Tulu Lesson 20: Uses of Gerunds, Infinitives and Verbal Nouns

namaskAra! Welcome back!

Today we are going to learn three more Verbals: Gerunds, Infinitives and Verbal nouns in Tulu

Gerunds: Suffix ‘ni’ (also we can see ‘na’ or ‘ne’ in some dialects).

The suffix ‘ni’ is added to Adjectival Participles.

There are four forms; Present, Simple Past, Past Perfect and Negative.

Present: barpi + ni >>> barpini – coming (Kannada: baruvudu)

Simple Past: batti + ni >>> battini – Came (Kannada: bandiddu)

Past Perfect: baidi + ni >>> baidini – have come (Kannada: bandiruvudu)

Negative: barandi + ni >>> barandini – have not come (Kannada: baradiruvudu)

Gerunds are mainly used as nouns. 

Tulu: barpini pOpini

English: Coming and going

Kannada: baruvudu hOguvudu

Tulu: parpini ArOgyag eDDae att

English: Drinking is not good for health

Kannada: kuDiyuvudu ArOgyakke oLLeyadalla

Tulu: tulu kalpuni mast sulabha

English: Learnig Tulu is very easy

Kannada: tuLu kaliyuvudu tumbA sulabha

Tulu: katae barepini paNDa enk ishTa

English: I like writing stories

Kannada: kathe bareyuvudu andare nanage ishTa

Tulu: naDupuni ArOgyag eDDae

English: Walking is good for health

Kannada: naDeyuvudu ArOgyakke oLLeyadu 

Gerunds are also used instead of personal forms of verbs in questions or answering questions or when emphasizing the action (verb).

Example:

Er battini? – Who came? (Kannada: yAru bandadu?)

In the above example, we already know someone has come, but we don’t know who it is. So we are emphasizing the verb ‘came’ in the sentence. I don’t think we have certain rules on using gerunds instead of personal forms of verbs in Tulu, but it works as same as Kannada or other Dravidian languages.

Let us see more examples:

Tulu: I dAye battini?

English: Why did you come?

Kannada: nInu Eke bandadu?

Tulu: I ODe pOpini?

English: Where do you go? (Where are you going?)

Kannada: nInu ellige hOguvudu?

Tulu: Aye ittae pOyini

English: He went (has gone) just now

Kannada: avanu Iga hOdadu

Tulu: nikulu Epa baidini?

Englih: When did you all come? (When have you come?)

Kannada: nIvu yAvaga bandiruvudu?

Tulu: Er barandini?

English: Who did not come?

Kannada: yAru baradiruvudu?

Tulu: akulu kODae battini, ini pOpini

English: They came yesterday and will go today.

Kannada: avaru ninne bandadu, ivattu hOguvudu

Tulu: I lettinekk yAn battini

English: I came because you called me

Kannada: nInu karedadakke nAnu bandadu

Tulu: I paNDinekk yAn maltini

English: I did it because you told me

Kannada: nInu hELidakke nAnu mADidu

Infinitives: suffix ‘erae’

The suffix ‘erae’ is added to root verb. 

Examples:

bar + erae >>> barerae / barrae – To come

pO + erae >>> pOyerae – To go

tU + erae >>> tUyerae  - To see

tiN + erae >>> tiNerae / tiNDrae – To eat

uN + erae >>> uNerae / uNDrae – To have lunch/dinner

ker + erae >>> kererae / kerrae – To kill

kor + erae >>> korerae / korrae – To give

malpu + erae >>> malperae – To do

uppu + erae >>> upperae – To be

kEN + erae >>> kENerae / kENDrae – To ask/hear

untu + erae >>> unterae – To stand

kullu + erae >>> kullerae – To sit

bUru + erae >>> bUrerae / bUrrae – To fall

dettoNu + erae >>> dettoNerae / dettoNDrae – To take (for oneself)

malpA + erae >>> malpAyerae – To make someone do

This form is used same as ‘to + verb’ in English. Sometimes the dative case suffix ‘g’ is used with this form optionally.

Tulu: yAn ninan tUyerae battini / yAn ninan tUyereg battini

English: I came to see you

Kannada: nAnu ninnannu nODalu (nODalikke) bandadu

Tulu: enk tulu pAterrae (pAtererae) barpuji

English: I don’t know to speak Tulu

Kannada: nanage tuLu mAtannADalu baruvudilla

Tulu: enk sAleg pOyerae uNDu

English: I have to go to school

Kannada: nanage shAlege hOgalikke ide

Tulu: nikk malparae dAla bElae ijja?

English: Don’t you have anything to do?

Kannada: ningae mADalikke EnU kelasa ilva?

Tulu:  Ayen telipAyerae enaDd sAdya ijji

English: It’s not possible for me to make him smile

Kannada: avanannu nagisalu nanninda sAdhya illa

Tulu: enk ninan madaperae Apuji

English: I can’t forget you (It’s not possible for me to forget you)

Kannada: nanage ninnanu mareyalikke Aguvudilla

Tulu: enk buliperae barpuNDu

English: I feel like to cry

Kannada: nanage aLu bartade

Tulu: ireg tiNDrae (tiNyarae) dAla bODe?

English: Do you want anything to eat?

Kannada: nimage tinnalikke EnAdrU bEka?

‘bODu’ is a modal verb in Tulu which means ‘want’, ‘need’. Its opposite is ‘boDchi’ which means ‘not wanted’, ‘need not’.

Examples:

Tulu: enk nIr bODu

English: I want water

Kannada: nanage nIru bEku

Tulu: nikk chA bODa?

