Lesson 1

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1. VOCABULARY

1. Masculine nouns ending in -a

Buddha / Tath±gata / Sugata
 - the Buddha
manussa
 - man, human being
nara / purisa
 - man, person
kassaka
 - farmer
br±hmaºa
 - brahmin
putta
 - son
m±tula
 - uncle
kum±ra
 - boy
v±ºija
 - merchant
bh³p±la
 - king
sah±ya / sah±yaka / mitta
 - friend

Verbs

bh±sati
 speaks
pacati
 cooks
kasati
 ploughs
bhuñjati
 eats
sayati
 sleeps
passati
 sees
chindati
 cuts
gacchati
 goes
±gacchati
 comes
dh±vati
 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 -± 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. m±tula + o = m±tulo
3. kassaka + o = kassako

Plural
1. nara + ± = nar±
2. m±tula + ± = m±tul±
3. kassaka + ± = kassak±

3. Present, third, singular and plural verbs.

In the verbs listed above bh±sa, 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
bh±sati - He speaks
pacati - He cooks
kasati - He ploughs

Plural
bh±santi - They speak
pacanti - They cook
kasanti - They plough

4. Examples in sentence formation

Singular
1. Naro bh±sati - The man speaks.
2. M±tulo pacati - The uncle cooks.
3. Kassako kasati - The farmer ploughs.

Plural
1. Nar± bh±santi - Men speak.
2. M±tul± pacanti - Uncles cook.
3. Kassak± kasanti - Farmers plough.

Exercise 1

5. Translate into English

1. Bh³p±lo bhuñjati.
2. Putt± sayanti

3. V±ºij± sayanti
4. Buddho passati
5. Kum±ro dh±vati.
6. M±tulo kasati.
7. Br±hmaº± bh±santi.
8. Mitt± gacchanti.
9. Kassak± pacanti.
10. Manusso chindati.
11. Puris± dh±vanti.
12. Sah±yako bhuñjati.
13. Tath±gato bh±sati.
14. Naro pacati.
15. Sah±y± kasanti.
16. Sugato ±gacchati.

6. Translate into P±li

1. Sons run.
2. The uncle sees.
3. The Buddha comes.
4. Boys eat.
5. Merchants go.
6. The man sleeps.
7. Kings go.
8. The brahmin cuts.
9. Friends speak.
10. The farmer ploughs.
11. The merchant comes.
12. Sons cut.
13. Uncles speak.
14. The boy runs.
15. The friend speaks.
16. The Buddha sees.

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