Tulu Lesson 36: Subjunctive Mood - “If”

namaskAra! Welcome back!

Today we will learn how to translate ‘if’ in Tulu. Look at the following examples:

If you call me, I will come

If he comes, tell me

If I help you, will you help me?

As you see, we have two sentences. We have ‘If’ clause at one side and main clause at the other. In Tulu ‘If’ clause can be formed by adding the suffix ‘Da’ to the verb conjugations in all tenses.

Example:

malpu (malpuni) – To do

Ir malpuvar – You do / You will do

Ir malpuvarDa – If you do

paN (paNpini) – To tell / say

Ar paNDer – He/She said

Ar paNDerDa – If he/she said

Alright! Let us conjugate the verb ‘bar’ (barpini - To do) in subjunctive mood in all tenses.

Present/Future: Positive

yAn barpeDa – If I come
I barpaDa – If you come

Aye/imbe barpeDa – If he comes

Al/mOlu barpalDa – If she comes

au/undu barpuNDa (barpuNDu + Da) – If it comes

nama/enkulu barpaDa – If we come

Ir/nikulu barparDa – If you come

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr barperDa – If they come

undekulu/aikulu barpaDa – If they come

Present/Future: Negative

yAn barpujeDa – If I don't come

I barpujaDa – If you don't come

Aye/imbe barpujeDa – If he doesn't come

Al/mOlu barpujalDa – If she doesn't come

au/undu barpujiDa – If it doesn't come

nama/enkulu barpujaDa – If we don't come

Ir/nikulu barpujarDa – If you don't come

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr barpujerDa – If they don't come

undekulu/aikulu barpujaDa – If they don't come

Past: Positive

yAn batteDa – If I came
I battaDa – If you came

Aye/imbe batteDa – If he came

Al/mOlu battalDa – If she came

au/undu batt’NDa (batt’ND + Da) – If it came

nama/enkulu battaDa – If we came

Ir/nikulu battarDa – If you came

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr batterDa – If they came

undekulu/aikulu battaDa – If they came

Past: Negative

yAn battijeDa – If I didn't come

I battijaDa – If you didn't come

Aye/imbe battijeDa – If he didn't come

Al/mOlu battijalDa – If she didn't come

au/undu battijiDa – If it didn't come

nama/enkulu battijaDa – If we didn't come

Ir/nikulu battijarDa – If you didn't come

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr battijerDa – If they didn't come

undekulu/aikulu battijaDa – If they didn't come

Past Perfect: Positive

yAn baideDa – If I had come
I baidaDa – If you had come

Aye/imbe baideDa – If he had come

Al/mOlu baidalDa – If she had come

au/undu baid’NDa (baid’ND + Da) – If it had come

nama/enkulu baidaDa – If we had come

Ir/nikulu baidarDa – If you had come

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr baiderDa – If they had come

undekulu/aikulu baidaDa – If they had come

Past Perfect: Negative

yAn baidijeDa – If I had not come

I baidijaDa – If you had not come

Aye/imbe baidijeDa – If he had not come

Al/mOlu baidijalDa – If she had not come

au/undu baidijiDa – If it had not come

nama/enkulu baidijaDa – If we had not come

Ir/nikulu baidijarDa – If you had not come

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr baidijerDa – If they had not come

undekulu/aikulu baidijaDa – If they had not come

Note: In Tulu we use Present Perfect with 'If' clause while in English it is Past Perfect.

