Regular Verb Stems
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Kannada verbs are built by taking the root stem and adding suffixes for tense, person, and number.
- Find the stem by removing the infinitive suffix '-u' (e.g., 'maadu' becomes 'maad').
- Add tense markers to the stem (e.g., '-utt-' for present tense).
- Attach the personal pronoun suffix to indicate who is doing the action.
Meanings
The verb stem is the unchanging core of a verb that carries the primary lexical meaning before grammatical markers are attached.
Lexical Root
The base form of the verb used to derive all other tenses.
“ಮಾಡು (maadu - to do)”
“ಹೋಗು (hoog-u - to go)”
Present Tense Conjugation of 'Maadu' (To Do)
| Person | Pronoun | Stem | Suffix | Full Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Sing | Naanu | maad | utt-ene | maaduttene |
| 2nd Sing | Neenu | maad | utt-iya | maaduttiya |
| 3rd Sing (M) | Avanu | maad | utt-aane | maaduttaane |
| 3rd Sing (F) | Avaly | maad | utt-aale | maaduttaale |
| 1st Plur | Naavu | maad | utt-evee | maaduttevee |
| 2nd Plur | Neevu | maad | utt-eeri | maadutteeri |
| 3rd Plur | Avaru | maad | utt-aare | maaduttaare |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Stem + utt + Person | maaduttane |
| Negative | Stem + illa | maaduvudilla |
| Question | Verb + aa | maaduttana? |
| Past | Stem + id + Person | maadidanu |
| Future | Stem + uv + Person | maaduvane |
| Imperative | Stem + (u) | maadu! |
| Infinitive | Stem + u | maadu |
フォーマル度スペクトル
ನಾನು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ. (Workplace/Social)
ನಾನು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದೀನಿ. (Workplace/Social)
ನಾನು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದೀನಿ. (Workplace/Social)
ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದೀನಿ. (Workplace/Social)
Verb Stem Anatomy
Tense
- utt present
- id past
Person
- ene I
- iya you
Examples by Level
ನಾನು ಮಾಡುತ್ತೇನೆ
I do.
ಅವನು ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾನೆ
He goes.
ನಾವು ಬರುತ್ತೇವೆ
We come.
ಅವಳು ಕುಡಿಯುತ್ತಾಳೆ
She drinks.
ನಾನು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ
I am not working.
ನೀನು ಹೋಗುತ್ತೀಯಾ?
Are you going?
ಅವರು ಬರುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ
They are coming.
ನಾವು ನೀರು ಕುಡಿಯುತ್ತೇವೆ
We drink water.
ಅವನು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡಬೇಕೆಂದು ಹೇಳಿದನು
He said he needs to work.
ನಾವು ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾ ಇರಲಿಲ್ಲ
We were not going.
ಅವಳು ಬರುವಳು
She will come.
ನೀವು ಕುಡಿಯಬಾರದು
You should not drink.
ಅವನು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾನೆ
He is making (someone) work.
ಅವರು ಹೋಗಿ ಬರುತ್ತಾರೆ
They will go and come back.
ಬಂದದ್ದನ್ನು ಹೇಳು
Tell what came.
ಕುಡಿದು ಮಲಗಿದನು
He drank and slept.
ಅವನು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡಿಸಿಕೊಟ್ಟನು
He got the work done for me.
ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾ ದಾರಿ ಮರೆತನು
While going, he forgot the way.
ಬಂದೇ ಬರುತ್ತಾರೆ
They will definitely come.
ಕುಡಿಯುತ್ತಲೇ ಇದ್ದನು
He kept on drinking.
ಮಾಡುವ ಕೆಲಸವನ್ನು ಮಾಡಲೇಬೇಕು
One must do the work that is to be done.
ಹೋಗಿ ಬರುವಷ್ಟರಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಜೆಯಾಯಿತು
By the time he went and came back, it was evening.
ಬರಲಿರುವ ಅತಿಥಿಗಳು
The guests who are to come.
ಕುಡಿಯುವ ಹವ್ಯಾಸ
The habit of drinking.
Easily Confused
Learners often mix up '-utt-' (present) and '-id-' (past).
Learners try to conjugate the full infinitive.
Forgetting the negative suffix '-illa'.
