Must, can, must not: வேணும், முடியும், கூடாது
Modality in Tamil does not conjugate for person — these are separate words placed after the verb stem in -அ. Learning four of them gives you almost everything needed at A2. 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
Modality in Tamil does not conjugate for person — these are separate words placed after the verb stem in -அ. Learning four of them gives you almost everything needed at A2.
வேணும் (vēṇum) — 'must, want'. With a thing it demands the recipient in -க்கு: எனக்கு தண்ணி வேணும் (eṉakku taṇṇi vēṇum) — 'I need water'. With a verb it becomes 'I must do': எனக்கு போக வேணும் (eṉakku pōga vēṇum), and in fast speech it fuses into -ணும்: போகணும் (pōgaṇuma), சாப்பிடணும். The negation — வேண்டாம் (vēṇḍām) 'no need', and this is also the polite refusal at the market.
முடியும் (muḍiyum) — 'can, it works': about skill and about physical possibility. எனக்கு நீந்த முடியும் (eṉakku nīnda muḍiyum) — 'I can swim', என்னால திறக்க முடியலை (eṉṉāla tiṟakka muḍiyalai) — 'I cannot get it open'. The negation in the future — முடியாது (muḍiyādu) 'will not be able'. Note that the doer stands either in -க்கு or in the form என்னால (eṉṉāla) 'by me'.
Permission is not முடியும் but the ending -லாம்: இங்கே இருக்கலாம் (iṅgē irukkalām) 'one may sit here', போகலாம் (pōgalām) 'one may go' — and 'let us go' at the same time. And the ban is கூடாது (kūḍādu): இங்கே குளிக்கக் கூடாது (iṅgē kuḷikkak kūḍādu) 'one must not bathe here'. The difference between முடியாது and கூடாது is exactly the difference between 'I cannot' and 'it is not allowed', and in a foreign country it is worth a lot.
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?
Modality in Tamil does not conjugate for person — these are separate words placed after the verb stem in -அ. Learning four of them gives you almost everything needed at A2.
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.