Lesson №2. Verb conjugation
Lekanta №2. Aseksta

The verb, I think, is the most important topic in any language. In Novial, all verbs are conjugated very simply, each pronoun has an ending. When conjugating a verb in the present tense, the pronoun can be omitted.

Present tense
Léirè - to love
Åm léirem - I love
Si léirets - You love
Ev léiri - He loves
Ìja léirì - She loves
Nerr léiren - We love
Ser léires - You (all) love
Eļst léirek - They love

Past tense
Léirè - to love
Åm léir - I loved
Si léir - You loved
Ev léir - He loved
Ìja léir - She loved
Nerr léir - We loved
Ser léir - You (all) loved
Eļst léir - They loved

Future tense
Léirè - to love
Åm léirej - I will love
Si léirej - You will love
Ev léirej - He will love
Ìja léirej - She will love
Nerr léirej - We will love
Ser léirej - You (all) will love
Eļst léirej - They will love

As you might have noticed, in the present tense everything is quite concise. I will explain the past and future tense. So, in order to form the past tense of a verb, it is enough just to remove the ending "-è" from the verb. In order to form the future tense, we add the ending and thus get the future tense, but we also use the personal pronoun, because the form of the future tense is identical for all persons, such as in the past tense.

One more thing. There is a category of verbs when there is only one vowel "è" at the end of a word. This category of verbs is referred to as "incomplete verbs" or "short". In the present tense, they are conjugated in the same way as all "complete" verbs (verbs with 2 or more vowels), but in the past tense, the endings are slightly different - the prefix "gé" appears. We also cut off the ending "è", and add the prefix. Consider:

Present tense
Prè - to pray
Åm prem - I pray
Si prets - You pray
Ev pri - He prays
Ìja pri - She prays
Nerr pren - We pray
Ser pres - You (all) pray
Eļst prek - They pray

Past tense
Prè - to pray
Åm pr - I prayed
Si pr - You prayed
Ev pr - He prayed
Ìja pr - She prayed
Nerr pr - We prayed
Ser pr - You (all) prayed
Eļst pr - They prayed

Future tense
Prè - to pray
Åm prej - I will pray
Si prej - You will pray
Ev prej - He will pray
Ìja prej - She will pray
Nerr prej - We will pray
Ser prej - You (all) will pray
Eļst prej - They will pray

In Novial, there is one particular verb that does not obey these rules and is conjugated by all pronouns no matter what tense it is. This is the verb "rese" (to be). Let me conjugate it.

Present tense
Resè - to be
Åm es - I am
Si et - You are
Ev ít - He is
Ìja ít - She is
Nerr same - We are
Ser erse - You (all) are
Eļst åļt - They are

Past tense
Resè - to be
Åm agér - I was
Si agér - You were
Ev agér - He was
Ìja agér - She was
Nerr agérå - We were
Ser agérå - You (all) were
Eļst agérå - They were

Future tense
Resè - to be
Åm ajm - I will be
Si ajc - You will be
Ev ìta - He will be
Ìja ìta - She will be
Nerr ajn - We will be
Ser ajs - You (all) will be
Eļst ajk - They will be


By the way, the future tense of the verb “to be” will allow to form another alternative form of the future tense for any verb. The scheme is simple. You put in the correct form the verb "to be" depending on who you are talking about and the verb in the infinitive. Compare the standard form of the future tense and the one in question now:
Åm gervej - Åm ajm gervè (I will come)
Si fasej - Si ajc fasè (You will do)
De vartej - De ìta vartè (It will happen)

Both forms of the future tense are equal and grammatically correct. You can use any of them you like.

Let me give you perhaps another irregular verb. This is the modal verb "can" - lè

Present tense
Lè - мочь
Åm lem - I can
Si lejets - You can
Ev leji - He can
Ìja lejì - She can
Nerr len - We can
Ser lejes - You (all) can
Eļst lek - They can

Past tense
Lè - can
Åm gél - I could
Si gél - You could
Ev gél - He could
Ìja gél - She could
Nerr gél - We could
Ser gél - You (all) could
Eļst gél -They could

Future tense
Lè - can
Åm lej - I will be abe
Si lej - You will be abe
Ev lej - He will be abe
Ìja lej - She will be abe
Nerr lej - We will be abe
Ser lej - You (all) will be abe
Eļst lej - They will be abe