“Go” can mean so many things, including (believe it or not) “using the bathroom”. But in this post, this is what I’ll mean when I say “Go”:
“Go” (verb):
Either to move or travel from one place to another (e.g. “I’m going to Sri Lanka”); or
To leave or depart from some place (e.g. “It’s late, I have to go”).
Now here’s how we’re going to learn the present, past, and future tense of “Go” in Sinhala >>>
Structure Of This Post
1. Present Tense
Simple Present
(i.e. Verbs that express a habit or fact. Something that you’d regularly do)
| go | ya∙nȧ∙va | |
| don’t/doesn’t go | yan∙né nǣ |
Sample Phrases:
- I go there every week = ma∙mȧ hæ∙mȧ sa∙thi∙yȧ∙mȧ é∙hé∙tȧ ya∙nȧ∙va
- I don’t go there every week = ma∙mȧ hæ∙mȧ sa∙thi∙yȧ∙mȧ é∙hé∙tȧ yan∙né nǣ
Intermediary Quiz #1 (of 4)
Question 1:
If “child” is ‘la∙mȧ∙ya’, then how would you say… The child goes there every week?
Answer:
la∙mȧ∙ya hæ∙mȧ sa∙thi∙yȧ∙mȧ é∙hé∙tȧ ya∙nȧ∙va
Question 2:
If “child” is ‘la∙mȧ∙ya’, then how would you say… The child doesn’t go there every week?
Answer:
la∙mȧ∙ya hæ∙mȧ sa∙thi∙yȧ∙mȧ é∙hé∙tȧ yan∙né nǣ
Bonus words you “accidentally” just learned
- (to) there = é∙hé∙tȧ
- every week = hæ∙mȧ sa∙thi∙yȧ∙mȧ
- child = la∙mȧ∙ya
Present Continuous
(i.e. Verbs that express the action you’re doing at that specific moment)
| going | ya∙nȧ∙va1 | |
| not going | yan∙né nǣ1 |
Notes:
1 In Sinhala, the Present Continuous Verb is IDENTICAL to the Simple Present Tense Verb
Sample Phrases:
- I’m going there now = ma∙mȧ dhæn é∙hé∙tȧ ya∙nȧ∙va
- I’m not going there now = ma∙mȧ dhæn é∙hé∙tȧ yan∙né nǣ
Intermediary Quiz #2 (of 4)
Question 3:
If “boy” is ‘kol∙la’, then how would you say… The boy is going there now?
Answer:
kol∙la dhæn é∙hé∙tȧ ya∙nȧ∙va
Question 4:
If “girl” is ‘kél∙lȧ’, then how would you say… The girl is not going there now?
Answer:
kél∙lȧ dhæn é∙hé∙tȧ yan∙né nǣ
Bonus words you “accidentally” just learned
- now = dhæn
- boy = kol∙la
- girl = kél∙lȧ
2. Past Tense
Simple Past
| went | gi∙yaa | |
| didn’t go | gi∙yḗ nǣ |
Sample Phrases:
- I went there last week = ma∙mȧ gi∙yȧ sa∙thi∙yé é∙hé∙tȧ gi∙yaa
- I didn’t go there last week = ma∙mȧ gi∙yȧ sa∙thi∙yé é∙hé∙tȧ gi∙yḗ nǣ
Intermediary Quiz #3 (of 4)
Question 5:
If “girls” is ‘kél∙lo’, then how would you say… The girls went there last week?
Answer:
kél∙lo gi∙yȧ sa∙thi∙yé é∙hé∙tȧ gi∙yaa
Question 6:
If “boys” is ‘kol∙lo’, then how would you say… The boys didn’t go there last week?
Answer:
kol∙lo gi∙yȧ sa∙thi∙yé é∙hé∙tȧ gi∙yḗ nǣ
Bonus words you “accidentally” just learned
- last week = gi∙yȧ sa∙thi∙yé
- girls = kél∙lo
- boys = kol∙lo
3. Future Tense
Future Using Present Continuous
| going(FUT) | ya∙nȧ∙va 2 | |
| not going(FUT) | yan∙né nǣ 2 |
Notes:
2 In Sinhala, we often use the Present Continuous Verb to express a future action. It is the context (e.g. “later”, “tomorrow”, “next week”) that will indicate that it’s in the future.
