Verb Endings Show Who

FoundationsSounds Like kriyā kē anta sē kartā

A Bhojpuri verb ending shows who is acting, often their gender and their respect level.

How It Works

The verb ending tells you who does the action. That is why the pronoun is often dropped in speech.

DoerHabit with जाMeaning
हमजाइलेI go
तू (man)जालऽyou go
तू (woman)जालूyou go
ऊ (man, thing)जालाhe goes
ऊ (woman)जालीshe goes
ऊ (respected man), ऊ लोगजालेंthey go

The same pattern works in the past (गइलऽ, गइलू, गइल, गइली, गइलें) and in the progressive (बाड़ऽ, बाड़ू, बा, बाड़ी, बाड़ें).

So पियेलू can only be said to a woman, and पियेलऽ to a man. Listen to the last syllable first.

Examples (5)

  1. नेहा, तू चाय पियेलू?

    Neha, do you drink tea?

    -लू shows the person spoken to is a woman.

  2. अमित, तू चाय पियेलऽ?

    Amit, do you drink tea?

    -लऽ is for a man.

  3. हम रोज भोजपुरी पढ़ीले।

    I read Bhojpuri every day.

    -ीले goes with हम.

  4. माई रोज सबेरे उठेली।

    Mother gets up early every day.

    -ली shows a woman.

  5. बाबूजी अखबार पढ़ेलें।

    Father reads the newspaper.

    -लें shows a respected man.

Common Mistakes

  • Using -ला for every person.

    सुनीता रोज स्कूल जाला।
    सुनीता रोज स्कूल जाली।

    A woman takes -ली, not -ला.

How It Connects

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

Verb Endings Show WhoFoundations

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

पिअल