LingoflyBecause, if, when: the first complex sentence
An English complex sentence leans on a word at the front of the second half. Tamil hangs nearly everything on the end of the verb, so the side part comes first and the main part after it. For example: “நான் (nāṉ) வரேல்லை (varēllai), ஏனெண்டா (ēṉeṇḍā) எனக்கு (eṉakku) வேலை (vēlai) இருந்தது” (irundadu) — I did not come, because I had work. A rule from the Tamil course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
An English complex sentence leans on a word at the front of the second half. Tamil hangs nearly everything on the end of the verb, so the side part comes first and the main part after it.
'Because' is ஏனெண்டா (ēṉeṇḍā), and it does open the second half, as in English. நான் (nāṉ) வரேல்லை (varēllai) (nāṉ varēllai), ஏனெண்டா (ēṉeṇḍā) எனக்கு (eṉakku) வேலை (vēlai) (ēṉeṇḍā eṉakku vēlai) — 'I did not come, because I had work'. Start with this one.
'If' is the ending -ஆ (-ā) right on the past verb: மழை (maḻai) வந்தா (vandā) நாங்கள் (nāṅgaḷ) போகமாட்டம் (maḻai vandā nāṅgaḷ pōgamāṭṭam). 'When' is the word போது (pōdu): நான் (nāṉ) வாற (vāṟa) போது (nāṉ vāṟa pōdu). Reported words come in with எண்டு (eṇḍu) (in Tamil Nadu, -ன்னு): அவர் (avar) வாறன் (vāṟaṉ) எண்டு (eṇḍu) சொன்னார் (soṉṉār) (avar vāṟaṉ eṇḍu soṉṉār).
And the main move: where English puts 'and' between two actions, Tamil takes a form in -இ or -து. கடைக்கு (kaḍaikku) போய் (pōy) பால் (pāl) வாங்கினன் (vāṅgiṉaṉ) (kaḍaikku pōy pāl vāṅgiṉaṉ) — 'having gone to the shop, bought milk'. Only the last verb carries tense and person.
Table
| Link | Where it stands | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ஏனெண்டா (ēṉeṇḍā) — because | at the start of the second part | நான் (nāṉ) வரேல்லை (varēllai), ஏனெண்டா (ēṉeṇḍā) மழை (maḻai) |
| -ஆ — if | on the end of the verb | நேரம் (nēram) இருந்தா (irundā) வாறன் (vāṟaṉ) |
| போது — when | after the participle | நான் (nāṉ) வாற (vāṟa) போது கூப்பிடுங்கோ (kūppiḍuṅgō) |
| எண்டு (eṇḍu) — that (speech, thought) | on the end of others' words | அவர் (avar) வாறன் (vāṟaṉ) எண்டு (eṇḍu) சொன்னார் (soṉṉār) |
| -இ / -து — and then | on the first action | கடைக்கு (kaḍaikku) போய் (pōy) வாங்கினன் (vāṅgiṉaṉ) |
By example
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
Because, if, when: how does it work in Tamil?
An English complex sentence leans on a word at the front of the second half. Tamil hangs nearly everything on the end of the verb, so the side part comes first and the main part after it.
What does it look like in a Tamil example sentence?
“நான் (nāṉ) வரேல்லை (varēllai), ஏனெண்டா (ēṉeṇḍā) எனக்கு (eṉakku) வேலை (vēlai) இருந்தது” (irundadu) (nāṉ varēllai, ēṉeṇḍā eṉakku vēlai irundadu) — I did not come, because I had work. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.