One more example:

bUru (bUruni) – To fall

Present/Future: Positive

yAn bUruveDa – If I fall

I bUruvaDa – If you fall

Aye/imbe bUruveDa – If he falls

Al/mOlu bUruvalDa – If she falls

au/undu bUruNDa (bUruNDu + Da) – If it falls

nama/enkulu bUruvaDa – If we fall

Ir/nikulu bUruvarDa – If you fall

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr bUruverDa – If they fall

undekulu/aikulu bUruvaDa – If they fall

Present/Future: Negative

yAn bUrujeDa – If I don't fall

I bUrujaDa – If you don't fall

Aye/imbe bUrujeDa – If he doesn't fall

Al/mOlu bUrujalDa – If she doesn't fall

au/undu bUrujiDa – If it doesn't fall

nama/enkulu bUrujaDa – If we don't fall

Ir/nikulu bUrujarDa – If you don't fall

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr bUrujerDa – If they don't fall

undekulu/aikulu bUrujaDa – If they don't fall

Past: Positive

yAn bUriyeDa – If I fell

I bUriyaDa – If you fell

Aye/imbe bUriyeDa – If he fell

Al/mOlu bUriyalDa – If she fell

au/undu bUr’NDa (bUr’ND + Da) – If it fell

nama/enkulu bUriyaDa – If we fell

Ir/nikulu bUriyarDa – If you fell

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr bUriyerDa – If they fell

undekulu/aikulu bUriyaDa – If they fell

Past: Negative

yAn bUrijeDa – If I didn't fall

I bUrijaDa – If you didn't fall

Aye/imbe bUrijeDa – If he didn't fall

Al/mOlu bUrijalDa – If she didn't fall

au/undu bUrijiDa – If it didn't fall

nama/enkulu bUrijaDa – If we didn't fall

Ir/nikulu bUrijarDa – If you didn't fall

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr bUrijerDa – If they didn't fall

undekulu/aikulu bUrijaDa – If they didn't fall

Past Perfect: Positive

yAn bUrdeDa – If I had fallen

I bUrdaDa – If you had fallen

Aye/imbe bUrdeDa – If he had fallen

Al/mOlu bUrdalDa – If she had fallen

au/undu bUrd’NDa (bUrd’ND + Da) – If it had fallen

nama/enkulu bUrdaDa – If we had fallen

Ir/nikulu bUrdarDa – If you had fallen

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr bUrderDa – If they had fallen

undekulu/aikulu bUrdaDa – If they had fallen

Past Perfect: Negative

yAn bUrdijeDa – If I had not fallen

I bUrdijaDa – If you had not fallen

Aye/imbe bUrdijeDa – If he had not fallen

Al/mOlu bUrdijalDa – If she had not fallen

au/undu bUrdijiDa – If it had not fallen

nama/enkulu bUrdijaDa – If we had not fallen

Ir/nikulu bUrdijarDa – If you had not fallen

akulu/mokulu/Ar/mEr bUrdijerDa – If they had not fallen

undekulu/aikulu bUrdijaDa – If they had not fallen

Now let us translate the following 3 sentences in Tulu:

1. If you call me, I will come

You call me – I enan leppuva

I will come – Yan barpae

Tulu: I enan leppuvaDa, yAn barpae

English: If you call me, I will come

Kannada: nInu nannannu karedare, nAnu bartEne

2. If he comes, tell me

He comes – Aye barpe

Tell me – eNDa paN

Tulu: Aye barpeDa eNDa paN

English: If he comes, tell me

Kannada: avanu bandare, nanage hELu

3. If I help you, will you help me?

I help you – yAn nikk sAya malpuvae

Will you help me? – I enk sAya malpuvana?

Tulu: yAn nikk sAya malpuveDa, I enk sAya malpuvana?

English: If I help you, will you help me?

Kannada: nAnu ninage sahAya mADidare, nInu nanage sahAya mADuttIya?

The above translated sentences in Tulu are correct. However, normally in spoken Tulu, the third person neuter past tense singular (like batt’NDa, bUr’NDa) used for all persons in all tenses regardless of singular or plural. So above 3 examples can also be translated to Tulu as given below:

Tulu: I enan lett’NDa, yAn barpae

English: If you call me, I will come

Kannada: nInu nannannu karedare, nAnu bartEne

Tulu: Aye batt’NDa, eNDa paN

English: If he comes, tell me

Kannada: avanu bandare, nanage hELu

Tulu: yAn nikk sAya malt’NDa, I enk sAya malpuvana?

