Sinhala Grammar Exercises

Sinhala Grammar Topics

Learning a new language can be a challenging yet rewarding endeavor. Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in Sri Lanka, is no exception. With its unique features and structures, learning Sinhala requires a systematic approach to understanding its grammar. This guide outlines the key areas of Sinhala grammar in a logical sequence for language learning, starting from the basics such as nouns and articles, and progressing to more complex areas like tenses and sentence construction.

1. Nouns:

Begin your Sinhala language journey by learning the nouns. This includes understanding the different categories of nouns, such as common and proper nouns as well as their plural forms and how number and definiteness are expressed in context.

2. Articles:

Sinhala does not use definite or indefinite articles in the same way as English. Indefiniteness with count nouns is often shown by a suffix like -ek or -ak, while definiteness is usually indicated by context and particles such as the specific object marker -wa.

3. Adjectives:

Adjectives in Sinhala usually come before the nouns they modify. They generally do not change for number or gender. Learn how to form comparatives with wada meaning more and common ways to express the superlative, often with tama and emphasis markers.

4. Pronouns/Determiners:

Pronouns and determiners are essential in Sinhala; they reflect person, number, and levels of politeness or honorifics. Possession is commonly shown with the genitive marker -ge. Demonstratives such as this and that and quantifiers help specify reference and quantity.

5. Verbs:

Sinhala verbs change form according to tense, polarity, and sometimes politeness, rather than person or number. Start with the present forms used in everyday speech, then explore past and future, as well as imperatives and negatives.

6. Tenses:

After mastering the verb forms, delve deeper into Sinhala tenses. Focus on present, past, and future, and learn how perfect meanings are built with auxiliaries like tiyenawa have and inna be in colloquial usage.

7. Tense Comparison:

Comparing tenses in Sinhala helps in understanding the sequence and aspect of events. Using the same verb across present, past, future, and perfect-like constructions will clarify how Sinhala expresses time and completion.

8. Progressive:

The progressive in Sinhala expresses ongoing actions. It is commonly formed with the -min participle plus the verb inna to be, and in everyday speech the present form with -nawa often conveys an ongoing meaning as well.

9. Perfect Progressive:

This is used to express actions that have been ongoing up to a particular point. Sinhala often conveys this with combinations like the past participle + inna for a continuing result or past participle + tiyenawa to show a continuing state up to now, depending on context.

10. Conditionals:

Conditionals express hypothetical situations and their possible outcomes. Sinhala uses particles such as nam or nang and conditional verb patterns to mark real, hypothetical, and counterfactual conditions.

11. Adverbs:

Adverbs in Sinhala modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Many are formed with the instrumental marker -in to indicate manner, and there are dedicated words for time, place, degree, and frequency.

12. Prepositions:

Sinhala primarily uses postpositions and case particles rather than prepositions. Relationships of time, place, direction, and other links are expressed with markers such as -ṭa dative, -ge genitive, -in instrumental, and locative forms.

13. Sentences:

Finally, practice constructing sentences. Sinhala typically follows a subject object verb word order and relies on particles for questions and emphasis. This will involve using all the previously learned grammar points in context, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the Sinhala language.