Describing with verbs
The book I read, the man who came.
Telugu has no words like "who", "which" or "that" to join clauses. Instead, a verb form that works like an adjective comes before the noun, with its own subject and object in front of it. నేను చదివిన పుస్తకం nēnu cadivina pustakaṁ is "the book I read", literally "I read-which book".
| Form | Ending | చేయు cēyu do | తిను tinu eat | వచ్చు vaccu come |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Past | -ఇన -ina | చేసిన cēsina | తిన్న tinna | వచ్చిన vaccina |
| Present, future | -ఏ -ē | చేసే cēsē | తినే tinē | వచ్చే vaccē |
| Ongoing | -తున్న -tunna | చేస్తున్న cēstunna | తింటున్న tiṁṭunna | వస్తున్న vastunna |
| Negative | -ని -ni | చేయని cēyani | తినని tinani | రాని rāni |
The past and present forms are made from the joining form (చేసి cēsi gives చేసిన cēsina and చేసే cēsē, and as in the past tense, a న doubles: తిని tini gives తిన్న tinna). The ongoing form comes from the ongoing tense, and the negative from the stem in -అ.
- nēnu ninna cūsina sinimā bāguṁdi.The film I saw yesterday was good.
- ninna vaccina abbāyi nā tammuḍu.The boy who came yesterday is my younger brother.
- pāṭa pāḍutunna ammāyi nā cellelu.The girl singing the song is my younger sister.
- telugu māṭlāḍē prajalupeople who speak Telugu
- nāku arthaṁ kāni māṭaluwords I don't understand
వచ్చే vaccē "coming" also means "next": వచ్చే వారం vaccē vāraṁ "next week", వచ్చే సంవత్సరం vaccē saṁvatsaraṁ "next year".
As nouns
With -ది "thing" or -వాడు "man", the participle becomes a noun: నువ్వు చెప్పింది nuvvu ceppiṁdi "what you said", పాలు అమ్మేవాడు pālu ammēvāḍu "a man who sells milk".
- nuvvu ceppiṁdi nijaṁ.What you said is true.
Cards from this guide
8 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Joining and describing cards.
How do you say 'the book I read'?
నేను చదివిన పుస్తకం (nēnu cadivina pustakaṁ).
Which ending turns a verb into a past describing form, as in 'the boy who came'?
-ఇన (-ina): వచ్చిన అబ్బాయి (vaccina abbāyi).
Which describing form is used for habits and the future, as in 'the temple I go to every day'?
The -ఏ form: వెళ్ళే గుడి (veḷḷē guḍi).
How do you say 'the girl (who is) singing' with పాడు (sing)?
పాడుతున్న అమ్మాయి (pāḍutunna ammāyi).
What's the negative describing form of తెలియు (know), as in 'things I don't know'?
తెలియని (teliyani).
What does వచ్చే (vaccē, coming) mean before a time word like వారం (week)?
Next: వచ్చే వారం is 'next week'.
How do you say 'what you said', speaking to a friend?
నువ్వు చెప్పింది (nuvvu ceppiṁdi).
How do you say 'a man who sells milk' with అమ్ము (sell)?
పాలు అమ్మేవాడు (pālu ammēvāḍu).