English: If I help you, will you help me?

Kannada: nAnu ninage sahAya mADidare, nInu nanage sahAya mADuttIya?

As you see, above sentences are future conditional sentences, but we used the third person neuter past tense singular (lett’NDa, batt’NDa and malt’NDa) while translating ‘If’ clause. Today we are learning only future conditional sentences. Next week we will go to the past conditional sentences.

More Examples:

Tulu: I Od’NDa, parIksheD pAs Apa

English: If you study, you will pass the exam

Kannada: nInu Odidre, parIksheyalli pAs AgtIya

Tulu: I OdijiDa, parIksheD fail Apa

English: If you don’t read, you will fail the exam

Kannada: nInu Odlilladre, parIksheyalli fail AgtIya

Tulu: barsa batt’NDa, yAn chaNDi Apae

English: If it rains, I will get wet

Kannada: maLe bandre, nAnu odde AgtEne

Tulu: dAla samasyae itt’NDa enk paNle

English: If you have any problem, tell me

Kannada: EnAdrU samasye iddare nanage hELi

Tulu: Erla batt’NDa, enan leppu

English: If anyone comes, call me  

Kannada: yArAdrU bandre, nannannu kari

Tulu: I ellae batt’NDa, enk teripAv

English: If you come tomorrow, let me know (once you came)

Kannada: nInu nALe bandre, nanage tiLisu

Tulu: I ellae barpaDa, enk teripAv (Here we have to use future tense ‘barpaDa’ in the ‘If’ clause, since it expreses willingness or a wish)

English: If you will come tomorrow, let me know (in advance)

Kannada: nInu nALe barOdAdre, nanage tiLisu

Tulu: Aye barpeDa baraD (Again this sentence expreses a wish)

English: If he wants, let him come

Kannada: avanu barOdAdre, barali

Tulu: ANDa, enk onji sAya malpuvana?

English: If possible, can you do me a favor?

Kannada: Adre, nanage ondu sahAya mADuttIya?

Tulu: ANDa bayyag tikvae

English: If possible, I will meet you in the evening

Kannada: Adre sanje sigtEne

Tulu: dAla bODANDa (bODu + ANDa), enan leppule

English: If you need anything, call me

Kannada: EnAdrU bEkiddre, nannannu kariri

Tulu: I att’Da, bEtae Er?

English: If not you, who else?

Kannada: nInu alladidre, bEre yAru?

Following words are frequently used with ‘if’ clause in Tulu:

1. onji vElae / onjelae = By chance / In case (Kannada: ondu vELe)

Example:

Tulu: onji vElae barsa batt’NDa, yAn bannaga portAvu (portu + Avu)

English: In case it rains, I may get late

Kannada: ondu vELe maLe bandre, nAnu baruvAga taDa AdItu

2. mini = by any chance (Kannada: EnAdrU)

The word ‘mini’ may have different meanings when used in sentences.

Examples:

Tulu: nikk mini gottuNDa?

Englsih: Do you know by any chance?

Kannada: ninage EnAdrU gottideya?

Tulu: enaDd mini Avand

English: It’s not possible for me in any case

Kannada: nanninda antU sAdhya illa

Tulu: akulu mini baruvera?

English: Will they come by any chance?

Kannada: avaru EnAdrU bandAra?

Tulu: yAn bannaga portANDa mini, neroDchi

English: If by any chance I am late, don’t scold me

Kannada: nAnu baruvAga EnAdrU taDa Adre, baibEDa

Tulu: onji vElae yAn bannaga portANDa mini, enk kApoDchi

English: If by any chance I am late, don’t wait for me

Kannada: ondu vELe nAnu baruvAga EnAdrU taDa Adre, nanage kAyabEDa

3. mAtra = Only (Kannada: mAtra)

Example:

Tulu: I lett’NDa mAtra barpae

English: I will come only if you call me

Kannada: nInu karedare mAtra bartEne

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See you next week!

solmelu!