Common Irregular Verbs
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Most Kannada verbs follow a pattern, but these few 'irregular' verbs change their stem unexpectedly—just memorize them as whole chunks!
- The verb 'to be' (iru) changes stem in the present: 'idde' (I was).
- The verb 'to give' (koḍu) becomes 'koṭṭu' in past participle.
- The verb 'to come' (ba) changes to 'bande' in the past tense.
Meanings
Irregular verbs are verbs that do not follow the standard conjugation rules for tense and person. They are essential for basic communication.
Past Tense Irregularity
Verbs that change their root when moving into the past tense.
“ನಾನು ಬಂದೆ (I came)”
“ಅವನು ಕೊಟ್ಟನು (He gave)”
Past Tense Irregular Conjugation
| Verb | Root | Past Stem | I (Past) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Come | ba | band- | bande |
| Give | koḍu | koṭṭ- | koṭṭe |
| Be | iru | idd- | idde |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Stem + Person | bande (I came) |
| Negative | Root + lilla | baralilla (Did not come) |
| Question | Stem + Person + a? | bandira? (Did you come?) |
| Past Participle | Stem + u | bandu (Having come) |
| Relative | Stem + a | banda (Who came) |
| Conditional | Stem + re | bandre (If [I] come) |
Formalitätsspektrum
ನಾನು ಮನೆಗೆ ಬಂದೆನು. (Arrival)
ನಾನು ಮನೆಗೆ ಬಂದೆ. (Arrival)
ಮನೆಗೆ ಬಂದೆ. (Arrival)
ಬಂದೆ! (Arrival)
Irregular Verb Roots
Action
- ba come
- koḍu give
State
- iru be
Examples by Level
ನಾನು ಬಂದೆ
I came
ಅವನು ಕೊಟ್ಟನು
He gave
ನಾನು ಇದ್ದೆ
I was
ಅವಳು ಬಂದಳು
She came
ನೀವು ಬಂದಿರಾ?
Did you come?
ಅವರು ಹಣ ಕೊಟ್ಟರು
They gave money
ನಾವು ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದೆವು
We were there
ಅವನು ಬರಲಿಲ್ಲ
He did not come
ಅವನು ಬರುವಾಗ ನಾನು ಇದ್ದೆ
I was there when he came
ನಾನು ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಕೊಟ್ಟೆ
I gave the book
ಅವರು ಬಂದಿದ್ದಾರಾ?
Have they come?
ಅವಳು ಕೊಡಲಿಲ್ಲ
She did not give
ಅವರು ಬಂದಿರುವುದು ನನಗೆ ಗೊತ್ತಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ
I didn't know that they had come
ನೀವು ಕೊಟ್ಟದ್ದು ನನಗೆ ಇಷ್ಟವಾಯಿತು
I liked what you gave
ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದವರು ಯಾರು?
Who were the ones there?
ಅವನು ಬಾರದೇ ಇದ್ದರೆ ಏನಾಗುತ್ತದೆ?
What happens if he doesn't come?
ಬಂದವರನ್ನು ಸ್ವಾಗತಿಸುವುದು ನಮ್ಮ ಕರ್ತವ್ಯ
Welcoming those who came is our duty
ಅವನು ಕೊಟ್ಟ ಸಲಹೆ ಅಮೂಲ್ಯ
The advice he gave is invaluable
ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದ ಪರಿಸ್ಥಿತಿ ಭಿನ್ನವಾಗಿತ್ತು
The situation that was there was different
ಬರಲಾರದಷ್ಟು ಕೆಲಸವಿತ್ತು
There was so much work I couldn't come
ಬಂದೆನೆಂದು ಹೇಳಿ ಹೊರಟನು
He left saying he had come
ಕೊಟ್ಟ ಮಾತು ಉಳಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕು
One must keep the word given
ಇದ್ದದ್ದನ್ನು ಹೇಳುವುದು ಒಳ್ಳೆಯದು
It is good to say what is there
ಬಾರದಿರುವುದೇ ಲೇಸು
Not coming is better
Easily Confused
Learners try to add -de to everything.
Confusing 'bandu' (having come) with 'bande' (I came).
Using irregular stems in negative.
