Let's see how to use tenses in Malayalam.
I'll be using the sentence "He's eating" as the example.
Please note, kazhikkunnu is the word for eating.
| Tense | Malayalam Word | English Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Present, Simple Future | Avan kazhikkum | He eats / He will eat | Avan sadya kazhikkum. (He eats lunch / will eat lunch.) |
| Present Continuous | Avan kazhikkunnu / kazhikkuvaanu | He is eating | Avan sadya kazhikkunnu. (He is eating lunch.) |
| Simple Past | Avan kazhichu | He ate | Avan sadya kazhichu. (He ate lunch.) |
| Past Continuous | Avan kazhikkuvayirunnu | He was eating | Avan sadya kazhikkuvayirunnu. (He was eating lunch.) |
| Present Perfect | Avan kazhichittundu | He has eaten | Avan sadya kazhichittundu. (He has eaten lunch.) |
| Past Perfect | Avan kazhichirunnu | He had eaten | Avan sadya kazhichirunnu. (He had eaten lunch.) |
| Future Perfect | Avan kazhichirikkum | He will have eaten | Avan sadya kazhichirikkum. (He will have eaten lunch.) |