There are two forms for verbs in the conditional mood, i.e. there are two ways to form verbs to express 'if'. One is by taking a past tense verb, deleting the final vowel, and adding -ആൽ -
aal. Such forms do not necessarily imply that something happened in the past. The other is by taking a past or present progressive verb form, deleting the final vowel, and adding -എങ്കിൽ -
engkil. I personally prefer to use -ആൽ -
aal when possible since I find it more commonly used. However, -ആൽ -
aal cannot be used with the equivalent of modal verbs in Malayalam, i.e. with 'can', 'want', etc. The only exception I can think of this is the serial verb construction വേണ്ടി വന്നാൽ
vENTi vanaal meaning something like 'if [subject] end(s) up wanting'.
The equivalent of the relative pronoun 'when' in Malayalam is the suffix -പ്പോൾ -
ppOL (compare ഇപ്പോൾ
ippOL 'now', അപ്പോൾ
appOL 'now', എപ്പോൾ
eppOL 'when?'), always attached to the verb at the end of the clause. It cannot be used after past or present tense forms until the final vowel in these forms is deleted and replaced with അ
a. After definite future forms, it surfaces as -മ്പോൾ -
mpOL. Colloquially, people often use -പ്പം -
ppam instead of -പ്പോൾ -
ppOL or simply delete the last consonant: -പ്പോ -
ppO or -മ്പോ -
mpO.
I also never really talked about imperatives. You use different forms depending on politeness level. The shortest form is also the most informal, typically used with animals and when being harsh or at least emphatic with children. There's a slightly longer form for some verbs that is also slightly less informal. If you delete the -വുക -
vuka or -ഉക -
uka from the citation form (if the verb does not end in -വുക -
vuka, then delete the -ഉക -
uka at the end), then for most verbs, you will get the shortest form; for at least the most common verbs whose citation forms are more than three syllables long (usually four syllables long), you will get the slightly longer form. If the verb ends in -അരിക -
aɾika, you will get the shortest form by replacing that with ആ
aa. The shortest imperative form of common four-syllable (or longer?) verbs is just the first two syllables of the verb, e.g. പറയുക
parrayuka 'to say, tell', പറയ്
parray(u) 'say it!', പറ
parra 'say it, goddammit!!'.
To obtain a gentler though still somewhat informal imperative mood form, replace the -ഉ് -
(u) at the end of the more informal imperative mood form with ഊ
uu, i.e. elongate the final vowel, e.g. പറയൂ
parrayuu 'say it!'. If the citation form of the verb ends in -ഇക -
ika, replace this suffix with ഊ
uu instead, e.g. വരൂ
varuu 'come!'.
Sometimes, people make imperative verbs to address multiple people by adding -ഇൻ -
in, but I see it rarely enough that it strikes me as something of an archaism, not really something people normally use, and I'm not entirely sure how it works.
For a relatively neutral imperative mood form, take the past tense form of the verb, and replace the last vowel with ഓ
O, e.g. പറഞ്ഞോ
parranjnjO 'okay, say it!'. This is also the way you would make a yes/no question (i.e. past tense form + interrogative suffix), so this same word can also mean 'did [subject] say...?'.
For a gentler variation of this last form, add -ളൂ -
Luu to the end, e.g. പറഞ്ഞോളൂ
parranjnjOLuu 'go ahead and say it!' This is actually short for the past tense form (past participle?) of the verb (in this case പറഞ്ഞു
parranjnj(u) 'having said') + കൊള്ളൂ
koLuu 'fit!'.
To form a polite imperative, you combine the past tense/participial form with ആകട്ടെ
aakaTTe, e.g. പറഞ്ഞാകട്ടെ
parranjnjaakaTTe 'please say it!'.
There is a similar construction used as a relatively gentle way to ask permission; it involves combining the same verb form but with -ഓട്ടേ -
OTTE (rather than ആകട്ടെ
aakaTTe), e.g. ഞാൻ പറഞ്ഞോട്ടേ
njaan parranjnjOTTe 'can/may I please (go ahead and) say it?'.
