Bengali grammar
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Bengali grammar is the study of the morphology and syntax of Bengali, an Indo-European language spoken in South Asia. Although Bengali uses a separate alphabet (see Bengali script), a transliteration scheme is used here to suggest the pronunciation.
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[edit] Pronouns
Bengali pronouns are somewhat similar to English pronouns, having different words for first, second, and third person, and also for singular and plural (unlike for verbs, below). Bengali pronouns, unlike their English counterparts, do not differentiate for gender; that is, the same pronoun may be used for "he" or "she". However, Bengali has different third-person pronouns for proximity. The first are used for someone who is nearby, and the second are for those who are a little further away. The third are usually for those who are not present. In addition, each of the second- and third-person pronouns have different forms for the familiar and polite forms; the second person also has a "very familiar" form. In the following tables, the abbreviations used are as follows: VF=very familiar, F=familiar, and P=polite (honor); H=here, T=there, and E=elsewhere (proximity).
The nominative case is used for pronouns that are the subject of the sentence, such as "I already did that" or "Will you please stop making that noise?"
| Subject | Proximity | Honor | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ami (I) | amra (we) | ||
| 2 | VF | tui (you) | tora (you) | |
| F | tumi (you) | tomra (you) | ||
| P | apni (you) | apnara (you) | ||
| 3 | H | F | e (he/she) | era (they) |
| P | ini (he/she) | ẽra (they) | ||
| T | F | o (he/she) | ora (they) | |
| P | uni (he/she) | őra (they) | ||
| E | F | she (he/she) | tara (they) | |
| P | tini (he/she) | tãra (they) | ||
The objective case is used for pronouns serving as the direct or indirect objects, such as "I told him to wash the dishes" or "The teacher gave me the homework assignment."
| Subject | Proximity | Honor | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | amake (me) | amader (us) | ||
| 2 | VF | toke (you) | toder (you) | |
| F | tomake (you) | tomader (you) | ||
| P | apnake (you) | apnader (you) | ||
| 3 | H | F | eke (him/her) | eder (them) |
| P | ẽke (him/her) | ẽder (them) | ||
| T | F | oke (him/her) | oder (them) | |
| P | õke (him/her) | őder (them) | ||
| E | F | take (him/her) | tader (them) | |
| P | tãke (him/her) | tãder (them) | ||
The possessive case is used to show possession, such as "Where is your coat?" or "Let's go to our house." Note that the plural forms are identical to those for the objective case.
| Subject | Proximity | Honor | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | amar (my) | amader (our) | ||
| 2 | VF | tor (your) | toder (your) | |
| F | tomar (your) | tomader (your) | ||
| P | apnar (your) | apnader (your) | ||
| 3 | H | F | er (his/her) | eder (their) |
| P | ẽr (his/her) | ẽder (their) | ||
| T | F | or (his/her) | oder (their) | |
| P | õr (his/her) | őder (their) | ||
| E | F | tar (his/her) | tader (their) | |
| P | tãr (his/her) | tãder (their) | ||
[edit] Nouns
[edit] Case
Nouns are also inflected for case, including nominative, objective, genitive (possessive), and locative. The case marking pattern for each noun being inflected depends on the noun's degree of animacy.
| Animate | Inanimate | |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | chhatro-ţa the student |
juta-ţa the shoe |
| Objective | chhatro-ţa-ke the student |
juta-ţa the shoe |
| Genitive | chhatro-ţa-r the student's |
juta-ţa-r the shoe's |
| Locative | - | juta-ţa-(t)e
on/in the shoe |
When a definite article such as -ţa (singular) or -gula (plural) is added, as in the table above, nouns are also inflected for number. Plural versions of the previous table can be found below:
| Animate | Inanimate | |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | chhatro-ra the students |
juta-gula the shoes |
| Objective | chhatro-der(ke) the students |
juta-gula the shoes |
| Genitive | chhatro-der the students' |
juta-gula-r the shoes' |
| Locative | - | juta-gula-te on/in the shoes |
[edit] Measure Words
When counted, nouns must also be accompanied by the appropriate measure word. As in many Asian languages (e.g. Chinese, Japanese, Thai, etc.), nouns in Bangla cannot be counted directly by adding the numeral directly adjacent to the noun. The noun's measure word (MW) must be used in between the numeral and the noun. Most nouns take the generic measure word ţa, although there are many more specific measure words, such as jon, which is only used to count humans.
