-dənavaa) to the verb stem.
=== Exercise 9: Describe Your Day ===


Here are some examples:
(Answers will vary. Student should construct a paragraph using verbs in different tenses.)


* මම පැන ගත්තවාද? (mama pæna gaththavaada?) - Will I study?
=== Exercise 10: Role Play ===
* ඔබ කොටස් දෙනවාද? (obə kotəs dənavaa-da?) - Will you give lessons?
* ඇය කරනවාද? (aayi karənavaa-da?) - Will she talk?


== Conclusion ==
(Answers will vary. Student should engage in a dialogue using verbs from different tenses.)


Learning verbs and tenses is essential to communicating effectively in any language. In this lesson, we explored the basics of verb conjugation in Sinhala, including standard and non-standard verbs, and the formation of past, present, and future tenses. Keep practicing, and you will soon be able to express yourself in Sinhala with confidence!
Congratulations on completing the lesson on '''Verbs and Tenses''' in Sinhala! Remember, practice is key to mastering these concepts, so keep using verbs in different tenses as you continue your journey in learning Sinhala.


{{#seo:
{{#seo:
|title=Sinhala Grammar - Unit 2: Basic Grammar - Verbs and Tenses
 
|keywords=Sinhala, Sinhala language, Sinhala verbs, Sinhala verb tenses, standard verbs, non-standard verbs, present tense, past tense, future tense, learning Sinhala
|title=Sinhala Grammar - Verbs and Tenses
|description=In this lesson, you will learn how to use verbs and tenses to express actions and events in the past, present, and future in Sinhala.
 
|keywords=Sinhala, verbs, tenses, language learning, grammar
 
|description=In this lesson, you will learn how to use verbs and tenses to express actions and events in Sinhala, aimed at complete beginners.
 
}}
}}


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==Videos==
===Learn Sinhala - present and future tense verbs - YouTube===
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF9EopLbccs</youtube>
==Sources==
* [https://shanthivihara.co.uk/sites/default/files/file/KS3/Sinhalese%20-%20present%20and%20past%20tense%20verbs.pdf Sinhala Lessons - present and past tense verbs]
* [https://mar.naturaeco.com/static?id=0597196&hl=en&source=english-grammar-in-sinhala.pdf (PDF) English Grammar In Sinhala]
==Other Lessons==
* [[Language/Sinhala/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be|How to Use Be]]
* [[Language/Sinhala/Grammar/Sinhala-Slang-and-Colloquialisms|Sinhala Slang and Colloquialisms]]
* [[Language/Sinhala/Grammar/Pronouns|Pronouns]]
* [[Language/Sinhala/Grammar/Give-your-Opinion|Give your Opinion]]
* [[Language/Sinhala/Grammar/Future-Tense|Future Tense]]
* [[Language/Sinhala/Grammar/Sinhala-Alphabet|Sinhala Alphabet]]
* [[Language/Sinhala/Grammar/Adjectives-and-Adverbs|Adjectives and Adverbs]]
* [[Language/Sinhala/Grammar/How-to-Use-Have|How to Use Have]]
* [[Language/Sinhala/Grammar/Adjectives|Adjectives]]
* [[Language/Sinhala/Grammar/0-to-A1-Course|0 to A1 Course]]


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Latest revision as of 14:10, 1 August 2024

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Sinhala → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Verbs and Tenses

Welcome to this exciting lesson on Verbs and Tenses in Sinhala! Understanding verbs and tenses is crucial for expressing actions and events clearly in any language, including Sinhala. As you embark on this journey, you’ll discover how to convey what happened in the past, what is happening now, and what will happen in the future.

In this lesson, we will cover the following sections:

Importance of Verbs and Tenses in Sinhala[edit | edit source]

Verbs are the heart of any sentence, acting as the action or state of being. Tenses help us place those actions in time. In Sinhala, just like in English, using the correct tense is essential for clear communication. Whether you’re telling a friend about your day, describing an event, or planning for the future, knowing how to use verbs and their respective tenses will empower you to express yourself more fluently.

Structure of the Lesson[edit | edit source]

1. Introduction to Sinhala Verbs

2. Tenses Explained

  • Present Tense
  • Past Tense
  • Future Tense

3. Examples of Verbs in Different Tenses

4. Practice Exercises

5. Solutions to Exercises

Introduction to Sinhala Verbs[edit | edit source]

Verbs in Sinhala are words that describe actions, conditions, or occurrences. They can indicate what someone is doing or what is happening around them. For beginners, it’s essential to learn some common verbs that you’ll use frequently in conversation.

