Using Infinitive Forms for Purpose (করতে - korte)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Add '-te' to a verb root to express 'to do' something, usually indicating purpose or completing another verb's meaning.
- Take the verbal noun (e.g., করা - kora) and replace the final 'a' with 'e' to get করতে (korte).
- Use it to show why you are doing something: 'I am going to eat' (আমি খেতে যাচ্ছি - ami khete jachchi).
- It often pairs with verbs like 'want' (চাওয়া), 'start' (শুরু করা), or 'can' (পারা).
Meanings
The infinitive form ending in -তে (-te) is used to express the purpose of an action or to serve as a complement to another verb, functioning similarly to the English 'to + verb' construction.
Purpose
Expressing the reason or goal behind an action.
“সে বই কিনতে বাজারে গেছে। (Se boi kinte bajare geche.) - He went to the market to buy a book.”
Verbal Complement
Completing the meaning of verbs like 'want', 'begin', 'try', or 'know how to'.
“আমি সাতার কাটতে জানি। (Ami satar katte jani.) - I know how to swim.”
Imminent Action
Indicating that something is about to happen when paired with 'bosha' (to sit/start).
“বৃষ্টি পড়তে বসল। (Brishti porte boshlo.) - It started to rain / It's about to rain.”
Continuous State (Reduplicated)
When repeated, it indicates an action happening continuously or while doing something else.
“হাঁটতে হাঁটতে কথা বলো। (Hant-te hant-te kotha bolo.) - Talk while walking.”
Common Verb Infinitive Formation
| Verbal Noun (Root) | Infinitive Form | Pronunciation | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| করা (Kora) | করতে (Korte) | kor-te | To do |
| খাওয়া (Khawa) | খেতে (Khete) | khe-te | To eat |
| যাওয়া (Jawa) | যেতে (Jete) | je-te | To go |
| দেখা (Dekha) | দেখতে (Dekte) | dek-te | To see |
| পড়া (Pora) | পড়তে (Porte) | por-te | To read/study |
| বলা (Bola) | বলতে (Bolte) | bol-te | To say/speak |
| শোনা (Shona) | শুনতে (Shunte) | shun-te | To hear/listen |
| হওয়া (Howa) | হতে (Hote) | ho-te | To be/become |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Verb Stem + -te | আমি শিখতে চাই (I want to learn) |
| Negative | Infinitive + na | সে না খেতে চাইল (He chose not to eat) |
| Interrogative | Infinitive + Main Verb + ? | তুমি কি দেখতে চাও? (Do you want to see?) |
| With 'Can' | Infinitive + পারা (para) | আমি বলতে পারি (I can speak) |
| With 'Must' | Infinitive + হবে (hobe) | তোমাকে করতে হবে (You must do) |
| Simultaneous | Reduplicated Infinitive | হাঁটতে হাঁটতে (While walking) |
| Immediate | Infinitive + matro | বলতে মাত্র (As soon as [I] said) |
| Purpose | Infinitive + (jachchi/gechi) | আমি কিনতে গেছি (I went to buy) |
Espectro de formalidade
আমি গমন করতে ইচ্ছুক। (Ami gomon korte icchuk.) (Expressing intent to leave)
আমি যেতে চাই। (Ami jete chai.) (Expressing intent to leave)
আমি যাব। (Ami jabo. - Note: often just use future tense) (Expressing intent to leave)
আমি চললাম! (Ami chollam! - I'm off!) (Expressing intent to leave)
Uses of the -te Infinitive
Purpose
- যেতে to go
- কিনতে to buy
Ability
- করতে পারি can do
- বলতে পারি can speak
Desire
- খেতে চাই want to eat
Simultaneous
- চলতে চলতে while moving
Infinitive vs. Conditional
How to form the -te form
Does the verb end in -owa (e.g. Khawa)?
Does the verb end in -a (e.g. Kora)?
Common Verbs using -te
Movement
- • যেতে (to go)
- • আসতে (to come)
- • ফিরতে (to return)
Senses
- • দেখতে (to see)
- • শুনতে (to hear)
- • বুঝতে (to understand)
Daily Life
- • খেতে (to eat)
- • ঘুমাতে (to sleep)
- • পড়তে (to study)
Exemplos por nível
আমি খেতে চাই।
I want to eat.
