May have/be~: Sinhala Grammar #34

 Hello Everyone!

Today we will be learning about how to express what we are guessing is true.

This grammar structure can only be used to express guesses about things that 

are not in your control. This means that you can’t use this to say something like,

“I might go to the store on Monday".

Let’s jump in with the first example:

It may have rained today.

Ada, vahinaa athi.

අද වහිනා ඇති.

As some of you may know, the word athi, means enough. However, in this context, 

it doesn’t have the same meaning, so try to think about athi as a word with multiple 

meanings. Let’s look at a few more examples.

She is wearing a white coat. She may be a doctor.

Eya sudu kabaayak andinawaa. Eya doctor kenek venna athi.

එය සුධු කබාය අඳිනවා. එය දොච්ටෝර් කෙනෙක් වෙන්න ඇති.

That coconut has a black color (to it). It may be rotten.

E pol gediye kalu patha thiyennawa. Eka naraka vela athi.

ඒ පොල් ගෙඩි ය කළු පට තියෙන්නවා. එ ය  නරක වෙලා  ඇති. 

That’s all for today’s lesson! If you have any questions or comments, 

please leave them down below. Stay tuned for the next lesson on September 7th. 

Thanks for reading!

Prepositional Phrases -ekeyi & -vala: Sinhala Grammar #33

 Ayubowan!

The suffix we are learning today refers to something being in or on something. 

This can refer to locations that are not physical (websites, devices, etc.) This suffix is

 only used with loan words. Let’s take a look at an example. 

My friend posted/put our picture on Instagram.

Mage yaluwaa ape pinthura Instagram ekeyi dhǣma.

මගේ යාළුවා අපේ පින්තුර ඉන්ස්ටග්රම් එකෙයි ඩෑම.

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How did you see that post

Koheda dæke eya post eka?

කොහෙද දැක්කේ ඒය පෝස්ට් එක?

(I) saw it on Whatsapp.

Whatsapp ekeyi dhaka.

Whatsapp එකෙයි දැක්කා.

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How do you watch teledramas?

Oyaa kohomada teledrama eka balanne?

ඔයා කොහොමොද ටෙලෙද්රම ඒක බලන්නේ?

I watch (them) on  the computer.

Computer ekeyi balanawa.

චොම්පුටෙර් එකෙයි බලනවා 

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-ekeyi can also be used as a general indicator of location if the location 

is a loan word.

Little brother is in the car.

Mali car ekeyi innawaa.

මාලි කර් එකෙයි ඉන්නවා. 

In my University days/ when I was in University, I lived/ was in the dorms.

University kale, mama dorm ekeyi hittiya.

උනිවෙර්සිට්ය් කාලේ, මම දොර්ම් එකෙයි හිට්ටිය.

One exception to the -ekeyi suffix that I have learned is in regard to actual locations, 

like cities, that do not have a corresponding word in Sinhala. Instead of -ekeyi, we would say -vala:

In New York City, there are a lot of people.

New York City vala godak minisu innawaa.

New York City වල ගොඩක් මිනිසු ඉන්නවා 

That’s all for this lesson! If you have any questions or comments, 

please leave them down below. Make sure to tune in to the next lesson 

on August 17th. Thank you for reading!