The continuous past tense in Konkani

(updated )

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The continuous past tense is a form of the past tense which indicates an action continuing over a period of time, such as I was walking or I was sitting. In this post, we'll consider how to form verbs in the continuous past tense.

Verbs follow some simple rules when said in the continuous past tense.

  • They use a base for the verb + an ending based on whether the verb’s subject is singular or plural

  • The ending depends on the gender of the person doing the action

  • The verb bases for the continuous past tense are the same as those for the simple past tense

The following table shows the usual construction using the continuous past tense:

Singular

Plural .

I was doing XXX (male doer)

positive verb base + -ta-ashilawnh [1]

We were doing XXX

positive verb base + -ta-ashileenh

I was doing XXX (female doer)

positive verb base + -ta-ashileenh

You were doing XXX (male doer) or
He was doing XXX

positive verb base + -ta-ashilaw

You were doing XXX

You were doing XXX (female doer) or
She was doing XXX

positive verb base + -ta-ashilee

It was doing XXX (neuter doer)

positive verb base + -ta-ashilenh

They were doing XXX

Here are concrete examples using bosscAnh (sitting) and roDcAnh (crying):

English

Konkani

I was sitting (male doer)

haanhvanh bassta-ashilawnh

I was sitting (female doer)

haanhvanh bassta-ashileenh

You were sitting (male doer)

toonh bassta-ashilaw

You were sitting (female doer)

toonh bassta-ashilee

He was sitting

taw bassta-ashilaw

She was sitting

tee bassta-ashilee

It was sitting

tAnh bassta-ashilenh

We were sitting

aammi bassta-ashileenh

Y’all were sitting

tummi bassta-ashileenh

They were sitting

teenh bassta-ashileenh

I was crying (male doer)

haanhvanh raDta-ashilawnh

I was crying (female doer)

haanhvanh raDta-ashileenh

You were crying (male doer)

toonh raDta-ashilaw

You were crying (female doer)

toonh raDta-ashilee

He was crying

taw raDta-ashilaw

She was crying

tee raDta-ashilee

It was crying

tAnh raDta-ashilenh

We were crying

aammi raDta-ashileenh

Y’all were crying

tummi raDta-ashileenh

They were crying

teenh raDta-ashileenh

Derivation

The -ta-ashilXXX endings are derived from the helper verb aascAnh (to be) – just as English uses was and were. They are contractions of -ta aashilXXX, e.g. haanhv'anh aashilawnh is I was, so haanhv'anh karta aashilawnh (I was doing) contracts to haanhv'anh karta-ashilawnh, and so on for the other endings.

Verbs with objects

The preceding examples are of verbs which don't take objects. For verbs which do take objects, then the continuous past tense differs from the simple past tense:

  • In the simple past tense, verbs with objects have endings depending on the gender of the object, and the subject changes.

  • In the continuous past tense, such verbs have endings depending on the gender of the subject, just as in the case of verbs which don't take objects.

The following table illustrates, using three objects of different genders and three subjects with different genders:

  • doulaw (ladle – masculine)

  • khurci (chair – feminine)

  • pustaka (book – neuter)

English (simple past)

Konkani (simple past)

English (continuous past)

Konkani (continuous past)

He took the ladle.

taannA doul'aw ghetlaw.

He was taking the ladle.

taw doul'aw ghetta-ashilaw.

She took the ladle.

tinnA doul'aw ghetlaw.

She was taking the ladle.

tee doul'aw ghetta-ashilee.

It took the ladle.

taannA doul'aw ghetlaw.

It was taking the ladle.

tAnh doul'aw ghetta-ashilenh.

He took the chair.

taannA khurc'i ghetlee.

He was taking the chair.

taw khurc'i ghetta-ashilaw.

She took the chair.

tinnA khurc'i ghetlee.

She was taking the chair.

tee khurc'i ghetta-ashilee.

It took the chair.

taannA khurc'i ghetlee.

It was taking the chair.

tAnh khurc'i ghetta-ashilenh.

He took the book.

taannA pustak'a ghetlenh.

He was taking the book.

taw pustak'a ghetta-ashilaw.

She took the book.

tinnA pustak'a ghetlenh.

She was taking the book.

tee pustak'a ghetta-ashilee.

It took the book.

taannA pustak'a ghetlenh.

It was taking the book.

tAnh pustak'a ghetta-ashilenh.

Note also how the subject changes for the simple past tense, as described here.

The negative sense

The negative sense isn't generally used in the continuous past tense in aamci. As the tense refers to an action occurring over a period of time, then in the negative the action wouldn't have taken place at all, and so couldn't occur over a period of time, Just use the negative of the simple past tense instead – rather than saying I wasn't doing XXX, just say I didn't do XXX.

Of course, one might think that one could say haanhv'anh karta naashilawnh as the converse of haanhv'anh karta aashilawnh, as haanhv'anh naashilawnh is I wasn't. However, you don't hear this said, even though it would be understood correctly if said.

Ambiguities with completed actions

Some actions take time and this can l ead to ambiguities when describing their occurrence in the past. For example, the in the preceding table, I was sitting has been translated with the meaning I was in the act of sitting. To convey the meaning where the sitting action had already been completed, so that the meaning of I was sitting is I was seated, then a different form is used:

English

Konkani

I was seated (male sitter)

haanhvanh bashshilawnh

I was seated (female sitter)

haanhvanh bashshileenh

You were seated (male sitter)

toonh bashshilaw

You were seated (female sitter)

toonh bashshilee

He was seated

taw bashshilaw

She was seated

tee bashshilee

It was seated

tAnh bashshilenh

We were seated

aammi bashshileenh

Y’all were seated

tummi bashshileenh

They were seated

teenh bashshileenh

Searchable list of verb bases

For a searchable list of verb bases, see this page.

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