Bengali Language/Verbs
Bengali verbs can be conjugated according to three tenses : Present, Past and Future
Within each tense, verbs can be conjugated differently according to their aspects : simple, progressive, perfect, habitual, near, distant, etc.
Verb conjugation in Present tense
[edit | edit source]First category of conjugation : Verbs ending in consonant+-aa
[edit | edit source]An example verb of this category is :
বলা
baw•laa
to speak
This is the dictionary form or the infinitive form of the verb.
At the end of this verb we have লা laa, which matches the pattern consonant + -aa
To conjugate this kind of verb in the present tense, you
1. remove the -aa in the end.
2. add the following endings depending on Person. (Who is doing the action matters).
3. Note that Number (Singular or Plural) of the Subject doesn't matter. (How many persons are doing the action has no influence on the verb ending.)
| Singular | Plural | |||
| 1st Person | আমি aa•mi I |
-i | আমরা aam•raa We |
-i |
| 2nd Person (informal) |
তুমি tu•mi You |
-o | তোমরা tom•raa You |
-o |
| 2nd Person (familiar / derogatory) |
তুই tui You |
-ish | তোরা to•ra You |
-ish |
| 2nd Person (formal) |
আপনি aap•ni You |
-en | আপনারা aap•naa•raa You |
-en |
| 3rd Person (informal) |
সে she He/She |
-e | তারা taa•raa They |
-e |
| 3rd Person (formal) |
তিনি ti•ni He/She |
-en | তাঁরা taa(n)•raa They |
-en |
বলা
bawlaa to speak/say | ||||
| Singular | Plural | |||
| 1st Person | আমি aa•mi I |
বলি bo•li speak |
আমরা aam•raa We |
বলি bo•li speak |
| 2nd Person (informal) |
তুমি tu•mi You |
বল baw•lo speak |
তোমরা tom•raa You |
বল baw•lo speak |
| 2nd Person (familiar / derogatory) |
তুই tui You |
বলিস bo•lish speak |
তোরা to•ra You |
বলিস bo•lish speak |
| 2nd Person (formal) |
আপনি aap•ni You |
বলেন baw•len speak |
আপনারা aap•naa•raa You |
বলেন baw•len speak |
| 3rd Person (informal) |
সে She He/She |
বলে baw•le speaks |
তারা taa•raa They |
বলে bawl'e speak |
| 3rd Person (formal) |
তিনি ti•ni He/She |
বলেন baw•len speaks |
তাঁরা taa(n)•raa They |
বলেন baw•len speak |
progressive/continuous present
[edit | edit source]This tense describes a present action which is still going on at this moment and not finished.
perfect present
[edit | edit source]This tense describes an action which was completed in a near past.
habitual present
[edit | edit source]This tense describes an action which is a currently existing habit.
Verb conjugation in Past tense
[edit | edit source]Verbs in the past tense can differ according to aspects (whether the action was simply completed, whether the action was in the process of being completed, whether the action happened in the distant past, whether the action happened before another past action, whether the past action was habitual, etc.)
Simple past
[edit | edit source]Verb in simple past denotes a simple one-time completion of a past action
To conjugate a verb in the simple past tense:
1. from the infinitive form, remove the -aa in the end.
2. add the following endings depending on Person. (Who is doing the action matters).
3. Note that Number (Singular or Plural) of the Subject doesn't matter. (How many persons are doing the action has no influence on the verb ending.)
| Singular | Plural | |||
| 1st Person | আমি aa•mi I |
-lam | আমরা aam•raa We |
-lam |
| 2nd Person (informal) |
তুমি tu•mi You |
-le | তোমরা tom•raa You |
-le |
| 2nd Person (familiar / derogatory) |
তুই tui You |
-li | তোরা to•ra You |
-li |
| 2nd Person (formal) |
আপনি aap•ni You |
-len | আপনারা aap•naa•raa You |
-len |
| 3rd Person (informal) |
সে she He/She |
-lo | তারা taa•raa They |
-lo |
| 3rd Person (formal) |
তিনি ti•ni He/She |
-len | তাঁরা taa(n)•raa They |
-len |
Progressive/Incomplete past
[edit | edit source]To conjugate the verb in the progressive past tense, just add -chhi- before the simple past endings
| Singular | Plural | |||
| 1st Person | আমি aa•mi I |
-chhilam | আমরা aam•raa We |
-chhilam |
| 2nd Person (informal) |
তুমি tu•mi You |
-chhile | তোমরা tom•raa You |
-chhile |
| 2nd Person (familiar / derogatory) |
তুই tui You |
-chhili | তোরা to•ra You |
-chhili |
| 2nd Person (formal) |
আপনি aap•ni You |
-chhilen | আপনারা aap•naa•raa You |
-chhilen |
| 3rd Person (informal) |
সে she He/She |
-chhilo | তারা taa•raa They |
-chhilo |
| 3rd Person (formal) |
তিনি ti•ni He/She |
-chhilen | তাঁরা taa(n)•raa They |
-chhilen |
Distant past
[edit | edit source]To conjugate the verb in the distant past tense, just add -e- before the progressive past endings
| Singular | Plural | |||
| 1st Person | আমি aa•mi I |
-echhilam | আমরা aam•raa We |
-echhilam |
| 2nd Person (informal) |
তুমি tu•mi You |
-echhile | তোমরা tom•raa You |
-echhile |
| 2nd Person (familiar / derogatory) |
তুই tui You |
-echhili | তোরা to•ra You |
-echhili |
| 2nd Person (formal) |
আপনি aap•ni You |
-echhilen | আপনারা aap•naa•raa You |
-echhilen |
| 3rd Person (informal) |
সে she He/She |
-echhilo | তারা taa•raa They |
-echhilo |
| 3rd Person (formal) |
তিনি ti•ni He/She |
-echhilen | তাঁরা taa(n)•raa They |
-echhilen |
Perfect past
[edit | edit source]To conjugate the verb in the perfect past tense, you need to do the following :
1. create the appropriate perfect aspect stem. See Perfect Aspect
2. conjugate the perfect aspect stem in the distant past.