Here's a movie scene using some of these constructions plus some of the ones covered in previous lessons, but first, I'll include some relevant vocabulary:
ഒറ്റ
otta 'single'
ഒറ്റയ്ക്ക്
ottaykk(u) 'alone, by oneself'
ഒക്കെ
okke 'and so on, and such, both, all'
നോക്കുക
nOkkuka 'to look, see; to look after'
പേടി
pETi 'fear'
എനിക്ക് പേടിയാ(ണ്)
enikk(u) pETiyaaN(u) 'I (a)m scared'
നാളെ
naaLe 'tomorrow'
പിന്നെ
pinne 'then, so, well'
ഹൈ!
hai! 'hey!' (not completely sure about this one, including spelling; not something people are normally supposed to say in this context)
ശുശു!
SuSu! 'pssst!'
പോലീസ്
pOliis 'police, member of police force'
ഒന്ന്
onn(u) often means something like 'just' in addition to the numeral 'one'
തുറക്കുക
thurrakkuka 'to open' (തുറന്ന് തരിക
thurrann(u) tharika 'to open for me/you/us')
പറയുക
parrayuka 'to say' (see above)
നല്ല
nalla 'good, nice' (in some contexts, also 'very')
ഓടുക
OTuka 'to run'
ചെറുപ്പം
cherruppam 'young age'
അനുസരണ
anusaraNa 'obedience'
അച്ചടക്കം
achchaTakkam 'discipline'
വീട്
viiT(u) 'house, home'
വീട്ടിൽ
viiTTil 'at (someone's) home/house'
മനസ്സിലാവുക
manassilaavuka 'to understand' (literally 'to get (ആവുക
aavuka) in(to) the mind (മനസ്സിൽ
manassil)')
കുറച്ച്
kurrachch(u) 'a little'
നേരം
nEram 'time, while, days'
കളിക്കുക
kaLikkuka 'to play'
പുറത്ത്
purrathth(u) 'outside, on the back (from പുറം
purram 'back')'
തത്കാലം
thalkaalam 'for now'
കുട്ടി
kuTTi 'kid, child'
കാലം
kaalam 'time, time period, age'
കുട്ടിക്കാലം
kuTTikkaalam 'childhood'
കുട്ടിക്കാലത്ത്
kuTTikkaalathth(u) 'in childhood'
ഗുണം
guNam 'benefit, advantage'
Also, in Geethu's family (not completely sure about spelling here), വലിയച്ച
valiyachcha is what she calls her uncle (father's older brother). വലിയേച്ഛൻ
valiyEchchhan is what someone else would call him when talking to her. അപ്പച്ചി
appachchi is both what she calls her aunt (father's older sister) and what someone else would call her when talking to Geethu.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYjnpFxQ4DUGeethu: എന്നെ എന്തേ കൊണ്ടുപോകാത്തത്, Daddy?
enne enthE koNT(u)pOkaaththath(u)...?
Daddy, why don't you take me (away) with you?Jayarajan: അയ്യോ, conference-ഇന് പോകുമ്പോ കുട്ടികളെ കൊണ്ടുപോകാൻ പാടില്ല, മോളേ!
ayyO, conference-
in(u) pOkumpO kuTTikaLe koNT(u)pOkaan paaTilla, mOLE!Oh my, dear! We can't take kids when we go to the conference, right?G: അപ്പോ ഗീതുമോള് ഒറ്റയ്ക്കാവില്ലേ?
appO giithumOL(u) ottaykkaavillE?
Then won't I be by myself?J: വലിയേച്ഛനും അപ്പച്ചിയുമൊക്കെ ഇല്ലേ മോളെ നോക്കാൻ?
valiyEchchhanum appachchiyumokke illE mOLe nOkkaan?Aren't your uncle and aunt here to look after you, dear?G: വേണ്ട. Daddy ഇല്ലെങ്കീ എനിക്ക് പേടിയാ.
vENTa. Daddy
illengkii enikk(u) pETiyaa.No. I'm scared if you aren't here.J: Daddy നാളെ ഇങ്ങ് വരില്ലേ, മോളേ? വരുമ്പം മോൾക്കെന്താ കൊണ്ട് വരേണ്ടത്? Teddy Bear, Micky Mouse, Donald Duck, eh?
