Language/Javanese/Grammar/Present-Tense
Introduction
In Javanese, verbs are the most important part of the sentence. They express the action that is taking place, and their conjugation depends on the tense, aspect, and mood of the sentence. In this lesson, we will focus on the present tense, which is used to describe actions that are happening right now.
Conjugation
To conjugate a verb in the present tense, you need to first identify its root form. For example, the root form of the verb "mangan" (to eat) is "angan." To form the present tense, you add the appropriate ending to the root form, depending on the subject of the sentence.
Here are the present tense endings for each subject in Javanese:
| Subject | Ending |
|---|---|
| I | -ku |
| You (singular) | -mu |
| He/She/It | -ne |
| We (inclusive) | -kita |
| We (exclusive) | -kami |
| You (plural) | -kmong |
| They | -re |
Let's look at some examples:
| Javanese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| aku mangan | "ah-koo mahn-gahn" | I am eating |
| kowe mangan | "ko-weh mahn-gahn" | You are eating |
| sira mangan | "see-rah mahn-gahn" | He/She/It is eating |
| kita mangan | "kee-ta mahn-gahn" | We (inclusive) are eating |
| kami mangan | "kah-mee mahn-gahn" | We (exclusive) are eating |
| kamong mangan | "kah-mong mahn-gahn" | You (plural) are eating |
| re mangan | "reh mahn-gahn" | They are eating |
As you can see, the ending of the verb changes depending on the subject of the sentence, but the root form stays the same.
Usage
The present tense is used to describe actions that are happening right now, as well as general truths and habits. Here are some examples:
- Sira nandur sekarang. (He/She is gardening now.)
- Kita ora nduweni wong Amerika ing sini. (We (inclusive) don't have any American people here.)
- Kulo suka mangan nasi. (I like to eat rice.)
Negative Form
To make a negative sentence in the present tense, you need to use the word "ora" before the verb. For example:
- Aku ora mangan. (I am not eating.)
- Sira ora ngomong. (He/She is not speaking.)
- Kita ora nduweni uang. (We (inclusive) don't have any money.)
Interrogative Form
To form a question in the present tense, you need to switch the position of the verb and subject, and add the question particle "apa" at the beginning of the sentence. For example:
- Apa aku mangan? (Am I eating?)
- Apa sira ngomong? (Is he/she speaking?)
- Apa kita nduweni uang? (Do we (inclusive) have any money?)
Vocabulary
Here are some Javanese verbs that you can use in the present tense:
- mangan - to eat
- nandur - to garden
- mlaku - to walk
- ngomong - to speak
- ndelok - to look
- ninggal - to live
- melu - to come
- minggat - to travel
- ntik - to wait
- dudu - to not be
- wis - already
- aku - me/I
- sira - he/she/it
- kita - we (inclusive)
- kami - we (exclusive)
- kamu - you (singular)
- kamong - you (plural)
- re - they
Practice
Here are some exercises to practice using the present tense in Javanese:
Exercise 1: Translate the following sentences into Javanese:
- I am walking.
- He is eating.
- We are waiting.
- They are not speaking.
Exercise 2: Translate the following sentences into English:
- Kulo ndelok televisi.
- Aku wis mangan.
- Sira njaluk manganan sing enak.
- Kami dudu sira.
Conclusion
In this lesson, you learned how to conjugate and use Javanese verbs in the present tense to describe actions happening now. Remember to pay attention to the subject of the sentence and add the appropriate ending to the root form of the verb. With practice, you'll be able to use the present tense confidently in your conversations in Javanese.
Related Lessons
- Pronouns
- Future Tense
- Nouns
- Possessive Pronouns
- Gender
- Descriptive Adjectives
- How to Use Be
- Plurals
- Give your Opinion
- Adverbs of Manner