Language/Assamese/Grammar/Present-Tense

Assamese → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Verbs and Tenses → Present Tense

Learning a new language can be exciting and challenging. As beginners, it is important to start with the basics, including the present tense in Assamese. The present tense is used to describe ongoing actions or repeated actions happening in the present. In this lesson, we will learn how to form and use the present tense in Assamese, including regular and irregular verbs, conjugation rules, and examples in sentences.

Regular Verbs

Regular verbs are verbs that follow the same conjugation pattern in the present tense. In Assamese, the present tense of regular verbs is formed by dropping the infinitive ending "-bo" and adding the following endings depending on the subject pronouns:

Subject Pronouns	Conjugation Endings
I	-u
You (Singular)	-e
He/She/It	-e
We	-imãn
You (Plural)	-isi
They	-ãne

Let's take the regular verb "khorisu" (to eat) as an example:

Assamese	Pronunciation	English
মই খোৰিছো	moi khorisso	I eat
তুমি খোৰিছো	tumi khorisso	You eat
তলৈ খোৰিছে	tôlôi khorishe	He/She/It eats
আমি খোৰিমান	ami khorimãn	We eat
তুমি খোৰিছিঃ	tumi khorisii	You eat (Plural)
তেওঁলও খোৰিছে	teólólòi khorishe	They eat

As you can see from the table, the verb stem "khorisu" remains the same for all pronouns except for the first person singular "moi" where it becomes "khorisso". Also, the endings of the present tense change according to the subject pronouns.

It is important to note that Assamese verbs don't distinguish gender. Thus, the third person singular pronoun "tôlôi" can refer to he, she, or it depending on the context.

Here are some more examples of regular verbs with different endings:

Assamese	Pronunciation	English
মই পঢ়ো	moi pôrô	I read
তুমি পঢ়া	tumi pôrã	You read
তলৈ পঢ়ে	tôlôi pôre	He/She/It reads
আমি খাই	ami khai	We eat
তুমি খাওক	tumi khaok	You eat (Plural)
তেওঁলও খায়	teólólòi khae	They eat

Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs, as the name suggests, don't follow the same conjugation pattern as regular verbs. In Assamese, there are some common irregular verbs that have their own unique conjugation in the present tense. Here are some examples:

Assamese	Pronunciation	English
থাকু	thaku	to stay
আছো	acho	to be (informal)
আছে	achê	to be (formal)
জানো	janô	to know
দেখো	dêkho	to see
শোনো	shonô	to hear

Let's take the irregular verb "thaku" (to stay) as an example:

Assamese	Pronunciation	English
মই থাকো	moi thako	I stay
তুমি থাকে	tumi thakê	You stay
তলৈ থাকো	tôlôi thako	He/She/It stays
আমি থাকিমান	ami thakimãn	We stay
তুমি থাকibo	tumi thakibo	You stay (Plural)
তেওঁলও থাকে	teólólòi thakê	They stay

As you can see, the verb "thaku" doesn't follow the same conjugation pattern as regular verbs. However, it's important to note that irregular verbs can have their own specific rules, so it's best to memorize them individually.

Using the Present Tense

Now that we know how to form the present tense in Assamese, let's look at some examples of sentences using the present tense:

• মই খোৰিছো। (moi khorisso) - I eat.
• তুমি কেনেকৈ লৰাই আছে। (tumi kênêkoi lorai achê) - You are fighting with someone.
• তলৈ খেলাত আছে। (tôlôi khêlat achê) - He/She/It is playing.
• আমি পঢ়া পারাহোৱা কিবা নায়। (ami pôra parahowã kiba nay) - I can't read.
• তুমি দেখিছাও। (tumi dêkhichao) - You see too.

Here are some important things to keep in mind while using the present tense:

• It is used to describe actions happening in the present, ongoing actions, and repeated actions.
• The present tense doesn't distinguish between the simple present and present continuous forms.
• The subject pronouns can be omitted if the context is clear.
• The verb endings of regular verbs and the conjugation of irregular verbs must be memorized for accurate usage.

Conclusion

Congratulations on completing this lesson on the present tense in Assamese! By now, you should be familiar with how to form and use the present tense with regular and irregular verbs. Keep practicing and using simple sentences to improve your fluency in Assamese. In the next lesson, we will cover the past tense in Assamese.

Table of Contents - Assamese Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Introduction to Assamese Script

• Vowels and Consonants
• Combined Letters

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Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

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Basic Sentence Structure

• Subject, Verb, and Object
• Questions and Negations

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Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-10
• Telling Time

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Nouns and Pronouns

• Gender and Plurals
• Personal Pronouns

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Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationship Terms

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Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense

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Food and Dining

• Common Foods
• Eating Out

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Comparatives and Superlatives

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Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transport
• Directions and Locations

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Assamese Festivals and Traditions

• Major Festivals
• Traditional Customs