Here, we will learn to make a sentence. In malayalam, the prepositions or conjunctions are combined with preceding words. This combination rule is very important in Malayalam. The rule is, if a word ends in a consonant and the next word begins in a vowel sound, then they can be combined. This rule holds in almost all cases. In the following examples, you will see how this rule can be applied.
Structure of a sentence
English sentence
Subject + modal verb + verb + other parts
Eg: I am going to work, The sun rises in the east
Malayalam sentence
Subject + other stuff + verb + modal verb
ഞാൻ സ്കൂളിൽ പോകുക ആണ് njaan schoolil pookuka aanu ( i am going to school )
ഞാൻ മീനു ആണ് njaan Minu aanu ( I am Minu )
The modal verb ALWAYS comes at the end of a sentence. The other main verbs just precede the modal verb.
Present tense
There are not many tenses like in English. In many cases simple present can be used instead of present continuous tense. But the converse is not allowed.
Simple present *
To make present tense add -unnu replacing uka of the verb.
1) നടക്കുക nadakkuka -> നടക്കുന്നു nadakkunnu
ഞാൻ നടക്കുന്നു njaan nadakkunnu = I am walking / I walk
2) പോകുക pookuka -> പോകുന്നു pookunnu
അവർ പോകുന്നു avar pookunnu = they are going / they go
3) ഓടുക ooduka -> ഓടുന്നു oodunnu ( run )
4) ചെയ്യുക cheyyuka ->ചെയ്യുന്നു cheyyunnu ( do )
The simple future tense can be used as simple present tense in Malayalam to show daily activities or natural phenomena. See the section simple future tense.
Present continuous tense
Here we use the root form of the verb and the modal verb 'aanu'. Remember: The modal verb always at the end of the sentence.
1) ഞാൻ നടക്കുക ആണ് njaan nadakkuka aanu = I am walking
Here nadakkuka and aanu are combined since the former ends, and the latter starts in vowel sounds; it become nadakkukayaanu (നടക്കുകയാണ്).
2) avar oru apple kazhikkuka aanu = they are eating an apple
(oru=a, an)
3) avar oru apple thinnuka aanu = they are eating an apple
4) aval uranguka aanu = she is sleeping
5) amma book vaayikkuka aanu = mom is reading the book
Past tense
The past tense is little difficult like in many languages. You will have to learn the words by heart. There is no common rule. But you can find out some similarities.
Simple past tense
pookuka - pooyi varuka - vannu
ooduka - oodi nadakkuka - nadannu
irikkuka - irunnu kidakkuka - kidannu
parayuka - paranju paatuka - paadi
choodikkuka - choodichu kelkkuka - keettu
ezhuthuka - ezhuthi vaayikkuka - vaayichu
thinnuka - thinnu kazhikkuka - kazhichu
kudikkuka - kudichu kaanuka - kandu
cheyyuka - cheythu kodukkuka - koduthu
vaanguka - vaangi kittuka - kitti
snehikkuka - snehichu
1) njan pooyi = I went
2) avar vannu = they came
3) ningal vannu = you came
4) Minu innale wine kudichu = Minu drank wine yesterday
Past continuous tense
It is very easy to make past continuous tense. It is similar to present continuous tense. Here we use aayirunnu, which means was/were in English.
1) njaan nadakkuka aayirunnu = I was walking
2) avar oru apple kazhikkuka aayirunnu = they were eating an apple
3) avar oru apple thinnuka aayirunnu = they were eating an apple
4) aval uranguka aayirunnu = she was sleeping
5) amma book vaayikkuka aayirunnu = mom was reading the book
Also using was/were (aayirunnu) we can make sentences like,
innale Sunday aayirunnu = yesterday was Sunday ( innale=yesterday )
Future tense
it is very easy to make future tense. Just replace -uka from the end of the root verb by -um.
Simple future tense
1) njaan pookum = i will go ( pookuka = to go ; uka is removed and um is added)
2) avan varum = he will come ( varuka = to come )
3) ningal naale parayum = you will tell tomorrow ( naale = tomorrow, parayuka = tell, say; )
4) njaan urangum = I will sleep ( uranguka = to sleep )
5) Deepa paadum = Deepa will sing (paaduka = to sing )
Simple future = simple present !
As discussed in the section simple present tense, the future tense can be used to show daily activities (Eg. that you do every day) or natural phenomena (Eg. sun rises in the east). For example:
njaan ennum schoolil pookum = I go to school every day ( ennum = every day)
sooryan kizhakku udhikkum = sun rises in the east ( sooryan = sun, kizhakku = east/in the east, udhikkuka = to rise)
Going to do something
Sometime we say that we are going to do something in future. For example, "I am going to read that book". In this sentence 'to' is a preposition and its malayalam is -aan.
1) aval vaayikaan pokuka aanu = She is going to read
aval pookuka aanu =she is going
2) njaan aa book vaayikaan pokuka aanu = I am going to read that book
aa= that,
vaayikkuka = read
aa book vaayikaan = to read that book (here 'to' is a preposition)
njaan pookuka aanu = I am going
An offer in future !
There is another usage in malayalam, if you offer something to do in future, or obey someone that you will do something in future. It is mostly used in speaking. The rule is add -aam instead of -um. The subject will be njaan (= I )
njaan homework cheyyaam = i will do homework (teacher asked you to do it and you obey )
njaan pookaam = i will go (some one asked you to go and you obey)
njaan partyku varaam = i will come to the party (you give an offer)
Making the sentence