Verbal Nouns & Stems Flashcards
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 example করা /kora/ (to do) is formed from the stem কর /kor-/.
A 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, but vary somewhat depending on the combination of vowel (V), consonant (C) or ‘a’ (A) sound at the ending of the stem.
say
বলা /bola/
Stem: বল- /bol-/
do
করা /kora/
Stem: কর /kor-/
go
যাওয়া /jaōwa/
Stem: যা- /ja-/
Note: In the present perfect and past perfect /ja/ becomes /ge/. In the past simple it becomes /gi/. In the past habitual it becomes /je/.
see
Vernal noun: দেখা /dekha/
Stem: দেখ- /dekh-/
hear/listen
শোনা /shona/
Stem: শোন- /shon-/
write
লেখা /lekha/
Stem: লেখ /lekh-/
keep
রাখা /rakha/
Stem: রাখ- /rakh-/
become/happen
হওয়া /ho’ōa/
Stem: হ- /ho-/
wash
ধোয়া /dhōa/
Stem: ধো- /dhō-/
Note that in most of the conjugations of this verb the /ō/ of the root becomes /u/.
eat
খাওয়া /khaōwa/
Stem: খা- /kha-/
give
দেওয়া /deōwa/
Stem: দে- /de-/
Note that in most of the conjugations of this verb the /e/ of the root becomes /i/
open
খোলা /khōla/
Stem: খোল- /khōl-/
Note that in most of the conjugations of this verb the /ō/ of the root becomes /u/.
know (a person), recognise
চেনা /chena/
Stem: চেন- /chen-/
know
(In the sense of comprehend)
জানা /jana/
Stem: জান- /jan-/
