Language/Telugu/Grammar/Tenses
As a Telugu language teacher with 20 years of experience, I am excited to introduce you to the Telugu tenses. Understanding verb tenses is crucial for effective communication in any language. In this lesson, you will learn about the different Telugu tenses and their usage in sentences.
What are Telugu Tenses?
Telugu tenses indicate when an action or event took place. Like English, Telugu also has three primary tenses: past, present, and future. Telugu verbs change according to the tense to convey the correct meaning of the sentence.
Telugu Verb Conjugation
The basic structure of Telugu verbs is similar to that of English verbs. A Telugu verb consists of a root form that is modified by adding prefixes or suffixes to indicate tense, aspect, and mood. The root form of a Telugu verb does not change, except in rare cases.
The present tense of Telugu verbs is formed by adding '-u' or '-utunnanu' to the root form for singular and plural subjects, respectively. The past tense is formed by adding '-di' or '-du' to the root form for singular and plural subjects, respectively. The future tense is formed by adding '-istunnanu' to the root form for both singular and plural subjects.
Telugu Tenses
Present Tense
The present tense shows an action that is happening right now. It is also used to describe habits, customs, or general truths. Below are some examples of the Telugu present tense.
| Telugu | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| నేను కూర్చోను | nēnu kurchōnu | I am sitting |
| అతను ఒక పాపి అవుతున్నాడు | atanu oka pāpi avutunnādu | He is a sinner |
| మీరు అది చేస్తారు | mīru adi cēstāru | You do that |
Past Tense
The past tense shows an action that has already happened. It is also used to describe a habitual action in the past. Below are some examples of the Telugu past tense.
| Telugu | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| నేను కూర్చుంది | nēnu kūrcundi | I was sitting |
| అతను ఒక పాపి అయిపోయాడు | atanu oka pāpi ayipōyādu | He became a sinner |
| మీరు అది చేసారు | mīru adi cēsāru | You did that |
Future Tense
The future tense shows an action that will happen in the future. It is also used to indicate an action in the present with a future time reference. Below are some examples of the Telugu future tense.
| Telugu | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| నేను కూర్చుకోసం ఉంటాను | nēnu kūrcukōsaṁ uṇṭānu | I will be sitting |
| అతను ఒక పాపి అయిపోతుందాడు | atanu oka pāpi ayipōtundādu | He will become a sinner |
| మీరు అది చేస్తారని ఉన్నారు | mīru adi cēstārani unnāru | You will do that |
Conclusion
In this lesson, you learned about the Telugu tenses and how to use them in sentences. Understanding the tenses is crucial for effective communication in Telugu. Remember to practice using these tenses in your daily conversations. Stay tuned for the next lesson on Telugu adjectives.
Related Lessons
- Nouns and Pronouns
- Nouns
- Verbs
- Questions
- Prepositions
- Gender
- Future Tense
- Conjunctions
- How to Use Be