よくある間違い
maaduuttene
maaduttene
naanu maaduttane
naanu maaduttene
maadutt
maaduttene
maadid
maaduttene
hooguttid
hooguttiddene
baruttilla
baruvudilla
kudiuttene
kudiyuttene
maaduvud
maaduvudu
hooguttare
hooguttaare
baruvudu
baruvudilla
maadisu
maadisuttane
hoogid
hoogiddanu
kudiyuvudu
kudiyuvudilla
Sentence Patterns
ನಾನು ___ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ.
ನೀವು ___ ಹೋಗುತ್ತೀರಾ?
ಅವನು ___ ಕುಡಿಯುತ್ತಾನೆ.
ನಾವು ___ ಬರುತ್ತೇವೆ.
Real World Usage
ಏನ್ ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದೀಯಾ?
ನಾನು ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ.
ನನಗೆ ಕಾಫಿ ಕೊಡಿ.
ಬಸ್ ಎಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಹೋಗುತ್ತದೆ?
ನಾನು ಓದುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ.
ಆರ್ಡರ್ ಬರುತ್ತಿದೆ.
The '-u' Rule
Irregular Verbs
Listen for the Suffix
Keep it Simple
Smart Tips
Immediately identify the infinitive and strip the 'u' to find the stem.
Break it down: [Stem] + [Tense] + [Person].
Use the shortened forms to sound more natural.
Always use the full, unshortened forms.
発音
Vowel Length
Double vowels (aa, ee, oo) are held twice as long as single vowels.
Consonant Doubling
Double consonants are pronounced with a slight pause.
Question Intonation
Verb + aa↗
Rising pitch at the end indicates a question.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Drop the 'u' to find the 'true' stem, then add the tail to make it real.
Visual Association
Imagine a tree. The trunk is the verb stem. The branches are the different endings you can attach to change the tense or person.
Rhyme
Drop the U, add the tail, your Kannada verb will never fail.
Story
Imagine a robot named 'Maad'. He is the base. When he wears a hat, he is doing it now. When he wears shoes, he did it yesterday. When he wears a cape, he will do it tomorrow.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Take 5 verbs, strip the 'u', and write them down in 2 minutes.
文化メモ
People often shorten 'maaduttiddene' to 'maadtiddini' in daily speech.
More likely to use the full, unshortened forms in formal settings.
Uses slightly different suffixes for the same stems.
Kannada verb stems are derived from Proto-Dravidian roots.
Conversation Starters
ನೀವು ಏನು ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೀರಿ?
ನೀವು ನಾಳೆ ಬರುತ್ತೀರಾ?
ನೀವು ಕಾಫಿ ಕುಡಿಯುತ್ತೀರಾ?
ಅವರು ಎಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
ನಾನು ಕೆಲಸ ___ (maadu).
ಅವನು ___ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾನೆ.
Find and fix the mistake:
ನಾನು ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾನೆ.
ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ / ನಾನು / ಕೆಲಸ
ನಾನು ___.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Verb stems always end in 'u'.
A: ನೀನು ಏನು ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದೀಯಾ? B: ನಾನು ___.
Score: /8
練習問題
8 exercisesನಾನು ಕೆಲಸ ___ (maadu).
ಅವನು ___ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾನೆ.
Find and fix the mistake:
ನಾನು ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾನೆ.
ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ / ನಾನು / ಕೆಲಸ
ನಾನು ___.
Match 'maadu', 'hoog', 'bar'.
Verb stems always end in 'u'.
A: ನೀನು ಏನು ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದೀಯಾ? B: ನಾನು ___.
Score: /8
よくある質問 (8)
Some verbs are irregular or have different historical roots. Always check a dictionary.
Yes, Subject-Object-Verb is the standard order.
It depends on the subject (I, you, he, etc.) and the tense.
Not many, but the most common ones (go, come, be) are irregular.
Yes, the stem is the same, but the tense marker changes.
Short forms are better for casual settings; use full forms for formal writing.
Add '-illa' or use the negative suffix '-uvudilla'.
It might sound unnatural, but you will likely still be understood.
In Other Languages
Verb conjugation
Kannada stems are more stable than Spanish stems.
Conjugaison
Kannada adds suffixes; French adds auxiliary words.
Konjugation
Kannada has fewer irregular verbs than German.
Verb conjugation
Japanese has different conjugation groups.
Verb roots
Arabic roots are non-concatenative; Kannada is concatenative.
Verb markers
Chinese uses particles; Kannada uses suffixes.
