Must, can, must not: வேணும், முடியும், கூடாது
These words do not bend for person. They are separate words after a verb stem in -அ, and four of them carry almost all daily talk. For example: “எனக்கு ஒரு அறை வேணும்” — I need a room. A rule from the Tamil course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
These words do not bend for person. They are separate words after a verb stem in -அ, and four of them carry almost all daily talk.
வேணும் (vēṇum) — 'must, want'. With a thing it wants the person in -க்கு: எனக்கு தண்ணி வேணும் (eṉakku taṇṇi vēṇum) 'I need water'. With a verb it becomes 'I have to': எனக்கு போக வேணும் (eṉakku pōga vēṇum), which fast speech fuses into -ணும்: போகணும் (pōgaṇuma). The negative is வேண்டாம் (vēṇḍām) 'no need'.
முடியும் (muḍiyum) — 'can, it works out': about skill and about strength. எனக்கு நீந்த முடியும் (eṉakku nīnda muḍiyum) 'I can swim', என்னால திறக்க முடியலை (eṉṉāla tiṟakka muḍiyalai) 'I cannot get it open'. The one who can stands in -க்கு or as என்னால (eṉṉāla) 'by me'.
Permission is not முடியும் but the ending -லாம்: இங்கே இருக்கலாம் (iṅgē irukkalām) 'you may sit here'. A ban is கூடாது (kūḍādu): இங்கே குளிக்கக் கூடாது (iṅgē kuḷikkak kūḍādu). முடியாது (muḍiyādu) is 'I cannot', கூடாது is 'not allowed'.
Table
| Meaning | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| must, want | வேணும் | எனக்கு ஒரு அறை வேணும் |
| no need | வேண்டாம் | எனக்கு காரம் வேண்டாம் |
| can, know how | முடியும் | எனக்கு நீந்த முடியும் |
| cannot | முடியாது | எனக்கு நீந்த முடியாது |
| may, allowed | -லாம் | இங்கே இருக்கலாம் |
| must not, forbidden | கூடாது | இங்கே குளிக்கக் கூடாது |
By example
- எனக்கு ஒரு அறை வேணும்eṉakku oru aṟai vēṇumI need a room
- எனக்கு தமிழ் பேச முடியும்eṉakku tamiḻ pēsa muḍiyumI can speak Tamil
- இங்கே குளிக்கக் கூடாதுiṅgē kuḷikkak kūḍāduOne must not bathe here
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
Must, can, must not: how does it work in Tamil?
These words do not bend for person. They are separate words after a verb stem in -அ, and four of them carry almost all daily talk.
What does it look like in an example sentence Tamil?
“எனக்கு ஒரு அறை வேணும்” (eṉakku oru aṟai vēṇum) — I need a room. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.