-তা
Making a Quality Word: -তা
-তা makes a quality noun: জড় “dull” gives জড়তা “dullness”.
How It Works
The ending is borrowed from Sanskrit together with the words it builds, so most words in this group are formal.
| Describing word | With -তা |
|---|---|
| জড় “dull, lifeless” | জড়তা “dullness” |
| সফল “successful” | সফলতা “success” |
| বিফল “unsuccessful” | বিফলতা “failure” |
| দুৰ্বল “weak” | দুৰ্বলতা “weakness” |
| সৰল “simple” | সৰলতা “simplicity” |
| স্বাধীন “free” | স্বাধীনতা “freedom” |
A -তা noun takes the usual case endings. In বিফলতাই সফলতা শিকায় “failure teaches success”, the doer বিফলতা takes -ই, and সফলতা is the thing taught, with no ending.
Learn the -তা nouns you meet as ready-made words. Not every describing word takes the ending, so check a new one in the dictionary before you build it yourself.
Examples (4)
- বিফলতাই সফলতা শিকায়।
Failure teaches success.
Both nouns end in -তা, and the doer takes -ই.
- সফলতা আলস্যৰ পৰা নহয়।
Success does not come from laziness.
সফলতা is the quality noun built from সফল.
- মোৰ পিঠাৰ প্ৰতি এটা বিশেষ দুৰ্বলতা আছে।
I have a soft spot for pitha.
দুৰ্বলতা is built from দুৰ্বল “weak”.
- স্বাধীনতা বিনামূলীয়া নহয়।
Freedom is not free.
স্বাধীনতা is built from স্বাধীন “free”.
How It Connects
Learn This First
-তা turns a describing word into a quality and is common with তৎসম words, so learners need describing words and তৎসম শব্দ first.
Related Patterns
Practice -তা in Bubblegum
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