LingoflyA group of modifiers: -ஆன, -ஆ and the word order
Adjectives barely exist here as a kind of word. There is a noun plus an ending: அழகு (aḻagu) 'beauty' gives அழகான (aḻagāṉa) 'beautiful', கடினம் (kaḍiṉam) 'difficulty' gives கடினமான (kaḍiṉamāṉa) 'hard'. -ஆன sets the word before a noun, and after that it never changes. For example: “இது (idu) ஒரு (oru) அழகான (aḻagāṉa) பழைய (paḻaiya) வீடு” (vīḍu) — This is a beautiful old house. A rule from the Tamil course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Adjectives barely exist here as a kind of word. There is a noun plus an ending: அழகு (aḻagu) 'beauty' gives அழகான (aḻagāṉa) 'beautiful', கடினம் (kaḍiṉam) 'difficulty' gives கடினமான (kaḍiṉamāṉa) 'hard'. -ஆன sets the word before a noun, and after that it never changes.
The same stem has a second ending, -ஆ (-ā), and that one belongs to the verb. அழகா (aḻagā) இருக்கு (irukku) (aḻagā irukku) is 'it looks lovely', கடினமா (kaḍiṉamā) இருக்கு (irukku) (kaḍiṉamā irukku) is 'it is hard'. The rule is short: -ஆன before a noun, -ஆ before a verb.
To an English ear the two barely differ, and this is where the commonest slip happens: நல்லா (nallā) வேலை (vēlai) (nallā vēlai) instead of நல்ல (nalla) வேலை (vēlai) (nalla vēlai).
Modifiers can queue up: pointer or amount, then judgement, then property, then the noun. இந்த (inda) ரெண்டு (reṇḍu) பழைய (paḻaiya) தளபாடம் (taḷapāḍam) (inda reṇḍu paḻaiya taḷapāḍam). Degree sits right before its own word: மிகவும் (migavum) கடினமான (kaḍiṉamāṉa) கேள்வி (kēḷvi) (migavum kaḍiṉamāṉa kēḷvi).
Table
| Stem | Modifier (-ஆன) | Adverb (-ஆ) | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|---|
| அழகு (aḻagu) — beauty | அழகான (aḻagāṉa) வீடு (vīḍu) | அழகா (aḻagā) இருக்கு (irukku) | before a noun / before a verb |
| கடினம் (kaḍiṉam) — difficulty | கடினமான (kaḍiṉamāṉa) பாடம் (pāḍam) | கடினமா (kaḍiṉamā) இருக்கு (irukku) | before a noun / before a verb |
| நல்லது (nalladu) — good | நல்ல (nalla) வேலை (vēlai) | நல்லா (nallā) வேலை (vēlai) செய்யுது (seyyudu) | here the form without -ஆன |
| புது (pudu) — new | புது முகவரி (pudu mugavari) | புதுசா (pudusā) இல்லை (illai) | short modifiers need no -ஆன |
| மிகவும் (migavum) | — | மிகவும் (migavum) கடினமான (kaḍiṉamāṉa) | degree stands before the modifier |
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
A group of modifiers: how does it work in Tamil?
Adjectives barely exist here as a kind of word. There is a noun plus an ending: அழகு (aḻagu) 'beauty' gives அழகான (aḻagāṉa) 'beautiful', கடினம் (kaḍiṉam) 'difficulty' gives கடினமான (kaḍiṉamāṉa) 'hard'. -ஆன sets the word before a noun, and after that it never changes.
What does it look like in a Tamil example sentence?
“இது (idu) ஒரு (oru) அழகான (aḻagāṉa) பழைய (paḻaiya) வீடு” (vīḍu) (idu oru aḻagāṉa paḻaiya vīḍu) — This is a beautiful old house. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.