Verbs in Telugu

 Verbs are very important in the language. The main form of a verb, i.e., the infinitive form of a verb in English like to eat, to talk, to go ends with ‘Ta’ (ట ) in Telugu. Example: thinuta (తినుట), maatladuta (మాట్లాడుట), velluta (వెళ్ళుట), and more.

Here are some examples of the change of verb in various tenses:       

English	Telugu
I eat a banana.	నేను అరటిపండు తింటాను. (Naenu aratipandu thintaanu.)
I am eating a banana.	నేను అరటిపండు తింటున్నాను. (Naenu aratipandu thintunnaanu.)
I have eaten a banana.	నేను (ఇప్పుడే) అరటిపండు తిన్నాను. (Naenu [ippudae] aratipandu thinnaanu.)
I have been eating a banana.	నేను అరటిపండు తింటూ ఉన్నాను. (Naenu aratipandu tintoo vunnaanu.)
I ate a banana.	నేను అరటిపండు తిన్నాను (Naenu aratipandu thinnaanu.)
I was eating a banana.	నేను (గతంలో) అరటిపండు తింటూ ఉన్నాను. (Naenu [gathamlo] aratipandu thintoo vunnanu.)
I had eaten a banana.	నేను (గతంలో) అరటిపండు తిని ఉన్నాను. (Naenu (gathamlo) aratipandu thini vunnaanu.)
I had been eating a banana.	నేను (గతంలో) అరటిపండు తింటూ ఉన్నాను. (Naenu (gathamlo) aratipandu tintoo vunnaanu.)
I will eat a banana.	నేను (భవిష్యత్తులో) అరటిపండు తింటాను. (Naenu (bhavishyatthulo) aratipandu timtanu.)
I will be eating a banana.	నేను  (భవిష్యత్తులో)  అరటిపండు తింటూ ఉంటాను. [Naenu (bhavishyatthulo) aratipandu thintoo vuntaanu.]
I will have eaten a banana.	నేను (భవిష్యత్తులో) అరటిపండు తిని ఉంటాను. [Naenu (bhavishyatthulo) aratipandu tini umtaanu.]
I will have been eating a banana.	నేను (భవిష్యత్తులో) అరటిపండు తింటూ ఉంటాను. (Naenu (bhavishyatthulo) aratipandu timtoo umtaanu.)

Unlike English, there is no significant differentiation in the verb forms for different tenses. In English, there are specific forms in tenses. For example, ‘have’ should be prefixed to the verb in the present perfect tense and ‘have been’ plus ‘ing’ are to be added to the verb in present perfect continuous tense, and so on. But, there is no such differentiation in Telugu. You can observe it in the above examples.

Nenu aratipandu thintaanu (I eat a banana/I will eat a banana). This is the same for simple present tense and simple future tense. But, the only difference is time. If it is a regular action, we consider it in the simple present tense, and if the action is done in the future time, it will be treated as a simple future tense.

In the same way, Naenu aratipandu thintunnaanu (I am eating a banana/ I was eating a banana) – is same in the present continuous and past continuous tense, but based on time, it is treated as whether the action is related to present continuous tense or past continuous tense.

So, it is very easy in Telugu to use verbs if you just know the verb forms in various tenses as there is no need to add an extra prefix to them.