Bengali verbs form the backbone of the language's grammar, and they are also where English speakers first encounter genuine novelty. Bengali verbs agree with their subjects in person and in honorific level, producing a grid of forms far larger than the simple English system of base, s-form, past, and past participle. A single Bengali verb like করা korA (to do) has over 40 core inflected forms in everyday use once tense, aspect, and honorific level are multiplied out. The good news is that this complexity is highly regular. Master the patterns for one verb, and you essentially know the endings for thousands of others.
This reference presents the complete tense-aspect system of modern standard Bengali (cholit bhasha), with full conjugation tables for each tense, systematic treatment of the honorific-level variations, coverage of the handful of common irregular verbs, and practical guidance on when each tense is used. Examples throughout show Bengali script, a standardized transliteration, and English glosses, with emphasis on sentence patterns that appear in everyday speech and writing.
Bengali verb endings pattern with three grammatical persons (first, second, third) and three honorific levels for second and third persons. The combination produces seven distinct ending slots in most tenses. Add the six tense-aspect combinations (present simple, present continuous, present perfect, past simple, past continuous, past perfect, future simple) and you have the complete conjugation space for any verb.
The Verb Root and Basic Principles
Every Bengali verb has a root, typically one or two syllables, to which tense and person endings attach. The dictionary form is the verbal noun, formed by adding -a (or -oa/wa for vowel-ending roots) to the root:
| Root | Verbal Noun | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| কর kôr | করা korA | to do |
| যা ja | যাওয়া jaoa | to go |
| খা kha | খাওয়া khaoa | to eat |
| বল bôl | বলা bôlA | to say |
| দে de | দেওয়া deoa | to give |
| নে ne | নেওয়া neoa | to take |
| হ hô | হওয়া hôOa | to be |
| আছ achh | থাকা thaka (suppletive) | to be, exist |
| শুন shun | শোনা shona | to hear |
| পড় pôr | পড়া pôrA | to read, fall |
| দেখ dekh | দেখা dekha | to see |
The root itself does not indicate tense or person. Inflectional endings attached to the root or a modified stem carry that information. Bengali is agglutinative in its verb morphology: the form for "I am doing" transparently consists of the root plus a continuous marker plus a first-person ending: kôr + chhi = korchhi.
The Seven Person-Number-Honorific Slots
Bengali verb endings distinguish the following subjects:
| Subject | Pronoun | Honorific Level |
|---|---|---|
| I | আমি ami | (no level distinction) |
| We | আমরা amra | (no level distinction) |
| You (intimate) | তুই tui | low, inferior or very close |
| You (familiar) | তুমি tumi | equal or younger |
| You (respectful) | আপনি apni | elder or superior |
| He or she (familiar) | সে shê | equal or younger |
| He or she (respectful) | তিনি tini / উনি uni | elder or superior |
First-person singular and plural share a common ending in most tenses. Second-person and third-person subjects each split into three levels, but the endings for third-person often parallel those for the corresponding second-person level. The net result is typically five to seven distinct endings per tense.
Present Simple Tense
The present simple expresses habitual action, general truths, and present states. It is formed by attaching personal endings to the root.
| Subject | Ending | Example with kôr (do) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ami | -i | করি kori | I do |
| tui | -ish | করিস kôrish | you (intimate) do |
| tumi | -ô | করো kôro | you (familiar) do |
| apni | -en | করেন kôren | you (respectful) do |
| shê | -e | করে kôre | he or she does |
| tini | -en | করেন kôren | he or she (resp) does |
| amra | -i | করি kori | we do |
| tara | -e | করে kôre | they do |
Example sentences:
আমি প্রতিদিন বাংলা পড়ি। Ami protidin bangla pori. I read Bengali every day.
তুমি কী খাও? Tumi ki khao? What do you eat?
সে চা খায় না। Shê cha khay na. He or she does not drink tea.
আপনি কোথায় থাকেন? Apni kothay thaken? Where do you live?
