Tulu Lesson 9: Simple Past Tense, Compound Verbs

namaskAra! encha ullar?

So far, we have learned simple present and future tense in Tulu. Today we are going to learn Simple Past Tense. Simple Past Tense is used to talk about a completed action in a time before now. The time of the action can be in the recent past or the distant past. Before going to Simple Past, let us learn few compound verbs.

Example: mOkae malpuni – To love

As you see in the above example, we have two words in Tulu for one English word. This is what we call Compound verbs. Though second word is always a verb, the first word can be a noun, an adjective or a past adverbial participle. To make verb conjugation, we can apply the same rule here. In all cases, we need to change the second word, not the first one.

mOkae malpuvae – I love

mOkae malpae – I will probably love

Some of the compound verbs we use in daily conversation:

mApu malpuni  (mApu malpu) – To forgive

kOpa malpuni (kOpa malpu) – To get angry

bElae malpuni (bElae malpu) – To work

upadra malpuni/upadra korpini – To disturb someone

kebi korpini (kebi koru) – To listen

nAD pattuni (nAD patt) – To find out/discover

beri pattuni (beri patt) – To chase

pagae kaTTuni – (pagae kaTT) – To seek revenge

kana kaTTuni (kana kaTT) – To dream

madimae Apini (madimae A) – To marry

peTT pADuni (peTT pAD) - To beat

dakk’d pADuni (dakk’d pAD) - To lose something  

dakk’d pOpini (dakk’d pO) - To be lost

kondarpini (kondu + barpini) – To bring

kondOpini (kondu + pOpini) – To take away/ To take something to another place

‘kondu’ is the past adverbial participle of  the auxiliary verb ‘koNu’ (koNuni – To hold) which is used in forming compound verbs and also in reflexive verbs.

In common dialect of Tulu, these verbs are modified as follows:

kondarpini (kondar) >>> kanapini (kana) – To bring

kondOpini (kondO) >>> konopini (kono) - To take away/ To take something to another place

The verb ‘kana’/‘kondar’ is conjugated same as ‘bar’ and the verb ‘kono’/‘kondO’ is conjugated as ‘pO’.

kondarpae or kanapae – I bring / I will bring

kondOpae or konopae – I take it away / I will take it away

kondaruvae or kanavae – I will probably bring

kondOvae or konovae – I will probably take it away

kondarpujae or kanapujae - I do not bring / I will not bring

kondOpujae or konopujae – I do not take it away / I will not take it away

kondarayae or kanayae – I will probably not bring

kondOvayae or konovayae – I will probably not take it away

  

Alright! Coming back to Simple Past. There are three conjugations in Simple Past. In Simple Present and Future tense, we had different conjugations for Class A and Class B verbs.  However, in Simple Past we have three groups:

1. Verbs ending in ‘pu’

2. Verbs ending in ‘N’

3. All other verbs.

Personal endings in Simple Past Tense are same as Simple Present Tense. Third person neuter singular is exception.

		Singular			Plural
		Pronoun	Ending	Example: pO	Pronoun	Ending	Example: pO
First Person		yAn	ae	pOyae	nama/enkulu	a	pOya
Second Person		I	a	pOya	nikulu/Ir	ar	pOyar
Third Person	Masc.	Aye/imbe	e	pOye	akulu/Ar/mokulu/mEr	er	pOyer
	Fem.	Al/mOlu	al	pOyal
	Neut.	au/undu	ND	pOND	aikulu/undekulu	a	pOya

1. Verbs ending in ‘pu’ 

To conjugate verbs ending in ‘pu’ in Simple Past Tense, replace ‘pu’ with ‘t’ and then add personal ending.

Example: malpu (malpuni) – To do

malpu >>> malt + personal ending = maltae - I did

yAn maltae – I did

I malta – You did

Aye/imbe malte – He did

Al/mOlu maltal – She did

au/undu malt’ND – It did

nama/enkulu malta – We did

Ir/nikulu maltar – You did

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr malter – They did

undekulu/aikulu malta – They did

2. Verbs ending in ‘N’

To conjugate verbs ending in ‘N’ in Simple Past Tense, add ‘D’ sound to root verb and then add personal ending.

