তুমি / আপুনি
Two Ways to Say You
তুমি কেনে আছা? and আপুনি কেনে আছে? both mean “how are you?”, to different people.
How It Works
When you are unsure, choose আপুনি. It is the safe choice with a shopkeeper, a teacher, an elder or a stranger.
| Word | Use with | Verb ending | “Be” |
|---|---|---|---|
| তুমি | friends, family, younger people | -া | আছা |
| আপুনি | elders, teachers, people you do not know well | -ে | আছে |
The relationship decides which word fits, not the age of the speaker alone. Two classmates use তুমি. A customer and a shopkeeper use আপুনি.
There is a third word, তই, for a very close friend, a child or a younger family member. It sounds rude to an elder or a stranger, so learners wait before using it.
Examples (5)
- তুমি কেনে আছা?
How are you? (to a friend)
তুমি goes with the ending -া.
- আপুনি কেনে আছে?
How are you? (respectful)
আপুনি goes with the ending -ে.
- তুমি ক’ত আছা?
Where are you? (to a friend)
Same verb আছা after তুমি.
- আপুনি ক’ত আছে?
Where are you? (respectful)
Same verb আছে after আপুনি.
- তুমি ভাত খোৱা।
You eat rice. (to a friend)
খোৱা is the তুমি form of খা.
Common Mistakes
Using the তুমি ending with আপুনি.
আপুনি কেনে আছা?আপুনি কেনে আছে?আপুনি takes the ending -ে. The ending -া belongs to তুমি.
How It Connects
Learn This First
তুমি and আপুনি are doers at the start of a sentence too, so the word order comes first.
Related Patterns
- মই / আমিI and We
These are the words for “I” and “we”.
Level 1 - তেওঁ / তেখেতRespectful He or She
These respectful words for “he” or “she” take the same ending as আপুনি.
Level 1 - আছোঁ / আছা / আছেBeing Somewhere or Somehow
That row gives all the forms of the verb in the examples.
Level 1 - কেনে আছাHow Are You
This is the greeting that uses both forms.
Level 1 - তই / তোৰ / তোকThe Very Close You: তই
The very close word for “you” comes at a later level.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice তুমি / আপুনি in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Assamese lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
