Noun-Noun sentences
Simple sentences in Tamil can be made by joining two nouns or
noun phrases without any linking or copula verb. In such sentences the first
noun acts as the subject and the second as the predicate. Such predicates
are called adjectival predicates because they act as modifiers to the subject.
1. முருகன் வாத்தியார்
muruhan vaattiyaar
Murugan teacher
'Murugan is the teacher' or 'Murugan is a teacher!'
Here neither the link verb இரு 'be' nor the determiner article
ஒரு 'a' is required. It is possible to make corresponding sentences
with a determiner ஒரு and a 'be' verb, for example முருகன் ஒரு வாத்தியார் or
முருகன் ஒரு வாத்தியாராக இருக்கிறார் meaning 'Murugan is teacher' or
Murugan is a teacher, but they are used only in restricted contexts. (The main verb இருக்கிறார், which is a typical form of the Tamil verb consists of the root verb (இரு), tense suffix (கிற்) and person, number and gender suffix (ஆர்)). A detailed discussion on forming Tamil verbs may be found in the section on present tense.
Sentence 1 can also be written as வாத்தியார் முருகன், where a shift in focus of the subject is understood with a meaning that 'the teacher is Murugan' rather than 'Murugan is a teacher'. In most cases the order of words in Tamil sentences is found to be flexible.
Pronouns and corresponding possessive ('oblique') forms
Class | Pronouns | Possessive ('oblique') form |
I person singular | நான் 'I' | என் 'my' |
I person plural (inclusive) | நாம் ( நாம) 'we' | நம் ( நம்ம) 'our' |
I person plural (exclusive) | நாங்கள் ( நாங்க) 'we' |
எங்கள் (எங்க) 'our' |
II person singular (impolite/intimate) | நீ 'you' | உன் 'your' |
II person plural (polite) | நீங்கள் ( நீங்க) 'you' | உங்கள் (உங்க) 'your' |
II person plural (equals) | நீர் 'you' | உம் 'your' |
III person singular masculine (impolite/intimate) | அவன் 'he' | அவன் 'his' |
III person singular masculine (polite) | அவர் 'he' | அவர் 'his' |
III person singular feminine (impolite/intimate) | அவள் (அவ) 'she' | அவள்(அவ) 'her' |
III person singular feminine/masculine plural/polite | அவர்கள் (அவுங்க) 'they-human' | அவர்கள் (அவுங்க) 'their-human' |
Neuter singular | அது 'it' | அதன் (அதோடெ) 'it's' |
Neuter plural | அவை 'they-neut.' | அவைகள்/அவற்ற்- 'their-neut' |
Question word - human | யார் 'who' | யார்/யாருடைய yaaroote'whose' |
Question word - neuter | எது 'which' | எதன்/எதனுடைய எதோடெ 'whose' (its) |
Noun-noun sentences in Tamil can also be made using demonstrative pronouns such as இது (itu) 'this', அது (that) 'that' etc., and possessive pronouns such as என் (en) 'my', உன் (un) 'your-intimate', உங்கள் - உங்க 'your-polite' etc.
இது என் புத்தகம்
itu en puttaham
This my book
'This is my book!'
Changing the order as in என் புத்தகம் இது would mean 'among a set
of books the one that is referred is my book'.
Similarly, each of these noun phrases can co-occur with adjectives as follows.
உங்கள் புத்தகம் நல்ல புத்தகம்
உங்க புத்தகம் நல்ல புத்தகம் (spoken)
Your book good book
'Your book is a good book
Questions can be made in a similar manner, but by the substitution of question
words such as என்ன (enna) 'what', எது (edu) 'which-thing',
எங்கே (engkee) 'where', யார் (yaar) 'who' and
எப்பொழுது/எப்போது (eppozhutu/eppoodu) 'when'. In many instances, these
words occur at the end of sentences.
உங்கள் பெயர் என்ன?
உங்க பேரு என்ன
Your name what?
'What is your name?
என் பெயர் வள்ளி?
என் பேரு வள்ளி
My name Valli?
'My name is Valli?
அவர்கள் ஊர் எது?
அவுங்க ஊரு எது
His/her {native town} which?
'Which is her/his native town?
அவர்கள் ஊர் பழனி
அவுங்க ஊரு பழனி
His/her native town Palani
'His/her native town is Palani
Negation of Noun-noun sentences
The negative form of noun-noun sentences is made using the negative word இல்லை
occuring at the end of the sentence. The use of this word is
obligatory in all such negative sentences. It is also necessary that this word must
occur at the end of the sentence.
எங்கள் ஊர் மதுரை இல்லை
எங்க ஊரு மதுரெ இல்லெ
Our {native town} Madurai not
'Our native town is not Madurai'
இது என் புத்தகம் இல்லை
இது என் புத்தகம் இல்லெ
This my book not
'This is not my book'
Dialogue:
Choose a partner and exchange greetings, ask each other's names and names of parents, ask about what they have etc. Use the following words and expressions:
வணக்கம்
வாங்க! வாங்க!
எப்படி இருக்கீங்க?
சௌக்கியமா?
இது என்ன?
அது என்ன?
அவர் யார்?
இவர் யார்?
Translate the following into Tamil:
1) My name is (your name).
2) My home town is (your home town).
3) There is a big temple in my home town.
4) That is a big temple in my hometown.
5) That temple is a small temple in our town.
6) The name of the temple is Sivan temple.
7) There is no big store in my town.
8) This book is a good book.
9) This is my pencil not yours.
10) That house is your house.
Dialogue: http://www.thetamillanguage.com/unit_01/section_A/lesson01.html