Present Continuous Tense
The present continuous expresses ongoing action at the moment of speaking. It is formed with the continuous marker -chh- plus personal endings.
| Subject | Ending | Example with kôr | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ami | -chhi | করছি korchhi | I am doing |
| tui | -chhish | করছিস kôrchhish | you (int) are doing |
| tumi | -chhô | করছ kôrchho | you (fam) are doing |
| apni | -chhen | করছেন kôrchhen | you (resp) are doing |
| shê | -chhe | করছে kôrchhe | he or she is doing |
| tini | -chhen | করছেন kôrchhen | he or she (resp) is doing |
| amra | -chhi | করছি korchhi | we are doing |
| tara | -chhe | করছে kôrchhe | they are doing |
Example sentences:
আমি এখন বই পড়ছি। Ami êkhon boi porchhi. I am reading a book now.
সে গান গাইছে। Shê gan gaichhe. He or she is singing.
তারা বাজারে যাচ্ছে। Tara bajare jachhe. They are going to the market.
আপনি কী করছেন? Apni ki korchhen? What are you doing?
Past Simple Tense
The past simple expresses completed action in the past. It uses the suffix -l- plus personal endings.
| Subject | Ending | Example with kôr | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ami | -lam | করলাম kôrlam | I did |
| tui | -li | করলি kôrli | you (int) did |
| tumi | -le | করলে kôrle | you (fam) did |
| apni | -len | করলেন kôrlen | you (resp) did |
| shê | -lo | করল kôrlo | he or she did |
| tini | -len | করলেন kôrlen | he or she (resp) did |
| amra | -lam | করলাম kôrlam | we did |
| tara | -lo | করল kôrlo | they did |
Example sentences:
আমি কাল কলকাতা গেলাম। Ami kal kôlkata gelam. I went to Kolkata yesterday.
তুমি কি সিনেমা দেখলে? Tumi ki cinema dekhle? Did you watch the movie?
সে অনেক বই কিনল। Shê ônek boi kinlo. He or she bought many books.
Past Continuous Tense
The past continuous expresses ongoing past action. It uses -chhil- plus personal endings.
| Subject | Ending | Example with kôr | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ami | -chhilam | করছিলাম korchhilam | I was doing |
| tui | -chhili | করছিলি kôrchhili | you (int) were doing |
| tumi | -chhile | করছিলে kôrchhile | you (fam) were doing |
| apni | -chhilen | করছিলেন kôrchhilen | you (resp) were doing |
| shê | -chhilo | করছিল kôrchhilo | he or she was doing |
| tini | -chhilen | করছিলেন kôrchhilen | he or she (resp) was doing |
| amra | -chhilam | করছিলাম korchhilam | we were doing |
| tara | -chhilo | করছিল kôrchhilo | they were doing |
Example:
আমি যখন এলাম, সে ঘুমাচ্ছিল। Ami jôkhon elam, shê ghumachchhilo. When I arrived, he or she was sleeping.
Present Perfect Tense
The present perfect expresses recently completed action with ongoing relevance. It uses -e suffix plus personal endings of achh (to be).
| Subject | Ending | Example with kôr | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ami | -echhi | করেছি korechhi | I have done |
| tui | -echhish | করেছিস kôrechhish | you (int) have done |
| tumi | -echhô | করেছ kôrechho | you (fam) have done |
| apni | -echhen | করেছেন kôrechhen | you (resp) have done |
| shê | -echhe | করেছে kôrechhe | he or she has done |
| tini | -echhen | করেছেন kôrechhen | he or she (resp) has done |
| amra | -echhi | করেছি korechhi | we have done |
| tara | -echhe | করেছে kôrechhe | they have done |
Example:
আমি ভাত খেয়েছি। Ami bhat kheyechhi. I have eaten rice.
তুমি কি চিঠি পেয়েছ? Tumi ki chithi peyechho? Have you received the letter?
Past Perfect Tense
The past perfect expresses action completed before another past action. It uses -echhil- plus personal endings.
| Subject | Example with kôr | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ami | করেছিলাম korechhilam | I had done |
| tumi | করেছিলে kôrechhile | you (fam) had done |
| apni | করেছিলেন kôrechhilen | you (resp) had done |
| shê | করেছিল kôrechhilo | he or she had done |
| tini | করেছিলেন kôrechhilen | he or she (resp) had done |
Example:
ট্রেন আসার আগে আমি স্টেশনে পৌঁছেছিলাম। Tren ashar age ami steshone pouchhechhilam. I had arrived at the station before the train came.
