Learning Pashto, an Indo-Iranian language spoken in Afghanistan and Pakistan, involves understanding its complex verb system. Pashto verbs are characterized by their conjugation patterns, reflecting tense, mood, aspect, voice, person, and number. This guide will provide a comprehensive overview of Pashto verbs and their grammatical rules, including transliteration for pronunciation help.

Introduction to the Pashto Verb System

The Pashto verb system is marked by its richness and complexity, with verbs typically inflected for three tenses (past, present, future), two moods (indicative, subjunctive), two voices (active, passive), and two numbers (singular, plural). A distinctive feature of Pashto is the use of auxiliary verbs to form various tenses and moods.

Verb Conjugation Overview

Present Tense

The present tense in Pashto is used to describe current actions or habitual states. It often involves the use of the present tense form of the verb without additional markers for the first and second persons but may include specific suffixes for the third person.

• Example with “خوراک” (khwaṛāk – to eat):
  • زه خورم (za khwṛam) – I eat
  • ته خورې (ta khwṛe) – You eat
  • هغه خوري (hagha khwṛi) – He/She eats

Past Tense

The past tense is indicated by specific suffixes added to the verb stem or by the use of auxiliary verbs. Pashto distinguishes between the simple past and the past perfect.

• Example: زه وخوړل (za wokhwaṛl) – I ate (simple past)

Future Tense

The future tense in Pashto is formed by adding specific markers to the verb stem or by using the auxiliary verb “به” (ba) followed by the present tense form of the main verb.

• Example: زه به خورم (za ba khwṛam) – I will eat

Negative Form

To form the negative in Pashto, “نه” (na) is placed before the verb for the present and future tenses, and “نه و” (na wo) for the past tense.

• Example: زه نه خورم (za na khwṛam) – I do not eat

Imperative Mood

The imperative mood, used for commands or requests, is formed by using the verb stem for the second person singular, with specific forms for the plural.

• Example: خوره! (khwṛa!) – Eat! (singular)

Mood

Subjunctive Mood

The subjunctive mood, expressing wishes, potential, or hypothetical actions, is marked by specific conjugations or by the use of auxiliary verbs.

• Example: که زه خورم (ka za khwṛam) – If I eat

Aspect

Aspect in Pashto, which indicates the nature of the action (completed vs. ongoing), is expressed through verb conjugation or the use of auxiliary verbs.

• Perfective Aspect: Indicated by the simple past tense for completed actions.
• Imperfective Aspect: Expressed by the present tense or by auxiliary verbs to denote ongoing actions.

Voice: Active and Passive

Voice in Pashto changes the form of the verb to indicate whether the subject performs or receives the action. The passive voice often involves the use of the auxiliary verb “کېدل” (kaydal) or specific passive constructions.

• Active Voice Example: زه کتاب لولم (za kitāb lowlam) – I read the book
• Passive Voice Example: کتاب لوستل کېږي (kitāb lostal kayḍi) – The book is read

Practice Exercises

1. Conjugate in Present Tense: Use “لیکل” (lēkal – to write) to form sentences in the present tense for all persons.
2. Form Negative Sentences: Create negative sentences using “راتلل” (rātall – to come) in the past tense.
3. Imperative Mood Practice: Provide imperative forms for “ویل” (wail – to say).
4. Subjunctive Mood Usage: Form a sentence in the subjunctive mood using “موندل” (mōndal – to find).

Conclusion

Understanding Pashto verbs involves mastering their conjugation patterns, tense usage, mood expression, aspect, and voice. Regular practice, along with active engagement in listening, speaking, reading, and writing exercises, will significantly enhance your proficiency in Pashto. The complexity of the Pashto verb system allows for precise expression of action, mood, and aspect, making it a key component of effective communication in this linguistically rich language.