A 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 'beauty' gives அழகான 'beautiful', கடினம் 'difficulty' gives கடினமான 'hard'. -ஆன sets the word before a noun, and after that it never changes. For example: “இது ஒரு அழகான பழைய வீடு” — 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 இருக்கு (aḻagā irukku) is 'it looks lovely', கடினமா இருக்கு (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 வேலை (nallā vēlai) instead of நல்ல வேலை (nalla vēlai).
Modifiers can queue up: pointer or amount, then judgement, then property, then the noun. இந்த ரெண்டு பழைய தளபாடம் (inda reṇḍu paḻaiya taḷapāḍam). Degree sits right before its own word: ரொம்ப கடினமான கேள்வி (romba kaḍiṉamāṉa kēḷvi).
Table
| Stem | Modifier (-ஆன) | Adverb (-ஆ) | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|---|
| அழகு — beauty | அழகான வீடு | அழகா இருக்கு | before a noun / before a verb |
| கடினம் — difficulty | கடினமான பாடம் | கடினமா இருக்கு | before a noun / before a verb |
| நல்லது — good | நல்ல வேலை | நல்லா வேலை செய்யுது | here the form without -ஆன |
| புது — new | புது முகவரி | புதுசா இல்லை | short modifiers need no -ஆன |
| ரொம்ப | — | ரொம்ப கடினமான | degree stands before the modifier |
By example
- இது ஒரு அழகான பழைய வீடுidu oru aḻagāṉa paḻaiya vīḍuThis is a beautiful old house
- அந்த வேலை ரொம்ப கடினமா இருக்குanda vēlai romba kaḍiṉamā irukkuThat work is very difficult
- இந்த மாத வாடகை போன வருஷத்தை விட அதிகம்inda māda vāḍagai pōṉa varuṣattai viḍa adigamThis rent is bigger than last year's
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 'beauty' gives அழகான 'beautiful', கடினம் 'difficulty' gives கடினமான 'hard'. -ஆன sets the word before a noun, and after that it never changes.
What does it look like in an example sentence Tamil?
“இது ஒரு அழகான பழைய வீடு” (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.