Sinhala Grammar #4: Verbs in the Negative

In the previous post, we talked about positive verbs in both the present and past tense.

Today, we are going to learn how to talk about things we did not do.

Present Tense

For the negative forms of these verbs, we have to remember the present positive

 forms of these verbs. Let’s take ‘kanavaa’ for example:

If we want to say that we don’t eat something:

Kanavaa - avaa + ne naha/na = Kanne naǣhaǣ/ *Kanne nǣ- මම කන්නේ නැහැ/

මම කන්නේ නැ

I don’t eat meat.

Mama mus kanne nǣ/ මම  මස් කන්නේ නැ

*The second version is a shortened, less formal version. 

This is what I hear my family use.

Let’s practice!

I don’t drink wine.                         Mama wayin bonne nǣ./ මම වයින් බොන්නේ නැ.

I don’t play tennis.       Mama tennis sellum karanne nǣ./ මම ටෙනිස් සෙල්ලම් 

කරන්නේ නැ.

I don’t go home everyday.            Mama hamadama gedara yanne nǣ. /මම හැමදාම 

ගෙදර යන්නේ නැ.

Past Tense

The past tense for negative verbs has a different formation than the present tense:

Kava - a + ee na = Kǣvee nǣ/ කෑවේ නැ

I didn’t eat meat.

Mama mus kǣvee na./ මම මස් කෑවේ නැ.

More Practice!

I didn’t drink wine.                Mama wayin biuvee nǣ./ මම වයින් බිව්වේ නැ.

I didn’t play tennis.       Mama tennis sellum  karee nǣ./ මම ටෙනිස් සෙල්ලම් කරේ නැ.

I didn’t go home.                 Mama gedara giyee nǣ. /මම ගෙදර  ගියේ නැ.     

That’s it for this lesson! As always let me know if you have questions or comments. 

Thanks for reading!