ति
Level 2
Tinanta — Verb Conjugation
How Sanskrit verbs change with person, number, and tense
- Sanskrit verbs change their form based on person (Purusha), number (Vachana), and tense.
- There are 3 persons: Prathama (3rd), Madhyama (2nd), Uttama (1st).
- Each combines with 3 numbers: Ekavachana, Dvivachana, Bahuvachana — giving 9 forms.
- Sanskrit has 10 tenses and moods (Lakaras), from present to conditional.
- The most common is Lat (present tense) — essential for reading basic Sanskrit.
- Verbs also have two voices: Parasmaipada (active) and Atmanepada (reflexive/middle).
The 10 Tenses & Moods (Lakāra)
| Lakāra | Name | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Laṭ | Present | गच्छति (gacchati)— goes |
| Liṭ | Perfect (past) | जगाम (jagāma)— went (long ago) |
| Luṭ | Periphrastic future | गन्तासि (gantāsi)— will go (you) |
| Lṛṭ | Simple future | गमिष्यति (gamiṣyati)— will go |
| Leṭ | Vedic subjunctive | Vedic only— may go |
| Loṭ | Imperative | गच्छतु (gacchatu)— let him go! |
| Laṅ | Imperfect | अगच्छत् (agacchat)— was going |
| Liṅ | Optative/Potential | गच्छेत् (gacchet)— should/may go |
| Luṅ | Aorist | अगमत् (agamat)— went |
| Lṛṅ | Conditional | अगमिष्यत् (agamiṣyat)— would have gone |
Conjugation Example
√गम् (gam) — to go — Laṭ (Present) — Parasmaipada
| Person | Singular | Dual | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prathama (3rd) | गच्छति (gacchati) | गच्छतः (gacchataḥ) | गच्छन्ति (gacchanti) |
| Madhyama (2nd) | गच्छसि (gacchasi) | गच्छथः (gacchathaḥ) | गच्छथ (gacchatha) |
| Uttama (1st) | गच्छामि (gacchāmi) | गच्छावः (gacchāvaḥ) | गच्छामः (gacchāmaḥ) |