| Bangla | Literal translation | English translation |
|---|---|---|
| Nôe-ţa ghoŗi | Nine-MW clock | Nine clocks |
| Kôe-ţa balish | How many-MW pillow | How many pillows |
| Ônek-jon lok | Many-MW person | Many people |
| Char-pañch-jon shikkhôk | Four-five-MW teacher | Four or five teachers |
Measuring nouns in Bangla without their corresponding measure words (e.g. aţ biŗal instead of aţ-ţa biŗal "eight cats") would typically be considered ungrammatical. However, omitting the noun and preserving the measure word is grammatical and not uncommon to hear. For example, Shudhu êk-jon thakbe. (lit. "Only one-MW will remain.") would be understood to mean "Only one person will remain.", since jon can only be used to count humans. The word lok "person" is implied.
[edit] Verbs
Bengali verbs are highly inflected and are regular with only few exceptions. They consist of a stem and an ending; they are traditionally listed in Bengali dictionaries in their "verbal noun" form, which is usually formed by adding -a to the stem (for instance, rakha = "to put or place"). The stem can end in either a vowel or a consonant. Verbs are conjugated for tense and person by changing the endings, which are largely the same for all verbs. However, the stem vowel can often change as part of the phenomenon known as "vowel harmony", whereby one vowel can be influenced by other vowels in the word to sound more harmonious. An example would be the verb "to write", with stem lekh-: tomra lekho (you [pl.] write) but amra likhi (we write). In general, the following transformations take place: ô → o, o → u, ê → e, e → i, and a → e, where the verbal noun features the first vowel but certain conjugations use the second. In addition, the verbs dêoa (to give) and nêoa (to take) switch between e, i, a, and ê. If verbs are classified by stem vowel and if the stem ends in a consonant or vowel, there are nine basic classes in which most verbs can be placed; all verbs in a class will follow the same pattern. A prototype verb from each of these classes will be used to demonstrate conjugation for that class; bold will be used to indicate mutation of the stem vowel.
[edit] Non-finite forms
The Bengali verb can occur in six non-finite forms: by definition, they do not offer any information on tense (whether the event is in the present, past, or future) or person (whether the event involves one or more subjects). They do, however, indicate other information - these are shown below using the verbal root jan- "know":
- আঁকা ãka - verbal noun ("act of drawing")
- আঁকতে ãkte - verbal infinitive ("to draw")
- আঁকতে-আঁকতে ãkte-ãkte - progressive participle ("while drawing")
- আঁকলে ãkle - conditional participle ("if X draws")
- এঁকে ẽke - perfect participle ("having drawn")
- এঁকে-এঁকে ẽke-ẽke - iterative participle ("having drawn many times")
[edit] Person
Verbs are inflected for person and honour, but not for number. There are five forms: first person, second person (very familiar), second person (familiar), third person (familiar), and second/third person (polite). The same sample subject pronouns will be used for all the example conjugation paradigms: ami (Bengali:আমি), tui (তুই), tumi (তুমি), she (সে) and apni (আপনি). These have the following plurals respectively amra (আমরা), tora (তোরা), tomra (তোমরা), tara (তারা) and apnara (আপনারা).
[edit] Mood
There are two moods for Bengali verbs: the indicative and the imperative. The imperative mood is used to give commands. The indicative mood is used for statements of fact; its various tenses are given below.
[edit] Aspect
There are three aspects for Bengali verbs: simple aspect, the progressive/continuous aspect, and the perfect aspect. These are combined with the different tenses described below to form the various verbal conjugations possible.
[edit] Tense
Bengali has four simple tenses: the present tense, the past tense, the conditional or habitual past tense, and the future tense. These combine with mood and aspect to form more complex conjugations, such as the past progressive, or the present perfect.
