For autodidact students of Assamese, "you" is a word that has to be chosen, because Assamese has three of them. They are তই (toi), তুমি (tumi) and আপুনি (apuni), and the choice tells the hearer how the speaker stands to them. This lesson is about the middle one, তুমি, the "you" of friends, of the family, of equals and of younger people, and the one that a student will use most once the first greetings are over. Like মই in Lesson 8, it comes in two parts: the word তুমি itself, which is "you" the doer, and the stem তোমা-, which takes every ending that is not the doer's:
- তুমি (tumi): you - তোমাৰ (tümar): your, of you - তোমাক (tümak): you, to you - তোমালৈ (tümaloi): to you, for you - তুমিও (tumiü): you too, you also
You have met these forms before. তুমি নিজে কিনিলা নে, "Did you buy it yourself?", was said to Rajib in Lesson 8, and so was তুমি বিহুত নলবাৰীলৈ আহিবা নে, "Will you come to Nalbari at Bihu?" Now the word has a lesson of its own. The word is said in two syllables, TU-mi, with the u of English "put" and the i of "machine".
There are five things that English speakers do not expect.
First, the verb changes with the "you" that is chosen. In English "you eat" is one form for everybody. In Assamese the verb has its own endings for each of the three, and they are set out in Section D. What matters now is that the verb of তুমি ends in -আ (in the past, future and perfect -ইলা, -িবা, -ছা), and that the verb of আপুনি is the form of "he, she" that you saw in Lesson 8, আছে and not আছা. A sentence with তুমি and a verb of আপুনি is a mistake, and the mistake is heard at once.
Second, "you" has stems. As মই has মো-, তুমি has তোমা-: তোমাৰ, তোমাক, তোমালৈ. There is no তুমিৰ. The other two do the same: তই has তো- (তোৰ, তোক, তোলৈ) and আপুনি has আপোনা- (আপোনাৰ, আপোনাক, আপোনালৈ), which you used in Lessons 4 and 8. The endings are the ones that you know: the genitive ৰ, the object ending -ক, and the -লৈ of "to".
Third, the doer takes no ending. A noun that does something takes -এ, as in মালতীয়ে (9.11), but the personal pronouns never do, as Lesson 4 said: মই, তুমি and তাই stay as they are.
Fourth, the pronoun is often left out, as মই is. The verb ending says that it is "you" who acts, and the situation says which "you". ৰাতি অকলে বাটত নাযাবা (9.27), "Do not go alone on the road at night", has no pronoun, and none is needed. তুমি is said for contrast, for emphasis or to open a topic, as in 9.20.
Fifth, the future is also the polite command. আহিবা (ahiba) is "you will come", and, said by a grandmother to her granddaughter, it is also "do come". The Genre Section below has several of these.
A small word of time has been met before, and it is worth keeping in mind: কালি is both "yesterday" and "tomorrow", and the tense of the verb tells which (9.5 and 9.7).
Script note: তুমি is four marks. The letter ত (t) has the sign ু (u) written under it, then ম (m), and the sign ি (i) is written before its consonant, on the left, so that the eye sees ি before ম although the ear hears it last. তোমা- is different: the sign ো is written on both sides of ত, with ে before and া after, and it is read ü, as in the earlier lessons, so তুমি (tumi) and তোমাৰ (tümar) are not the same word. The letter ৰ (r) in তোমাৰ is the Assamese letter, different from the Bengali র. The vowel letter ই in তই is a full letter because it follows another vowel, as in মই.
Key Takeaways: - "You" is তুমি for a friend, a relative, an equal or a younger person; তই is for a small child or a very close friend, and আপুনি is for an elder, a stranger or an official - After তুমি comes the stem তোমা-: তোমাৰ (your), তোমাক (you, to you), তোমালৈ (to you, for you) - Add -ও for "also": তুমিও, "you too"; add নিজে for "yourself": তুমি নিজে - The verb of তুমি ends in -আ: present and imperative -আ (আছা, থাকা), past -ইলা, future -িবা, perfect -ছা, pluperfect -ছিলা - খা, যা and পা change in the present: খোৱা, যোৱা, পোৱা - আপুনি takes the verb of "he, she" (আছে, আহিব), and তই takes its own (আহিবি, খালি) - The future in -িবা is also a gentle command, and the negative command is নাযাবা, joined - The doer takes no ending: তুমি, never তুমিয়ে
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9.1a তুমি you ভাত rice খোৱা eat