সে ঘুমাতে যায়।
He goes to sleep.
আমরা খেলতে ভালোবাসি।
We love to play.
তুমি কি পড়তে চাও?
Do you want to read?
আমি বাজারে মাছ কিনতে যাচ্ছি।
I am going to the market to buy fish.
সে গান গাইতে পারে না।
She cannot sing.
তারা কাজ করতে শুরু করেছে।
They have started to work.
এখানে বসতে পারি?
Can I sit here?
আমি তোমাকে সাহায্য করতে এসেছি।
I have come to help you.
বৃষ্টি পড়তে দেখে আমি ছাতা নিলাম।
Seeing it start to rain, I took an umbrella.
আমাদের এখন যেতে হবে।
We have to go now.
সে কথা বলতে বলতে হাসছে।
He is laughing while talking.
বিষয়টি বুঝতে হলে আপনাকে ধৈর্য ধরতে হবে।
To understand the matter, you must be patient.
তাকে আসতে দেখলে আমি খুশি হব।
I will be happy to see him come.
সে রান্না করতে জানে না বললেই চলে।
It can be said that he hardly knows how to cook.
আমি তাকে রাস্তা পার হতে দেখলাম।
I saw him crossing the road.
সত্যি বলতে কি, আমি অবাক হয়েছি।
To tell the truth, I am surprised.
পরিস্থিতি সামলাতে সরকার নতুন আইন এনেছে।
The government has introduced new laws to handle the situation.
তাকে বোঝাতে গিয়ে আমি নিজেই ক্লান্ত।
In the process of trying to make him understand, I myself am tired.
বইটি পড়তে পড়তে আমার রাত শেষ হয়ে গেল।
While reading the book, my night came to an end.
মানবাত্মার মুক্তি খুঁজতে তিনি সন্ন্যাস গ্রহণ করেন।
He took up asceticism to seek the liberation of the human soul.
ঘটনাটি ঘটতে না ঘটতেই পুলিশ চলে এল।
No sooner had the incident happened than the police arrived.
এ কথা বলতে দ্বিধা নেই যে তিনি একজন মহান শিল্পী।
There is no hesitation in saying that he is a great artist.
তাকে দেখতে পাওয়া এক বিরল সৌভাগ্য।
To be able to see him is a rare fortune.
Fácil de confundir
They sound very similar (korte vs korle). Learners often mix up 'to do' with 'if you do'.
Both can sometimes be translated as '-ing' in English.
The conjunctive 'kore' (having done) is used for sequences, while 'korte' is for purpose.
Erros comuns
Ami khawa chai
Ami khete chai
Ami khate chai
Ami khete chai
Se jete
Se jete chay
Ami porte jachchi (meaning 'I am going to fall')
Ami porte jachchi (meaning 'I am going to read')
Ami korte pari na
Ami korte pari na
Ami jete hobe
Amake jete hobe
Se bolle jachche
Se bolte jachche
Ami khabar jonyo chai
Ami khete chai
Se kaj korte-korte bollo
Se kaj korte korte bollo
Ami take jete dekhlam (meaning 'I saw him to go')
Ami take jete dekhlam
Sotti bolte, ami jani na
Sotti bolte ki, ami jani na
Asite parilam na
Ashte parlam na
Korte matro
Kora matro / Korte na kortey
Padrões de frases
আমি ___ করতে চাই।
সে ___ শিখতে এখানে এসেছে।
___ করতে হলে আপনাকে ___ হবে।
আমি তাকে ___ করতে দেখলাম।
Real World Usage
আমি একটা পিৎজা অর্ডার করতে চাই।
আমি এই কোম্পানিতে কাজ করতে আগ্রহী।
কখন দেখা করতে আসবি?
এয়ারপোর্টে যেতে কত সময় লাগবে?
নতুন ভিডিও দেখতে লিঙ্কে ক্লিক করুন।
আমার শ্বাস নিতে কষ্ট হচ্ছে।
The 'Want' Rule
Vowel Harmony
Reduplication
Polite Requests
Smart Tips
The second verb in Bengali will almost always end in '-te'.
