LingoflyA century, the day before, every other time: cases with a stretch of time
Almost every expression of time here is a noun with an ending. Working out what each ending means is cheaper than learning thirty turns by heart. For example: “வருஷத்துக்கு ஒரு தரம் (varuṣattukku oru taram) போவன் (pōvaṉ), அண்மையில (aṇmaiyila) தான் (tāṉ) போயிட்டு (pōyiṭṭu) வந்தன்” (vandaṉ) — I travel once a year, and just the other day I went. A rule from the Tamil course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Almost every expression of time here is a noun with an ending. Working out what each ending means is cheaper than learning thirty turns by heart.
-இல — 'when': இக்காலத்தில (ikkālattila) 'these days', அந்த நேரத்தில (anda nērattila) 'at that moment', அண்மையில (aṇmaiyila) 'the other day'. The same ending also means 'within': சில நிமிசத்தில (sila nimisattila) 'in a few minutes'. The verb sorts the two out.
-உக்கு — 'how many times per': வருஷத்துக்கு ஒரு தரம் (varuṣattukku oru taram) 'once a year', வாரத்துக்கு (vārattukku) ரெண்டு தரம் (reṇḍu taram) (vārattukku reṇḍu taram) 'twice a week'. And வரைக்கும் (varaikkum) means 'until': அது வரைக்கும் (adu varaikkum) 'until then'.
The ending -தோறும் (-tōṟum) gives frequency: நாள் தோறும் (nāḷ tōṟum) 'daily'. Doubling gives stretch: காலங்காலமா (kālaṅgālamā) 'from time out of mind', நாளுக்கு (nāḷukku) நாள் (nāḷ) (nāḷukku nāḷ) 'day by day'. Repeats are counted with தரம் (taram): ஒரு தரம் விட்டு (oru taram viṭṭu) 'every other time'.
Table
| Form | What it means | Example | In English |
|---|---|---|---|
| -இல | when | இக்காலத்தில (ikkālattila) | nowadays |
| -இல | within how long | சில நிமிசத்தில (sila nimisattila) | within minutes |
| -உக்கு + number + தரம் (taram) | how many times per | வருஷத்துக்கு ஒரு தரம் (varuṣattukku oru taram) | once a year |
| வரைக்கும் (varaikkum) | until which limit | அது வரைக்கும் (adu varaikkum) | until then |
| -தோறும் | every | நாள் தோறும் (nāḷ tōṟum) | daily |
| doubling | constantly, growing | காலங்காலமா (kālaṅgālamā) | from time immemorial |
| தரம் (taram) | a time AND quality | ரெண்டு தரம் (reṇḍu taram) / நல்ல (nalla) தரம் (taram) | twice / good quality |
By example
- varuṣattukku oru taram pōvaṉ, aṇmaiyila tāṉ pōyiṭṭu vandaṉI travel once a year, and just the other day I went
- தீ சில நிமிசத்தில பரவிட்டுது, அது வரைக்கும் ஒருத்தரும் அறியேல்லைtī sila nimisattila paraviṭṭudu, adu varaikkum oruttarum aṟiyēllaiThe fire spread within minutes; until then nobody knew
- nāḷ tōṟum vāṟār, āṉā marundai oru taram viṭṭu kuḍikkiṟārHe comes daily but takes the medicine every other time
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
A century, the day before, every other time: how does it work in Tamil?
Almost every expression of time here is a noun with an ending. Working out what each ending means is cheaper than learning thirty turns by heart.
What does it look like in a Tamil example sentence?
“வருஷத்துக்கு ஒரு தரம் (varuṣattukku oru taram) போவன் (pōvaṉ), அண்மையில (aṇmaiyila) தான் (tāṉ) போயிட்டு (pōyiṭṭu) வந்தன்” (vandaṉ) (varuṣattukku oru taram pōvaṉ, aṇmaiyila tāṉ pōyiṭṭu vandaṉ) — I travel once a year, and just the other day I went. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.