The future tense in Konkani

(updated )

Comments

In this post, we'll consider how to form verbs in the future tense, exemplified by phrases such as I will eat or I will sit.

As mentioned in the post about the present tense, the present tense is often used informally to indicate a future action, much the same as happens sometimes in English. However, there is also a place for a more conventional future tense, and that's what this post is about.

Verbs follow some simple rules when said in the future tense.

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

  • The ending can be tied to the gender of the person doing the action

  • The verb bases for the future tense are the same as those for the habitual past tense

The following table shows the usual construction of verbs using the future tense. The gender of the subject determines the endings of the verbs.

Sense

Singular

Plural

Positive

I will do XXX (male doer)

positive verb base + -talawnh [1]

We will do XXX

positive verb base + -taleenh

I will do XXX (female doer)

positive verb base + -taleenh

You will do XXX (male doer) or He will do XXX

positive verb base + -talaw

You will do XXX

You will do XXX (female doer) or She will do XXX

positive verb base + -talee

It will do XXX (neuter doer)

positive verb base + -talenh

They will do XXX

Negative

I won't do XXX (male or female doer)

negative verb base + -shnaa

We won't do XXX

negative verb base + -shnaati

You won't do XXX (male or female doer)

You won't do XXX

He / she / it won't do XXX

They won't do XXX

A couple of points to note:

  • The negative sense is much simpler than the positive sense

  • The endings in the positive sense are very similar to those in the habitual past tense; the aa sound in the habitual past is converted to an a sound in the future tense.

Here is a concrete example using bosscAnh (sitting):

English

Konkani

English

Konkani

I will sit (male sitter)

haanhvanh bastalawnh

I won't sit (male sitter)

haanhvanh baisashnaa

I will sit (female sitter)

haanhvanh bastaleenh

I won't sit (female sitter)

haanhvanh baisashnaa

You will sit (male sitter)

toonh bastalaw

You won't sit (male sitter)

toonh baisashnaa

You will sit (female sitter)

toonh bastalee

You won't sit (female sitter)

toonh baisashnaa

He will sit

taw bastalaw

He won't sit

taw baisashnaa

She will sit

tee bastalee

She won't sit

tee baisashnaa

It will sit

tAnh bastalenh

It won't sit

tAnh baisashnaa

We will sit

aammi bastaleenh

We won't sit

aammi baisashnaati

Y’all will sit

tummi bastaleenh

Y’all won't sit

tummi baisashnaati

They will sit

teenh bastaleenh

They won't sit

teenh baisashnaati

Searchable list of verb bases

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

Comments