Future Simple Tense
The future tense expresses actions that will happen. It uses -b- plus personal endings.
| Subject | Ending | Example with kôr | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ami | -bo | করব korbo | I will do |
| tui | -bi | করবি korbi | you (int) will do |
| tumi | -be | করবে kôrbe | you (fam) will do |
| apni | -ben | করবেন kôrben | you (resp) will do |
| shê | -be | করবে kôrbe | he or she will do |
| tini | -ben | করবেন kôrben | he or she (resp) will do |
| amra | -bo | করব korbo | we will do |
| tara | -be | করবে kôrbe | they will do |
Example:
আমি কাল বাড়ি যাব। Ami kal bari jabo. I will go home tomorrow.
তারা আগামী সপ্তাহে আসবে। Tara agami shôptahe ashbe. They will come next week.
আপনি কি চা খাবেন? Apni ki cha khaben? Will you have tea?
Conditional and Other Moods
The conditional mood expresses hypothetical or polite requests. It uses -t- plus personal endings, often with যদি jôdi (if).
| Subject | Example with kôr | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ami | করতাম kôrtam | I would do |
| tumi | করতে kôrte | you (fam) would do |
| apni | করতেন kôrten | you (resp) would do |
| shê | করত kôrto | he or she would do |
Example:
যদি সময় থাকত, আমি যেতাম। Jôdi shômôy thakto, ami jetam. If there were time, I would go.
আপনি যদি বলতেন, আমি করতাম। Apni jôdi bôlten, ami kôrtam. If you had said, I would have done it.
The imperative uses forms addressed to the three second-person levels:
| Subject | Example with kôr | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tui | কর kôr | do (intimate command) |
| tumi | করো kôro | do (familiar) |
| apni | করুন korun | do (respectful) |
Example:
এখানে বোসো। Êkhane boshô. Sit here. (familiar)
দয়া করে অপেক্ষা করুন। Dôya kôre ôpekkha korun. Please wait. (respectful)
Irregular Verbs
Bengali has a small set of verbs with irregular forms that must be memorized.
যাওয়া jaoa (to go)
| Tense | ami | tumi | shê |
|---|---|---|---|
| present | যাই jai | যাও jaô | যায় jay |
| present cont | যাচ্ছি jachchhi | যাচ্ছ jachho | যাচ্ছে jachhe |
| past simple | গেলাম gelam | গেলে gele | গেল gelo |
| past cont | যাচ্ছিলাম jachhilam | যাচ্ছিলে jachhile | যাচ্ছিল jachhilo |
| present perfect | গিয়েছি giyechhi | গিয়েছ giyechho | গিয়েছে giyechhe |
| future | যাব jabo | যাবে jabe | যাবে jabe |
Note the suppletive past stem gel- replacing the expected jal-.
দেওয়া deoa (to give) and নেওয়া neoa (to take)
| Tense | de: ami | de: shê | ne: ami | ne: shê |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| present | দিই dii | দেয় dêy | নিই nii | নেয় nêy |
| past | দিলাম dilam | দিল dilo | নিলাম nilam | নিল nilo |
| perfect | দিয়েছি diyechhi | দিয়েছে diyechhe | নিয়েছি niyechhi | নিয়েছে niyechhe |
| future | দেব debo | দেবে debe | নেব nebo | নেবে nebe |
The Copula: আছ achh and হওয়া hôOa
Bengali has two copulas: achh (to be, exist, be located) and hôOa (to be, become). Achh is used only in present and past tenses; hôOa handles future and all non-existential uses.
| Subject | achh present | achh past | hôOa future |
|---|---|---|---|
| ami | আছি achhi | ছিলাম chhilam | হব hôbo |
| tumi | আছ achho | ছিলে chhile | হবে hôbe |
| apni | আছেন achhen | ছিলেন chhilen | হবেন hôben |
| shê | আছে achhe | ছিল chhilo | হবে hôbe |
Example:
আমি বাড়িতে আছি। Ami barite achhi. I am at home. (location)
সে ছাত্র। Shê chhatro. He or she is a student. (no copula in present third-person nominal)
Note that nominal predicates in the present third person have no copula at all. "He is a student" is simply "He student" (শে ছাত্র).
