Language/Kashmiri/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be

Kashmiri Grammar - How to Use "Be"

Hi Kashmiri learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to use the "be" verb in Kashmiri. "Be" verb is a very basic aspect of grammar in any language. It is used to indicate a state, identity, existence, or possession. For example, "I am happy," "You are tall," "She is a doctor," and so on. Learning how to use "be" verb in Kashmiri is important if you want to speak clearly and accurately. In this lesson, we will cover everything you need to know about using "be" verb in Kashmiri. Let's get started!

The Kashmiri "Be" Verb

The Kashmiri "be" verb is called राहन (rāhan). It is an irregular verb and varies depending on the gender and number of the subject. The present tense of the verb can be translated into English as "is," "am," "are," or "be."

Let's take a look at some examples:

Kashmiri	Pronunciation	English
मेरी सौंफ कथेह राहन	meri saunf katheh rāhan	My fennel is here.
ज़ोवन राहन	zovan rāhan	Youth is here.
अश़्क राहन	ashq rāhan	Tears are here.

In the above examples, the verb "rāhan" is used to indicate the existence or presence of something. "meri saunf katheh rāhan" means "my fennel is here," "zovan rāhan" means "youth is here," and "ashq rāhan" means "tears are here." In these examples, the verb agrees with the subject in gender and number. Note that the Hindi script sometimes uses रहना (rahna) instead of राहन (rāhan). Both forms are correct in Kashmiri.

Let's take a look at some more examples:

Kashmiri	Pronunciation	English
तालाब मि हानुमन राहन	talāb mi hānuman rāhan	Hanuman is in the pond.
अस्सि सुन्दर नौखरोज़ राहन	assay sunder naukharōz rāhan	The beautiful boats are there.
मे॒हबू॒बा रात्ति राहन	mehbuuba ratti rāhan	Mehbooba is at night.

In the above examples, the verb "rāhan" is used to indicate the location or position of something. "talāb mi hānuman rāhan" means "Hanuman is in the pond," "assay sunder naukharōz rāhan" means "The beautiful boats are there," and "mehbuuba ratti rāhan" means "Mehbooba is at night." In these examples, the verb agrees with the subject in gender and number.

Negative "Be" in Kashmiri

To make a sentence negative using the "be" verb, we add न्ये (nye) before the verb. For example, "I am not happy" would be "मैय न्ये मस्त हाय" (mayya nae mast hay). Similarly, "You are not tall" would be "तुज्य न्ये उंच" (tujya nye unch).

Let's take a look at some more examples:

Kashmiri	Pronunciation	English
हैरान न्ये दुर	hairān nye dur	He is not far.
मैय न्ये सच नैन आसि	mayya nye sach nain āssi	I am not seeing the truth.
ज़ाकिर न्ये लो कष्ट देतन	zākir nye lo kaṣṭ detan	Zakir is not causing trouble.

In the above examples, न्ये (nye) is used to negate the verb. "hairān nye dur" means "He is not far," "mayya nye sach nain āssi" means "I am not seeing the truth," and "zākir nye lo kaṣṭ detan" means "Zakir is not causing trouble." In these examples, न्ये (nye) is always placed before the verb.

Interrogative "Be" in Kashmiri

To ask a question using the "be" verb, we simply reverse the order of the subject and verb. For example, "Are you happy?" would be "तुज्या मस्त हाय?" (tujya mast hay?). Similarly, "Is he tall?" would be "कै ऊंच हान?" (kai unch han?)

Let's take a look at some more examples:

Kashmiri	Pronunciation	English
आसिय दुख़ी ने?	āsiya dukhi nye?	Are you sad?
को खूबसुरत नौंह अस्सि?	ko khūbasurat nauh assay?	Whose pretty boat is this?
वावुयफ भाग्यशाली चूं?	vāvuyaf bhāgyashālī chum?	Is Vavuyaf lucky?

In the above examples, the subject and verb are reversed to ask a question using the "be" verb. "āsiya dukhi nye?" means "Are you sad?" "ko khūbasurat nauh assay?" means "Whose pretty boat is this?" and "vāvuyaf bhāgyashālī chum?" means "Is Vavuyaf lucky?"

Dialogue

Here is a dialogue to help you practice using the "be" verb in Kashmiri:

• Person 1: त्रावरित अस्सि? (trāvarit assay?) (Are you married?)
• Person 2: न्या, मैय अब्भी कशूर जोन मि पनलोंग। (nyā, maiya abbhi kašūr jon mi panlōng) (No, I am still studying in Kashmir.)

• Person 1: यी ज़ाकीर कष्ट देतन हान? (yi zākir kaṣṭ detan han?) (Does Zakir cause trouble?)
• Person 2: न्ये, उन्न सौंफ कथेह राहन. (nye, unn saunf katheh rāhan) (No, he has his fennel here.)

Conclusion

In this lesson, we learned how to use the "be" verb in Kashmiri. We saw that it is an important aspect of grammar in any language, and that it is used to indicate a state, identity, existence, or possession. We also learned how to make sentences negative and interrogative using the "be" verb. Finally, we practiced using the "be" verb in a dialogue. To improve your Kashmiri Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

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