LingoflyAcross, through, past: the word comes after the noun
English 'across the road' puts its word in front. The Tamil வீதியை (vīdiyai) குறுக்கால (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. For example: “வீதியை குறுக்கால ஒரு மரம் விழுந்து கிடக்கு” (vīdiyai kuṟukkāla oru maram viḻundu kiḍakku) — 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 (vīdiyai) குறுக்கால (kuṟukkāla) (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 (vīdiyai) குறுக்கால (kuṟukkāla), கடையை (kaḍaiyai) தாண்டி (tāṇḍi) (kaḍaiyai tāṇḍi). The ending -க்கு goes with எதிரா (edirā) 'towards' and பக்கத்தில (pakkattila) 'near': எனக்கு (eṉakku) எதிரா (edirā) (eṉakku edirā), வீட்டுக்கு (vīṭṭukku) பக்கத்தில (pakkattila) (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 (pakkattila) 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 (kuṟukkāla) | -ஐ | வீதியை (vīdiyai) குறுக்கால (kuṟukkāla) | across the road |
| தாண்டி (tāṇḍi) | -ஐ | கடையை (kaḍaiyai) தாண்டி (tāṇḍi) | past the shop |
| ஊடா (ūḍā) | -ஐ | காட்டை ஊடா (ūḍā) | through the forest |
| எதிரா (edirā) | -க்கு | எனக்கு (eṉakku) எதிரா (edirā) | towards me |
| பக்கத்தில (pakkattila) | -க்கு | வீட்டுக்கு (vīṭṭukku) பக்கத்தில (pakkattila) | near the house |
| பக்கத்தால (pakkattāla) | -க்கு | வீட்டுக்கு (vīṭṭukku) பக்கத்தால (pakkattāla) | on the side of the house |
By example
- vīṭṭukku 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 (vīdiyai) குறுக்கால (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.
What does it look like in a Tamil example sentence?
“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.