Language/Malayalam/Grammar/Present-Tense-Verbs
As a Malayalam language teacher, I believe that one of the most important things you can learn in Malayalam grammar is the present tense verbs. As a complete beginner, this can seem like a daunting task, but fear not, I am here to guide you through it with cultural information and interesting facts.
What are Present Tense Verbs?
The present tense is used to describe something that is currently happening or ongoing. The present tense verbs in Malayalam are no different. In Malayalam, verbs change depending on the subject of the sentence, meaning that you need to learn the different subject pronouns before starting to use present tense verbs.
Subject Pronouns
Before we dive into present tense verbs, let's discuss subject pronouns. Subject pronouns in Malayalam are essential to form sentences with verbs. This is because the verb changes depending on the subject pronoun.
Malayalam has different subject pronouns for singular and plural subjects. They are:
- ഞാൻ (njaan) - I
- നീ (nee) - You (singular)
- അവൻ (avan) - He
- അവള് (aval) - She
- അവൾ (avul) - They (Feminine)
- അവര് (avar) - They (Masculine)
Note: These subject pronouns are specific to formal Malayalam. Colloquial Malayalam tends to use contracted forms.
Present Tense Verb Endings
Once you know the subject pronoun, you can follow these endings to form present tense verbs in Malayalam:
| Subject | Ending |
|---|---|
| ഞാൻ (njaan) | -എന്ന് (ennum) |
| നീ (nee) | -ത്തു (ttu) |
| അവൻ (avan) | -ഉക (uka) |
| അവള് (aval) | -ഉക (uka) |
| അവൾ (avul) | -കൾ (kaL) |
| അവര് (avar) | -കൾ (kaL) |
Note: There is no present tense verb ending for the subject അവൽ (aval), as it is considered colloquial Malayalam.
Examples
Now that we know the subject pronouns and the verb endings used to form present tense verbs in Malayalam let's learn how to use them in sentences.
Example 1: ഞാൻ കൂടി ചെയ്തു (Njaan koodi cheythu)
This sentence means "I did it together". To form this sentence, start with the subject pronoun for "I," which is "ഞാൻ (njaan)." Then, add the present tense verb ending "-എന്ന് (ennum)," which is added to the end of the verb root "ചെയ്യു (cheyyu)" to get "ചെയ്തു (cheythu)." Finally, add the word "കൂടി (koodi)" which means "together." The sentence forms as "ഞാൻ കൂടി ചെയ്തു (Njaan koodi cheythu)" which stands for "I did it together".
Example 2: അവൻ കഴിയുന്നു (Avan kuzhiyunn)
This sentence means "He is eating". To form this sentence, start with the subject pronoun for "he" which is "അവൻ (avan)." Then, add the present tense verb ending "-ഉക (uka)," which is added to the end of the verb root "കഴിക്കു (kazhikkuka)" to get "കഴിയുന്നു (kuzhiyunn)." The sentence forms as "അവൻ കഴിയുന്നു (Avan kuzhiyunn)" which stands for "He is eating".
Practice
Now it's your turn to practice! Use the subject pronouns and present tense verb endings you learned to construct sentences in Malayalam. Try to use different verbs and subjects to practice your skills.
- ഞാൻ _______________ പഠിക്കുന്നു (njaan [verb] pattikunnu) - I am studying
- നീ _______________ വന്നു (nee [verb] vannu) - You have come
- അവള് _______________ എന്ന് പറയുന്നു (aval [verb] ennum parayunnu) - She is saying it now
- അവൾ _______________ പോകുന്നു (avul [verb] pokunnu) - They are going
- അവര് _______________ മലയാളം പഠിക്കുന്നു (avar [verb] Malayalam pattikunnu) - They are learning Malayalam.
Congratulations, you have now learned how to use present tense verbs in Malayalam. Practice it as much as possible to gain mastery in this area.
Related Lessons
- Negation
- Future Tense
- How to Use Be
- Compound Sentences
- Conjunct Consonants
- Direct and Indirect Speech
- Plurals
- How to Use Have
- 0 to A1 Course
Sources
Videos
Spoken English Class in Malayalam Simple Present Tense - YouTube