Present Continuous with -kontiru-
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use the -kontiru- suffix attached to the verbal participle to describe actions happening at this very moment.
- Take the past participle of the verb: 'saappittu' (having eaten).
- Add the suffix '-kontiru-': 'saappittukontiru'.
- Conjugate for person/number: 'saappittukontirukkiren' (I am eating).
Meanings
This grammar indicates an action that is currently in progress or ongoing at the time of speaking.
Immediate Action
Actions happening exactly now.
“Mazhai peithukontirukkirathu (It is raining).”
“Avan pesikontirukkiran (He is talking).”
Extended Progressive
Actions occurring over a period of time.
“Naan puthagam eluthikontirukkiren (I am writing a book).”
“Avar velai seithukontirukkirar (He is working).”
Conjugation of 'Padi' (to study)
| Person | Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Naan | Padithukontirukkiren | Padithukontirukkavillai |
| Nee | Padithukontirukkirai | Padithukontirukkavillai |
| Avan | Padithukontirukkiran | Padithukontirukkavillai |
| Aval | Padithukontirukkiral | Padithukontirukkavillai |
| Naangal | Padithukontirukkirom | Padithukontirukkavillai |
| Avargal | Padithukontirukkirargal | Padithukontirukkavillai |
Spoken Contractions
| Formal | Informal |
|---|---|
| Padithukontirukkiren | Padichukitturuken |
| Saappittukontirukkiren | Saaptukitturuken |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Participle + kontiru + V | Naan padikkiren |
| Negative | Participle + kontiru + illai | Naan padikkavillai |
| Question | Participle + kontiru + V + aa? | Padithukontirukkiraya? |
| Short Answer | Yes/No | Aam/Illai |
Espectro de formalidad
Naan velai seithukontirukkiren. (Workplace)
Naan velai seithukontirukkiren. (Workplace)
Naan velai seithukitturuken. (Workplace)
Velai seiyuren. (Workplace)
The Progressive Flow
Past
- Saappittu Having eaten
Auxiliary
- kontiru remaining
Present
- kkiren I am
Examples by Level
Naan saappittukontirukkiren
I am eating
Avan vilaiyadikontirukkiran
He is playing
Naangal velai seithukontirukkirom
We are working
Mazhai peithukontirukkirathu
It is raining
Avar pesikontirukkum pothu naan vanthen
I came while he was talking
Kuzhanthaigal urangikontirukkum neram ithu
This is the time when children are sleeping
Easily Confused
Both can translate to English present continuous.
Errores comunes
Padi-kontiru-kkiren
Padithu-kontiru-kkiren
Naan saappittukontiru
Naan saappittukontirukkiren
Avan pesikontirukkirathu
Avan pesikontirukkiran
Naan velai seithukontirukkum
Naan velai seithukontirukkiren
Sentence Patterns
Naan ___ kontirukkiren.
Real World Usage
Enna pannikitturuke?
Listen for the contraction
Smart Tips
Contract 'kontiru' to 'kittu'.
Pronunciación
Contraction
In speech, 'kontiru' often collapses into 'kittu'.
Question
Padithukontirukkiraya? ↑
Rising intonation for yes/no questions.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Kontiru is like a 'continuous' train; it keeps moving forward.
Visual Association
Imagine a person running with a 'Konti' (a stick) in their hand, constantly moving.
Rhyme
Add kontiru to the past, the action will surely last.
Story
Ravi is cooking. He takes the past participle 'samai-thu'. He adds 'kontiru'. Now he is 'samaithukontirukkiran'. He is busy!
Word Web
Desafío
Describe 3 things you are doing right now using the formula.
Notas culturales
Very common to use 'kitturuken' instead of 'kontirukkiren'.
Derived from the verb 'kol' (to take/hold) and 'iru' (to be).
Conversation Starters
Neenga enna pannikontirukkireergal?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
Naan ___ (eat) kontirukkiren.
Score: /1
Ejercicios de practica
1 exercisesNaan ___ (eat) kontirukkiren.
Score: /1
Preguntas frecuentes (1)
No, use the future tense.
In Other Languages
Estar + gerundio
Tamil uses the past participle, Spanish uses the gerund.
-te iru
Tamil is SOV, Japanese is SOV, but the auxiliary placement differs.
am ... sein
Tamil is purely morphological.
être en train de
Tamil is more integrated into the verb.
yaktubu
Tamil uses a compound verb structure.
zài + verb
Tamil is suffix-based.
