Bangla 101: Sentence Composition & Verb Formation

Last 2010, I hired a bangla teacher for me. I learned the basic sentence composition and verb construction. But after the Basic Class, I stopped. The tutorial fee is quite hefty, 3000 taka/class which is 3 hours per day. I decided I will just continue learning on my own since I already know the basic sentence composition and the verb formation. But, I just totally ignored it.

Now, I'm re-learning the language again. Bangla is considered one of the toughest (if not the toughest) language in the world. I'm doing it simultaneously - reading & speaking - as I don't know which one is more effective for me. Of course, talking with the locals will be the best exercise, but since my language background is of formal learning, talking with the locals who are mostly using short cut and street dialects already will be confusing also. Reading can help me in expanding my vocabulary. This is an effective way in expanding one's vocabulary, I remember reading Funny Komiks, Bata-Batuta and Pambata as a kid, Sweet Valley Twins in grade school and Nancy Drew for my book reports in high school. Until now, I love to read books, and it's a hobby/passion that both me and my fiance share.

In reading, one has to recognize the bangla alphabets. Aside from recognizing it, one has to learn the proper & correct pronunciation of the Bangla alphabet first. A change or difference in pronunciation may mean another word.This is quite tough for me, I'm already declaring myself a tone deaf because I find it hard to recognized the difference between their 4 To/to/tho/Tho and 4 do/Do/dho/Dho and 3 sho/ssho/ssho.The bangla alphabets are tougher to recognize once it's form into words, there are two or 3 letters that you have to write together and it will look totally different character, and there's also a case that you can write this letters in two or 3 different ways.

Aside from the difficulty of recognizing and pronouncing the alphabets, the sentence composition can make your world turn around 360 degrees.It is the exact opposite of English sentence composition and verbs are confusing too. Basic formula for sentence compositions are:

1. subject + object + verb

in english we say "I understand bangla", in bangla we say "ami bangla bujhi", in direct english translation it's "I bangla understand"

2. Subject + time + place + object + verb
E: I learn Bangla in Banani on Saturday.
B: ami sonibar bonanite bangla sikhi.
i saturday in banani Bangla learn.

3. subject in possessive + noun/object + lagbe/dorkar (need)
E: I need water
B: amar pani lagbe
my/mine water need

I will try to write a separate post regarding this because there are lots of rules in sentence composition. The "articles" are not a word in bangla but are letters to be added with the noun. Take note that I'm not an expert here, I'm not even an english teacher so I will not be able to remember the right terms for some things. Who can remember the grade school english subject regarding Linking verbs, articles and a lot more, not me for sure.

Verbs are important to remember also. Verbs in bangla changes depending on who are you talking with, and that's what making it hard for me to memorize everything. Unlike in English and Filipino language where you can use one verb for 1st, 2nd and 3rd person, in Bangla that isn't the case. The bangla changes per person and take note that there are formal and informal verbs too. Use the formal verb form when talking to older persons, person of authority, formality between colleagues and strangers.

This is my excel sheet of verb construction. Notice that under the 2nd person and 3rd person, there is two column. First one is the formal form of You which is apni/apnara (singular/plural) and the informal form of you which is tumi/tomra (single/plural). The next column is the formal form of he/she/they are tini/tara(plural) and the informal form se/tara(plural). Notice also that there's no gender difference there.