Conjugations
Papiamentu verbs are relatively easy to conjugate. They indicate their tenses by adding short words to the sentence rather than changing the form of the verb. ta indicates the present, lo indicates the future, and a indicates the past tense. The pronoun e (meaning "he" or "she") changes into el when it appears before a. Some speakers put the future tense marker lo before the subject of the verb.
mi ta kanta
|
I sing
I am singing
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nos ta kanta
|
we sing
we are singing
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bo ta kanta
|
you sing
you are singing
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boso ta kanta
|
you (plural) sing
you all are singing
|
e ta kanta
|
he/she sings
he/she is singing
|
|
nan ta kanta
|
they sing
they are singing
|
|
|
|
|
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mi a kanta |
I sang |
|
nos a kanta |
we sang |
bo a kanta |
you sang |
|
boso a kanta |
you (plural) sang |
el a kanta |
he/she sang |
|
nan a kanta |
they sang |
|
|
|
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lo mi kanta or
mi lo kanta
|
I will sing |
|
lo nos kanta or
nos lo kanta
|
we will sing |
lo bo kanta or
bo lo kanta
|
you will sing |
|
lo boso kanta or
boso lo kanta
|
you (plural) will sing |
lo e kanta or
e lo kanta
|
he/she will sing |
|
lo nan kanta or
nan lo kanta
|
they will sing |
ta bai
According to Getting around the Islands in Papiamentu, a different flavor of the future can be expressed using ta bai as in Mi ta bai kanta = "I am going to sing."
Progressive Aspect
The progressive aspect indicates either of the following:
a) one action was in progress when something else happened, or
b) habitual or customary activity.
The progressive aspect of the past tense can be created using tabata followed by the plain verb or the present participle.
Ora bo a drenta mi tabata kome. or
Ora bo a drenta mi tabata komiendo.
When you came in I was eating.
Negation
The Papiamentu word no is equivalent to English not. It usually appears immediately before the verb which it negates.
Double negatives are common in Papiamentu as in Spanish.
Mi no tin nada.
I have nothing. (Literally I not have nothing.)
E no a dunami nada.
He did not give me anything.
Exceptional Verbs
The following verbs do not use ta to indicate the present tense. You might say that the present tense is the default condition for these verbs: tin (have), por (be able to), ke (want), sa and konose (know), mester (must). Obviously ta also does not use ta to indicate its own present tense; one never says anything like mi ta ta merikano.
The following verbs may be used with or without ta in the present tense: gusta (to like), stima (to love), bal (to be worth), kosta (to cost), debe (owe), parse (resemble). Some sources also include di (to say), dependé (depend), nifica (signify) in this category.
The Copula
Papiamentu's copula, equivalent to English be, am, is, are, was, were, is ta. (This word ta also serves as the indicator of the present tense for other verbs.)
Bo kas ta bunita.
Your house is lovely.
Nan ta hulandes.
They are Dutch.
The past tense of ta is tabata.
The imperative of ta is sea.
Sea ketu! = Be quiet!
Sea un bon mucha. = Be a good child.
There are many cases in which English would use am, is, are but the correct equivalent in Papiamentu is tin (have/exist) or sinti (feel). Some examples:
Tin hopi bientu.
It is very windy. (Literally exists much wind.)
Mi tin hamber.
I am hungry. (Literally I have hunger.)
Mi ta sinti kalor.
I feel warm.
The Verb tin
tin usually means "possess" or "contain."
Un aña tin diesdos luna.
A year has twelve months.
Nan tin un kas bunita.
They have an attractive house.
The past tense form of tin is tabatin. The imperative is tene.
Sometimes (especially at the beginning of a phrase) tin indicates existence. In these cases tin is equivalent to English "there is..." or "there are..."
Tabatin plaka riba e mesa.
There was money on the table.
Tin algun apelnan?
Are there any apples?
Tin does not correspond to all uses of the English word "have." Tin is not used in forming verb tenses (such as "I have gone" in English). Tin does not mean experience or undergo (as in English "I had a cold" or "I had a good time").
References:
Blankenburg, Eleanor Basic Papiamentu Grammar for English Speakers 1986
T. Dovale, G. Dammers and B. Lockwood Getting around the Islands in Papiamentu 2007
Goilo, E.R. Papaimentu Textbook, ninth edition 1994
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