Häufige Fehler
bade
bande
koḍde
koṭṭe
irude
idde
bandu
bande
baidde
bande
koḍidde
koṭṭe
iridde
idde
bandidde
bande
koṭṭiddu
koṭṭu
iriddu
iddu
bandiruvudu
banda
koṭṭuvudu
koṭṭa
iddiruvudu
idda
Sentence Patterns
ನಾನು ___ ಬಂದೆ.
ಅವನು ನನಗೆ ___ ಕೊಟ್ಟನು.
ನಾನು ಅಲ್ಲಿ ___ ಇದ್ದೆ.
ಅವರು ___ ಬಂದಿದ್ದಾರಾ?
Real World Usage
ಬಂದೆ! (I'm here!)
ನಾನು ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದೆ. (I was there.)
ಅವರು ಕೊಟ್ಟರು. (They gave it.)
ನಾನು ಊರಿಗೆ ಬಂದೆ. (I came to the town.)
ಬಂದೆವು! (We arrived!)
ಡೆಲಿವರಿ ಕೊಟ್ಟರು. (They delivered/gave the delivery.)
Focus on the Past
Don't Over-Regularize
Use Negative Forms
Dialect Variations
Smart Tips
Check if it is irregular before conjugating.
Memorize the past stem, not just the root.
Use the negative form; it's usually regular.
Double-check your consonant shifts.
Aussprache
Double Consonants
In 'koṭṭe', the 'ṭṭ' is a retroflex sound. Hold it slightly longer.
Question
bandira? ↑
Rising pitch at the end for questions.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Remember 'B-K-I': Bandu (Came), Koṭṭu (Gave), Iddu (Was).
Visual Association
Imagine a person arriving (bande) with a gift (koṭṭe) to where you are (idde).
Rhyme
Bande, koṭṭe, idde too, these are verbs that change for you!
Story
I came (bande) to the party. I gave (koṭṭe) a gift to the host. I was (idde) very happy.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Write three sentences using these verbs in the past tense today.
Kulturelle Hinweise
Using 'bande' is standard, but in some dialects, you might hear slight variations in the suffix.
These verbs are ancient Dravidian roots that have undergone phonological erosion.
Conversation Starters
ನೀವು ಯಾವಾಗ ಬಂದಿರಿ?
ಅವನು ನಿಮಗೆ ಏನು ಕೊಟ್ಟನು?
ನೀವು ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದಿರಾ?
ಅವರು ಬರುವಾಗ ನೀವು ಇದ್ದಿರಾ?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
ನಾನು ಮನೆಗೆ ___.
ಅವನು ಹಣ ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
ನಾನು ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದೆನು (Correct: ಇದ್ದೆ).
ನಾನು ಬರುತ್ತೇನೆ -> ?
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
ಅವನು ___.
ನಾವು ___.
ನಾನು / ಮನೆಗೆ / ಬಂದೆ
Score: /8
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercisesನಾನು ಮನೆಗೆ ___.
ಅವನು ಹಣ ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
ನಾನು ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದೆನು (Correct: ಇದ್ದೆ).
ನಾನು ಬರುತ್ತೇನೆ -> ?
ba -> ?
ಅವನು ___.
ನಾವು ___.
ನಾನು / ಮನೆಗೆ / ಬಂದೆ
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
They are ancient and high-frequency, leading to phonological changes over centuries.
Yes, they are the most common verbs in the language.
Yes, but these are the most essential for A1.
Mostly, yes. It makes learning them much easier.
No, you must conjugate for person (e.g., bandanu, bande).
Check a dictionary or a verb list; if it's very common, it might be.
Yes, they are standard in all registers.
Yes, it has its own present tense forms.
In Other Languages
Ser/Ir
Spanish has gendered endings; Kannada does not.
Être/Aller
French uses auxiliary verbs for past tense; Kannada uses suffixes.
Sein/Kommen
German has strong/weak verb classes; Kannada has root-based irregularity.
Kuru/Iru
Japanese uses particles; Kannada uses agglutinative suffixes.
Kāna
Arabic is root-based; Kannada is stem-based.
Lai/Zai
Chinese is isolating; Kannada is agglutinative.