Common Sinhala Verbs[edit | edit source]

Here’s a list of some common Sinhala verbs:

Sinhala Pronunciation English
කථා කළා kathā kaḷā spoke
යන්න yanna to go
ආවේ āvē came
බලන්න balanna to see
හොයාගන්න hoyāganna to find
සෙල්ලම් කරන්න sellam karanna to play
කන්න kanna to eat
පියවර piyavara to step
ඉන්න inna to be
හිතන්න hitanna to think

Tenses Explained[edit | edit source]

Tenses in Sinhala indicate the time of an action. There are three primary tenses we will focus on: Present, Past, and Future. Each tense has its own unique form and usage.

Present Tense[edit | edit source]

The present tense is used to describe actions happening now or general truths. In Sinhala, the present tense is often marked by specific verb endings.

Present Tense Structure[edit | edit source]

For most verbs, the present tense is formed by adding the suffix -යි (-yi) or -නවා (-navā) to the root verb.

Examples:

Sinhala Pronunciation English
මම කතා කළා mama kathā kaḷā I speak
ඔහු යන්නේ ohu yannē He is going
අපි ආවේ api āvē We come
ඔබ බලනවා oba balanavā You see
ඔයා හොයාගන්නවා oyā hoyāgannavā You find

Past Tense[edit | edit source]

The past tense describes actions that have already happened. In Sinhala, the past tense can be formed by changing the verb ending.

Past Tense Structure[edit | edit source]

Past tense is typically formed by adding the suffix -ලා (-lā) or -නවා (-navā) to the root verb.

Examples:

Sinhala Pronunciation English
මම කථා කළා mama kathā kaḷā I spoke
ඔහු ගියා ohu giyā He went
අපි ආවා api āvā We came
ඔබ බලලා oba balalā You saw
ඔයා හොයාගත්තා oyā hoyāgatthā You found

Future Tense[edit | edit source]

The future tense is used to express actions that will happen. It is formed by adding the suffix -න්නේ (-nnē) or -නවා (-navā) to the root verb.

Future Tense Structure[edit | edit source]

Examples:

Sinhala Pronunciation English
මම කථා කරන්නම් mama kathā karannam I will speak
ඔහු යනවා ohu yānawā He will go
අපි ආවන්නම් api āvannam We will come
ඔබ බලන්න oba balanna You will see
ඔයා හොයාගන්නවා oyā hoyāgannavā You will find

Examples of Verbs in Different Tenses[edit | edit source]

Let’s delve deeper into how verbs change according to the tense, using more examples:

Present Tense Examples[edit | edit source]

  • I eat rice. (මම බත් කනවා || mama bath kanavā)
  • She reads a book. (ඇය පොත කියනවා || æya potha kiyanavā)
  • They play cricket. (ඔවුන් ක්‍රිකට් ක්‍රීඩා කරනවා || ovun krikaṭ krīḍā karanavā)
  • We dance at the party. (අපි පක්ෂයේ නටනවා || api pakṣayē naṭanavā)
  • You write a letter. (ඔබ ලිපිය ලියනවා || oba lipiya liyānawā)

Past Tense Examples[edit | edit source]

  • I ate rice. (මම බත් කාලා || mama bath kālā)
  • She read a book. (ඇය පොත කියලා || æya potha kiyalā)
  • They played cricket. (ඔවුන් ක්‍රිකට් ක්‍රීඩා කළා || ovun krikaṭ krīḍā kaḷā)
  • We danced at the party. (අපි පක්ෂයේ නටලා || api pakṣayē naṭalā)
  • You wrote a letter. (ඔබ ලිපිය ලියා || oba lipiya liyā)

Future Tense Examples[edit | edit source]

  • I will eat rice. (මම බත් කනවා || mama bath kanavā)
  • She will read a book. (ඇය පොත කියනවා || æya potha kiyanavā)
  • They will play cricket. (ඔවුන් ක්‍රිකට් ක්‍රීඩා කරනවා || ovun krikaṭ krīḍā karanavā)
  • We will dance at the party. (අපි පක්ෂයේ නටනවා || api pakṣayē naṭanavā)
  • You will write a letter. (ඔබ ලිපිය ලියනවා || oba lipiya liyānawā)

Practice Exercises[edit | edit source]

Now that we have explored the verbs and tenses thoroughly, it's your turn to practice! Here are some exercises to reinforce your learning:

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks[edit | edit source]

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.

1. මම (යන්න) ______.

2. ඇය (කියන්න) ______.

3. ඔවුන් (ඉන්න) ______.

4. අපි (ඉස්සර) ______.

5. ඔබ (කන්න) ______.

Exercise 2: Translate the Sentences[edit | edit source]

Translate the following sentences into Sinhala.

1. I will find a book.

2. They saw the movie.

3. She eats rice.

4. We went to the beach.

5. You will play cricket.

Exercise 3: Verb Tense Identification[edit | edit source]

Identify the tense of the following sentences.

1. මම පාසලට යනවා.

2. ඔහු කථා කළා.

