How to Conjugate Future Tense Verbs in Tamil for English Speakers

Understanding Future Tense in Tamil Verbs

In Tamil, the future tense is used to describe actions that will happen later than the present moment. Unlike English, Tamil verbs conjugate differently based on the subject's gender, number, and formality. This article will guide English speakers through the basics of forming and using future tense verbs in Tamil.

Basic Structure of Future Tense Verbs in Tamil

Tamil verbs in the future tense are formed by adding specific suffixes to the verb root. These suffixes vary depending on the subject's person (first, second, third), number (singular, plural), and gender (masculine, feminine, neuter). The verb root is the base form of the verb without any tense or person markers.

Future Tense Suffixes for Different Persons and Genders

• First Person Singular: -வேன் (-vēṉ)
• First Person Plural: -வேம் (-vēm)
• Second Person Singular (Informal): -வேன் (-vēṉ)
• Second Person Singular (Formal): -ீர்கள் (-īrkaḷ)
• Second Person Plural: -ீர்கள் (-īrkaḷ)
• Third Person Singular Masculine: -ஆன் (-āṉ)
• Third Person Singular Feminine: -ஆள் (-āḷ)
• Third Person Singular Neuter: -ஆது (-ātu)
• Third Person Plural: -ஆர் (-ār)

Example Verb: 'To Come' (வரு - varu)

Let's conjugate the verb 'வரு' (varu), meaning 'to come', in the future tense for different subjects.

• I will come: நான் வருவேன் (nāṉ varuvēṉ)
• We will come: நாம் வருவோம் (nām varuvōm)
• You (informal) will come: நீ வருவாய் (nī varuvāy)
• You (formal/plural) will come: நீங்கள் வருவீர்கள் (nīṅkaḷ varuvīrkaḷ)
• He will come: அவன் வரும் (avaṉ varum)
• She will come: அவள் வரும் (avaḷ varum)
• It will come: அது வரும் (atu varum)
• They will come: அவர்கள் வரும் (avarkaḷ varum)

Notes on Usage and Formality

Tamil distinguishes between formal and informal second person forms. Use '-ீர்கள்' (-īrkaḷ) suffix for formal or plural 'you', and '-ாய்' (-āy) or '-ன்' (-ṉ) for informal singular 'you' depending on the verb. Also, some verbs may have irregular forms or slight variations in conjugation.

Practice Examples

Try conjugating the verb 'பார்' (pār), meaning 'to see', in the future tense for different subjects using the suffixes explained above.