LingoflyLaziness, stubbornness, carelessness: how a person becomes a property
Names for qualities — 'kindness', 'laziness', 'patience' — are almost always put together from a person or a feature plus an ending. There are three endings. For example: “அவன்ர (avaṉra) சோம்பேறித்தனமும் பிடிவாதமும் தான் (tāṉ) பிரச்சினை” (piracciṉai) — The problem is his laziness and stubbornness. A rule from the Tamil course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Names for qualities — 'kindness', 'laziness', 'patience' — are almost always put together from a person or a feature plus an ending. There are three endings.
-த்தனம் gives the property of one who is such: சோம்பேறி (sōmbēṟi) 'idler' gives சோம்பேறித்தனம் (sōmbēṟittaṉam) 'laziness', முட்டாள் 'fool' gives முட்டாள்தனம் 'folly'. The shade is nearly always blaming, so these words are rarely said to a face.
-மை is a clean quality with no blame: நேர் 'straight' gives நேர்மை (nērmai) 'honesty', பொறு 'to bear' gives பொறுமை (poṟumai) 'patience'. -தன்மை is the same, only more bookish: நிலை (nilai) gives நிலைத்தன்மை (nilaittaṉmai) 'stability'.
There is a route with no ending too — through மனசு (maṉasu) 'heart'. நல்ல மனசு (nalla maṉasu) is kindness, உதவுற மனசுள்ள (udavuṟa maṉasuḷḷa) is 'helpful'. If the bookish word will not come, build it with மனசு (maṉasu) and you will be understood.
Table
| Suffix | Shade | Stem | Ready-made word |
|---|---|---|---|
| -த்தனம் | condemning | சோம்பேறி (sōmbēṟi) — an idler | சோம்பேறித்தனம் (sōmbēṟittaṉam) — laziness |
| -த்தனம் | the same | முட்டாள் — a fool | முட்டாள்தனம் — foolishness |
| -மை | neutral | நேர் — straight | நேர்மை (nērmai) — honesty |
| -மை | the same | பொறு — to endure | பொறுமை (poṟumai) — patience |
| -தன்மை | bookish | சகிப்பு — tolerance | சகிப்புத்தன்மை (sagipputtaṉmai) — endurance |
| through மனசு (maṉasu) | live speech | நல்ல (nalla) — good | நல்ல மனசு (nalla maṉasu) — kindness |
| a participle | a person through action | வெட்கப்படு — to feel shy | வெட்கப்படுற (veṭkappaḍuṟa) — shy |
By example
- அவன்ர சோம்பேறித்தனமும் பிடிவாதமும் தான் பிரச்சினைavaṉra sōmbēṟittaṉamum piḍivādamum tāṉ piracciṉaiThe problem is his laziness and stubbornness
- ava udavuṟa maṉasuḷḷa āḷ, āṉā koñcam veṭkappaḍuṟavaShe is responsive but a little shy
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
Laziness, stubbornness, carelessness: how does it work in Tamil?
Names for qualities — 'kindness', 'laziness', 'patience' — are almost always put together from a person or a feature plus an ending. There are three endings.
What does it look like in a Tamil example sentence?
“அவன்ர (avaṉra) சோம்பேறித்தனமும் பிடிவாதமும் தான் (tāṉ) பிரச்சினை” (piracciṉai) (avaṉra sōmbēṟittaṉamum piḍivādamum tāṉ piracciṉai) — The problem is his laziness and stubbornness. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.