The Kannada language, one of the Dravidian languages primarily spoken in the Indian state of Karnataka, is rich and ancient. A fundamental aspect of learning any language is mastering its verb tenses. In Kannada, the present tense is an essential starting point for beginners. This article will guide you through the forms and usage of the present tense in Kannada, helping you to construct basic sentences and communicate effectively.
Understanding the Present Tense in Kannada
The present tense in Kannada is relatively straightforward compared to some other languages. It is used to describe actions that are currently happening or habitual actions. Unlike English, Kannada verbs are conjugated based on the subject’s gender, number, and formality. This means that verb endings will change depending on whether the subject is male, female, or neutral, and whether it is singular or plural.
Basic Structure of Present Tense Verbs
In Kannada, the present tense is formed by adding specific endings to the verb stem. The verb stem is the part of the verb that remains after removing the infinitive ending “-u” from the verb’s base form.
For example:
– The verb “to go” in Kannada is “ಹೋಗು” (hōgu).
– The stem is “ಹೋಗ” (hōg).
The present tense endings are then added to this stem. Here are the endings based on gender and number:
For Singular Subjects:
– Masculine: -ತಾನೆ (tāne)
– Feminine: -ತಾಳೆ (tāḷe)
– Neutral: -ತದೆ (tade)
For Plural Subjects:
– Masculine: -ತಾರೆ (tāre)
– Feminine: -ತಾರೆ (tāre)
– Neutral: -ತವೆ (tave)
Examples:
– Masculine Singular: “ಅವನ ಹೋಗತಾನೆ” (avana hōgatāne) – He goes.
– Feminine Singular: “ಅವಳು ಹೋಗತಾಳೆ” (avaḷu hōgatāḷe) – She goes.
– Neutral Singular: “ಅದು ಹೋಗತದೆ” (adu hōgatade) – It goes.
– Masculine/Feminine Plural: “ಅವರು ಹೋಗತಾರೆ” (avaru hōgatāre) – They go.
– Neutral Plural: “ಅವು ಹೋಗತವೆ” (avu hōgatave) – They go.
Using Present Tense with Different Subjects
Let’s explore how to use the present tense with different subjects in Kannada.
First Person Singular (I):
– The ending for the first person singular is -ತೀನಿ (tīni).
– Example: ನಾನು ಹೋಗತೀನಿ (nānu hōgatīni) – I go.
First Person Plural (We):
– The ending for the first person plural is -ತೀವಿ (tīvi).
– Example: ನಾವು ಹೋಗತೀವಿ (nāvu hōgatīvi) – We go.
Second Person Singular (You):
– The ending for the second person singular is -ತೀಯ (tīya).
– Example: ನೀನು ಹೋಗತೀಯ (nīnu hōgatīya) – You go.
Second Person Plural (You all):
– The ending for the second person plural is -ತೀರಿ (tīri).
– Example: ನೀವು ಹೋಗತೀರಿ (nīvu hōgatīri) – You all go.
Formality and Respect in Present Tense
Kannada, like many Indian languages, has different levels of formality and respect. When speaking to someone of higher status, elders, or in formal contexts, different verb endings are used to show respect.
Second Person Singular Respectful (You – Formal):
– The ending for the respectful second person singular is -ತೀರಿ (tīri).
– Example: ನೀವು ಹೋಗತೀರಿ (nīvu hōgatīri) – You go (respectful).
Third Person Singular Respectful (He/She – Formal):
– The ending for the respectful third person singular is -ತಾರೆ (tāre).
– Example: ಅವರು ಹೋಗತಾರೆ (avaru hōgatāre) – He/She goes (respectful).
Negative Form of Present Tense
To express the negative form in the present tense, Kannada uses a specific negative suffix. The suffix -ಲ್ಲ (lla) is added to the verb stem.
Examples:
– Masculine Singular: “ಅವನ ಹೋಗಲ್ಲ” (avana hōgalla) – He does not go.
– Feminine Singular: “ಅವಳು ಹೋಗಲ್ಲ” (avaḷu hōgalla) – She does not go.
– Neutral Singular: “ಅದು ಹೋಗಲ್ಲ” (adu hōgalla) – It does not go.
– Masculine/Feminine Plural: “ಅವರು ಹೋಗಲ್ಲ” (avaru hōgalla) – They do not go.
– Neutral Plural: “ಅವು ಹೋಗಲ್ಲ” (avu hōgalla) – They do not go.
– First Person Singular: “ನಾನು ಹೋಗಲ್ಲ” (nānu hōgalla) – I do not go.
– First Person Plural: “ನಾವು ಹೋಗಲ್ಲ” (nāvu hōgalla) – We do not go.
– Second Person Singular: “ನೀನು ಹೋಗಲ್ಲ” (nīnu hōgalla) – You do not go.
– Second Person Plural: “ನೀವು ಹೋಗಲ್ಲ” (nīvu hōgalla) – You all do not go.