Root verb + D + personal ending

Example: paN (paNpini) – To tell/say

paN + D + personal ending = paNDae - I told / I said

yAn paNDae – I said

I paNDa – You said

Aye/imbe paNDe – He said

Al/mOlu paNDal – She said

au/undu paND – It said (Additional ‘D’ sound is not added here, paN + ND = paN’ND, but usually pronounced as ‘paND’)

nama/enkulu paNDa – We said

Ir/nikulu paNDar – You said

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr paNDer – They said

undekulu/aikulu paNDa – They said

This form is used in common Tulu. However, in some other dialects, verbs ending in ‘N’ also conjugated same as ‘All other verbs’.

3. All other verbs.

To conjugate verbs in Simple Past Tense, add ‘i’ sound to root verb and then add personal ending.

Root verb + i + personal ending

Example: kor (korpini) – To give

kor + i + personal ending = koriyae – I gave

yAn koriyae – I gave

I koriya – You gave

Aye/imbe koriye – He gave

Al/mOlu koriyal – She gave

au/undu kor’ND – It gave ( ‘i’ sound is not added here, kor + ND = kor’ND)

nama/enkulu koriya – We gave

Ir/nikulu koriyar – You gave

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr koriyer – They gave

undekulu/aikulu koriya – They gave

The verbs ‘bar’ (barpini – To come), ‘sai’ (saipini – To die) and ‘bey’ (beypini – To be cooked/boiled) are irregular. These verbs are conjugated in Simple Past Tense by adding ‘t’ sound to root verb. 

bar + t + personal ending – battae = I came

sai + t + personal ending – saitae = I died

bey + t + personal ending – beyt’ND = It is cooked / boiled

yAn battae – I came

I batta – You came

Aye/imbe batte – He came

Al/mOlu battal – She came

au/undu batt’ND – It came

nama/enkulu batta – We came

Ir/nikulu battar – You came

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr batter – They came

undekulu/aikulu batta – They came

yAn saitae – I died

I saita – You died

Aye/imbe saite – He died

Al/mOlu saital – She died

au/undu sait’ND – It died

nama/enkulu saita – We died

Ir/nikulu saitar – You died

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr saiter – They died

undekulu/aikulu saita – They died

Let us conjugate more verbs in Simple Tense.

kApu (kApuni) – To wait

yAn kAtae – I waited

I kAta – You waited

Aye/imbe kAte – He waited

Al/mOlu kAtal – She waited

au/undu kAt’ND – It waited

nama/enkulu kAta – We waited

Ir/nikulu kAtar – You waited

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr kAter – They waited

undekulu/aikulu kAta – They waited

leppu (leppuni) – To call/invite

yAn lettae – I called

I letta – You called

Aye/imbe lette – He called

Al/mOlu lettal – She called

au/undu lett’ND – It called

nama/enkulu letta – We called

Ir/nikulu lettar – You called

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr letter – They called

undekulu/aikulu letta – They called

tU (tUpini) – To see

yAn tUyae – I saw

I tUya – You saw

Aye/imbe tUye – He saw

Al/mOlu tUyal – She saw

au/undu tUND – It saw

nama/enkulu tUya – We saw

Ir/nikulu tUyar – You saw

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr tUyer – They saw

undekulu/aikulu tUya – They saw

buDu (buDpini) – To leave

yAn buDiyae – I left

I buDiya – You left

Aye/imbe buDiye – He left

Al/mOlu buDiyal – She left

au/undu buD’ND – It left

nama/enkulu buDiya – We left

Ir/nikulu buDiyar – You left

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr buDiyer – They left

undekulu/aikulu buDiya – They left

uN (uNpini) - To eat / To have lunch/dinner

yAn uNDae – I had lunch/dinner

I uNDa – You had lunch/dinner

Aye/imbe uNDe – He had lunch/dinner

Al/mOlu uNDal – She had lunch/dinner

au/undu uND – It had lunch/dinner (uN’ND usually pronounced as uND)

nama/enkulu uNDa – We had lunch/dinner

Ir/nikulu uNDar – You had lunch/dinner

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr uNDer – They had lunch/dinner

undekulu/aikulu uNDa – They had lunch/dinner

kEN (kENuni) To hear/listen/ask

yAn kENDae – I asked

I kENDa – You asked

Aye/imbe kENDe – He asked

Al/mOlu kENDal – She asked

au/undu kEND – It asked (kEN’ND usually pronounced as kEND)