Enlglish: Do you want tea?

Kannda: ninage chaha bEka?

Tulu: enk chA boDchi, kAphi bODu

English: I don’t want tea, I want coffee

Kannda: nanage chaha bEDa, kAphi bEku

Verbal Nouns:

There are many suffixes like tae, el, as, kae/gae, avu, a,  pu, ATA, ATigae, anigae, chil etc. are added to root verbs to make verbal nouns.

Ex.

Er = To Ascend or increase (Kannda: Eru)

Ertae = Ascending / high tide (Kannada: Erike / ubbara)

naDapu = To Walk or behave (Kannada: naDe)

naDatae = Behaviour / Conduct (Kannada: naDate)

pugar = To praise (Kannada: hogaLu)

pugartae = Praising /praiseworthy (Kannada: hogaLike)

jappu = To get down or descend (Kannada: iLi)

jappel = Descending / slope / low tide (Kannada: iLita / iLike)

bacch = To be tired (Kannada: sustAgu)

bacchel = Tiredness (Kannada: sustu)

uNu = To eat meal (Kannada: uNNu)

uNas / oNas = Meal or food (Kannada: UTa)

uNpu / nuppu = Food / Cooked rice (Kannada: anna)

tiN = To eat (Kannada: tinnu)

tiNas = Food / snack (Kannada: tinisu)

nalipu = To dance (Kannada: kuNi)

nalikae = Dance (Kannada: kuNita)

telipu = To smile or laugh (Kannada: nagu)

telikae = Smile / laughter (Kannada: nage)

pODi = To fear (Kannada: hedaru)

pODigae = Fear / Fright (Kannada: hedarike)

bare = To write (Kannada: bare)

baravu = Writing / education (Kannada: baraha)

sai = To die (Kannada: sAyu)

sAu = Death (Kannada: sAvu)

kalpu = To learn (Kannada: kali)

kalpa = Learning / Cleverness (Kannada: kalike)

pAter = To speak/talk (Kannada: mAtADu)

pAtera = Speech/Word (Kannada: mAtu)            

pO = To go (Kannada: hOgu)

pOpu = Going (Kannada: hOguvike)

kalk = To scream (Kannada: kirichu)

kalkATA / kalkATigae = Screaming (Kannada: kirichATa)

mecch = To like (Kannada: mecchu)

mecchanigae = Liking / Appreciation (Kannada: mecchige)

pinn = To know or understand (Kannada: ariyu)

pindanigae = Knowledge / Intellect / Understanding (Kannada: arivu)

puNe = To fight or attempt (Kannada: heNagADu / prayatnisu)

puNecchil / puNevu = Fight / Attempt / Struggle (Kannada: heNaguvike / prayatna)

 bule = To grow (Kannada: beLe)

bulecchil = Growth (Kannada: beLavaNige)

Some of the verbs do not take any suffix and are used as nouns as well in their crude form. 

E.g

gobbu (verb) = To play (Kannada: ATa ADu))

gobbu (noun) = Game (Kannada: Game)

ninepu (verb)  – To think or remember (Kannada: nene)

ninepu (noun) – Memory / Remembrance (Kannada: nenepu)

bulipu (verb) – To cry or weep (Kannada: aLu)

bulipu (noun) –  Cry / Lamentation (Kannada: aLu)

bad’k (verb) = To live (Kannada: baduku)

bad’k (noun) = Life (Kannada: baduku)

leppu (verb) = Call (Kannada: kareyu)

leppu (noun) = Call (Kannada: kare)

Now let us see few sentences using verbal nouns

Tulu: undu ertaeda portu 

English: This is high tide time

Kannada: idu ubbarada samaya

Tulu: Ar bAri pugArtaeda bElae malt'der 

English: He/She did a praiseworthy work

Kannada: avaru tumbA hogaLikeya kelasa mADiddAre

Tulu: Ayeg chUr la bacchel ijji 

English: He does not have tiredness at all

Kannada: avanige svalpavU sustu illa

Tulu: oNas’g portAND 

English: It’s time for lunch/dinner

Kannada: UTakke hottAyitu

Tulu: Al nalikaeD bAri ushAr 

English: She is good at dancing 

Kannada: avaLu kuNitadalli tumbA hushAru

Tulu: arena mOnaeD telikae ijji 

English: He/She doesn’t have a smile at his/her face

Kannada: avara mukhadalli nage illa

Tulu: enk Erenala pODigae ijji 

English: I don’t have fear of anyone 

Kannada: nanage yAraddU bhayavilla

Tulu: yAn raDD pAtera pAteriyae 

English: I spoke few words 

Kannada: nAnu eraDu mAtu mAtADide

Tulu: alena kalkATA kEND’d mAta kUDiyer 

English: All gathered hearing her scream

Kannada: avaLa kirichATa kELi ellarU sEridaru

Tulu: arena puNechil’g kaDegla phala tikk’ND 

English: Finally he/she got the fruit for his/her struggle

Kannada: avara prayatnakke kaDegU phala sikkitu

Tulu: Aye onji gobbu gobbiye 

English: He played a game

Kannada: avanu ondu ATa ADidanu

Tulu: enna bad’k’D nikk dAla stAna ijji 

English: You don’t have any place in my life

Kannada: nanna badukinalli ninage EnU sthAna illa

Tulu: bAlaeda bulipu kEND’d yAn pOyae 

English: I went hearing kid’s cry

Kannada: maguvina aLu kELi nAnu hOde

Click here to learn more verbal nouns

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See you next week!

solmelu!