LingoflyIt broke by itself and I broke it: verb pairs
A Tamil verb usually has a twin. One says the thing did it by itself, the other that somebody did it to the thing. உடையுது (uḍaiyuda) 'it breaks', உடைக்கிறன் (uḍaikkiṟaṉ) 'I break it'. ஆறுது 'it cools', ஆறவிடுறன் (āṟaviḍuṟaṉ) 'I let it cool'. For example: “போன் (pōṉ) தானா ஹேங் ஆகுது (hēṅg āgudu), நான் (nāṉ) ஒண்டும் (oṇḍum) செய்யேல்லை” (seyyēllai) — The phone freezes by itself, I did nothing. A rule from the Tamil course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
A Tamil verb usually has a twin. One says the thing did it by itself, the other that somebody did it to the thing. உடையுது (uḍaiyuda) 'it breaks', உடைக்கிறன் (uḍaikkiṟaṉ) 'I break it'. ஆறுது 'it cools', ஆறவிடுறன் (āṟaviḍuṟaṉ) 'I let it cool'.
The difference sits in the consonant, and the ear learns it. Where the first has -கு-, -யு-, -து-, the second has -க்கு- or -த்து-. அமுங்குது 'it dents' beside அமுக்குறன் (amukkuṟaṉ) 'I press'.
Why this matters: in a workshop you nearly always want the first verb. திரை உடைஞ்சிட்டுது (tirai uḍaiñciṭṭudu) is 'the screen broke', with nobody blamed. Say நான் (nāṉ) திரையை உடைச்சன் and you have owned up to dropping it.
A third twin names no doer at all: உடைஞ்சிருக்கு (uḍaiñcirukku) 'it is broken'. Handy when the culprit is known but naming him would be awkward.
Table
| By itself | Translation | I do it | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| உடையுது (uḍaiyuda) | it breaks | உடைக்கிறன் (uḍaikkiṟaṉ) | I break it |
| ஆறுது | it cools | ஆறவிடுறன் (āṟaviḍuṟaṉ) | I let it cool |
| கொதிக்குது | it boils | கொதிக்க வைக்கிறன் (kodikka vaikkiṟaṉ) | I bring it to a boil |
| சூடாகுது (sūḍāgudu) | it heats up | சூடு செய்யிறன் (sūḍu seyyiṟaṉ) | I heat it |
| அமுங்குது | it dents | அமுக்குறன் (amukkuṟaṉ) | I press it |
| ஒட்டியிருக்கு (oṭṭiyirukku) | it is stuck on | ஒட்டுறன் (oṭṭuṟaṉ) | I glue it |
By example
- pōṉ tāṉā hēṅg āgudu, nāṉ oṇḍum seyyēllaiThe phone freezes by itself, I did nothing
- தண்ணி கொதிச்சதும் நெருப்பை அணைச்சு ஆறவிடுங்கோtaṇṇi kodiccadum neruppai aṇaiccu āṟaviḍuṅgōWhen the water boils, turn off the fire and let it cool
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
It broke by itself and I broke it: how does it work in Tamil?
A Tamil verb usually has a twin. One says the thing did it by itself, the other that somebody did it to the thing. உடையுது (uḍaiyuda) 'it breaks', உடைக்கிறன் (uḍaikkiṟaṉ) 'I break it'. ஆறுது 'it cools', ஆறவிடுறன் (āṟaviḍuṟaṉ) 'I let it cool'.
What does it look like in a Tamil example sentence?
“போன் (pōṉ) தானா ஹேங் ஆகுது (hēṅg āgudu), நான் (nāṉ) ஒண்டும் (oṇḍum) செய்யேல்லை” (seyyēllai) (pōṉ tāṉā hēṅg āgudu, nāṉ oṇḍum seyyēllai) — The phone freezes by itself, I did nothing. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.