Use the reduplicated '-te' form for simultaneous actions instead of using 'shomoy' (time).
Combine '-te' with 'hobe' and remember to change the subject to the '-ke' form.
Use the '-te' form for the action being observed.
Pronúncia
Vowel Shift
The 'a' in the root often changes to 'e' because of the 'e' sound in '-te'. This is called vowel harmony.
Stress
The stress is usually on the first syllable of the root, with the '-te' suffix being light and quick.
Rising Purpose
Ami jete? (Rising at end)
Asking if I should go
Falling Intent
Ami jete chai. (Falling at end)
A firm statement of desire
Memorize
Mnemônico
Remember 'TE' for 'TO': Just like 'To' starts an English infinitive, 'TE' ends a Bengali one.
Associação visual
Imagine a bridge connecting two people. One person is the main verb (going), and the bridge is the '-te' form leading to the goal (eating).
Rhyme
Want to go? Use 'jete'. Want to eat? Use 'khete'. Purpose is the goal, '-te' is the soul!
Story
A traveler wanted to see the world. He went to the station 'jete' (to go), bought a ticket 'kinte' (to buy), and sat down 'boshte' (to sit) to wait for his adventure.
Word Web
Desafio
Look around your room and say three things you want to do using the '-te' form (e.g., 'Ami boi porte chai').
Notas culturais
In Kolkata, the vowel shifts are very pronounced and strictly followed in standard speech.
In many Bangladeshi dialects, the '-te' form might sound slightly more like '-to' or the vowel shift might be less aggressive in rural areas.
In old books or formal speeches, you will see '-ite' instead of '-te'.
Derived from the Sanskrit locative case of the verbal noun (-tu -> -tum -> -te in Prakrit/Apabhramsa).
Iniciadores de conversa
আপনি কি করতে ভালোবাসেন? (What do you love to do?)
ছুটিতে আপনি কোথায় যেতে চান? (Where do you want to go on vacation?)
বাংলা শিখতে আপনার কেমন লাগছে? (How are you finding learning Bengali?)
দেশকে উন্নত করতে আমাদের কি করা উচিত? (What should we do to improve the country?)
Temas para diário
Test Yourself
আমি আম ___ চাই।
Which one is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Is there an error?
I want to go home.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Can '-te' be the main verb?
A: Tumi ki korcho? B: Ami boi ___ চেষ্টা করছি।
Identify the form.
Score: /8
Exercicios praticos
8 exercisesআমি আম ___ চাই।
Which one is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Is there an error?
I want to go home.
To see
Can '-te' be the main verb?
A: Tumi ki korcho? B: Ami boi ___ চেষ্টা করছি।
Identify the form.
Score: /8
Perguntas frequentes (8)
'Korte' is the standard infinitive used in 90% of speech. 'Korbar jonyo' is more formal and literally means 'for the purpose of doing'.
This is due to vowel harmony. The 'e' in the suffix '-te' pulls the 'a' in the root up to an 'e' sound.
Yes, but you usually repeat it: 'korte korte' means 'while doing'.
Yes, in the construction 'korte hobe' (will have to do / must do).
Place 'na' after the infinitive: 'na korte'.
No, the '-te' form is non-finite, meaning it stays the same regardless of the subject.
Yes, to say 'know how to'. Example: 'Ami ranna korte jani' (I know how to cook).
Sometimes, but usually the Bengali verbal noun (-a) is a better match for the English gerund.
Scaffolded Practice
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Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Para + Infinitivo
Bengali doesn't need a separate preposition like 'para'.
Pour + Infinitif
Bengali uses a suffix, French uses a preposition.
Um ... zu + Infinitiv
Bengali is a single-word modification; German is a multi-word phrase.
Verb Stem + に (ni)
Very similar logic, though Japanese uses a particle and Bengali uses a suffix.
Li + Present Subjunctive
Arabic involves mood changes; Bengali is a simple conjugation.
Serial Verb Construction
Chinese has no inflection; Bengali is highly inflected.