3. අපි ගියා.

4. ඇය පොත කියනවා.

5. ඔවුන් ක්‍රිකට් ක්‍රීඩා කරනවා.

Exercise 4: Create Your Own Sentences[edit | edit source]

Using the verbs below, create sentences in different tenses.

1. (කන්න)

2. (යන්න)

3. (කථා කළා)

4. (ඉන්න)

5. (හිතන්න)

Exercise 5: Matching Exercise[edit | edit source]

Match the Sinhala sentences with their English translations.

1. මම කථා කරනවා.

2. ඔහු ගියා.

3. ඔබ බලනවා.

4. අපි ආවා.

5. ඔවුන් කෑවා.

A. You see.

B. They ate.

C. I am speaking.

D. He went.

E. We came.

Exercise 6: Verb Conjugation[edit | edit source]

Conjugate the verb "කන්න" (to eat) in all three tenses:

1. Present

2. Past

3. Future

Exercise 7: Change the Tense[edit | edit source]

Rewrite the following sentences in the past tense.

1. මම යනවා.

2. ඔබ බලනවා.

3. ඔහු හිතනවා.

4. අපි කතා කරනවා.

5. ඔවුන් සෙල්ලම් කරනවා.

Exercise 8: Sentence Correction[edit | edit source]

Correct the following sentences if they contain any mistakes.

1. ඔහු කථා කළා.

2. මම බලනවා.

3. අපි කන්න.

4. ඔබ යනවා.

5. ඔවුන් ආවා.

Exercise 9: Describe Your Day[edit | edit source]

Write a short paragraph about your day using at least five verbs in different tenses.

Exercise 10: Role Play[edit | edit source]

Pair up with a partner and create a dialogue using verbs in different tenses. One person describes their day, while the other asks questions.

Solutions to Exercises[edit | edit source]

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks[edit | edit source]

1. මම (යන්න) යනවා.

2. ඇය (කියන්න) කියනවා.

3. ඔවුන් (ඉන්න) ඉන්නවා.

4. අපි (ඉස්සර) ගියෙමු.

5. ඔබ (කන්න) කනවා.

Exercise 2: Translate the Sentences[edit | edit source]

1. මම පොත හොයාගන්නවා.

2. ඔවුන් චිත්‍රපටය දැකලා.

3. ඇය බත් කනවා.

4. අපි මුහුදට ගියා.

5. ඔබ ක්‍රිකට් ක්‍රීඩා කරන්නෙමු.

Exercise 3: Verb Tense Identification[edit | edit source]

1. Present

2. Past

3. Past

4. Present

5. Present

Exercise 4: Create Your Own Sentences[edit | edit source]

(Answers will vary. Here are examples.)

1. මම කන්න යනවා. (I will go to eat.)

2. ඇය යන්න යනවා. (She is going.)

3. ඔහු කථා කළා. (He spoke.)

4. අපි ඉන්නෙමු. (We are being.)

5. ඔවුන් හිතනවා. (They think.)

Exercise 5: Matching Exercise[edit | edit source]

1 - C

2 - D

3 - A

4 - E

5 - B

Exercise 6: Verb Conjugation[edit | edit source]

1. Present: කනවා (kanavā)

2. Past: කාලා (kālā)

3. Future: කන්නම් (kannam)

Exercise 7: Change the Tense[edit | edit source]

1. මම ගියෙමි.

2. ඔබ බලලා.

3. ඔහු හිතාගිය.

4. අපි කථා කළා.

5. ඔවුන් සෙල්ලම් කළා.

Exercise 8: Sentence Correction[edit | edit source]

(Answers will vary depending on the original sentences provided.)

Exercise 9: Describe Your Day[edit | edit source]

(Answers will vary. Student should construct a paragraph using verbs in different tenses.)

Exercise 10: Role Play[edit | edit source]

(Answers will vary. Student should engage in a dialogue using verbs from different tenses.)

Congratulations on completing the lesson on Verbs and Tenses in Sinhala! Remember, practice is key to mastering these concepts, so keep using verbs in different tenses as you continue your journey in learning Sinhala.

Table of Contents - Sinhala Course - 0 to A1[edit source]


Unit 1: Introduction


Unit 2: Basic Grammar


Unit 3: Sinhala Culture


Unit 4: Daily Life


Unit 5: Advanced Grammar


Unit 6: Sinhala Society


Unit 7: Holidays and Travel


Unit 8: Conversational Sinhala


Unit 9: Sinhala History


Unit 10: Proficiency Test Preparation

Videos[edit | edit source]

Learn Sinhala - present and future tense verbs - YouTube[edit | edit source]


Sources[edit | edit source]


Other Lessons[edit | edit source]



◀️ Nouns and Pronouns — Previous Lesson Next Lesson — Festivals and Celebrations ▶️

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