The habitual past tense in Konkani

(updated )

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The habitual past tense is a form of the past tense which indicates an action which was completed numerous times in the past, but which may no longer be performed now. Examples are I used to walk or I used to sit. In this post, we'll consider how to form verbs in the habitual past tense.

Verbs follow some simple rules when said in the habitual past 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 habitual past tense are the same as those for the simple past tense

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

Sense

Singular

Plural

Positive

I used to do XXX (male doer)

positive verb base + -taalawnh [1]

We used to do XXX

positive verb base + -taaleenh

I used to do XXX (female doer)

positive verb base + -taaleenh

You used to do XXX (male doer) or
He used to do XXX

positive verb base + -taalaw

You used to do XXX

You used to do XXX (female doer) or
She used to do XXX

positive verb base + -taalee

It used to do XXX (neuter doer)

positive verb base + -taalenh

They used to do XXX

Negative

I didn't use to do XXX (male doer)

negative verb base + -naashilawnh or -Naashilawnh

We didn't use to do XXX

negative verb base + -naashileenh or -Naashileenh

I didn't use to do XXX (female doer)

negative verb base + -naashileenh or -Naashileenh

You didn't use to do XXX (male doer) or
He didn't use to do XXX

negative verb base + -naashilaw or -Naashilaw

You didn't use to do XXX

You didn't use to do XXX (female doer) or
She didn't use to do XXX

negative verb base + -naashilee or -Naashilee

It didn't use to do XXX (neuter doer)

negative verb base + -naashilenh or -Naashilenh

They didn't use to do XXX

Fot the negative sense, use the endings starting with -N if the negative verb base ends with that sound, otherwise use the endings starting with -n.

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

English

Konkani

English

Konkani

I used to sit (male sitter)

haanhvanh bastaalawnh

I didn't use to sit (male sitter)

haanhvanh baisanaashilawnh

I used to sit (female sitter)

haanhvanh bastaaleenh

I didn't use to sit (female sitter)

haanhvanh baisanaashileenh

You used to sit (male sitter)

toonh bastaalaw

You didn't use to sit (male sitter)

toonh baisanaashilaw

You used to sit (female sitter)

toonh bastaalee

You didn't use to sit (female sitter)

toonh baisanaashilee

He used to sit

taw bastaalaw

He didn't use to sit

taw baisanaashilaw

She used to sit

tee bastaalee

She didn't use to sit

tee baisanaashilee

It used to sit

tAnh bastaalenh

It didn't use to sit

tAnh baisanaashilenh

We used to sit

aammi bastaaleenh

We didn't use to sit

aammi baisanaashileenh

Y’all used to sit

tummi bastaaleenh

Y’all didn't use to sit

tummi baisanaashileenh

They used to sit

teenh bastaaleenh

They didn't use to sit

teenh baisanaashileenh

I used to cry (male cryer)

haanhvanh raDtaalawnh

I didn't use to cry (male cryer)

haanhvanh ra-aNNaashilawnh

I used to cry (female cryer)

haanhvanh raDtaaleenh

I didn't use to cry (female cryer)

haanhvanh ra-aNNaashileenh

You used to cry (male cryer)

toonh raDtaalaw

You didn't use to cry (male cryer)

toonh ra-aNNaashilaw

You used to cry (female cryer)

toonh raDtaalee

You didn't use to cry (female cryer)

toonh ra-aNNaashilee

He used to cry

taw raDtaalaw

He didn't use to cry

taw ra-aNNaashilaw

She used to cry

tee raDtaalee

She didn't use to cry

tee ra-aNNaashilee

It used to cry

tAnh raDtaalenh

It didn't use to cry

tAnh ra-aNNaashilenh

We used to cry

aammi raDtaaleenh

We didn't use to cry

aammi ra-aNNaashileenh

Y’all used to cry

tummi raDtaaleenh

Y’all didn't use to cry

tummi ra-aNNaashileenh

They used to cry

teenh raDtaaleenh

They didn't use to cry

teenh ra-aNNaashileenh

Searchable list of verb bases

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

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