Negation
Bengali negates present tense verbs with নাই or না placed after the verb, though for existential achh there is a suppletive negative নেই nei.
| Positive | Negative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| আমি করি ami kori | আমি করি না ami kori na | I do not do |
| সে আছে shê achhe | সে নেই shê nei | he or she is not here |
| তুমি যাবে tumi jabe | তুমি যাবে না tumi jabe na | you will not go |
| আমি করেছি ami korechhi | আমি করিনি ami kôrini | I have not done |
The past perfect and present perfect use a special negative form with -ni attached directly to the root: korini (I have not done), jaini (I have not gone).
Example Sentences Across Tenses
আমি বই পড়ি। Ami boi pori. I read books. (present simple, habit)
আমি এখন বই পড়ছি। Ami êkhon boi porchhi. I am reading a book now. (present continuous)
আমি গতকাল বই পড়লাম। Ami gôtokal boi pôrlam. I read a book yesterday. (past simple)
আমি যখন এলাম, সে পড়ছিল। Ami jôkhon elam, shê porchhilo. When I arrived, he or she was reading. (past continuous)
আমি ইতিমধ্যে বই পড়েছি। Ami itimôdhye boi porechhi. I have already read the book. (present perfect)
আমি কাল বই পড়ব। Ami kal boi porbo. I will read a book tomorrow. (future)
যদি সময় থাকত, আমি পড়তাম। Jôdi shômoy thakto, ami pôrtam. If I had time, I would read. (conditional)
Common Mistakes English Speakers Make
Using the same verb ending regardless of who the subject is. English verbs barely inflect; Bengali verbs inflect heavily. Beginners often produce ami kôre (I is doing) using a single form for all subjects. The remedy is to drill the person endings as fixed paradigms until they become automatic.
Applying English tense logic to Bengali. The Bengali present perfect covers a wider range than English: both "I have done it" and often "I just did it." The simple past covers both "I did it" and "I had done it" in less formal contexts. Trying to map one-to-one produces stilted or incorrect Bengali.
Forgetting the honorific agreement. Saying apni kôrchho instead of apni kôrchhen mixes a respectful pronoun with a familiar verb ending. This sounds rude, not just grammatically off. The pronoun and verb must agree in honorific level.
Using achh and hôOa interchangeably. Achh expresses location and existence (there is, there are, to be located). HôOa expresses identity, transformation, and future being. Saying "I am a teacher" with achh (ami shikkhok achhi) is incorrect; it should be ami shikkhok (present, no copula) or the verb is simply omitted.
Inserting a copula in the third-person present. "He is happy" in English has "is." In Bengali, "shê shukhi" has no verb. Learners who insert shê shukhi achhe are using achh where no copula belongs. Achh is location-only in the present.
Forgetting that the negative of the perfect is a different form. To say "I have not done it," learners often produce ami kôrechhi na by analogy with kori na. The correct form is ami kôrini with the special negative suffix.
Treating the future -bo ending as universal. The ending patterns with honorifics just like other tenses: ami korbo but apni korben. Applying the first-person ending to every subject is a frequent early error.
Quick Reference
Bengali verbs inflect for tense, aspect, person, and honorific level. The three honorific levels for second and third persons (tui, tumi, apni; shê, tini) each have distinct verb endings. The core tenses are present simple, present continuous, present perfect, past simple, past continuous, past perfect, future, and conditional. Formation is by attaching fixed endings to the verb root, with predictable tense markers (-chh- for continuous, -l- for past, -b- for future, -t- for conditional). Irregular verbs include ja (go), de (give), ne (take), and the copulas achh (to be, exist) and hôOa (to be, become). Nominal predicates in the third-person present have no copula. Negation uses na after the verb or -ni inside perfect forms.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many tenses does Bengali have?