9.1b tumi (TU-mi) you-FAM bhat (BHAT) rice khüwa (KHUU-wa) eat-PRES.2
9.2a তুমি you ঘৰত at-home আছা are
9.2b tumi (TU-mi) you-FAM ghorot (GHO-rot) house-LOC asa (A-sa) be-PRES.2
9.3a তুমি you কেনে how আছা are
9.3b tumi (TU-mi) you-FAM kene (KE-ne) how asa (A-sa) be-PRES.2
9.4a তুমি you কলৈ to-where যোৱা go
9.4b tumi (TU-mi) you-FAM koloi (KO-loi) where-DAT züwa (ZUU-wa) go-PRES.2
9.5a তুমি you কালি yesterday বজাৰলৈ to-market আহিলা came
9.5b tumi (TU-mi) you-FAM kali (KA-li) yesterday bozarloi (BO-zar-loi) market-DAT ahila (A-hi-la) come-PAST.2
9.6a তুমি you কালি yesterday ঘৰত at-home নাছিলা were-not
9.6b tumi (TU-mi) you-FAM kali (KA-li) yesterday ghorot (GHO-rot) house-LOC nasila (NA-si-la) NEG-be-PAST.2
9.7a তুমি you কালি tomorrow আইতাৰ of-grandmother ঘৰলৈ to-house যাবা will-go
9.7b tumi (TU-mi) you-FAM kali (KA-li) tomorrow aitar (AI-tar) grandmother-GEN ghorloi (GHOR-loi) house-DAT zaba (ZA-ba) go-FUT.2
9.8a তুমি you বহুত many দিনৰ of-days পিছত after গাঁৱলৈ to-village আহিছা have-come
9.8b tumi (TU-mi) you-FAM bohut (BO-hut) many dinor (DI-nor) day-GEN pisot (PI-sot) after-LOC gãwloi (GAAN-wloi) village-DAT ahisa (A-hi-sa) come-PERF.2
9.9a তোমাৰ your নাম name কি what
9.9b tümar (TUU-mar) you-FAM-GEN nam (NAM) name ki (KI) what
9.10a মই I তোমাক to-you এখন one-CL কিতাপ book দিলোঁ gave
9.10b moi (MOI) I tümak (TUU-mak) you-FAM-ACC ekhon (E-khon) one-CL.FLAT kitap (KI-tap) book dilü̃ (DI-lun) give-PAST.1
9.11a মালতীয়ে Malati তোমাক you বজাৰত in-market দেখিলে saw
9.11b malotiye (MA-lo-ti-ye) Malati-ERG tümak (TUU-mak) you-FAM-ACC bozarot (BO-za-rot) market-LOC dekhile (DE-khi-le) see-PAST.3
9.12a মই I তোমালৈ for-you এখন one-CL গামোচা gamosa আনিছোঁ have-brought
9.12b moi (MOI) I tümaloi (TUU-ma-loi) you-FAM-DAT ekhon (E-khon) one-CL.FLAT gamüsa (GA-muu-sa) gamosa anisü̃ (A-ni-sun) bring-PERF.1
9.13a তেওঁ she বিহু Bihu ভাল good পায় gets তুমিও you-too ভাল good পোৱা get
9.13b teü̃ (TE-un) she-HON bihu (BI-hu) Bihu bhal (BHAL) good pay (PAY) get-PRES.3 tumiü (TU-mi-uu) you-FAM-also bhal (BHAL) good püwa (PUU-wa) get-PRES.2
9.14a তই you-intimate ভাত rice খালি ate নে or
9.14b toi (TOI) you-INT bhat (BHAT) rice khali (KHA-li) eat-PAST.2INT ne (NE) Q
9.15a আপুনি you-respectful আজি today ঘৰলৈ to-home আহিব will-come নে or
9.15b apuni (A-pu-ni) you-HON azi (A-zi) today ghorloi (GHOR-loi) house-DAT ahibo (A-hi-bo) come-FUT.2HON ne (NE) Q
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9.1 তুমি ভাত খোৱা। (tumi bhat khüwa) "You eat rice." 9.2 তুমি ঘৰত আছা। (tumi ghorot asa) "You are at home." 9.3 তুমি কেনে আছা? (tumi kene asa) "How are you?" 9.4 তুমি কলৈ যোৱা? (tumi koloi züwa) "Where are you going?" 9.5 তুমি কালি বজাৰলৈ আহিলা। (tumi kali bozarloi ahila) "Yesterday you came to the market." 9.6 তুমি কালি ঘৰত নাছিলা। (tumi kali ghorot nasila) "You were not at home yesterday." 9.7 তুমি কালি আইতাৰ ঘৰলৈ যাবা। (tumi kali aitar ghorloi zaba) "Tomorrow you will go to Grandmother's house." 9.8 তুমি বহুত দিনৰ পিছত গাঁৱলৈ আহিছা। (tumi bohut dinor pisot gãwloi ahisa) "After many days you have come to the village." 9.9 তোমাৰ নাম কি? (tümar nam ki) "What is your name?" 9.10 মই তোমাক এখন কিতাপ দিলোঁ। (moi tümak ekhon kitap dilü̃) "I gave you a book." 9.11 মালতীয়ে তোমাক বজাৰত দেখিলে। (malotiye tümak bozarot dekhile) "Malati saw you in the market." 9.12 মই তোমালৈ এখন গামোচা আনিছোঁ। (moi tümaloi ekhon gamüsa anisü̃) "I have brought a gamosa for you." 9.13 তেওঁ বিহু ভাল পায়, তুমিও ভাল পোৱা। (teü̃ bihu bhal pay, tumiü bhal püwa) "She likes Bihu, and you like it too." 9.14 তই ভাত খালি নে? (toi bhat khali ne) "Did you eat rice?" (said to a small child) 9.15 আপুনি আজি ঘৰলৈ আহিব নে? (apuni azi ghorloi ahibo ne) "Will you come home today?" (said to an elder or a stranger)
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9.1 তুমি ভাত খোৱা। 9.2 তুমি ঘৰত আছা। 9.3 তুমি কেনে আছা? 9.4 তুমি কলৈ যোৱা? 9.5 তুমি কালি বজাৰলৈ আহিলা। 9.6 তুমি কালি ঘৰত নাছিলা। 9.7 তুমি কালি আইতাৰ ঘৰলৈ যাবা। 9.8 তুমি বহুত দিনৰ পিছত গাঁৱলৈ আহিছা। 9.9 তোমাৰ নাম কি? 9.10 মই তোমাক এখন কিতাপ দিলোঁ। 9.11 মালতীয়ে তোমাক বজাৰত দেখিলে। 9.12 মই তোমালৈ এখন গামোচা আনিছোঁ। 9.13 তেওঁ বিহু ভাল পায়, তুমিও ভাল পোৱা। 9.14 তই ভাত খালি নে? 9.15 আপুনি আজি ঘৰলৈ আহিব নে?
