Paali Primer

Lesson 1

1. Vocabulary

Masculine nouns ending in -a

• Buddha / Tathaagata / Sugata - the Buddha
• manussa - man, human being
• nara / purisa - man, person
• kassaka - farmer
• braahma.na - brahmin
• putta - son
• maatula - uncle
• kumaara - boy
• vaa.nija - merchant
• bhuupaala - king
• sahaaya / sahaayaka / mitta - friend

Verbs

• bhaasati - speaks
• pacati - cooks
• kasati - ploughs
• bhu~njati - eats
• sayati - sleeps
• passati - sees
• chindati - cuts
• gacchati - goes
• aagacchati - comes
• dhaavati - runs

2. Declension of masculine nouns ending in -a

Nominative case: The case ending -o is added to the nominal base to form the nominative case singular number. The case ending -aa is added to the nominal base to form the nominative case plural number. A noun thus inflected is used as the subject of a sentence.

Singular

1. nara + o = naro
2. maatula + o = maatulo
3. kassaka + o = kassako

Plural

1. nara + aa = naraa
2. maatula + aa = maatulaa
3. kassaka + aa = kassakaa

3. Conjugation of verbs

In the verbs listed above bhaasa, paca, kasa etc. are verbal bases and -ti is the present tense, third person, singular termination.

The present tense, third person, plural is formed by adding the termination -nti to the base.

Singular

1. bhaasati - He speaks
2. pacati - He cooks
3. kasati - He ploughs

Plural

1. bhaasanti - They speak
2. pacanti - They cook
3. kasanti - They plough

4. Examples in sentence formation

Singular

1. Naro bhaasati - The man speaks.
2. Maatulo pacati - The uncle cooks.
3. Kassako kasati - The farmer ploughs.

Plural

1. Naraa bhaasanti - Men speak.
2. Maatulaa pacanti - Uncles cook.
3. Kassakaa kasanti - Farmers plough.

Exercise 1