The -ब Dictionary Form

FoundationsSounds Like ba vālā rūpa

Awadhi lists verbs with -ब at the end: जाब, करब, खाब.

How It Works

When you look up a verb, you find it with -ब.

Dictionary formMeaningStem
जाबto goजा
खाबto eatखा
करबto doकर
पढ़बto readपढ़
देखबto seeदेख

Take away -ब and add what you need. With -त you say what is happening: करत अहै (he is doing). With -एन you say what you did: देखेन. करब is irregular here: किहेन.

Notice that हम जाब looks exactly like the dictionary form. That is not an accident. For हम, the future ends in -ब, so जाब means to go and I will go. Context tells you which one is meant.

A few verbs change their stem. आउब (to come) shows आव in आवत, and जाब has an odd past, गवा. You will meet each one as you go.

Examples (5)

  1. जाब

    To go; also I will go.

    जा is the stem, with -ब added.

  2. हम काल्हि जाब।

    I will go tomorrow.

    The future for हम ends in -ब.

  3. करत अहै

    Is doing.

    Take the stem कर from करब and add -त.

  4. खाब

    To eat.

    खा is the stem.

  5. हम रोटी खाब।

    I will eat roti.

    खाब here is the future for हम.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

The -ब Dictionary FormFoundations

Learn This First

The dictionary form is a stem plus -ब, so you need to read the final letter to find the stem.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.