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These are the grammar rules for expressing "you" in Assamese.
The word তুমি. তুমি (tumi) is the "you" of the friend, the relative, the equal and the younger person. It is the form for the one who does something, and it does not change for what is done, when, or to whom: তুমি খোৱা (9.1), তুমি আহিলা (9.5), তুমি যাবা (9.7). It takes no doer's ending: where the noun মালতী needs -এ in 9.11 (মালতীয়ে), the pronoun তুমি needs nothing.
The stem তোমা-. In every other place the stem is তোমা-, and the endings are those of Lessons 5, 6 and 7: - তোমাৰ (tümar), your, of you, with the genitive ৰ: তোমাৰ নাম কি? (9.9) - তোমাক (tümak), you, to you, with the object ending -ক, for the one who is given to or seen: মই তোমাক এখন কিতাপ দিলোঁ (9.10), মালতীয়ে তোমাক বজাৰত দেখিলে (9.11) - তোমালৈ (tümaloi), to you, for you, with -লৈ, for the one for whom something is brought: মই তোমালৈ এখন গামোচা আনিছোঁ (9.12) - তোমাত (tümat), in you, is rare, as মোত is - the plural is তোমালোক (tümalük), "you all", with the same endings after it: তোমালোকৰ, তোমালোকক - the other two "you" do the same: তই → তোৰ, তোক, তোলৈ; আপুনি → আপোনাৰ, আপোনাক, আপোনালৈ
"You also", "you yourself". The ending -ও, "also", is joined to the end: তুমিও (tumiü), "you also" (9.13). The word নিজে (nize) is "oneself" and goes after the pronoun: তুমি নিজে, "you yourself", as in 8.21.
Three "you", three verbs. The verb says which "you" has been chosen. Take আহ-, "come", in three questions: - "Will you come?": তই আহিবি নে? (toi ahibi ne), তুমি আহিবা নে? (tumi ahiba ne), আপুনি আহিব নে? (apuni ahibo ne, 9.15) - "Did you come?": তই আহিলি নে? (toi ahili ne), তুমি আহিলা নে? (tumi ahila ne, 9.5), আপুনি আহিলে নে? (apuni ahile ne) - "Come!": তই আহ (toi ah), তুমি আহা (tumi aha), আপুনি আহক (apuni ahok)
So the ending says it: তই ends in -ি or in the bare stem, তুমি in -আ, and আপুনি in the form of "he, she". The respectful এ of 8.18, আপুনি কেনে আছে?, is the same as in তেওঁ আছে.
The verb of তুমি. The endings of the second person of তুমি are these. They all end in -আ: - present and imperative: -আ (আছা, 9.2 and 9.3; থাকা, "live", 9.18) - past: -ইলা after a consonant stem, -লা after a vowel stem (আহিলা, 9.5; কিনিলা, 8.21; খালা, "you ate"; the "be" is নাছিলা in the negative, 9.6) - future: -িবা after a consonant stem, -বা after a vowel stem (যাবা, 9.7; আহিবা, 9.23) - perfect: -ছা after the conjunctive (আহিছা, 9.8; কিনিছা, 9.21) - pluperfect: -ছিলা (কৈছিলা, 9.22)
The perfect says that the action is over and its result is now: 9.8 is "you have come", and you are here.
The present of খা, যা and পা. The three verbs with the stem in -া change in the present of তুমি. The stem takes a vowel ো and then -ৱা: - খা (eat) → খোৱা (9.1) - যা (go) → যোৱা (9.4) - পা (get) → পোৱা (9.13, 9.20) - ক (say) → কোৱা
In the past and the future they are regular: যাবা (9.7), খালা, পাবা. A student who writes the present of যা as যাবা has said "you will go".
Leaving out the pronoun. With the ending the pronoun can go: ভালে থাকিবা (9.28) and ৰাতি অকলে বাটত নাযাবা (9.27) are said without তুমি. The pronoun is kept for contrast or emphasis: তোমাৰ নতুন সহকৰ্মীক তুমি ভাল পোৱা নে? (9.20) puts তুমি in as "and do you like him?", and the তুমিও of 9.13 sets "you" beside "she".
