Tamil tense - 4 ('We' as subject)

In Tamil, there are two pronouns for the English pronoun "we". One is 'Naam' and 'Naangkal'. When using 'Naam', the person being spoken to is included in 'we'. Whereas in 'Naangkal', the person being spoken to is not invluded in "we".

For example:

- When you describe about your family vacation to your neighbours, you say "we went to ooty". So here you would use "naangkal" as the person being spoken to i.e. neighbour is excluded from "we".

-When you talk about your family vacation to your family members, you say "we all should travel to Ooty". So here you would use "naam" as the people being spoken to are included in "we".

So you can prefix either 'naam' or 'naangkal' to the following verbs based on the actual meaning you wanted to convey.

English words	past tense	present tense	future tense
tell	sonnom	solkirom	solvom
sing	paadinom	paadukirom	paaduvom
expect	yethirpaarththom	yethirpaarkkirom	yethirpaarppom
be	irunthom	irukirrom	irupom
walk	nadandom	nadakkirom	nadapom
do	seidom	seyikkirom	seyivom
see	paarththom	paarkkirom	paarppom
stand	ninrom	nirkirom	nirpom
go	poittom	poirkirom	povvom
clean	suttham seithom	suttham seyikirom	suttham seyivom
sleep	padunom	padukirom	paduppom
read	paditom	padikirom	padipom
buy	vaanginom	vaangikirom	vaangivom
eat	saapitom	saapidukirom	saapidivom
play	vilaiyaadunom	vilaiyaadukirom	vilaiyaaduvom
run	odunom	odukirom	oduvom
take	yeduththom	yedukkirom	yedupom

Next Lesson 18: Tamil tense - 5 ('They' as subject)