nama/enkulu kENDa – We asked

Ir/nikulu kENDar – You asked

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr kENDer – They asked

undekulu/aikulu kENDa – They asked

A (Apini) – To become/happen

yAn Ayae – I became

I Aya – You became

Aye/imbe Aye – He became

Al/mOlu Ayal – She became

au/undu AND – It became/It happened/It’s done/Finished

nama/enkulu Aya – We became

Ir/nikulu Ayar – You became

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr Ayer – They became

undekulu/aikulu Aya – They became

uppu/ippu (uppuni/ippuni) – To be

yAn ittae – I was

I itta – You were

Aye/imbe itte – He was

Al/mOlu ittal – She was

au/undu itt’ND – It was

nama/enkulu itta – We were

Ir/nikulu ittar – You were

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr itter – They were

undekulu/aikulu itta – They were

kana (kanapini) – To bring

This verb is derived from compound verb ‘kondu bar’. So, it is conjugated as ‘bar’

yAn kanattae – I brought

I kanatta – You brought

Aye/imbe kanatte – He brought

Al/mOlu kanattal – She brought

au/undu kanatt’ND – It brought

nama/enkulu kanatta – We brought

Ir/nikulu kanattar – You brought

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr kanatter – They brought

undekulu/aikulu kanatta – They brought

kono (konopini) – To take away

This verb is derived from compound verb ‘kondu pO’. So, it is conjugated as ‘pO’

yAn konoyae – I took it away

I konoya – You took it away

Aye/imbe konoye – He took it away

Al/mOlu konoyal – She took it away

au/undu konoND – It took it away

nama/enkulu konoya – We took it away

Ir/nikulu konoyar – You took it away

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr konoyer – They took it away

undekulu/aikulu konoya – They took it away

Example sentences:

Tulu: jOkulu sAleg pOyer
English:  Children went to school
Kannada: makkaLu shAlege hOdaru

Tulu: enklena illaDe binner batter
English:  Guests came to our house.
Kannada: namma manege neNTru bandru

Tulu: yAn onji gaNTae kAtae
English:  I waited for one hour.
Kannada: nAnu ondu gaNTe kAde

Tulu: yAn tulu kaltae
English:  I learnt Tulu
Kannada: nAnu tuLu kalite

Tulu: enna onas AND / yAn uNDae
English:  I had my lunch/dinner
Kannada: nanna UTa Aytu

Tulu: Aye illaD itte
English:  He was at home
Kannada: avanu maneyalli idda

Tulu: I kukku tiNDa
English:  You ate a mango.
Kannada: nInu mAvina haNNu tinde

Tulu: Ar enk kAkaji bareyer
English:  He/She wrote a letter to me.
Kannada: avaru nanage kAgada baredaru

Tulu: enkulu posa ill kaTTiya
English:  We build a new house
Kannada: nAvu hosa mane kaTTidevu

Tulu: alena ungila dakk’d pOND
English:  Her ring is lost
Kannada: avaLa ungura bisADi hOytu/kaLedu hoytu

Tulu: Al ungilan dakk’d pADiyal
English:  She lost the ring
Kannada: avaLu unguravannu bisADi hAkidaLu/kaLedu hAkidaLu

Tulu: I enan madata
English:  You forgot me
Kannada: nInu nannannu marete

Tulu: enkulu suden kaData
English:  We crossed the river
Kannada: nAvu nadiyannu dATidevu

Tulu: portu kant’ND / sUrya kant’ND
English:  The sun has set
Kannada: sUrya muLugitu

Tulu: mullu kant’ND
English:  Thorn pricked
Kannada: muLLu chuchchitu

Tulu: Ar mIn kanatter
English:  He/She brought fish
Kannada: avaru mInu tandaru

Tulu: Ar bAlen konoyer
English:  He/She took the child away
Kannada: avaru maguvannu koNDu hOdaru

Tulu: yAn bAkil pADiyae
English:  I closed the door
Kannada: nAnu bAgilu hAkide/muchchide

Tulu: yAn bAkil dettae
English:  I opened the door
Kannada: nAnu bAgilu terede

Tulu: Aye Doctor Aye
English:  He became a Doctor
Kannada: avanu Doctor Ada

Tulu: Ayeg bEjAr AND
English:  He felt bad
Kannada: avanige bEjAr aytu

Tulu: nikk kushi AND
English:  You felt happy
Kannada: ninage kushi Aytu

Tulu: enk kODae bElae itt’ND
English:  I had work yesterday
Kannada: nanage ninne kelasa ittu

Tulu: nuppu beyt’ND
English:  The rice is cooked
Kannada: anna benditu

New words:

binner – guests

kukku – mango

kAkaji – paper/a letter

posa – new

ungila – ring

portu – time

sUrya – sun

mullu - thorn

mIn – fish

bAkil – door

nuppu – rice (boiled)

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See you next week!

solmelu!