The future as a gentle command. আহিবা (9.23) is "you will come", and when an elder says it to a younger person it is also "do come". The same is the polite request of Lessons 3 and 4 with আপুনি: আপুনি মোক এখন চিঠি লিখিব (4.30). The negative command is the negative of the future: নাযাবা (9.27), "do not go".
The negative. The prefix ন- is joined to the verb and takes the vowel of the verb's first letter: - যাবা → নাযাবা (9.27) - আহিলা → নাহিলা, "you did not come" - "Were not" is নাছিলা for তুমি (9.6), as it is নাছিলোঁ for মই
Asking. The yes-or-no question puts নে at the end, as in Lesson 8: তই ভাত খালি নে? (9.14), আপুনি আজি ঘৰলৈ আহিব নে? (9.15). With a question word there is no নে: তুমি কলৈ যোৱা? (9.4), তোমাৰ নাম কি? (9.9).
"You like". ভাল পোৱা (9.13) is "you get good", with "you" as the doer, as ভাল পাওঁ was with মই. The thing liked takes -ক when it is a person: তোমাৰ নতুন সহকৰ্মীক ... ভাল পোৱা (9.20). The feeling can also be put in the genitive, as in 8.23: তোমাৰ ভাল লাগে, "to you it feels good".
Told to do. In 9.22 তুমি মোক চিঠি লিখিবলৈ কৈছিলা is "you had told me to write a letter": the one who is told is মোক, the verb is "say" in the pluperfect, and লিখিবলৈ is -িবলৈ, as in ৰান্ধিবলৈ (8.29), "to write".
Seeing. তোমাক দেখি (9.25) has the conjunctive দেখি, "seeing", and the sentence is "on seeing you I shall be glad".
Common Mistakes: - Using তুমি with the verb of আপুনি. তুমি আছে is wrong; "you are" is তুমি আছা, and আছে is "he, she is" or the respectful "you are". - Using আপুনি with the verb of তুমি. আপুনি আহিবা is not polite; the form is আপুনি আহিব. - Putting an ending on তুমি. তুমিৰ, তুমিক and তুমিলৈ are wrong; the stem is তোমা-. - Putting the doer's -এ on তুমি. তুমিয়ে is not Assamese. - Using তোমাৰ for the respectful "your". For an elder or a stranger it is আপোনাৰ, as in 4.28. - Writing the vowels alike. তুমি (u) is the pronoun, and তোমা- (ü) is its stem; তুমাৰ is a misspelling. - Writing the present of যা as যাবা, খা as খাবা and পা as পাবা. The present of তুমি is যোৱা, খোৱা and পোৱা; the forms in -বা are the future. - Writing the negative as a word of its own. না যাবা is wrong; the prefix is joined: নাযাবা. - Saying তই to be friendly. তই is for a small child or a very close friend, and from a stranger it is rude. - Leaving off the final -আ. The ending is what shows that the "you" is তুমি. - Writing ৰ as the Bengali র. The Assamese letter is ৰ.
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Assamese has three words for "you", and so a letter or a conversation tells you who is speaking to whom, and how well they know one another. Lesson 8 gave the rule: তই to a small child or a very close friend, and in anger and contempt; তুমি to a friend, a colleague, a younger person or an equal; আপুনি to an elder, a stranger, a teacher or an official. In the Genre Section below you will see both sides of one family. In Lesson 4 Malati wrote to her grandmother with আপুনি and আপোনাৰ, and now her grandmother answers with তুমি and তোমাৰ. Neither of them is wrong, and neither of them is cold. The younger person does not presume, and the elder gives her closeness. When an elder says তুমি to you, it is warm.
A learner who is a foreigner is safest with আপুনি until someone tells them otherwise. Usage differs between families and regions, and it moves with time: friends who began with আপুনি often go over to তুমি after a while, and when they do, it is a step towards each other. The one choice to avoid is তই with a person who is not very close, because it can be heard as an insult.
A letter has its own conventions. The salutation is মৰমৰ, "dear", and the closing is the writer's relationship: Malati ended hers আপোনাৰ মৰমৰ নাতিনী (4.30), and her grandmother ends hers তোমাৰ মৰমৰ আইতা (9.30). It is customary for an elder to close with a blessing, আশীৰ্বাদ (axirbad), as in 9.29. The grandmother also writes as a grandmother does, with care for the body and the road: do not go out alone at night (9.27), keep well (9.28).
Care is shown with food. Asking a child whether they have eaten, as in 9.14, and promising to cook for a visitor, as in 9.24, are ordinary ways in an Assamese household of saying that the person matters. Malati's gift of a muga-silk chador (4.28) answers this care: muga is the golden silk that is native to Assam, and a precious gift for an elder. The grandmother's thanks in 9.21 are the answer to it. The visit before Bihu (9.23) is the end of the exchange, as it was the promise of 4.29.
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লক্ষ্মীনাথ বেজবৰুৱা (Lakshminath Bezbaroa, 1864–1938), "বাঘ আৰু কেঁকোৰা" — "The Tiger and the Crab," from বুঢ়ী আইৰ সাধু (Burhi Aair Xadhu, "Grandmother's Tales"), first published in 1912
The tiger has met the crab and, pleased by its smiling face, has answered the crab's question. He tells where he is going, and asks the same of the crab. The crab then replies. The narration between the speeches is left out.
