The verb does not change for person
Good news next to the script: spoken Sinhala does not conjugate the verb. 'I go', 'you go', 'we go' — everywhere the same යනවා; only the pronoun changes. For example: “මම යනවා” — I go. A rule from the Sinhala course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Good news next to the script: spoken Sinhala does not conjugate the verb. 'I go', 'you go', 'we go' — everywhere the same යනවා (yanavā); only the pronoun changes.
The form in -නවා (-navā) covers the present, the future and generally everything that is going on: කනවා (I/you/we eat), බොනවා (drink), ඉන්නවා (live).
A request is formed with the ending -න්න (-nna): යන්න (yanna) — 'go', කියන්න (kiyanna) — 'say'.
Table
| Person | Phrase | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| මම | මම යනවා | I go |
| ඔයා | ඔයා යනවා | you go |
| ඇය | ඇය යනවා | she goes |
| අපි | අපි යනවා | we go |
By example
- මම යනවාmama yanavāI go
- අපි යනවාapi yanavāWe go
- කෙළින් යන්නkeḷin yannaGo straight
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Does the Sinhala verb change for person?
Good news next to the script: spoken Sinhala does not conjugate the verb. 'I go', 'you go', 'we go' — everywhere the same යනවා; only the pronoun changes.
How the Sinhala present tense on nawa works?
The form in -නවා (-navā) covers the present, the future and generally everything that is going on: කනවා (I/you/we eat), බොනවා (drink), ඉන්නවා (live).
What does it look like in an example sentence Sinhala?
“මම යනවා” (mama yanavā) — I go. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.