Language/Sinhala/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be
Hi Sinhala learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to use "be" in Sinhala. "Be" is one of the most commonly used verbs in any language, and it is no different in Sinhala. So, let's get started!
What is "be" in Sinhala?
In Sinhala, "be" is "යන්න" (yan-na). It is used to indicate the existence or presence of something or someone. It can also be used to describe a person, place, or thing. For example, "මම සිංහලෙන් පාවිච්චි කරන්නේ ගැනීමට ඇත" (mama Sinhalese-en paawichchi karanne giyanith) means "I am learning Sinhala". Here, "ඇත" (etha) is the past tense form of "be".
How to Conjugate "Be" in Sinhala
The verb "be" is not conjugated in Sinhala as it is in English. In English, the form of "be" changes depending on the subject and the tense. However, in Sinhala, "යන්න" (yan-na) is used for all subjects and tenses. It only changes based on whether it is present or past tense.
Here are some examples of how "be" is used in Sinhala:
Sinhala | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
මම පාවිච්චි කරන්නේ ගැනීමට ඇත | mama paawichchi karanne giyanith | I am learning |
ඔවුන් දිගු කරන්නේ අප සම්බන්ධය | owayun digu karanne apa sambandaya | They are making a connection with us |
මම පාවිච්චි නැත | mama paawichchi netha | I am not learning |
ඔවුන් දිගු නොකරනවා | owayun digu nokaranawa | They are not making |
Using "Be" for Description
As mentioned earlier, "be" can also be used to describe a person, place or thing. In these instances, we use the verb "ය" (ya), which means "is/are". For example:
Sinhala | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
මගේ මව් ලස්සනම් ඇතිවිය | mage maa lassanam ethiwiyi | My mother is beautiful |
මාව අපහාර ඇතිවිය | maawa apahara ethiwiyi | I am hungry |
මගේ පවුල සුදු විය | mage pawula sudu wiyi | My shirt is white |
Notice how "යන්න" is not used in these sentences. Instead, we use "ය" to indicate existence or presence.
Using "Be" in Sentences
Let's see how "be" can be used in sentences through this dialogue:
- Person 1: ඔබට ඉක්මනින්ම කතා කරන්නේ කොහොමද? (obata ikmaninma kathaa karanne kohomada?)
(Translation: How are you doing with your studies?)
- Person 2: මම පාවිච්චි කරන්නේ ගැනීමට ඉතිරිය යුතුය. (mama paawichchi karanne giyanith itiriyuthiyaya.)
(Translation: I am doing well with my studies)
- Person 1: ඔබ අපහාර ඇතිවියේ කොහොමද? (oba apahara ethivide kohomada?)
(Translation: How are you feeling now?)
- Person 2: මාව ඉතිං දෙව්වා. මම බරින්නේ නොමැතිනම්. (maawa itin dewwaa. Mama barin nehine ma.)
(Translation: I am feeling better. I am not sick anymore.)
In the first sentence, "ඉතිරිය යුතුය" (itiriyuthiyaya) is used to indicate that the person is doing well. In the second sentence, "ඉතිං දෙව්වා" (itin dewwa) is used to indicate the person is feeling better.
Practice Makes Perfect!
To improve your Sinhala Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
I hope this lesson was helpful to you. Remember, practice makes perfect! Keep using "be" in different tenses and forms until you're comfortable with it. If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
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