মই চোং সলাই আন এখন হাবিলৈ যাওঁ। তুমি নো কলৈ যোৱা? মই কলৈকো নাযাওঁ, মোৰ ওচৰতে ঘৰ।
F-A: Interlinear
F.1a মই I চোং den সলাই changing আন other এখন one-CL হাবিলৈ to-forest যাওঁ go
F.1b moi (MOI) I süng (SUUNG) den xolai (XO-lai) change-CONV an (AN) other ekhon (E-khon) one-CL.FLAT habiloi (HA-bi-loi) forest-DAT zaü̃ (ZA-un) go-PRES.1
F.2a তুমি you নো then কলৈ to-where যোৱা go
F.2b tumi (TU-mi) you-FAM nü (NUU) then-PTCL koloi (KO-loi) where-DAT züwa (ZUU-wa) go-PRES.2
F.3a মই I কলৈকো to-anywhere নাযাওঁ do-not-go মোৰ my ওচৰতে right-nearby ঘৰ house
F.3b moi (MOI) I koloikü (KO-loi-kuu) where-DAT-also nazaü̃ (NA-za-un) NEG-go-PRES.1 mür (MUUR) I-GEN üsorote (UU-so-ro-te) nearness-LOC-EMPH ghor (GHOR) house
F-B: Original and Translation
মই চোং সলাই আন এখন হাবিলৈ যাওঁ। তুমি নো কলৈ যোৱা? মই কলৈকো নাযাওঁ, মোৰ ওচৰতে ঘৰ।
"I am changing my den, and going to another forest. And where are you going?" "I go nowhere; my house is right nearby." (Translation: Latinum Institute.)
F-C: Original
মই চোং সলাই আন এখন হাবিলৈ যাওঁ। তুমি নো কলৈ যোৱা? মই কলৈকো নাযাওঁ, মোৰ ওচৰতে ঘৰ।
F-D: Grammar and Literary Commentary
The lesson's pronoun is in the middle line. The tiger asks তুমি নো কলৈ যোৱা?, and the "you" is said in full: তুমি, with the verb যোৱা, the present of যা, "go", in the form of তুমি, with the vowel ো and -ৱা of Section D (9.4). It is the question of 9.4 with নো added. The tiger speaks to the crab with তুমি, the plain "you" of one who treats the other as an equal, and the crab does not answer with আপুনি or তই.
The speeches around it show মই. The tiger says মই and the crab answers মই, and each time the pronoun sets the speaker against the other: "I am going, and you?" "I am not." The verbs are of the first person, যাওঁ and নাযাওঁ, as in Lesson 8. নাযাওঁ is the negative ন- joined to যাওঁ, "I do not go". কলৈ, "to where", is the কলৈ of 9.4, and with -ও it is কলৈকো, "to anywhere"; with the negative verb the two together say "nowhere". মোৰ ওচৰতে ঘৰ has no verb: "my house is near", with ওচৰ, "nearness", as in ওচৰলৈ (Lesson 8) and the locative -ত with the emphatic -এ, "right nearby", as in ঘৰতে.
Three words must be taken with care. We could not verify চোং in a reference work; we give it as "den" from the sense of the passage, since a tiger who changes his চোং and goes to another forest is moving his lair. The particle নো, which comes after তুমি, we have glossed as "then", as the sense asks: "and where are you going, then?". We could not confirm it in a reference work, and we give it as read in the tale. সলাই is the conjunctive of the verb "to change, exchange", and আন is "other". The spelling of the text is that of Wikisource; a second edition that we compared differs from it only in small points of spelling. The published date of the book is given as 1912 on the Wikisource edition and in the earlier lessons; some reference works give 1911, and we follow the edition.
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Malati's grandmother has received the letter that Malati wrote from Guwahati in Lesson 4, and writes back from the village. She is Malati's grandmother and her elder, so where Malati wrote আপুনি she writes তুমি. She answers the news of the street, the colleague and the muga chador, and ends with her blessing.
