Ahom doesn't have any verb tense forms like do, doing done. It only has hét (do) and tense is added with help of auxilaries as we briefly
saw in verbs section.
7.1 Present Tense
7.1.1 Simple Present
Without any auxilary all sentences in Ahom are by default in simple present
kw kinq xw@
(kao gin khāo)
- I eat rice
7.1.2 Present Continuous Tense
The post-verbal auxilary yùu after an intransitive verb or the object of a transitive verb denotes a present continuous tense
kw kinq xw@ yU!
(kao gin khāo yùu)
- I am eating rice
7.1.3 Present Perfect Tense
To show that an action has already been done with relevence to the immediate present, you would use the dāi ... yâo auxilary pair. Example -
kw dj@ kinq xw@ yw$
(kao dāi gin khāo yâo)
- I have eaten rice
Here, dāi auxilary before the verb and yâo auxilary after the object of the verb signifies the the action has just been completed in near present.
To show experience (have ever) you would use yāam auxilary before the verb-
kw y,M@ pj mE[q# ex]!
(kao yāam pai mérng khàe)
- I have been to China
Take another example -
kw y,M@ hnq mnq#
(kao yāam han mán)
- I have seen it
They key to using yāam or dāi ... yâo is to first understand the difference between recollecting an earlier experience vs. just completing an action.
7.1.4 Present Perfect Continuous
To show that an action has started in past and is still continuing you use the the máa ... yâo pair. Example -
kw kinq ma# s,M sipq# minitq$ yw$
(kao gin máa saam síp mi nît yâo)
- I have been eating for 30 minutes
Take another example -
kw AEpq# y,kq@ ma# l,j bnq# yw$
(kao érp yāak máa laai wán yâo)
- I have been starving for days
Here, máa auxilary after the verb and yâo auxilary after the object of the verb signifies the the action was started in past but is still continuing.
7.2 Past Tense
7.2.1 Simple Past
The yâo after an intransitive verb or the object of a transitive verb without any other auxilaries denotes a past tense, implying the action was completed in the past.
rw# kinq xw@ yw$
(ráo gin khāo yâo)
- We ate rice
7.2.2 Past Continuous
Adding a past adverb in present continuous sentence makes it past continuous. For example -
mEw@ ba# kw kinq xw@ yU!
(mēr wáa kao gin khāo yùu)
- I was eating rice yesterday
Take another example -
mEw@ xM@ ba# kw A,nq! ppq$ yU!
(mēr khām wáa kao àan pâp yùu)
- I was reading a book last night
7.2.3 Past Perfect
Adding an additional time phrase in present perfect sentence, will make it past perfect. For example -
kw dj@ kinq yw$ konq! tI@ mnq# c,j# et ma#
(kao dāi kin yâo kàwn tēe mán tsáai te máa)
- I had eaten before he came
Here, the adverbial cause before he came specifies later action and turns the sentence into past perfect.
7.2.4 Past Perfect Continuous
Similarly, adding an additional adverbial clause in present perfect continuous will make it past perfect continuous
kw kinq ma# s,M sipq# minitq$ yw$ konq! tI@ mnq# c,j# et ma#
(kao kin máa saam síp mi nît yâo kàwn tēe mán tsáai te máa)
- I had been eating for 30 minutes before he came
7.3 Future Tense
7.3.1 Simple Future Tense
The et (te) auxilary before verb makes the sentence into the future.
rw# et kinq xw@
(ráo te gin khāo)
- We will eat rice
7.3.2 Future Continuous Tense
The et (te) and yU! (yùu) auxilary pair makes it future continuous
mEw@ fukq@ kw et hCtq# k,nq yU!
(mēr phūk kao te hét kaan yùu)
- I will be working tomorrow
7.3.3 Future Perfect Tense
To show that an action that is expected to happen before a reference time, you would use the te dāi ... yâo auxilary pair. Example -
xw et dj@ kinq xw@ yw$ konq! tI@ rw# vE[q ma#
(khao te dāi kin khāo yâo kàwn tēe ráo therng máa)
- They will have eaten before we arrive
7.3.4 Future Perfect Continuous
To show that an action that is expected to happen before a reference time, you would use the te dāi ... yâo auxilary pair. Example -
vE[q k,[q bnq# tC[q@ ma# kw et dj@ hCtq# k,nq s,M cUw@ mU[q# yw$
(therng kaang wán tēng máa kao te dāi hét kaan saam tsō móng yâo)
- I will have been working for 3 hours by noon
That is all for Ahom tenses.
