If you're trying to learn Malagasy Verbs you will find some useful resources including a course about Verbs in the present past and future tense... to help you with your Malagasy grammar. Try to concentrate on the lesson and notice the pattern that occurs each time the word changes its place. Also don't forget to check the rest of our other lessons listed on Learn Malagasy. Enjoy the rest of the lesson!
Learning the Malagasy Verbs is very important because its structure is used in every day conversation. The more you master it the more you get closer to mastering the Malagasy language. But first we need to know what the role of Verbs is in the structure of the grammar in Malagasy.
Malagasy verbs are words that convey action (bring, read, walk, run), or a state of being (exist, stand). In most languages a verb may agree with the person, gender, and/or number of some of its arguments, such as its subject, or object.
- Present Tense
In Malagasy, verbs remain with the same structure and don’t take any endings to form the present tense. However, most of the verbs in present tense begin with the letter “m”.
Examples: Miteny aho (I speak); Matory izy (he/she is sleeping); Manorana ny andro (it’s raining); Mihira izy ireo (they are singing)
- Past Tense
In Malagasy, verbs remain with the same structure and don’t take any endings to form the present tense. However, most of the verbs in past tense begin with the letter “n”.
Examples: NIteny aho (I spoke); Natory izy (he/she slept); Nanorana ny andro (it was raining); Nihira izy ireo (they were singing)
- Future Tense
In Malagasy, verbs remain with the same structure and don’t take any endings to form the future tense. However, most of the verbs in future tense begin with the letter “h”.
Examples: Hiteny aho (I will speak); Hatory izy (he/she will sleep); Hanorana ny andro (it will be raining); Hihira izy ireo (they will sing)
Here are some examples:
| English Verbs | Malagasy Verbs |
|---|---|
| Verbs | Matoateny |
| Past | Lasa |
| I spoke | niteny aho |
| I wrote | nanoratra aho |
| I drove | nitondra aho |
| I loved | tiako |
| I gave | nomeko |
| I smiled | nitsiky aho |
| I took | noraisiko/nalaiko |
| he spoke | niteny izy |
| he wrote | nanoratra izy |
| he drove | nitondra izy |
| he loved | tiany |
| he gave | nanome izy |
| he smiled | nitsiky izy |
| he took | noraisiny/nalaiko |
| we spoke | niteny izahay |
| we wrote | nanoratra izahay |
| we drove | nitondra izahay |
| we loved | tianay |
| we gave | nanome izahay |
| we smiled | nitsiky izahay |
| we took | noraisinay/nalainay |
| Future | ho avy |
| I will speak | hiteny aho |
| I will write | hanoratra aho |
| I will drive | hitondra izahay |
| I will love | ho tianay/hotiavinay |
| I will give | homenay |
| I will smile | hitsiky izahay |
| I will take | horaisinay/halainay |
| he will speak | hiteny izy |
| he will write | hanoratra izy |
| he will drive | hitondra izy |
| he will love | ho tiany/hotiaviny |
| he will give | hanome izy/homeny |
| he will smile | hitsiky izy |
| he will take | horaisiny/halainy |
| we will speak | hiteny izahay |
| we will write | hanoratra izahay |
| we will drive | hitondra izy |
| we will love | ho tianay/hotiavinay |
| we will give | hanome izahay/homenay |
| we will smile | hitsiky izahay |
| we will take | horaisinay/halainay |
| Present | |
| I speak | miteny aho |
| I write | manoratra aho |
| I drive | mitondra aho |
| I love | tiako |
| I give | manome aho |
| I smile | mitsiky aho |
| I take | maka aho/alaiko |
| he speaks | miteny izy |
| he writes | manoratra izy |
| he drives | mitondra izy |
| he loves | tiany |
| he gives | omeny |
| he smiles | mitsiky izy |
| he takes | alainy/raisiny |
| we speak | miteny izahay |
| we write | manoratra izahay |
| we drive | mitondra izahay |
| we love | tianay |
| we give | omenay |
| we smile | mitsiky izahay |
| we take | alainay |
Notice the structure of the Verbs in Malagasy.
Below is a list of the conjugated Verbs in the present past and future in Malagasy placed in a table. Memorizing this table will help you add very useful and important words to your Malagasy vocabulary.
