In Tamil, there are three tenses namely kadanda kaalam(past tense), nigazh kaalam(present tense), edhirkaalam(future tense). I will start with few examples with subject 'I' pronoun with present, past and future tense. Verbs here are used to express an action (I swim) or a state of being (I am). In Tamil 'Naan' means 'I'.
To start with, let's use simple verbs. The meaning of these verbs are:
nada - walk
padu - sleep
Odu - run
kodu - give
vaa - come
pO - go
padi - read
paar - see
nil - stand
aagu - become
thoongu - sleep
| past tense | present tense | future tense | |
| I was | I am | I will | |
| be | naan irunthaen | Naan Irrukiraen | naan irrupaen |
| walk | naan nadanaen | naan nadakkiraen | naan nadappaen |
| sleep | naan padunaen | naan padukkiraen | naan paduppaen |
| run | Naan odunaen | naan odukkiraen | naan oduvaen |
| Do | naan seithaen | naan seyikiraen | naan seivaen |
| read | Naan paditaen | naan padikiraen | naan padipaen |
| See | Naan Paarththaen | Naan Paarkkiraen | Naan Paarppaen |
| stand | naan ninru | Naan nirkiraen | naan nirpaen |
| go | naan poittaen | naan poikiraen | naan povaen |
| mention you | Naan unnidam kurippittaen | Naan unnidan kurippidukiraen | Naan unnidam kurippiduvaen |
| Expect | Naan Yethirpaarththaen | Naan Yethirpaarkkiraen | Naan Yethirpaarppaen |
| clean | Naan Suththam seithaen | Suththam seikiraen | Suththam seivaen |
Next Lesson 15: Tamil tense - 2
