Language/Central-kurdish/Grammar/Past-Tense
Introduction
In this lesson, you will learn how to form and use the past tense in Central Kurdish. The past tense is used to express actions and events that happened in the past. By learning this tense, you will be able to tell stories, discuss historical events, and talk about past experiences. The past tense is an essential component of the Kurdish language, and mastering it will help you become more fluent in your conversational skills.
Why Learn the Past Tense?
Understanding the past tense is crucial for communicating effectively in Kurdish. By using the past tense correctly, you can express actions and events that took place in the past with accuracy and specificity. Being able to do so can help you in a variety of contexts, from narrating personal stories to discussing historical events, to communicating about facts related to the past. In addition, the past tense is essential in expressing time-related concepts, such as describing when something happened or how long ago a specific event occurred.
Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Form the past tense in Central Kurdish - Understand the difference between regular and irregular verbs in the past tense - Use the past tense to describe events and actions in the Kurdish language
Forming the Past Tense
The past tense in Central Kurdish is formed by adding certain suffixes to the verb root. The specific suffixes used depend on the gender and number of the subject performing the action. There are two different kinds of verbs in Central Kurdish: regular and irregular verbs. Regular verbs have a fixed pattern of suffixes applied to the verb stem, depending on the gender and number of the subject, while irregular verbs have unique suffixes or changes made to their verb stem to form the past tense correctly.
Regular Verbs
For regular verbs, the indicative past tense suffixes are as follows:
| Person | Masculine Suffix | Feminine Suffix |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Singular | -t | -t |
| 2nd Singular | -î | -î |
| 3rd Singular Masculine | -a | -at |
| 3rd Singular Feminine | -î | -it |
| 1st Plural | -na | -en |
| 2nd Plural | -tun | -tun |
| 3rd Plural | -ûn | -in |
Here are some examples of regular verbs in the past tense:
| Central Kurdish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| min rûda-t | [mɪn ɾuːda-t] | I walked |
| tu rûda-î | [tu ɾuːda-ɪ] | You walked |
| ew rûda-a | [ɛw ɾuːda-a] | He walked |
| ew rûda-ît | [ɛw ɾuːda-ɪt] | She walked |
| em rûda-na | [ɛm ɾuːda-na] | We walked |
| hûn rûda-tun | [huːn ɾuːda-tun] | You walked (pl) |
| ew rûda-ûn | [ɛw ɾuːda-uːn] | They walked |
As you can see, the masculine and feminine suffixes are similar in the first and second person singular, and third person plural. In the third person singular, masculine and feminine suffixes are different. For the first person plural, the suffixes are -na for the masculine gender, and -en for the feminine gender. Additionally, for the second person plural, -tun is used for both masculine and feminine subjects, whereas for the third person plural, -ûn is used for masculine subjects, and -in for feminine subjects.
Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs are more difficult to conjugate in the past tense since they have unique root words for the past tense. In contrast to regular verbs, which follow a consistent pattern for conjugation, each irregular verb has its own unique pattern of changes in order to form the past tense correctly. Here are some examples of irregular verbs in the past tense:
| Central Kurdish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| hatin | [hɑ:tɪn] | came (to come) |
| kirin | [kiːrɪn] | did (to do) |
| derbas bûn | [dɛɾbɑs buːn] | became (to become) |
| bûn | [bu:n] | was (to be) |
| kirr | [kiːr] | said (to say) |
| agahî dan | [ɑ:ɣɑhi:dæn] | informed (to inform) |
When using such irregular verbs in the past tense, it is necessary to memorize the changes made to the root word. Fortunately, since these verbs are some of the most commonly used in Central Kurdish, you will quickly become more familiar with their specific forms.
Using the Past Tense
After you learn the formation of the past tense, now you can start utilizing it in your sentences. One of the most crucial aspects of using the past tense correctly is to be able to differentiate between past and present forms. Here are some examples of the past tense in action:
- "Min êdî li bajarê Erbiyê niya." - I no longer live in Erbil.
- "Tu demekî dirêj bûyî hêviya min." - You were my hope for a long time.
- "Ew zarokên xwe li dibistanê hînî ne." - His children are still in school.
- "Ew di sala 2002an de hate Erbiyê." - He came to Erbil in 2002.
As you can see, the past tense is used to express a variety of situations where the action has already taken place. Whether it's describing a place or a condition in the past or telling a story of a past event, the past tense is essential in Kurdish language for accurate and detailed communication.
Conclusion
The past tense in Central Kurdish is a fundamental aspect of fluent communication. Understanding how to conjugate verbs and use suffixes correctly can help you become more proficient in your Kurdish conversational skills. This lesson has introduced you to the concept of the past tense and has shown you how to form and use it correctly in both regular and irregular verbs. With practice, you can now utilize this knowledge to better articulate past events and ideas effectively.
With this lesson finished, you may want to explore these additional pages: Possessive Pronouns & Pronouns.