Suffixes for various tenses in Telugu

 In this lesson, you will learn about the suffixes that are to be added to various tenses. 

For simple present, past and future tense, please refer lesson on tense mood.

For continuous tense it is as follows:

1.   Thunnaa– (తున్నా) – Present continuous and perfect continuous

2.   Thoo(తూ) – Past and Future continuous and perfect continuous

The above suffixes are followed by personal suffixes.

However, it is followed by another verb, for instance, vundhi(ఉంది) or vunnaadu(ఉన్నాడు) in past tense and vuntundhi(ఉంటుంది) or vuntaadu(ఉంటాడు) in future tense.

Example sentences:

·         సీత పుస్తకం చదువుతున్నది. (Sita pusthakamchadhuvuthunnadhi.) – Sita is reading a book.

·         సీత నిన్న పుస్తకం చదువుతూ ఉంది. (Sita ninnapusthakamchaduvuthoovundhi.) – Sita was reading a book yesterday.

·         సీత రేపు పుస్తకం చదువుతూ ఉంటుంది. (Sita raepupusthakamchadhuvuthoovuntundhi.) – Sita will be reading a book tomorrow.

Personal suffixes for present tense:

·         (nu) (ను) – I person singular (I – నేను [naenu])

·         (mu) (ము) – I person plural (We – మేము/మనము [maemu/manamu])

·         (vu) (వు) – II person singular (You – నువ్వు [Nuvvu])

·         (du) (డు) – III person singular (he – అతడు [athadu])

·         (di) (ది) – III person singular (she – ఆమె [aame] and it – అది [adhi])

·         (ru) (రు) – II person plural and III person plural (You – మీరు [meeru]; they – వారు [vaaru] – he and she)

·         (yi) (యి)  – III person plural (they – అవి [avi])

Personal suffixes for past tense:

·         (vunaanu) (ఉన్నాను) – I person singular (I – నేను [naenu])

·         (vunnaamu) (ఉన్నాము) – I person plural (We – మేము/మనము [maemu/manamu])

·         (vunnaavu) (ఉన్నావు) – II person singular (You – నువ్వు [Nuvvu])

·         (vunnaadu) (ఉన్నాడు) – III person singular (he – అతడు [athadu])

·         (vunnadhi or undhi) (ఉన్నది లేక ఉంది) – III person singular (she – ఆమె [aame] and it – అది [adhi])

·         (vunnaaru) (ఉన్నారు) – II person plural and III person plural (You – మీరు [meeru]; they – వారు [vaaru] – he and she)

·         (unnaayi) (ఉన్నాయి)  – III person plural (they – అవి [avi])

 

Personal suffixes for future tense:

·         (vuntaanu) (ఉంటాను) – I person singular (I – నేను [naenu])

·         (vuntaamu) (ఉంటాము) – I person plural (We – మేము/మనము [maemu/manamu])

·         (vuntaavu) (ఉంటావు) – II person singular (You – నువ్వు [Nuvvu])

·         (vuntaadu) (ఉంటాడు) – III person singular (he – అతడు [athadu])

·         (vuntundhi) (ఉంటుంది) – III person singular (she – ఆమె [aame] and it – అది [adhi])

·         (vuntaaru) (ఉంటారు) – II person plural and III person plural (You – మీరు [meeru]; they – వారు [vaaru] – he and she)

·         (umtaayi) (ఉంటాయి) – III person plural (they – అవి [avi])

We cannot differentiate the simple present perfect tense from the past tense in Telugu for the usage of personal suffix. Both look similar. See the following examples.

Examples:

·         Naenu(ippudae) annamthinnaanu. (నేను (ఇప్పుడే) అన్నం తిన్నాను.) – I have eaten meals.

·         Naenuannamthinnaanu. (నేను అన్నం తిన్నాను.) – I ate meals.

·         Naenuninna(appude) annamthinnanu. (నేను నిన్న (అప్పుడే) అన్నం తిన్నాను.) – I had eaten meals yesterday.

If you observe the tense form all looks similar. The words in brackets differentiate the tense, however these are not used in common colloquial Telugu.