9.16a মৰমৰ dear নাতিনী granddaughter মালতী Malati মই I তোমাৰ your চিঠিখন the-letter পালোঁ got
9.16b moromor (MO-ro-mor) love-GEN natini (NA-ti-ni) granddaughter maloti (MA-lo-ti) Malati moi (MOI) I tümar (TUU-mar) you-FAM-GEN sithikhon (SI-thi-khon) letter-CL.FLAT palü̃ (PA-lun) get-PAST.1
9.17a তুমি you গুৱাহাটীত in-Guwahati ভালে well আছা are মোৰ to-me বহুত very ভাল good লাগিছে feels
9.17b tumi (TU-mi) you-FAM guwahatit (GU-wa-ha-tit) Guwahati-LOC bhale (BHA-le) well asa (A-sa) be-PRES.2 mür (MUUR) I-GEN bohut (BO-hut) very bhal (BHAL) good lagise (LA-gi-se) feel-PERF.3
9.18a তুমি you সৰু small ভাৰাঘৰত in-rented-house থাকা live কিন্তু but ঘৰটোৰ of-the-house সন্মুখত in-front আমগছজোপা the-mango-tree আছে is
9.18b tumi (TU-mi) you-FAM xoru (XO-ru) small bharaghorot (BHA-ra-gho-rot) rent-house-LOC thaka (THA-ka) stay-PRES.2 kintu (KIN-tu) but ghortür (GHOR-tuur) house-CL-GEN xonmukhot (XON-mu-khot) front-LOC amgoszüpa (AM-gos-zuu-pa) mango-tree-CL.PLANT ase (A-se) be-PRES.3
9.19a তোমাৰ your শালিকা myna চৰাইটো the-bird এতিয়াও still প্ৰতিদিনে every-day আহে comes নে or
9.19b tümar (TUU-mar) you-FAM-GEN xalika (XA-li-ka) myna soraitü (SO-rai-tuu) bird-CL etiyaü (E-ti-ya-uu) now-also protidine (PRO-ti-di-ne) every-day ahe (A-he) come-PRES.3 ne (NE) Q
9.20a তোমাৰ your নতুন new সহকৰ্মীক colleague-to তুমি you ভাল good পোৱা get নে or
9.20b tümar (TUU-mar) you-FAM-GEN notun (NO-tun) new xohokormik (XO-ho-kor-mik) colleague-ACC tumi (TU-mi) you-FAM bhal (BHAL) good püwa (PUU-wa) get-PRES.2 ne (NE) Q
9.21a তুমি you মোৰ my বাবে for এখন one-CL মুগাৰ of-muga-silk চাদৰ chador কিনিছা have-bought ধন্যবাদ thanks
9.21b tumi (TU-mi) you-FAM mür (MUUR) I-GEN babe (BA-be) for ekhon (E-khon) one-CL.FLAT mugar (MU-gar) muga-GEN sador (SA-dor) chador kinisa (KI-ni-sa) buy-PERF.2 dhonyobad (DHO-nyo-bad) thanks
9.22a তুমি you মোক me চিঠি letter লিখিবলৈ to-write কৈছিলা had-said সেইদেখি therefore মই I তোমাক to-you এই this চিঠিখন letter লিখিলোঁ wrote
9.22b tumi (TU-mi) you-FAM mük (MUUK) I-ACC sithi (SI-thi) letter likhiboloi (LI-khi-bo-loi) write-INF-DAT koisila (KOI-si-la) say-PLUPERF.2 xeidekhi (XEI-de-khi) therefore moi (MOI) I tümak (TUU-mak) you-FAM-ACC ei (EI) this sithikhon (SI-thi-khon) letter-CL.FLAT likhilü̃ (LI-khi-lun) write-PAST.1
9.23a তুমি you বিহুৰ of-Bihu আগতে before এসপ্তাহৰ of-one-week বাবে for মোৰ my ওচৰলৈ to-near আহিবা will-come
9.23b tumi (TU-mi) you-FAM bihur (BI-hur) Bihu-GEN agote (A-go-te) before-LOC-EMPH exoptahor (E-xop-ta-hor) one-week-GEN babe (BA-be) for mür (MUUR) I-GEN üsorloi (UU-sor-loi) nearness-DAT ahiba (A-hi-ba) come-FUT.2
9.24a মই I তোমালৈ for-you ভাল good ভাত rice ৰান্ধিম will-cook
9.24b moi (MOI) I tümaloi (TUU-ma-loi) you-FAM-DAT bhal (BHAL) good bhat (BHAT) rice randhim (RAN-dhim) cook-FUT.1
9.25a তোমাক you দেখি seeing মোৰ to-me বহুত very ভাল good লাগিব will-feel
9.25b tümak (TUU-mak) you-FAM-ACC dekhi (DE-khi) see-CONV mür (MUUR) I-GEN bohut (BO-hut) very bhal (BHAL) good lagibo (LA-gi-bo) feel-FUT.3
9.26a তোমাৰ your কাষৰ of-next-to ঘৰৰ of-house মহিলাগৰাকীক to-the-lady মোৰ my নমস্কাৰ greeting ক'বা tell
9.26b tümar (TUU-mar) you-FAM-GEN kaxor (KA-xor) side-GEN ghoror (GHO-ror) house-GEN mohilagorakik (MO-hi-la-go-ra-kik) lady-CL.HON-ACC mür (MUUR) I-GEN nomoskar (NO-mos-kar) greeting koba (KO-ba) say-FUT.2
9.27a ৰাতি at-night অকলে alone বাটত on-road নাযাবা do-not-go
