Across, through, past: the word comes after the noun
English 'across the road' puts its word in front. The Tamil வீதியை குறுக்கால is the same word, only after the noun. The noun before it takes an ending of its own, and which ending is learned along with the word. For example: “வீதியை குறுக்கால ஒரு மரம் விழுந்து கிடக்கு” — A fallen tree lies across the road. A rule from the Tamil course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
English 'across the road' puts its word in front. The Tamil வீதியை குறுக்கால (vīdiyai kuṟukkāla) is the same word, only after the noun. The noun before it takes an ending of its own, and which ending is learned along with the word.
The ending -ஐ goes with குறுக்கால (kuṟukkāla) 'across', தாண்டி (tāṇḍi) 'past', ஊடா (ūḍā) 'through': வீதியை குறுக்கால, கடையை தாண்டி (kaḍaiyai tāṇḍi). The ending -க்கு goes with எதிரா (edirā) 'towards' and பக்கத்தில (pakkattila) 'near': எனக்கு எதிரா (eṉakku edirā), வீட்டுக்கு பக்கத்தில (vīṭṭukku pakkattila).
Half of these words are plain nouns: வெளியில (veḷiyila) 'outside', தூரத்தில (tūrattila) 'far off', ஆழத்தில (āḻattila) 'deep down'. They are 'the outside', 'the distance' and 'the depth' with a place ending, and seeing them as nouns beats a list.
The trap everybody falls into. பக்கத்தில is 'near', பக்கத்தால (pakkattāla) is 'on the side'. Same with பின்னால (piṉṉāla) 'behind' and பின்னுக்கு (piṉṉukku) 'backwards': one answers 'where', the other 'where to'.
Table
| Tamil word | What comes before it | Example | In English |
|---|---|---|---|
| குறுக்கால | -ஐ | வீதியை குறுக்கால | across the road |
| தாண்டி | -ஐ | கடையை தாண்டி | past the shop |
| ஊடா | -ஐ | காட்டை ஊடா | through the forest |
| எதிரா | -க்கு | எனக்கு எதிரா | towards me |
| பக்கத்தில | -க்கு | வீட்டுக்கு பக்கத்தில | near the house |
| பக்கத்தால | -க்கு | வீட்டுக்கு பக்கத்தால | on the side of the house |
By example
- வீதியை குறுக்கால ஒரு மரம் விழுந்து கிடக்குvīdiyai kuṟukkāla oru maram viḻundu kiḍakkuA fallen tree lies across the road
- கோயிலை தாண்டி, முற்றத்தின்ர நடுவில கிணறு இருக்குkōyilai tāṇḍi, muṟṟattiṉra naḍuvila kiṇaṟu irukkuHaving passed the temple, in the middle of the yard there is a well
- வீட்டுக்கு பக்கத்தில கடை, வீட்டுக்கு பக்கத்தால வழிvīṭṭukku pakkattila kaḍai, vīṭṭukku pakkattāla vaḻiNear the house there is a shop, on the side of the house a path
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
Across, through, past: how does it work in Tamil?
English 'across the road' puts its word in front. The Tamil வீதியை குறுக்கால is the same word, only after the noun. The noun before it takes an ending of its own, and which ending is learned along with the word.
What does it look like in an example sentence Tamil?
“வீதியை குறுக்கால ஒரு மரம் விழுந்து கிடக்கு” (vīdiyai kuṟukkāla oru maram viḻundu kiḍakku) — A fallen tree lies across the road. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.