Bengali distinguishes four basic tenses (present, past, future, and a distinct present perfect) combined with three aspects (simple, continuous, perfect) to produce about 12 commonly used tense-aspect combinations. The conditional mood adds additional forms used for hypotheticals and polite requests.
Does the verb change based on who I am speaking to?
Yes. Bengali verbs agree not only with the subject but also with the honorific level appropriate to that subject. There are distinct endings for intimate (tui), familiar (tumi), and respectful (apni) second-person subjects, and a parallel three-way split for third-person subjects.
What is the root or stem of a Bengali verb?
The root is the bare verb form, typically one or two syllables, from which all conjugated forms are derived. Examples include kôr (do), ja (go), kha (eat), bôl (say), and de (give). The infinitive or dictionary form adds -a (korA, jaOa), and conjugations attach personal endings directly to a slightly modified stem.
Are there many irregular verbs in Bengali?
Bengali has relatively few irregular verbs compared to Romance languages or German. The most common irregulars are ja (go), de (give), ne (take), and the copula achh (be, exist). Once these are memorized, the remaining verbs follow predictable patterns.
What is the difference between korchhe and korche?
They are the same form written with slightly different transliterations. করছে is the third-person familiar present continuous of korA (to do), meaning "he or she is doing." Some transliteration systems write the double chh with double h, others with single h.
How do I form questions with verbs?
Yes-no questions use the same verb form as statements, with rising intonation or the particle ki. Wh-questions use a question word (ki what, ke who, kothay where, kobe when) and the appropriate verb tense. Verb form itself does not change between statement and question.
Does Bengali have a passive voice?
Yes, but it is used far less than in English. Bengali prefers active constructions, and many English passives are expressed with impersonal active verbs or with the verb hôOa (to become) plus a participle. True passive forms exist but sound formal or literary in most contexts.
See Also
- Bengali Script and Alphabet Complete Guide
- Bengali Honorifics Three Levels Reference
- Bengali Pronouns Three Levels and Demonstratives Reference
- Bengali Pronunciation and Phonology Reference
- Verb Tense Systems Compared Across Languages
- Japanese Keigo Honorific Language Reference
- Language Difficulty for English Speakers Reference
- Bengali Postpositions Not Prepositions Reference
Author: Kalenux Team
Frequently Asked Questions
How many tenses does Bengali have?
Bengali distinguishes four basic tenses (present, past, future, and a distinct present perfect) combined with three aspects (simple, continuous, perfect) to produce about 12 commonly used tense-aspect combinations. The conditional mood adds additional forms used for hypotheticals and polite requests.
Does the verb change based on who I am speaking to?
Yes. Bengali verbs agree not only with the subject but also with the honorific level appropriate to that subject. There are distinct endings for intimate (তুই tui), familiar (তুমি tumi), and respectful (আপনি apni) second-person subjects, and a parallel three-way split for third-person subjects.
What is the root or stem of a Bengali verb?
The root is the bare verb form, typically one or two syllables, from which all conjugated forms are derived. Examples include kôr (do), ja (go), kha (eat), bôl (say), and de (give). The infinitive or dictionary form adds -a (korA, jaOa), and conjugations attach personal endings directly to a slightly modified stem.
Are there many irregular verbs in Bengali?
Bengali has relatively few irregular verbs compared to Romance languages or German. The most common irregulars are ja (go), de (give), ne (take), and the copula ach (be, exist). Once these are memorized, the remaining verbs follow predictable patterns.
What is the difference between korchhe and korche?
They are the same form written with slightly different transliterations. করছে is the third-person familiar present continuous of korA (to do), meaning 'he or she is doing.' Some transliteration systems write the double chh (অ্যাসপিরেট + hô combination) with double h, others with single h.
How do I form questions with verbs?
Yes-no questions use the same verb form as statements, with rising intonation or the particle কি ki. Wh-questions use a question word (ki what, ke who, kothay where, kobe when) and the appropriate verb tense. Verb form itself does not change between statement and question.
Does Bengali have a passive voice?
Yes, but it is used far less than in English. Bengali prefers active constructions, and many English passives are expressed with impersonal active verbs or with the verb হওয়া (to become) plus a participle. True passive forms exist but sound formal or literary in most contexts.