[edit] Simple present tense
The present tense in Bengali is similar to that of English: I eat, you run, he reads. The endings are -i, -(i)sh, -o, -e, and -(e)n.
| Verb | 1 | 2 (VF) | 2 (F) | 3 (F) | 2/3 (P) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bôla | ami boli | tui bolish | tumi bôlo | she bôle | apni bôlen |
| বলা | আমি বলি | তুই বলিস | তুমি বলো | সে বলে | আপনি বলেন |
| khola | ami khuli | tui khulish | tumi kholo | she khole | apni kholen |
| খোলা | আমি খুলি | তুই খুলিস | তুমি খোলো | সে খোলে | আপনি খোলেন |
| khêla | ami kheli | tui khelish | tumi khêlo | she khêle | apni khêlen |
| খেলা | আমি খেলি | তুই খেলিস | তুমি খেলো | সে খেলে | আপনি খেলেন |
| chena | ami chini | tui chinish | tumi cheno | she chene | apni chenen |
| চেনা | আমি চিনি | তুই চিনিস | তুমি চেনো | সে চেনে | আপনি চেনেন |
| jana | ami jani | tui janish | tumi jano | she jane | apni janen |
| জানা | আমি জানি | তুই জানিস | তুমি জানো | সে জানে | আপনি জানেন |
| hôoa | ami hoi | tui hosh | tumi hôo | she hôe | apni hôn |
| হওয়া | আমি হই | তুই হোস | তুমি হও | সে হয় | আপনি হন |
| dhoa | ami dhui | tui dhush | tumi dhoo | she dhoe | apni dhon |
| ধোয়া | আমি ধুই | তুই ধুস | তুমি ধোও | সে ধোয় | আপনি ধোন |
| khaoa | ami khai | tui khash | tumi khao | she khae | apni khan |
| খাওয়া | আমি খাই | তুই খাস | তুমি খাও | সে খায় | আপনি খান |
| deoa | ami dii | tui dish | tumi dao | she dêe | apni dên |
| দেওয়া | আমি দিই | তুই দিস | তুমি দাও | সে দেয় | আপনি দেন |
[edit] Simple past tense
The (simple) past tense differs from its use in English in that it is usually reserved for events that have occurred recently; for instance, less than a day ago. It would be translated into the English simple past tense: I ate, you ran, he read. The endings are -lam, -li, -le, -lo, -len (notice that the vowels for the second and third [familiar] persons are the reverse of those in the present tense). For example: ami dekhlam, tui dekhli, tumi dekhle, se dekhlo, apni dekhlen.
| Verb | 1 | 2 (VF) | 2 (F) | 3 (F) | 2/3 (P) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bôla | ami bollam | tui bolli | tumi bolle | she bollo | apni bollen |
| বলা | আমি বললাম | তুই বললি | তুমি বললে | সে বললো | আপনি বললেন |
| khola | ami khullam | tui khulli | tumi khulle | she khullo | apni khullen |
| খোলা | আমি খুললাম | তুই খুললি | তুমি খুললে | সে খুললো | আপনি খুললেন |
| khêla | ami khellam | tui khelli | tumi khelle | she khello | apni khellen |
| খেলে | আমি খেললাম | তুই খেললি | তুমি খেললে | সে খেললো | আপনি খেললেন |
| chena | ami chinlam | tui chinli | tumi chinle | she chinlo | apni chinlen |
| চেনা | আমি চিনলাম | তুই চিনলি | তুমি চিনলে | সে চিনলো | আপনি চিনলেন |
| jana | ami janlam | tui janli | tumi janle | she janlo | apni janlen |
| জানা | আমি জানলাম | তুই জানলি | তুমি জানলে | সে জানলে | আপনি জানলেন |
| hôoa | ami holam | tui holi | tumi hole | she holo | apni holen |
| হওয়া | আমি হলাম | তুই হলি | তুমি হলে | সে হল | আপনি হলেন |
| dhoa | ami dhulam | tui dhuli | tumi dhule | she dhulo | apni dhulen |
| ধোওয়া | আমি ধুলাম | তুই ধুলি | তুমি ধুলে | সে ধুলো | আপনি ধুলেন |
| khaoa | ami khelam | tui kheli | tumi khelo | she khele | apni khelen |
| খাওয়া | আমি খেলাম | তুই খেলি | তুমি খেলে | সে খেলো | আপনি খেলেন |
| dêoa | ami dilam | tui dili | tumi dile | she dilo | apni dilen |
| দেওয়া | আমি দিলাম | তুই দিলি | তুমি দিলে | সে দিলো | আপনি দিলেন |
[edit] Habitual past tense
The habitual past tense has a few different uses. It is used for events that happened regularly, such as "I used to eat out every day" or "He wrote poems when he was young", the equivalent of an imperfect tense. It may also be used as a sort of conditional, such as the following: "If you asked I would come" or "If you had asked I would have come". It is easy to form the habitual past tense: simply start with the simple past tense and change the l to t (except in the tui [2 VF] form). The endings are -tam, -tish, -te, -to, -ten. For example: ami dekhtam, tui dekhtish, tumi dekhte, she dekhto, apni dekhten.