| Singular | Plural | |||
| 1st Person | আমি aa•mi I |
perfect aspect stem + -echhilam | আমরা aam•raa We |
perfect aspect stem + -echhilam |
| 2nd Person (informal) |
তুমি tu•mi You |
perfect aspect stem + -echhile | তোমরা tom•raa You |
perfect aspect stem + -echhile |
| 2nd Person (familiar / derogatory) |
তুই tui You |
perfect aspect stem + -echhili | তোরা to•ra You |
perfect aspect stem + -echhili |
| 2nd Person (formal) |
আপনি aap•ni You |
perfect aspect stem + -echhilen | আপনারা aap•naa•raa You |
perfect aspect stem + -echhilen |
| 3rd Person (informal) |
সে she He/She |
perfect aspect stem + -echhilo | তারা taa•raa They |
perfect aspect stem + -echhilo |
| 3rd Person (formal) |
তিনি ti•ni He/She |
perfect aspect stem + -echhilen | তাঁরা taa(n)•raa They |
perfect aspect stem + -echhilen |
Habitual past
[edit | edit source]Verb in habitual past denotes a past habit, an action that used to happen periodically over and over again.
To conjugate a verb in the habitual past tense:
1. from the infinitive form, remove the -aa in the end.
2. add the following endings depending on Person. (Who is doing the action matters). It's almost the same as the simple past tense except that the -l- marker is replaced by the -t- marker.
3. Note that Number (Singular or Plural) of the Subject doesn't matter. (How many persons are doing the action has no influence on the verb ending.)
| Singular | Plural | |||
| 1st Person | আমি aa•mi I |
-tam | আমরা aam•raa We |
-tam |
| 2nd Person (informal) |
তুমি tu•mi You |
-te | তোমরা tom•raa You |
-te |
| 2nd Person (familiar / derogatory) |
তুই tui You |
-tish | তোরা to•ra You |
-tish |
| 2nd Person (formal) |
আপনি aap•ni You |
-ten | আপনারা aap•naa•raa You |
-ten |
| 3rd Person (informal) |
সে she He/She |
-to | তারা taa•raa They |
-to |
| 3rd Person (formal) |
তিনি ti•ni He/She |
-ten | তাঁরা taa(n)•raa They |
-ten |
Verb conjugation in Future tense
[edit | edit source]Simple future
[edit | edit source]| Singular | Plural | |||
| 1st Person | আমি aa•mi I |
-bo | আমরা aam•raa We |
-bo |
| 2nd Person (informal) |
তুমি tu•mi You |
-be | তোমরা tom•raa You |
-be |
| 2nd Person (familiar / derogatory) |
তুই tui You |
-bi | তোরা to•ra You |
-bi |
| 2nd Person (formal) |
আপনি aap•ni You |
-ben | আপনারা aap•naa•raa You |
-ben |
| 3rd Person (informal) |
সে she He/She |
-be | তারা taa•raa They |
-be |
| 3rd Person (formal) |
তিনি ti•ni He/She |
-ben | তাঁরা taa(n)•raa They |
-ben |
Progressive future
[edit | edit source]| Singular | Plural | |||
| 1st Person | আমি aa•mi I |
INF+ thakbo | আমরা aam•raa We |
INF+ thakbo |
| 2nd Person (informal) |
তুমি tu•mi You |
INF+ thakbe | তোমরা tom•raa You |
INF+ thakbe |
| 2nd Person (familiar / derogatory) |
তুই tui You |
INF+ thakbi | তোরা to•ra You |
INF+ thakbi |
| 2nd Person (formal) |
আপনি aap•ni You |
INF+ thakben | আপনারা aap•naa•raa You |
INF+ thakben |
| 3rd Person (informal) |
সে she He/She |
INF+ thakbe | তারা taa•raa They |
INF+ thakbe |
| 3rd Person (formal) |
তিনি ti•ni He/She |
INF+ thakben | তাঁরা taa(n)•raa They |
INF+ thakben |
Perfect future
[edit | edit source]| Singular | Plural | |||
| 1st Person | আমি aa•mi I |
PAST PARTICIPLE + thakbo | আমরা aam•raa We |
PAST PARTICIPLE + thakbo |
| 2nd Person (informal) |
তুমি tu•mi You |
PAST PARTICIPLE + thakbe | তোমরা tom•raa You |
PAST PARTICIPLE + thakbe |
| 2nd Person (familiar / derogatory) |
তুই tui You |
PAST PARTICIPLE + thakbi | তোরা to•ra You |
PAST PARTICIPLE + thakbi |
| 2nd Person (formal) |
আপনি aap•ni You |
PAST PARTICIPLE + thakben | আপনারা aap•naa•raa You |
PAST PARTICIPLE + thakben |
| 3rd Person (informal) |
সে she He/She |
PAST PARTICIPLE + thakbe | তারা taa•raa They |
PAST PARTICIPLE + thakbe |
| 3rd Person (formal) |
তিনি ti•ni He/She |
PAST PARTICIPLE + thakben | তাঁরা taa(n)•raa They |
PAST PARTICIPLE + thakben |