Your Sindarin Textbook
Chapter Six, Lesson One: Present and Future Verb Conjugation

Chapter Six | Lesson One | Lesson Two | Lesson Three | Lesson Four | Lesson Five
Introduction
Part I
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
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We've been having fun, now it's time to hit the books.

The easy way out: Suggested Conjugation of Sindarin Verbs by Helge Fauskanger. But if you want to actually learn how to conjugate verbs, continue on with this lesson.

In Sindarin, there are two main types of verbs. A-verbs (verbs whose roots end with A) and I-verbs (verbs whose roots end with consonants.) We will learn present, future, and past tense conjugations.

When Sindarin verbs are listed, they are listed by their verb-roots, not as infinitives.
For example:
Amputate - Osgar-
Flap - Blab-
Hew - Drava-
Lick - Laf-
See - Tíra-
Sing - Linna-
Slay - Dag-

Pronoun Verb Suffixes

Remember in the lesson about pronouns? It said that nominative pronouns are almost never used, that they are suffixed onto the ends of the verbs? Here are the suffixes.

Verb SuffixesSingularPlural
First person-(o)n-m
Formal second person-l-l
Informal second person-ch-ch
Third person-none--r

Present Tense

In Sindarin, the present tense covers both the active present tense and the passive present tense. Thus, "I touch," and "I am touching" are translated the same way. The third person Singular is the only conjugation that might need a nominative pronoun to note that a person, not a thing, is doing the action.

Present tense for A-verbs is pretty straightforward. You just add the suffix onto the verb-root.
For example:
We see - Tíram
You see - Tíral
You see - Tírach
He or she sees - E tíra
It sees - Tíra
They see - Tírar

The first person singular conjugation is special for A-verbs. The A is replaced with an O.
For example: I see - Tíron

Present tense for I-verbs is a little more difficult. Treat the vowels in the root of the I-verb as though they are the non-final syllables in a plural, and add an I on the end. Then, add the pronoun suffix.
For example:
I slay - Degin
We slay - Degim
You slay - Degil
You slay - Degich
They slay - Degir

If the root ends with an F, then the F becomes a V.
Example: I lick - Levin

The third person singular is different. If the root of the I-verb is one syllable long, add a circumflex accent to the vowel. If it is more than one syllable long, none of the vowels are lengthened.
For example:
He or she licks - E lâf
It licks - Lâf
He or she amputates - E osgar
It amputates - Osgar

Future Tense

In English, there are two ways of making the future tense. "I will laugh," and "I'm going to laugh." They are translated the same way in Sindarin.

The future tense is the same for both A-verbs and I-verbs. Simply put the verb in its present tense form, then add -tha and the pronoun suffix.
For example:
We will sing - Linnatham
You will sing - Linnathal
You will sing - Linnathach
He or she will sing - E linnatha
It will sing - Linnatha
They will sing - Linnathar
We will flap - Blebitham
You will flap - Blebithal
You will flap - Blebithach
He or she will flap - E blebitha
It will flap - Blebitha
They will flap - Blebithar

The first person singular is different for this tense. You suffix -thon onto the verb instead of -tha.
For example:
I will sing - Linnathon
I will flap - Blebithon

The Imperative Tense

In English, the imperative tense is made by taking the word "you" out of the subject of the sentence. In Sindarin, the verbs have a special conjugation just for ordering others around.

The Imperative Tense for A-verbs is very easy. Take the A off of the root and add an O in its place.
For example: Hew the log! - Dravo i 'olf!

It's very easy for I-verbs as well. Take the verb root and suffix an O onto it.
For example: Lick the cake! - Lavo i gram!

For a gentler imperative, equal to "let's/let us" in English, conjugate the verb in the first person plural present tense.
For example: Let's look. - Tíram.

Homework

Symbols that you may need:
áéíóúý
ÁÉÍÓÚÝ
âêîôûŷ
ÂÊÎÔÛŶ

Wordbank

Verb roots:
Trevad- traverse
Tamma- knock
Haf- sit
Tortha- control

Nouns:
Taes- nail
Taeg- boundary
Ardhon- world

Adjectives:
Taen- slender
Taer- straight

Conjugate all of the verbs in the word bank into the present tense.

Trevad - trevedin / trevedim / trevedich / trevedil / trevad / trevedir
Tamma - tammon / tammam / tammach / tammal / tamma / tammar
Haf - hevin / hevim / hevich / hevil / hâf / hevir
Tortha - torthon / tortham / torthach / torthal / tortha / torthar

Conjugate all of the verbs in the word bank into the future tense.

Trevad - trevedithon / treveditham / trevedithach / trevedithal / treveditha / trevedithar
Tamma - tammathon / tammatham / tammathach / tammathal / tammatha / tammathar
Haf - hevithon / hevitham / hevithach / hevithal / hevitha / hevithar
Tortha - torthathon / torthatham / torthathach / torthathal / torthatha / torthathar

Conjugate all of the verbs in the word bank into the imperative tense.

Trevad - trevado
Tamma - tammo
Haf - havo
Tortha - tortho

Translate the following into Sindarin.

Sit down. - Havo.
We will control the boundary. - Torthatham i daeg.
(Informal) You will knock the slender nail. - Tammathach i daes daen.
He or she controls the world. - E tortha i ardhon.
(Formal) You traverse the world. - Trevedil i ardhon.

Translate the following into English.

Tammon i daes min thaeg. - I knock the nail in the boundary.
Taes a taeg trevedir i ardhon. - Nails and boundaries traverse the world.
I daes hâf erin thaeg. - The nail sits on the boundary.
Tortho ge! - (Informal) Control yourself!