Past Tense of Irregular Verbs
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Unlike regular verbs, irregular verbs in Kannada change their root or suffix in the past tense—memorization is key!
- Rule 1: 'Baru' (to come) becomes 'bande' (I came).
- Rule 2: 'Hogu' (to go) becomes 'hode' (I went).
- Rule 3: 'Tinnu' (to eat) becomes 'tinde' (I ate).
Irregular Past Tense Conjugation
| Verb | Root | Past (I) | Past (He/She) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Baru
|
Ban-
|
Bande
|
Bandanu
|
|
Hogu
|
Ho-
|
Hode
|
Hodanu
|
|
Tinnu
|
Tin-
|
Tinde
|
Tindanu
|
|
Kodu
|
Kot-
|
Kotte
|
Kottanu
|
|
Nodu
|
Nod-
|
Nodide
|
Nodidanu
|
Meanings
The past tense of irregular verbs describes actions completed in the past that do not follow the standard conjugation rules of regular verbs.
Completed Action
An action that finished at a specific time in the past.
“ಅವನು ಬಂದನು (Avanu bandanu - He came).”
“ನಾವು ತಿಂದೆವು (Naavu tindevu - We ate).”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Root + suffix
|
Naanu hode
|
|
Negative
|
Infinitive + lilla
|
Naanu hogalilla
|
|
Interrogative
|
Past + ya?
|
Neenu hodeya?
|
|
Short Answer
|
Verb + u
|
Hode
|
|
Formal
|
Verb + nu
|
Hodenu
|
|
Plural
|
Verb + vu
|
Hodevu
|
Spectre de formalité
Naanu santhege hodenu. (Daily life)
Naanu santhege hode. (Daily life)
Naanu santhege hode. (Daily life)
Santhege hode. (Daily life)
Irregular Verb Roots
Movement
- Hogu Go
Consumption
- Tinnu Eat
Exemples par niveau
ನಾನು ಬಂದೆ
I came
ಅವನು ಊಟ ತಿಂದನು
He ate food
ನಾವು ನಿನ್ನೆ ಮೈಸೂರಿಗೆ ಹೋದೆವು
We went to Mysore yesterday
ಅವರು ಕೆಲಸ ಮುಗಿಸಿದರು
They finished the work
ಅವಳು ವಿಷಯವನ್ನು ತಿಳಿದುಕೊಂಡಳು
She understood the matter
ಅವರು ಸತ್ಯವನ್ನು ನುಡಿದರು
They spoke the truth
Facile à confondre
Learners often apply regular suffixes to irregular verbs.
Mixing up the negative suffix with the past tense.
Using informal endings for elders.
Erreurs courantes
Hogidenu
Hode
Bandenu
Bande
Tinnidenu
Tinde
Hogalilla
Hogalilla
Kodidenu
Kotte
Nodidenu
Nodide
Baralilla
Baralilla
Hodaru
Hodaru
Tindaru
Tindaru
Bandaru
Bandaru
Hogidaru
Hodaru
Tinnidaru
Tindaru
Baridaru
Bandaru
Nodidaru
Nodidaru
Structures de phrases
Naanu ___ hode.
Neenu ___ tindeya?
Avaru ___ bandaru.
Naanu ___ nodide.
Real World Usage
Hode!
Tinde.
Ellige hode?
Naanu bandenu.
Nodide!
Bandide.
Flashcards
Don't guess
Context
Respect
Smart Tips
Check if it's irregular first.
Use honorific endings.
Keep it simple.
Listen for the stem.
Prononciation
Vowel length
Ensure short vowels remain short.
Question
Hodeya? ↑
Rising intonation for yes/no questions.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Think of 'Hogu' (Go) as 'Ho-de' (I went) - just drop the 'gu' and add 'de'.
Association visuelle
Imagine a person walking (Hogu) and suddenly turning into a 'Ho-de' sign.
Rhyme
Baru becomes bande, Tinnu becomes tinde, learning these verbs is easy, you'll see!
Story
Yesterday I went (hode) to the shop. I came (bande) back quickly. Then I ate (tinde) my dinner.
Word Web
Défi
Write 3 sentences about your day using 'hode', 'bande', and 'tinde'.
Notes culturelles
Using honorifics (Avaru) is essential when speaking to elders.
These verbs are remnants of Old Kannada conjugation patterns.
Amorces de conversation
Neenu ninne ellige hode?
Neenu oota tindeya?
Avaru ninne bandara?
Neenu aa cinema nodideya?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
Naanu manege ___.
Avanu ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
Naanu hogidenu.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
I ate.
Answer starts with: a...
Naanu ___.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Use 'tinde' and 'oota'.
Score: /8
Exercices pratiques
8 exercisesNaanu manege ___.
Avanu ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
Naanu hogidenu.
hode / Naanu / manege
I ate.
Naanu ___.
Hogu -> ?
Use 'tinde' and 'oota'.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
They are high-frequency verbs that evolved to be shorter.
About 20-30 common ones.
No, it will sound incorrect.
Yes, everywhere.
Yes, they follow specific stem changes.
Use 'bandaru' instead of 'bandanu'.
Yes, slightly.
Use them in daily sentences.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Irregular verbs (e.g., ir, ser)
Spanish uses stem changes; Kannada uses suffix/root changes.
Verbes irréguliers
French conjugation is more complex due to person/number.
Starke Verben
German changes vowels; Kannada changes the root structure.
Irregular verbs (kuru, suru)
Kannada has more irregular verbs than Japanese.
Weak verbs
Arabic is based on root-consonant patterns.
None (no conjugation)
Kannada is highly agglutinative; Chinese is isolating.
