A group of modifiers: -ஆன, -ஆ and the word order
There is almost no adjective as a separate part of speech in Tamil. There is a noun plus an ending: அழகு 'beauty' gives அழகான 'beautiful', கடினம் 'difficulty' — கடினமான 'difficult', சுவை 'taste' — சுவையான 'tasty'. The ending -ஆன makes a modifier that stands before the noun, and in this form the word does not change by gender, number or case. For example: “இது ஒரு அழகான பழைய வீடு” — This is a beautiful old house. A…
How it works
There is almost no adjective as a separate part of speech in Tamil. There is a noun plus an ending: அழகு (aḻagu) 'beauty' gives அழகான (aḻagāṉa) 'beautiful', கடினம் (kaḍiṉam) 'difficulty' — கடினமான (kaḍiṉamāṉa) 'difficult', சுவை 'taste' — சுவையான 'tasty'. The ending -ஆன makes a modifier that stands before the noun, and in this form the word does not change by gender, number or case.
The same stem has a second ending — -ஆ (bookish -ஆக), and it makes an adverb, that is, a modifier of the verb: அழகா இருக்கு (aḻagā irukku) 'it is beautiful', கடினமா இருக்கு (kaḍiṉamā irukku) 'it is difficult'. The rule is simple: -ஆன before a noun, -ஆ before a verb. To the English ear the difference is almost inaudible, and it is the commonest mistake at B1: நல்லா வேலை (nallā vēlai) instead of நல்ல வேலை (nalla vēlai).
Modifiers can be lined up, and their order is free, but the habitual one is this: first the demonstrative or the quantity word, then the judgment, then the property, then the noun itself. இந்த ரெண்டு பழைய தளபாடம் (inda reṇḍu paḻaiya taḷapāḍam) — 'these two old pieces of furniture'. Degree (ரொம்ப (romba), கொஞ்சம் (koñcam)) sticks to the modifier it belongs to and stands right before it: ரொம்ப கடினமான கேள்வி (romba kaḍiṉamāṉa kēḷvi) — 'a very difficult question', not 'very question'.
One can compare not only word with word but whole groups. Then -ஐ விட is placed after the whole first group: இந்த வீட்டு வாடகை அந்த வீட்டை விட குறைவு (inda vīṭṭu vāḍagai anda vīṭṭai viḍa kuṟaivu) — 'the rent of this house is lower than of that one'. And to say 'the same as', take -ஐ போல: இது அதை போல இருக்கு (idu adai pōla irukku) — 'this is like that'. Both links come after what is compared, not before it, and this is worth keeping in mind: Tamil always names the measure first and only then judges.
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?
There is almost no adjective as a separate part of speech in Tamil. There is a noun plus an ending: அழகு 'beauty' gives அழகான 'beautiful', கடினம் 'difficulty' — கடினமான 'difficult', சுவை 'taste' — சுவையான 'tasty'. The ending -ஆன makes a modifier that stands before the noun, and in this form the…
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.