9.27b rati (RA-ti) night okole (O-ko-le) alone batot (BA-tot) road-LOC nazaba (NA-za-ba) NEG-go-FUT.2
9.28a ভালে well থাকিবা stay
9.28b bhale (BHA-le) well thakiba (THA-ki-ba) stay-FUT.2
9.29a তোমাক to-you বহুত much আশীৰ্বাদ blessing
9.29b tümak (TUU-mak) you-FAM-ACC bohut (BO-hut) much axirbad (A-xir-bad) blessing
9.30a তোমাৰ your মৰমৰ loving আইতা grandmother
9.30b tümar (TUU-mar) you-FAM-GEN moromor (MO-ro-mor) love-GEN aita (AI-ta) grandmother
9.16 মৰমৰ নাতিনী মালতী, মই তোমাৰ চিঠিখন পালোঁ। (moromor natini maloti, moi tümar sithikhon palü̃.) "Dear granddaughter Malati, I have received your letter." 9.17 তুমি গুৱাহাটীত ভালে আছা, মোৰ বহুত ভাল লাগিছে। (tumi guwahatit bhale asa, mür bohut bhal lagise.) "You are well in Guwahati, and I am very pleased." 9.18 তুমি সৰু ভাৰাঘৰত থাকা, কিন্তু ঘৰটোৰ সন্মুখত আমগছজোপা আছে। (tumi xoru bharaghorot thaka, kintu ghortür xonmukhot amgoszüpa ase.) "You live in a small rented house, but in front of the house there is the mango tree." 9.19 তোমাৰ শালিকা চৰাইটো এতিয়াও প্ৰতিদিনে আহে নে? (tümar xalika soraitü etiyaü protidine ahe ne?) "Does your myna still come every day?" 9.20 তোমাৰ নতুন সহকৰ্মীক তুমি ভাল পোৱা নে? (tümar notun xohokormik tumi bhal püwa ne?) "Do you like your new colleague?" 9.21 তুমি মোৰ বাবে এখন মুগাৰ চাদৰ কিনিছা, ধন্যবাদ। (tumi mür babe ekhon mugar sador kinisa, dhonyobad.) "You have bought me a muga-silk chador; thank you." 9.22 তুমি মোক চিঠি লিখিবলৈ কৈছিলা, সেইদেখি মই তোমাক এই চিঠিখন লিখিলোঁ। (tumi mük sithi likhiboloi koisila, xeidekhi moi tümak ei sithikhon likhilü̃.) "You had asked me to write, and so I have written you this letter." 9.23 তুমি বিহুৰ আগতে এসপ্তাহৰ বাবে মোৰ ওচৰলৈ আহিবা। (tumi bihur agote exoptahor babe mür üsorloi ahiba.) "Before Bihu you will come to me for a week." 9.24 মই তোমালৈ ভাল ভাত ৰান্ধিম। (moi tümaloi bhal bhat randhim.) "I shall cook good rice for you." 9.25 তোমাক দেখি মোৰ বহুত ভাল লাগিব। (tümak dekhi mür bohut bhal lagibo.) "I shall be very glad to see you." 9.26 তোমাৰ কাষৰ ঘৰৰ মহিলাগৰাকীক মোৰ নমস্কাৰ ক'বা। (tümar kaxor ghoror mohilagorakik mür nomoskar koba.) "Give my greetings to the lady in the house next to yours." 9.27 ৰাতি অকলে বাটত নাযাবা। (rati okole batot nazaba.) "Do not go alone on the road at night." 9.28 ভালে থাকিবা। (bhale thakiba.) "Keep well." 9.29 তোমাক বহুত আশীৰ্বাদ। (tümak bohut axirbad.) "Many blessings to you." 9.30 তোমাৰ মৰমৰ আইতা। (tümar moromor aita.) "Your loving Grandmother."
9.16 মৰমৰ নাতিনী মালতী, মই তোমাৰ চিঠিখন পালোঁ। 9.17 তুমি গুৱাহাটীত ভালে আছা, মোৰ বহুত ভাল লাগিছে। 9.18 তুমি সৰু ভাৰাঘৰত থাকা, কিন্তু ঘৰটোৰ সন্মুখত আমগছজোপা আছে। 9.19 তোমাৰ শালিকা চৰাইটো এতিয়াও প্ৰতিদিনে আহে নে? 9.20 তোমাৰ নতুন সহকৰ্মীক তুমি ভাল পোৱা নে? 9.21 তুমি মোৰ বাবে এখন মুগাৰ চাদৰ কিনিছা, ধন্যবাদ। 9.22 তুমি মোক চিঠি লিখিবলৈ কৈছিলা, সেইদেখি মই তোমাক এই চিঠিখন লিখিলোঁ। 9.23 তুমি বিহুৰ আগতে এসপ্তাহৰ বাবে মোৰ ওচৰলৈ আহিবা। 9.24 মই তোমালৈ ভাল ভাত ৰান্ধিম। 9.25 তোমাক দেখি মোৰ বহুত ভাল লাগিব। 9.26 তোমাৰ কাষৰ ঘৰৰ মহিলাগৰাকীক মোৰ নমস্কাৰ ক'বা। 9.27 ৰাতি অকলে বাটত নাযাবা। 9.28 ভালে থাকিবা। 9.29 তোমাক বহুত আশীৰ্বাদ। 9.30 তোমাৰ মৰমৰ আইতা।
Your letter. তোমাৰ চিঠিখন (9.16) is the genitive তোমাৰ before the noun with its classifier, "your letter", where Malati wrote আপোনালৈ ... চিঠি (4.16). The classifier -খন is flat things, as in গামোচাখন. In 9.22 the same letter is এই চিঠিখন, "this letter", the one in the reader's hand.