Thanks for reading.
PS: Audio not added now. It will be added soon
7.1 Present Tense
7.1.1 Simple Present
Without any auxilary all sentences in Ahom are by default in simple present
kw kinq xw@(kao gin khāo)
- I eat rice
7.1.2 Present Continuous Tense
The post-verbal auxilary yùu after an intransitive verb or the object of a transitive verb denotes a present continuous tense
kw kinq xw@ yU!(kao gin khāo yùu)
- I am eating rice
7.1.3 Present Perfect Tense
To show that an action has already been done with relevence to the immediate present, you would use the dāi ... yâo auxilary pair. Example -
kw dj@ kinq xw@ yw$(kao dāi gin khāo yâo)
- I have eaten rice
Here, dāi auxilary before the verb and yâo auxilary after the object of the verb signifies the the action has just been completed in near present.
To show experience (have ever) you would use yāam auxilary before the verb-
kw y,M@ pj mE[q# ex]!(kao yāam pai mérng khàe)
- I have been to China
Take another example -
kw y,M@ hnq mnq#(kao yāam han mán)
- I have seen it
They key to using yāam or dāi ... yâo is to first understand the difference between recollecting an earlier experience vs. just completing an action.
7.1.4 Present Perfect Continuous
To show that an action has started in past and is still continuing you use the the máa ... yâo pair. Example -
kw kinq ma# s,M sipq# minitq$ yw$(kao gin máa saam síp mi nît yâo)
- I have been eating for 30 minutes
Take another example -
kw AEpq# y,kq@ ma# l,j bnq# yw$(kao érp yāak máa laai wán yâo)
- I have been starving for days
Here, máa auxilary after the verb and yâo auxilary after the object of the verb signifies the the action was started in past but is still continuing.
7.2 Past Tense
7.2.1 Simple Past
The yâo after an intransitive verb or the object of a transitive verb without any other auxilaries denotes a past tense, implying the action was completed in the past.
rw# kinq xw@ yw$(ráo gin khāo yâo)
- We ate rice
7.2.2 Past Continuous
Adding a past adverb in present continuous sentence makes it past continuous. For example -
mEw@ ba# kw kinq xw@ yU!(mēr wáa kao gin khāo yùu)
- I was eating rice yesterday
Take another example -
mEw@ xM@ ba# kw A,nq! ppq$ yU!(mēr khām wáa kao àan pâp yùu)
- I was reading a book last night
7.2.3 Past Perfect
Adding an additional time phrase in present perfect sentence, will make it past perfect. For example -
kw dj@ kinq yw$ konq! tI@ mnq# c,j# et ma#(kao dāi kin yâo kàwn tēe mán tsáai te máa)
- I had eaten before he came
Here, the adverbial cause before he came specifies later action and turns the sentence into past perfect.
7.2.4 Past Perfect Continuous
Similarly, adding an additional adverbial clause in present perfect continuous will make it past perfect continuous
kw kinq ma# s,M sipq# minitq$ yw$ konq! tI@ mnq# c,j# et ma#(kao kin máa saam síp mi nît yâo kàwn tēe mán tsáai te máa)
- I had been eating for 30 minutes before he came
7.3 Future Tense
7.3.1 Simple Future Tense
The et (te) auxilary before verb makes the sentence into the future.
rw# et kinq xw@(ráo te gin khāo)
- We will eat rice
7.3.2 Future Continuous Tense
The et (te) and yU! (yùu) auxilary pair makes it future continuous
mEw@ fukq@ kw et hCtq# k,nq yU!(mēr phūk kao te hét kaan yùu)
- I will be working tomorrow
7.3.3 Future Perfect Tense
To show that an action that is expected to happen before a reference time, you would use the te dāi ... yâo auxilary pair. Example -
xw et dj@ kinq xw@ yw$ konq! tI@ rw# vE[q ma#(khao te dāi kin khāo yâo kàwn tēe ráo therng máa)
- They will have eaten before we arrive
7.3.4 Future Perfect Continuous
To show that an action that is expected to happen before a reference time, you would use the te dāi ... yâo auxilary pair. Example -
vE[q k,[q bnq# tC[q@ ma# kw et dj@ hCtq# k,nq s,M cUw@ mU[q# yw$(therng kaang wán tēng máa kao te dāi hét kaan saam tsō móng yâo)
- I will have been working for 3 hours by noon
That is all for Ahom tenses.
Thanks for reading.
PS: Audio not added now. It will be added soon