Daddy
naaLe ingng(u) varillE, mOLE? varumpam mOLkkenthaa koNT(u) varENTath(u)?Won't Daddy be back ('come') here tomorrow? What do you want me to bring you when I come back? A teddy bear, Micky Mouse, Donald Duck, huh?G: Little Pony, Pluto, puppy, പിന്നെ...ങ്ഹാ! Kiss me!
...pinne...nghaa!(My) Little Pony, Pluto, a puppy, and also...oh, yeah, kiss me!(...)
ഹൈ! ശുശു! ഹേ പോലീസേ!
hai! SuSu! hE, pOliisE!Hey! Pssst! Oh, Mister Policemaaan!Cop: എന്താ, മോളേ?
enthaa, mOLE?What is it, dear?G: ഈ gate ഒന്ന് തുറന്നുതരുമോ?
ii gate
onn(u) turrann(u) tharumO?Can you just open this gate for me?C: എന്തിനാ തുറക്കുന്നുത്?
enthinaa thurrakkunnath(u)?Why should I open it? (Literally 'that am opening is for what?')
G: തുറക്കാൻ പറഞ്ഞു.
thurrakkaan parranjnju.She told me to.C: ആര് പറഞ്ഞു?
aar(u) parranjnju?Who did?G: ഗീതു. Please? നല്ല പോലീസല്ലേ?
giithu. Please?
nalla pOliisallE?Geethu. Please? Aren't you a nice policeman?C: ങ്ഹ!...ആരാ മോളേ ഗീതു?
ngha!...aaraa mOLE giithu?Okay!...Who's Geethu, dear?G: ഞാൻതന്നെയാ, അഹ്ഹഹ!
njaanthanneyaa, ahhaha!It's me, haha!C: ങേ?!
ngE?!Huh?!Bhaskara Pillai
(spots her hiding from him behind a bush, but pretends not to see her and to have the sudden urge to go to the bathroom behind that bush): എങ്ങോട്ടാ നീ ഓടുന്നത്? ഇത്ര ചെറുപ്പത്തില് P. T. ഉഷ ആവാനുള്ള ഭാവം? Come on, go!...അനുസരണ, അച്ചടക്കം ഇല്ലാതെ നടക്കാൻ നീ ഇപ്പം നിന്റെ അമ്മേടെ വീട്ടിലല്ല! മനസ്സിലായോ?
engngOTTaa nii OTunnath(u)? ithra cherruppaththil(u) P. T.
Usha aavaanuLLa bhaavam?...anusaraNa, achchaTakkam illaathe naTakkaan nii ippam ninte ammETe viiTTilalla! manassilaayO?Where're you running off to? Trying to become P. T. Usha at such a young age? Come on, go!...You aren't at your mom's house now to walk around like a disobedient, undisciplined girl! Understand?G: കുറച്ച് നേരം അവിടെ പോയി കളിച്ചോട്ടെ?
kurrachch(u) nEram aviTe pOyi kaLichchOTTe?Can I go play over there for a little bit?B: പുറത്ത് പോയുള്ള കളി തത്കാലം വേണ്ട. എന്റെ കുട്ടിക്കാലത്ത് ഞാൻ ഇതുപോലെ പോയി കളിച്ചിട്ടില്ല! അതിന്റെ ഗുണമായി എനിക്ക്. Discipline! If wealth is lost, nothing is lost. If health is lost, something is lost. If character is lost, everything is lost! Understand? Hm?
purrathth(u) pOyuLLa kaLi thalkkaalam vENTa. ente kuTTikkaalathth(u) njaan ithupOle purrathth(u) pOyi kaLichchiTTilla! athinte guNamaayi enikk(u).Don't go outside and play for now! I hadn't gone outside and played like this when I was a kid. It was good I didn't (literally 'I got the benefit of that'). [...] If you run around like a slut, you'll lose everything! Understand? Hm?G:
Hmh!B:
Ah! Good!