Interrogative Form in Present Tense
Forming questions in the present tense involves adding a question word or particle to the sentence. In Kannada, the particle -ಇನ (ina) or -ಆ (ā) is often added at the end of the verb to indicate a question.
Examples:
– Masculine Singular: “ಅವನ ಹೋಗತಾನೆ?” (avana hōgatāne?) – Does he go?
– Feminine Singular: “ಅವಳು ಹೋಗತಾಳೆ?” (avaḷu hōgatāḷe?) – Does she go?
– Neutral Singular: “ಅದು ಹೋಗತದೆ?” (adu hōgatade?) – Does it go?
– Masculine/Feminine Plural: “ಅವರು ಹೋಗತಾರ?” (avaru hōgatāre?) – Do they go?
– Neutral Plural: “ಅವು ಹೋಗತವ?” (avu hōgatave?) – Do they go?
– First Person Singular: “ನಾನು ಹೋಗತೀನಿ?” (nānu hōgatīni?) – Do I go?
– First Person Plural: “ನಾವು ಹೋಗತೀವಿ?” (nāvu hōgatīvi?) – Do we go?
– Second Person Singular: “ನೀನು ಹೋಗತೀಯ?” (nīnu hōgatīya?) – Do you go?
– Second Person Plural: “ನೀವು ಹೋಗತೀರಿ?” (nīvu hōgatīri?) – Do you all go?
Common Verbs in Present Tense
Here are some common verbs conjugated in the present tense for various subjects:
To Eat (ತಿನ್ನು – tinnu):
– Masculine Singular: ಅವನ ತಿನ್ನತಾನೆ (avana tinnatāne) – He eats.
– Feminine Singular: ಅವಳು ತಿನ್ನತಾಳೆ (avaḷu tinnatāḷe) – She eats.
– Neutral Singular: ಅದು ತಿನ್ನತದೆ (adu tinnatade) – It eats.
– Masculine/Feminine Plural: ಅವರು ತಿನ್ನತಾರೆ (avaru tinnatāre) – They eat.
– Neutral Plural: ಅವು ತಿನ್ನತವೆ (avu tinnatave) – They eat.
– First Person Singular: ನಾನು ತಿನ್ನತೀನಿ (nānu tinnatīni) – I eat.
– First Person Plural: ನಾವು ತಿನ್ನತೀವಿ (nāvu tinnatīvi) – We eat.
– Second Person Singular: ನೀನು ತಿನ್ನತೀಯ (nīnu tinnatīya) – You eat.
– Second Person Plural: ನೀವು ತಿನ್ನತೀರಿ (nīvu tinnatīri) – You all eat.
To Drink (ಕುಡಿ – kuḍi):
– Masculine Singular: ಅವನ ಕುಡಿತಾನೆ (avana kuḍitāne) – He drinks.
– Feminine Singular: ಅವಳು ಕುಡಿತಾಳೆ (avaḷu kuḍitāḷe) – She drinks.
– Neutral Singular: ಅದು ಕುಡಿತದೆ (adu kuḍitade) – It drinks.
– Masculine/Feminine Plural: ಅವರು ಕುಡಿತಾರೆ (avaru kuḍitāre) – They drink.
– Neutral Plural: ಅವು ಕುಡಿತವೆ (avu kuḍitave) – They drink.
– First Person Singular: ನಾನು ಕುಡಿತೀನಿ (nānu kuḍitīni) – I drink.
– First Person Plural: ನಾವು ಕುಡಿತೀವಿ (nāvu kuḍitīvi) – We drink.
– Second Person Singular: ನೀನು ಕುಡಿತೀಯ (nīnu kuḍitīya) – You drink.
– Second Person Plural: ನೀವು ಕುಡಿತೀರಿ (nīvu kuḍitīri) – You all drink.
Practice Sentences
To help you get a better grasp of the present tense in Kannada, here are some practice sentences:
1. ನಾನು ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಓದುತೀನಿ (nānu pustaka ōdutīni) – I read a book.
2. ಅವಳು ಹಾಡು ಹಾಡತಾಳೆ (avaḷu hāḍu hāḍatāḷe) – She sings a song.
3. ಅವನು ಬಾಳೆಹಣ್ಣು ತಿನ್ನತಾನೆ (avanu bāḷehaṇṇu tinnatāne) – He eats a banana.
4. ನಾವು ಹೊಕ್ಕುಮೆನ ಜತೆ ಆಟ ಆಡತೀವಿ (nāvu hokkumena jate āṭa āḍatīvi) – We play with the dog.
5. ನೀವು ಕನ್ನಡ ಕಲಿತೀರಿ (nīvu kannaḍa kalitīri) – You all learn Kannada.
Conclusion
Mastering the present tense in Kannada is a crucial step in becoming proficient in the language. Understanding the verb conjugations based on gender, number, and formality will allow you to form accurate and meaningful sentences. Practice regularly with common verbs and sentences to solidify your knowledge. As you become more comfortable with the present tense, you will find it easier to communicate daily activities, habits, and ongoing actions in Kannada. Happy learning!