| English Verbs | Malagasy Verbs |
|---|---|
| I can accept that | afaka manaiky izany aho |
| she added it | nampiany io |
| we admit it | tsorinay izany |
| they advised him | nanoloro hevitra azy izy ireo |
| I can agree with that | afaka miombon-kevitra amin'izany aho |
| she allows it | avelany io |
| we announce it | teneninay |
| I can apologize | afaka miala tsiny aho |
| she appears today | miseho androany izy |
| they arranged that | namboariny izany |
| I can arrive tomorrow | afaka ny ho tonga rahampitso aho |
| she can ask him | afaka manontany azy izy |
| she attaches that | nalefany miaraka amin'io ito |
| we attack them | namely azy ireo izahay |
| they avoid her | niataka taminy izy ireo |
| I can bake it | |
| she is like him | tahaka azy izy |
| we beat it | resinay izany |
| they became happy | lasa faly izy ireo |
| I can begin that | afaka atomboko izany |
| we borrowed money | nindram-bola izahay |
| they breathe air | mifoka rivotra izy ireo |
| I can bring it | afaka entiko io |
| I can build that | afaka amboariko io |
| she buys food | mividy sakafo izy |
| we calculate it | kaontinay io |
| they carry it | entiny io |
| they don't cheat | tsy misoloky/ tsy mamitaka izy ireo |
| she chooses him | misafidy azy izy |
| we close it | idianay io |
| he comes here | tonga ato izy |
| I can compare that | afaja mapitahy izany aho |
| she competes with me | mifanina amiko izy |
| we complain about it | mitaraina mikasika izany izahay |
| they continued reading | nanohy ny famakiana izy ireo |
| he cried about that | nitomany noho izany izy |
| I can decide now | afaka manapa-kevitra izao aho |
| she described it to me | notantarainy tamin'ny antsipiriany tamiko ilay izy |
| we disagree about it | tsy miombon-kevitra aminareo mikasika izany izahay |
| they disappeared quickly | nanjavona haingana izy ireo |
| I discovered that | hitako izany |
| she dislikes that | tsy tiany izany |
| we do it | ataonay io |
| they dream about it | manofy an'izany izy ireo |
| I earned | nahazo |
| he eats a lot | mihinana be dia be izy |
| we enjoyed that | nahafinaritra anay ilay izy/tianay ilay izy |
| they entered here | niditra teto izy ireo |
| he escaped that | nitsoaka an' io izy |
| I can explain that | afaka manazava izany aho |
| she feels that too | nahatsapa izany ihany koa izy |
| we fled from there | nisidina avy teo izahay |
| they will fly tomorrow | hisidina rahampitso izy ireo/handeha fiaramanidina rahampitso izy ireo |
| I can follow you | afaka manaraka anao aho |
| she forgot me | nohadinoiny aho |
| we forgive him | adinonay izy |
| I can give her that | afaka omeko azy ito |
| she goes there | mandeha any izy |
| we greeted them | niarahaba azy ireo izahay |
| I hate that | halako izany |
| I can hear it | henoko izany |
| she imagine that | alainy sary an-tsaina izany |
| we invited them | nanasa azy ireo izahay |
| I know him | fantatro izy |
| she learned it | nianarany io |
| we leave now | mandeha izao izahay |
| they lied about him | nandainga mikasika an'azy izy ireo |
| I can listen to that | henoko izany |
| she lost that | nohariany io |
| we made it yesterday | natoanay omaly io |
| they met him | nifanena taminy izy ireo |
| I misspell that | tsy voatonoko izany/tsy voaraiko tsara izany |
| I always pray | mivavaka foana aho |
| she prefers that | aleony kokoa io |
| we protected them | noharovanay izy ireo |
| they will punish her | hosaziany izy |
| I can put it there | afaka apetrako eto ito |
| she will read it | hamaky an'io izy |
| we received that | voarainy izany |
| they refuse to talk | tsy mety hiresaka izy reo |
| I remember that | tadidiko izany |
| she repeats that | averiny izany |
| we see it | hitanay io |
| they sell it | amidiny io |
| I sent that yesterday | nalefako omaly izany |
| he shaved his beard | niaratra izy |
| it shrunk quickly | |
| we will sing it | hohirainay io |
| they sat there | nipetraka teo izy ireo |
| I can speak it | afaka miteny izany aho |
| she spends money | mandany vola izy |
| we suffered from that | nijaly noho izany izahay |
| they suggest that | izany no tolo-kevitra nomeny |
| I surprised him | nahatalanjona azy aho |
| she took that | nalainy io |
| we teach it | ampianarinay io |
| they told us | nolazainy izahay |
| she thanked him | nisaotra azy izy |
| I can think about it | afaka mieritreritra mikasika izany aho |
| she threw it | nariany ilay izy |
| we understand that | azonay izany |
| they want that | ilainy izany |
| I can wear it | afaka manao an'io aho |
| she writes that | manoratra izao izy |
| we talk about it | miresaka mikasika izany izahay |
| they have it | azony ilay izy |
| I watched it | nojereko ilay izy |
| I will talk about it | hiresaka mikasika izany aho |
| he bought that yesterday | novidiany omaly io |
| we finished it | vitanay io |
Verbs in the present past and future tense have a very important role in Malagasy. Once you're done with Malagasy Verbs, you might want to check the rest of our Malagasy lessons here: Learn Malagasy. Don't forget to bookmark this page.
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