We’re becoming quite good at translating Talossan, but so far we’re only using the present tense. Let’s work on the past tense, too.
First, let’s review by conjugating a word in the present tense.
We’ll use the word “xhempar,” which means “to jump.”
Here are the present tense endings.
| Present Tense | ||
| Singular | Plural | |
| First | -éu | -ent |
| Second | -ás | -etz |
| Third | -a | -ent |
Now, can you fill in this chart with the full present-tense conjugation for xhempar? No cheating with l’Översteir!
| Present Tense: Xhempar | ||
| Singular | Plural | |
| First | ||
| Second | ||
| Third | ||
Check your answers here.
Answer
| Present Tense: Xhempar | ||
| Singular | Plural | |
| First | xhempéu | xhempent |
| Second | xhempás | xhempetz |
| Third | xhempa | xhempent |
Did you get it?
Now, let’s give it a try with the past tense. Look at the chart, and you might notice a pattern.
| Past Tense | ||
| Singular | Plural | |
| First | -eveu | -event |
| Second | -evás | -evetz |
| Third | -eva | -event |
Did you notice that the endings are almost the same, just with the extra “ev” in there? We lost an accent mark in the first person singular, but the pattern is really clear. This makes it easy to identify the tense of a word, once you’re used to spotting that pattern!
Let’s give it a try with “xhempar.”
| Past Tense: Xhempar | ||
| Singular | Plural | |
| First | ||
| Second | ||
| Third | ||
Check your answers below!
Answer
| Past Tense: Xhempar | ||
| Singular | Plural | |
| First | xhempeveu | xhempevent |
| Second | xhempevás | xhempevetz |
| Third | xhempeva | xhempevent |
Did you get it?
And finally — you guess it! — future tense.
| Future Tense | ||
| Singular | Plural | |
| First | -arhéu | -arhent |
| Second | -arhás | -arhetz |
| Third | -arha | -arhent |
You’ve probably already noticed that the marker for future tense is “arh.” It’s really all pretty simple once you know what to look for!
Give future tense for “xhempar” a try, now.
| Future Tense: Xhempar | ||
| Singular | Plural | |
| First | ||
| Second | ||
| Third | ||
Check your answers below.
Answer
| Future Tense: Xhempar | ||
| Singular | Plural | |
| First | xhemparhéu | xhemparhent |
| Second | xhemparhás | xhemparhetz |
| Third | xhemparha | xhemparhent |
Did you get it?
Let’s practice. For each of the following, identify the person, number, and tense of the verb. Try to do as much from memory as you can before looking at the charts or L’Översteir.
1. What is the person, number, and tense of “Éu riuschleveu?”
Answer
First person singular, past tense.
And what does it mean?
Answer
I succeeded.
2. What is the person, number, and tense of “Noi failarhent?”
Answer
First person plural, future tense.
And what does it mean?
Answer
We will fail.
3. What is the person, number, and tense of “O naxharha?”
Answer
Third person singular, future tense.
And what does it mean?
Answer
He will swim.
4. What is the person, number, and tense of “As forment?”
Answer
Third person plural, present tense.
And what does it mean?
Answer
They create.
5. What is the person, number, and tense of “Tu corievás?”
Answer
Second person singular, past tense.
And what does it mean?
Answer
You ran.
6. What is the person, number, and tense of “Noi lirarhent?”
Answer
First person plural, future tense.
And what does it mean?
Answer
We will read.
7. What is the person, number, and tense of “Éu deceßeveu?”
Answer
First person singular, past tense.
And what does it mean?
Answer
I died.
8. What is the person, number, and tense of “Ça bostiola?”
Answer
Third person singular, present tense.
And what does it mean?
Answer
It bubbles.
9. What is the person, number, and tense of “Ça ardarha?”
Answer
First person singular, future tense.
And what does it mean?
Answer
It will burn.
10. What is the person, number, and tense of “Éu azvirlarhéu?”
Answer
First person singular, future tense.
And what does it mean?
Answer
I will throw away.
How did you do? Make sure you try the practice questions below… a lot of the words will look familiar, and you might be able to translate whole sentences without using any resources or L’Översteir!
FURTHER PRACTICE
The Quick Reference section on the Resources page and L’Översteir might be helpful.
1. Els dinosuors txigantéux pastürevent els beschti.
Answer
The gigantic dinosaurs grazed on the bushes.
2. Ian es Hyori coriarhent àl marcă viantic.
Answer
Ian and Hyori will run to the dirty store.
3. Tu espoçás el lapì, la becă, es la fetxà.
Answer
You draw the rabbit, the duck, and the bucket.
4. Las cratoirăs cruseis schernarhent l’agróïc.
Answer
The cruel children will mock the nerd.
5. L’agróïc adretz earnarha la salairă grült.
Answer
The clever nerd will earn the big salary.
Write three more sentences of your own about this topic: you try to cook dinner… but it doesn’t work out right!