Sample Phrases:
- I’m going(FUT) there next week = ma∙mȧ é∙nȧ sa∙thi∙yé é∙hé∙tȧ ya∙nȧ∙va
- I’m not going(FUT) there next week = ma∙mȧ é∙nȧ sa∙thi∙yé é∙hé∙tȧ yan∙né nǣ
Intermediary Quiz #4 (of 4)
Question 7:
If “boys and girls” are ‘kol∙loyi kél∙loyi’, then how would you say… The boys and girls are going(FUT) there next week?
Answer:
kol∙loyi kél∙loyi é∙nȧ sa∙thi∙yé é∙hé∙tȧ ya∙nȧ∙va
Question 8:
If “children” is ‘la∙mayi’, then how would you say… The children are not going(FUT) there next week?
Answer:
la∙mayi é∙nȧ sa∙thi∙yé é∙hé∙tȧ yan∙né nǣ
Bonus words you “accidentally” just learned
- next week = é∙nȧ sa∙thi∙yé
- boys and girls = kol∙loyi kél∙loyi
- children = la∙mayi
And let’s call it a day.
Before I let you go… Here’s a Lazy But Smart summary for you:
All You Need To Remember:
4. Final Quiz!
Now Try It Without Looking...
(The same 8 questions as before but this time try to answer it by yourself BEFORE you "Click to View the Answer", ok?)
And voila! You now know the basics of the verb "Go" in Sinhala.
I wait for this every week. Would love it if you could put pronunciation for the “Bonus Words” as well.
Glad to hear that, Shehan. Thanks.
Brilliant. I love it!!!!!!! Very useful everyday expressions we just can’t do without. Thank you Dilshan.
You’re welcome my friend. Thank you.
Thk u for giving such a simple way to understand & learn Sinhala easily.
Thk u Mr. Dilshan. U r doing a wonderful job.
Thank you, very kind of you. Glad you find it simple & easy. Mission accomplished.
Hey Dilshan,
Your friendly neighbourhood bug-fixer here! The format of your final quiz is a little odd – such that I can’t actually see the question, which kind of defeats the object of the quiz! Is it just me?!
Thanks for another helpful post, though! I particularly enjoyed the ‘accidental bonus words’ – mixing it up to throw in new vocabulary is a great way to boost our word bank unintentionally!
Thanks!
Michelle
No, it’s not just you Michelle. Serves me right, for doing certain enhancements to my website and then not following up with a thorough test on a mobile device. I’ve corrected it now. Thank you so much for pointing it out. Does it look fine now to you?
Hi Dilshan,
Much better, thanks for your quick response!
Looking forward to the next installment – my confidence is definitely rising with every quiz that I complete error-free!
Thanks,
Michelle
Excellent! I’m happy to hear that. Keep it up, Michelle. You’re getting closer and closer.
Hi Dilshan.
Think there is an type error in quiss #3
In the words we learned “accidently” it says •girls = kél∙lȧ, shouldn’t that be kèllo?
Other than that it was very easy to follow.
Just need to practise.. a lot :D
You’re absolutely correct, Signe. You’ve got “hawk eyes”, well done. I’ve corrected it now. Thanks!
Hi Dilshan!
I have a question for you: how do you put two verbs together in a sentence?
For example: I am going to the hospital to get medication.
I got as far as: mama ispiritaalayata behethta yannawa, but somehow it looks wrong…
Can you shed some light on this?
Thanks :)!!
You’re impossibly brilliant Dilshan. I believe you’ve learnt the art of subtle, didactic seduction because every time I open these lessons, I get addicted to them for hours on ends. Grateful. I shall not want!
Regards
Dr. Basil Jayatilaka
Perth, W. Australia.
Your comments are always in superior leagues of their own! Thanks, Basil. Much appreciated.