Already done and still doing: -இட்டேன் and -கிட்டு இரு
Tamil has three tenses, but an action has more shades than that. Whether the deed is finished, whether it still drags on, whether it came out to my benefit — all this the language hangs on a second verb after the first. The first verb stands in a form in -இ or -உ and carries the meaning; the second means nothing by itself and works as an ending. For example: “நான் ஒரு இரவு முழுக்க விமான நிலையத்தில மாட்டிக்கிட்டேன்”…
How it works
Tamil has three tenses, but an action has more shades than that. Whether the deed is finished, whether it still drags on, whether it came out to my benefit — all this the language hangs on a second verb after the first. The first verb stands in a form in -இ or -உ and carries the meaning; the second means nothing by itself and works as an ending.
The commonest is -இட்டேன் / -ிட்டு, from the verb விடு 'let go'. It says: the deed is done, there is no going back. சாப்பிட்டேன் (sāppiṭṭēṉ) — 'I ate', சாப்பிட்டிட்டேன் — 'I have already eaten, that is that'. டிக்கட்டை தொலைச்சிட்டேன் (ṭikkaṭṭai tolaicciṭṭēṉ) — 'the ticket is lost, and that is final'. English gets by here with the perfect, and that is why it is easy to forget this tail; without it a Tamil speaker hears unfinishedness.
The second is -கிட்டு இரு, from கொள் 'take to oneself' plus இரு (iru) 'be'. It says the opposite: the action is going on right now or went on for long. நான் படிச்சுக்கிட்டு இருக்கேன் — 'I am studying right at this moment', as against the plain படிக்கிறேன் (paḍikkiṟēṉ), which means 'I study' in general too. காத்துக்கிட்டு இருந்தேன் (kāttukkiṭṭu irundēṉ) — 'I kept waiting and waiting'. In the past the same tail gives மாட்டிக்கிட்டேன் (māṭṭikkiṭṭēṉ) — 'got stuck and stayed'.
A third, small but useful one — -க்கிற போது 'while' and -ஆ இரு (-ā iru): வேலை செய்யிறவனா இருக்கேன் 'I am in the position of one working'. And duration is measured not by the verb but by a noun: ரெண்டு மணி நேரமா காத்திருக்கேன் (reṇḍu maṇi nēramā kāttirukkēṉ) — 'I have been waiting for two hours already'. Notice the -ஆ (-ā) on the word 'hour': English says 'already two hours' with an adverb; Tamil does it with this ending.
Table
| Tail | What it adds | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| -இட்டேன் | the deed is done, no way back | தொலைச்சிட்டேன் | lost (and that is final) |
| -இட்டுது | the same about a thing | மின்சாரம் போயிட்டுது | the electricity went out |
| -கிட்டு இருக்கேன் | going on right now | படிச்சுக்கிட்டு இருக்கேன் | I am studying right now |
| -கிட்டு இருந்தேன் | went on for long | காத்துக்கிட்டு இருந்தேன் | I kept waiting and waiting |
| -கிட்டேன் (past) | got in and stayed | மாட்டிக்கிட்டேன் | got stuck |
| நேரமா | how long already | ரெண்டு நாளா | already two days |
By example
- நான் ஒரு இரவு முழுக்க விமான நிலையத்தில மாட்டிக்கிட்டேன்nāṉ oru iravu muḻukka vimāṉa nilaiyattila māṭṭikkiṭṭēṉI got stuck at the airport for the whole night
- நாங்க இந்த ஓட்டலில மூணு நாளா தங்கிக்கிட்டு இருக்கிறோம்nāṅga inda ōṭṭalila mūṇu nāḷā taṅgikkiṭṭu irukkiṟōmWe have been living in this hotel for three days already
- காரை நான் ஏற்கனவே திருப்பிக் குடுத்திட்டேன்kārai nāṉ ēṟkaṉavē tiruppik kuḍuttiṭṭēṉI have already returned the car
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
Already done and still doing: how does it work in Tamil?
Tamil has three tenses, but an action has more shades than that. Whether the deed is finished, whether it still drags on, whether it came out to my benefit — all this the language hangs on a second verb after the first. The first verb stands in a form in -இ or -உ and carries the meaning; the second…
What does it look like in an example sentence Tamil?
“நான் ஒரு இரவு முழுக்க விமான நிலையத்தில மாட்டிக்கிட்டேன்” (nāṉ oru iravu muḻukka vimāṉa nilaiyattila māṭṭikkiṭṭēṉ) — I got stuck at the airport for the whole night. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.