Temporal System

1. The verb always remains in its base form.

2. Tense is indicated by a temporal particle placed after the verb.

3. Sentence structure: Subject — Object — Verb — Tense Particle (SOV)

Present Tense

mian

• I am going home — /In šizá la mian/

• He is drinking water — /Án zi pa mian/

• We are living in the city — /Śi lima zen mian/

Near Future

lian

Used for actions that will happen soon.

• I will go home soon — /In šizá la lian/

• She will speak soon — /Śi lor lian/

• We will arrive soon — /Śi la lian/

Future

ian

Used for a normal future action.

• I will go home — /In šizá la ian/

• He will eat — /Án pa ian/

• They will build a house — /Śá šizá topaon ian/

Remote Future

qian

Used for actions expected to happen in the distant future.

• I will return one day — /In la qian/

• Humanity will change — /Zencin qian/

• They will build a new city someday — /Śá lima no qian/

Past Tense

pan

Used for completed actions in the past.

• I went home — /In šizá la pan/

• He ate — /Án pa pan/

• We saw the river — /Śi ziliu zika pan/

Recent Past

lan

Used for actions that happened recently.

• I just came home — /In šizá la lan/

• He recently arrived — /Án la lan/

• They recently left — /Śá ká lan/

Remote Past

qan

Used for actions that happened long ago.

• Long ago I lived here — /In koza zen qan/

• He went there long ago — /Án kaza la qan/

• Our ancestors lived in the forest — /Śi zencin trielo zen qan/