Language/Telugu/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be

Telugu Grammar - How to Use "Be"

Hi Telugu learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to use "be" in Telugu grammar. "Be" is an important verb in any language, and we will see how it is used in Telugu.

Consider exploring these related pages after completing this lesson: Complex Sentence Structure & Noun Gender and Number.

What is "Be" in Telugu?

In Telugu, "be" is translated as "ఉండు" (undu) or "ఉన్నారు" (unnaru). Both words are used to indicate existence, whether it is permanent or temporary. It is a very versatile verb, and once you master it, you will be able to express yourself better in Telugu.

Here are some examples of how "be" is used in Telugu:

Telugu	Pronunciation	English
నేను మనేను ఉన్నాను.	Nenu manenu unnanu.	I am in the house.
ఆహారం చేస్తూ ఉండాను.	Aharam chestu undaanu.	I am eating food.
కళ్ళు ఉన్నాయి.	Kallu unnayi.	Eyes are present.

As you can see, in the first two examples, the verb "be" is necessary to indicate existence. In the third example, we use the word "unnaayi" to mean that the eyes are present.

Now that we know what "be" means in Telugu, let's see how to use it in different tenses.

Present Tense

In Telugu, the present tense is formed by adding the suffix "-ఉంది" (-undhi) or "-ఉన్ను" (-unnu) to the end of the verb stem.

Here is an example dialogue in the present tense:

• నాను అమెరికాలో ఉన్నాను. (Naanu America lo unnanu.) - I am in America.
• ఓకే. మీరు ఎక్కడ ఉన్నారు? (Oke, meeru ekkada unnaru?) - Okay. Where are you?

As you can see, we used the present tense to describe the speaker's location. We also used the verb "be" to ask where the speaker is.

Here are some more examples of the present tense:

Telugu	Pronunciation	English
మీరు ఎక్కడ ఉన్నారు?	Meeru ekkada unnaru?	Where are you?
కాఫీ కలిగినప్పుడు నేను ఆనందంతో ఉన్నాను.	Coffee kaligina paddu nenu aanandhamto unnanu.	I am happy after having coffee.
తన వదిలిపోయినపుడు చిన్నపిల్లలు దుఃఖపడుతున్నాయి.	Tana vadilipoyna paddu chinnapillalu dukhapadutunnayi.	Children are sad after their mother leaves.

As you can see, the present tense is used to describe different situations where the verb "be" is necessary to indicate existence.

Past Tense

In Telugu, the past tense is formed by adding the suffix "-ఉందిన" (-undhina) or "-ఉన్నాను" (-unnanu) to the verb stem.

Here is an example dialogue in the past tense:

• నేను కాఫీ కలిగినప్పుడు ఖరీదు చేసాను. (Nenu coffee kaligina paddu kharidhu chesaanu.) - I bought something after having coffee.
• ఏమి ఖరీదు చేసావు? (Emi kharidhu chesaavu?) - What did you buy?

In this dialogue, we used the past tense to describe an action that happened in the past.

Here are some more examples of the past tense:

Telugu	Pronunciation	English
మీరు ఎక్కడ ఉన్నారు అని కోరారు.	Meeru ekkada unnaru ani koraru.	They asked where you were.
ఒక సారి అతను నేను ఉన్నాను అని చెప్పాడు.	Oka saari atanu nenu unnanu ani cheppaadu.	Once he told me that I was there.
నాన్నాకి షావర్కను పంపించాను. అతను కేటీఆర్ ఉన్నాడు అని తెలుస్తుంది.	Nan-na-ki shh-aavarkanu pampinchaa-nu. Atanu Kaa-tee-aar unnadu ani tel-usta-n-di.	I sent the file to Shavarka. He knows KTR is there.

In these examples, the past tense is used to describe a completed action in the past.

Future Tense

In Telugu, the future tense is formed by adding the suffix "-ఉంటాను" (-untaanu) or "-ఉన్నాను" (-unnanu) to the verb stem.

Here is an example dialogue in the future tense:

• నేను మా ప్రాంత కు వెళ్లను. (Nenu maa praanthaku vellanu.) - I will go to my hometown.
• మీరు ఎక్కడ ఉన్నారు అని అర్థం అవుతుందా? (Meeru ekkada unnaru ani artham avutundaa?) - Do you understand what it means to be somewhere?

In this dialogue, we use the future tense to describe a future event. We also use the verb "be" to ask if the listener understands the meaning of the sentence.

Here are some more examples of the future tense:

Telugu	Pronunciation	English
నేను రోజు ప్రపంచం సుగానే ఉంటుంది.	Nenu roju prapancham sugaane untundi.	I feel the world will be fine every day.
ఓ సమయంలో నేను అభ్యర్థన చేస్తాను. డాక్టర్ ఉన్నాడు అని నాకు సంతోషం అవుతుంది.	O samayam lo nenu abhyarthana chestaanu. Doctor unnadu ani naaku santosham avutundhi.	I will make a request at that time. I will be happy if there is a doctor.
కొంత కాలం క్యాంప్ లో ఉన్నారు.	Kontha kaalam camp lo unnaru.	They will be at the camp for a while.

In these examples, the future tense is used to describe actions that will happen in the future.

Negative Form

In Telugu, the negative form is created by using the word "కాదు" (kaadhu) after the verb.

Here is an example dialogue in the negative form:

• నేను చెప్పాను కాదు. (Nenu cheppaanu kaadhu.) - I am not saying.
• మీరు పెద్దలా మాట్లాడు అనే తెలుపుతున్నారు. (Meeru peddala maatladdu ane teluputunnaru.) - You are saying not to speak like adults.

In this dialogue, we use the negative form to indicate the absence of the action. We also use the verb "be" to describe someone's request.

Here are some more examples:

Telugu	Pronunciation	English
నేను ఆహారం తినకుండా ఉన్నాను.	Nenu aahaaram thinakundaa unnanu.	I am not hungry.
అహమ్ కదా బొర్డర్ అందుబాటులో ఉన్నారు కాదు.	Aham kadaa border andubaatulo unnaru kaadhu.	I am not at the border now.
అతను దుబ్బుకు కాదు.	Atanu dubbuku kaadhu.	He is not dumb.

In these examples, the negative form is used to deny the existence of the action.

Conclusion

In this lesson, we have seen how to use "be" in Telugu grammar. We learned what it is, how to use it in different tenses, and the negative form. Remember to practice what you have learned and to use it in your everyday conversations.

To further improve your Telugu Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Great work on completing this lesson! Take a moment to investigate these connected pages: Personal Pronouns & Past Tense.

Other Lessons

• Conditional Mood
• Future Tense
• Questions
• Nouns
• How to Use Have
• Give your Opinion
• Negation
• Plurals
• Adjectives

Sources

• Telugu grammar - Wikipedia
• Telugu language - Wikipedia