Language/Bashkir/Grammar/Past-Tense
Introduction
In the previous lesson, you learned how to conjugate regular Bashkir verbs in the present tense. In this lesson, you will learn how to conjugate them in the past tense. Conjugating verbs in the past tense is an important step towards being able to have more complex conversations and express more thoughts and ideas.
In this lesson, we will focus on understanding the regular past tense verb conjugation rules, with examples and explanations to help you master them.
Regular Past Tense Verb Conjugation
In Bashkir, there are no actual verb tenses. Instead, the tense is indicated by the use of different verb conjugations. The past tense "-dIm" conjugation is a notable example.
To form the past tense of a regular Bashkir verb, you need to add the suffix "-dIm" to the verb stem, a modified form of the verb without the infinitive suffix "-maq". The stem is formed according to the following rules:
- For verbs ending in a consonant, simply add "-di" to the verb stem.
- For verbs ending in a vowel, add "-dI" to the verb stem.
Attached here is a table showcasing the Bashkir verb conjugations, with examples of each verb type:
| Bashkir | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| turnip (rape) | közõk | turned into a delicious dish with sliced meat |
| milk | sut (note: "t" is pronounced strongly) | drank a glass of milk with cereal |
| to walk | shesh- | walked for long hours through beautiful lands |
| to eat (third person singular) | äyse - | he/she/it ate a sandwich |
As you may note, the verb stem changes slightly depending on the verb itself. Now it is time to practice conjugating regular verbs in the past tense with some examples.
Examples
- Bashkir:* ëkmek ye-yin dïm
- Pronunciation:* ye-kmek ye-yin dim
- English:* I ate bread
- Bashkir:* biz Kamsagay'a kïtïp tïjrath-an dïmïz.
- Pronunciation:* biz kam-sa-gái'a-kï-tip tïr-ath-an dï-miz.
- English:* We did business in Kamsagay.
- Bashkir:* sen talava etken dïnmi?
- Pronunciation:* sen ta-la-va et-ken dïn-mi?
- English:* Did you study yesterday?
- Bashkir:* nizofym shakïr söyleyen dï?
- Pronunciation:* ni-zo-fym sha-kïr söy-leyen dï?
- English:* Did Shakir tell you anything?
- Bashkir:* Kiraqshï chi yalaqtï?
- Pronunciation:* Kiraq-shï cï ya-laqtï?
- English:* Did Kiraqshï cry?
Negation in Past Tense
To form the negative past tense, you need to modify the verb stem and add the following infix: "-ma-". The negative past tense conjugation is formed by adding "-madïm" to the verb stem.
Here are some examples:
- Bashkir:* sen ders etken emes min, goytyurmadïm.
- Pronunciation:* sen der-s et-ken e-mes min, goyt-yur-madïm.
- English:* I didn't answer, "I don't know," because I didn't want to lie.
- Bashkir:* o baqtaşqanda usqanmadïm.
- Pronunciation:* o baq-taş-qan-da us-kan-madïm.
- English:* I didn't get drunk when she left.
- Bashkir:* auf hağara uraş madïm.
- Pronunciation:* auf ha-ğa-ra u-raş ma-dïm.
- English:* I didn't go to the market.
Irregular Verb Conjugation
While most Bashkir verbs follow the regular conjugation rules when it comes to the past tense verb conjugation, there are some irregular verbs that do not. Understanding these irregularities is important because these verbs are commonly used.
Here are a few examples of irregular verbs:
- Bashkir:* otaqta uyqu alan/küteýen didim
- Pronunciation:* o-taq-ta uyq al-an/ku-te-en did-im
- English:* I slept in the room.
- Bashkir:* yza barmaq yadanıp kettim
- Pronunciation:* y-za barmaq yad-an-yp ket-tim
- English:* I got a finger injury.
- Bashkir:* kelgen sulatımni jaba-taq
- Pronunciation:* kel-gen su-lat-ym-nı ja-ba-taq
- English:* I replied to the message I received.
- Bashkir:* ızan chetendi
- Pronunciation:* ız-an che-ten-di
- English:* I saw the cat.
As you may have noticed, these verbs are irregular and alter completely when in the past tense. Remember, the key to mastering past tense verb conjugation is consistent practice.
Conclusion
In this lesson, you learned how to conjugate regular Bashkir verbs in the past tense. Remember that adding the suffix "-dIm" to the verb stem signifies the past tense. For negative past tense, add the infix "-ma-". Some verbs follow irregular conjugation rules, but these can be memorized with practice.
In the next lesson, we will learn how to conjugate regular Bashkir verbs in the future tense. Until then, practice conjugating regular and irregular past tense verbs with the above examples.