| Verb | 1 | 2 (VF) | 2 (F) | 3 (F) | 2/3 (P) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bôla | ami boltam | tui boltish | tumi bolte | she bolto | apni bolten |
| khola | ami khultam | tui khultish | tumi khulte | she khulto | apni khulten |
| khêla | ami kheltam | tui kheltish | tumi khelte | she khelto | apni khelten |
| chena | ami chintam | tui chintish | tumi chinte | she chinto | apni chinten |
| jana | ami jantam | tui jantish | tumi jante | she janto | apni janten |
| hôoa | ami hotam | tui hotish | tumi hote | she hoto | apni hoten |
| dhoa | ami dhutam | tui dhutish | tumi dhute | she dhuto | apni dhuten |
| khaoa | ami khetam | tui khetish | tumi khete | she kheto | apni kheten |
| dêoa | ami ditam | tui ditish | tumi dite | she dito | apni diten |
[edit] Postpositions
Whereas English features prepositions, Bengali typically uses postpositions. That is, while these modifying words occur before their object in English (beside him, inside the house), they typically occur after their object in Bengali (or pashe, baŗir bhitore). Some postpositions require their object noun to take the possessive case, while others require the objective case (which is unmarked for inanimate nouns); this distinction must be memorized. Most postpositions are formed by taking nouns referring to a location and inflecting them for locative case.
[edit] Postpositions that require Genitive/Possessive Case
- age 'before': shôkal-er age 'before the morning'
- upore 'on top of', 'above': bichhana-r upore 'on top of the bed'
- oi pare 'across': nodi-r oi pare 'across the river'
- kôtha 'about': sheţa-r kôtha 'about that'
- kachhe 'near': janala-r kachhe 'near the window'
- jonno 'for': shikkhôk-er jonno 'for the teacher'
- theke 'from' (people): baba-r theke 'from father'
- dike 'towards': basha-r dike 'towards the house'
- niche 'below', 'under': boi-er niche 'under the book'
- pôre 'after': shondha-r pôre 'after the evening'
- pashe 'beside': chula-r pashe 'beside the stove'
- pichhone 'behind': almari-r pichhone 'behind the cupboard'
- baire 'outside': desh-er baire 'outside the country'
- bhitor die 'through': shôhorer bhitor die 'through the city'
- bhitore 'inside': dokan-er bhitore 'inside the store'
- môto 'like': tom-ar môto 'like you'
- moddhe 'in the middle of': shomudr-er moddhe 'in the middle of the ocean'
- shôngge 'with': am-ar shôngge 'with me'
- shômmondhe 'about': itihash-er shômmondhe 'about history'
- shathe 'with': ma-er shathe 'with mother'
- shamne 'in front of': gaŗi-r shamne 'in front of the car'
[edit] Postpositions that require Accusative/Object Case
- kore 'by means of': ţêksi kore 'by taxi'
- chhaŗa 'without', 'aside from': ama-ke chhaŗa 'aside from me'
- theke 'from' (places): Bangladesh theke 'from Bangladesh'
- die 'by': ta-ke die 'by him'
- dhore 'for' (time): dudin dhore 'for two days'
- nie 'including', 'with': toma-ke nie 'including you'
- porjonto 'until': dôshţa porjonto 'until ten o' clock'
- shôho 'with', 'including': ţaka shôho 'along with the money'
- hoe 'via': Kolkata hoe 'via Kolkata'
[edit] Prepositions that require Locative Case
- bina 'without': bina onumoti-te 'without permission'
[edit] See also
| Topics related to the Bengali language |
| Grammar • Phonology • Vocabulary • Dialects • Consonant clusters • Script • Romanization • Literature • Language Movement • International Mother Language Day |
[edit] References
- Chatterji, Suniti Kumar. Bengali Self-Taught. Calcutta: Rupa & Co., 1991.
- Radice, William. Teach Yourself Bengali. Chicago: NTC Publishing Group, 1994.