Are, live, is. In 9.17 and 9.18 আছা and থাকা are the verbs of তুমি, "you are" and "you live". In 9.18 the verb of the mango tree is আছে, because the tree is a "he, she, it" and not a "you". The two verbs are next to one another in the sentence, and the endings show whose they are.
Every day. প্ৰতিদিনে (9.19) is প্ৰতি, "every", with দিন, "day", and the ending -এ, as in 4.19. এতিয়াও is এতিয়া, "now", with -ও: "still", "even now".
Do you like. ভাল পোৱা (9.20) is the present of তুমি, and the new colleague takes -ক: সহকৰ্মীক. The pronoun তুমি is kept, to ask the question of Malati herself.
Bought. কিনিছা (9.21) is the perfect of তুমি, "you have bought". The gift is for the writer, মোৰ বাবে, "for me", with বাবে, as in 4.28: আপোনাৰ বাবে.
Because you asked. In 9.22 কৈছিলা is the pluperfect of the verb "say", and লিখিবলৈ, "to write", with -িবলৈ, gives "you had told me to write". সেইদেখি, "therefore", is the word of the gardener's tale in Lesson 4. The answer is লিখিলোঁ, the past of the first person.
Come. আহিবা (9.23) is both a prediction and a request. In 4.29 Malati said "I shall go to you", আপোনাৰ ওচৰলৈ যাম, and here the grandmother says "you will come to me", মোৰ ওচৰলৈ, the same phrase seen from the other side. ওচৰলৈ is ওচৰ, "nearness", with -লৈ.
Cook, and see. ৰান্ধিম (9.24) is the future of the first person, with -ি- after a consonant stem: ৰান্ধ- → ৰান্ধিম. In 9.25 the person who will feel is in the genitive, মোৰ, and the thing felt is the subject, as in 8.23: মোৰ ভাল লাগিব, "to me it will feel good". দেখি is the conjunctive, "seeing".
Tell. ক'বা (9.26) is the future of তুমি used as a request, "you will tell". The lady, who is older than Malati, is মহিলাগৰাকী with the respectful classifier -গৰাকী, as in 4.20, and she takes -ক: মহিলাগৰাকীক. The greeting is নমস্কাৰ.
No you, no verb. In 9.27 and 9.28 there is no pronoun, as the ending নাযাবা and থাকিবা is enough. 9.29 and 9.30 have no verb at all, and no verb is needed: a blessing and a signature. অকলে (9.27) is "alone", an adverb, and ভালে is ভাল with -এ, "well", as in 9.17.
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The romanisation follows the system of the earlier lessons: ü for the short /ʊ/ of English "book", o for /ɔ/, x for the /x/ of Scottish "loch", s for চ and ছ, z for জ and য, a tilde for a nasal vowel. In the respellings, UU is the short vowel of "book", -un is a nasal ending, and the stressed syllable is in capitals.
তুমি (tumi) — IPA: /tumi/ — the u is as in English "put", and the final i as in "machine"; ত is a soft t, with the tongue against the teeth. তুমিও (tumiü) — IPA: /tumiʊ/ — three vowels, said smoothly together. তোমাৰ (tümar) — IPA: /tʊmɑɹ/ — ো is the short vowel of "book", and not the u of তুমি. তোমাক (tümak) — IPA: /tʊmɑk/ — the final ক is a plain k, without a puff of breath. তোমালৈ (tümaloi) — IPA: /tʊmɑlɔi/ — ৈ is the same /ɔi/ as in মই. তই (toi) — IPA: /tɔi/ — the o of British "hot" runs into i, in one syllable. আপুনি (apuni) — IPA: /ɑpuni/ — the first vowel is the open vowel of "father", said short. খোৱা (khüwa) — IPA: /kʰʊwɑ/ — খ is k with a puff of air, and ৱ is w. যোৱা (züwa) — IPA: /zʊwɑ/ — য is /z/ and not "y". পোৱা (püwa) — IPA: /pʊwɑ/. আছা (asa) — IPA: /ɑsɑ/ — ছ is /s/, never the "ch" of English "church". আহিলা (ahila) — IPA: /ɑɦilɑ/ — হ is a breathy /ɦ/. নাছিলা (nasila) — IPA: /nɑsilɑ/. কলৈ (koloi) — IPA: /kɔlɔi/ — the final ৈ is /ɔi/. চোং (süng) — IPA: /sʊŋ/ — চ is /s/, and ং is the ng of English "sing". নো (nü) — IPA: /nʊ/. ওচৰতে (üsorote) — IPA: /ʊsɔɹɔtɛ/ — the final ে is an open /ɛ/, as in "set". কেঁকোৰা (kẽküra) — IPA: /kɛ̃kʊɹɑ/ — the tilde marks the nasal vowel of the first syllable. আশীৰ্বাদ (axirbad) — IPA: /ɑxiɹbɑd/ — শ is /x/, the sound of Scottish "loch"; ৰ্ is a light r before the b. চিঠি (sithi) — IPA: /sitʰi/ — ঠ is t with a puff of breath.
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Course Index: [latinum.substack.com/p/index](https://latinum.substack.com/p/index)