The New Pali Course Book ( part-1)
First Book
The Alphabet
1. The Pali alphabet consists of 41 letters, eight vowels and thirty-three consonants.
Vowels
a, aa, i, ii, u, uu, e, o
Consonants
k, kh, g, gh, `n
c, ch, j, jh, ~n
.t, .th, .d, .dh, .n
t, th, d, dh, n
p, ph, b, bh, m
y, r, l, v, s, h, .l, .m
2. Of the vowels a, i, u are short; the rest are long.
Although e and o are included in long vowels they are often`sounded short before a double consonant, e.g. mettaa, se.t.thii, okkamati, yotta.m[1].
[1] Wide Book II for further treatment of letters.
3. Pronunciation
a is pronounced like a in what or u in hut
aa is pronounced like a in father
i is pronounced like i in mint
ii is pronounced like ee in see
u is pronounced like u in put
uu is pronounced like oo in pool
e is pronounced like a in cage
o is pronounced like o in no
k is pronounced like k in kind
kh is pronounced like kh in blackheath
g is pronounced like g in game
gh is pronounced like gh in big house
`n is pronounced like ng in singer
c is pronounced like ch in chance
ch is pronounced like ch h in witch-hazel
jh is pronounced like dge h in sledge-hammer
~n is pronounced like gn in signore
.t is pronounced like t in cat
.th is pronounced like th in ant-hill
.d is pronounced like d in bad
.dh is pronounced like dh in red-hot
.n is pronounced like kn in know
t is pronounced like th in thumb
th is pronounced like th in pot-herb
d is pronounced like th in then
dh is pronounced like dh in adherent
ph is pronounced like ph in uphill
bh is pronounced like bh in abhorrence
y is pronounced like y in yes
s is pronounced like s in sight
.m is pronounced like ng in sing
j, n, p, b, m, r, l, v and h are pronounced just as they are pronounced in English.
Parts of Speech
4. In English, there are 8 parts of speech. They are all found in Pali, but the Pali grammarians do not classify them in the same way. Their general classification is:
Naama = noun
Aakhyaata = verb
Upasagga = prefix
Nipaata = indeclinable particle
Pronouns and adjectives are included in the first group. Adjectives are treated as nouns because they are declined like nouns.
Conjunctions, prepositions, adverbs and all other indeclinables are included in the fourth group.
Gender, Number and Case
5. There are in Pali as in English three genders and two numbers.
Gender
Pulli`nga = Masculine
Itthili`nga = Feminine
Napu.msakali`nga = Neuter
Number
Ekavacana = Singular
Bahuvacana = Plural
6. Nouns which denote males are masculine; those which denote females are feminine; but nouns which denote inanimate things and qualities are not always neuter, e.g. rukkha (tree), canda (moon) are masculine. Nadii (river), lataa (vine), pa~n~naa (wisdom) are feminine. Dhana (wealth), citta (mind) are neuter.
Two words denoting the same thing may be, sometimes, in different genders; paasaa.na and silaa are both synonyms for a stone, but the former is masculine, and the latter is feminine. Likewise one word, without changing its form, may possess two or more genders; e.g. geha (house) is masculine and neuter, kucchi (belly) is masculine and feminine.
Therefore, it should be remembered that gender in Pali is a grammatical distinction existing in words, it is called grammatical gender.
7. There are eight cases, namely:
Pa.thamaa = Nominative
Dutiyaa = Accusative
(a) Tatiyaa = Ablative of agent, and
(b) Kara.na = Ablative of instrument
Catutthii = Dative
Pa~ncamii = Ablative of separation
Cha.t.thii = Possessive or Genitive
Sattamii = Locative
Aalapana = Vocative
The Ablative in English is here divided into Tatiyaa, Kara.na and Pa~ncamii. But, as Tatiyaa and Kara.na always have similar forms both of them are shown under "Instrumental". Where only the "Ablative" is given the reader must understand that all (3) forms of the Ablative are included.
Declension of Nouns
8. Nouns in Pali are differently declined according to their gender and termination.
Nara is a masculine stem, ending in -a.
It is to be declined as follows:-
CaseSingularPlural
Nominativenaro = mannaraa = men
Accusativenara.m = mannare = men
Instrumentalnarena = by, with or through mannarebhi, narehi = by, with or through men
Dativenaraaya, narassa = to or for mannaraana.m = to or for men
Ablativenaraa, naramhaa, narasmaa = from mannarebhi, narehi = from men
Genitivenarassa = of mannaraana.m = of men
Locativenare, naramhi, narasmi.m = on or in mannaresu = on or in men
Vocativenara, naraa = O mannaraa = O men
Some of the stems similarly declined are:-
purisa = man
manussa = human being
hattha = hand
paada = leg; foot
kaaya = body
rukkha = tree
paasaa.na = rock; stone
gaama = village
Buddha = the Enlightened One
dhamma = doctrine
sa`ngha = community
aaloka = light
loka = world
aakaasa = sky
suriya = sun
canda = moon
magga = path
putta = son
kumaara = boy
vaa.nija = merchant
cora = thief
mitta = friend
daasa = slave
bhuupaala = king
kassaka = farmer
lekhaka = clerk
deva = god; deity
vaanara = monkey
vihaara = monastery
diipa = island; lamp
ma~nca = bed
aahaara = food
siiha = lion
miga = deer; beast
assa = horse
go.na = ox
sunakha = dog
varaaha = pig
saku.na = bird
aja = goat
kaaka = crow
9. Inflections or case-endings of the above declension are:
CaseSingularPlural
Nominativeoaa
Accusative.me
Instrumentalenaebhi; ehi
Dativeaaya; ssaaana.m
Ablativeaa; mhaa; smaaebhi; ehi
Genitivessaaana.m
Locativee; mhi; smi.mesu
Vocativea; aaaa
The last vowel of the stem should be elided before an inflection which begins with a vowel.
Exercise 1
Suggested Solutions
Translate into English
Manussaana.m.
Purise.
Hattha.m.
Paadamhi.
Kaayena.
Buddhesu.
Dhamma.m.
Sa`nghamhaa.
Suriye.
Rukkhassa.
Aakaasena.
Bhuupaalebhi.
Devaa.
Canda.m.
Gaamasmaa.
Go.naaya.
Siihaana.m.
Asso.
Sakuna.
Ma~ncasmi.m.
Translate into Pali
The dogs.
Of the hand.
On the men.
From the tree.
In the islands.
With the foot.
By the hands.
To the lion.
Of the oxen.
From the birds.
By the king.
O deity.
To the sun.
In the sky.
Through the body.
On the bed.
Of the moons.
In the world.
The monkey.
Through the light.
Exercise 2
Suggested Solutions
Translate into English
Purisassa go.no.
Manussaana.m hatthaa.
Aakaasamhi saku.naa.
Buddhassa dhammo.
Ma~ncesu manussaa.
Assaana.m paadaa.
Rukkhe saku.no.
Paasaa.namhi go.no.
Lokasmi.m manussaa.
Bhuupaalassa diipaa.
Translate into Pali
The body of the ox.
The bird on the tree.
The island of the world.
With the feet of the man.
By the hand of the monkey.
Of the birds in the sky.
In the doctrine of the Buddha.
The villages of the king.
The birds from the tree.
The horse on the path.
Remark. In translating these into Pali, the articles should be left out. There are no parallel equivalents to them in Pali. But it should be noted that the pronominal adjective "ta" (that) may be used for the definite article, and "eka" (one) for the indefinite. Both of them take the gender, number, and case of the nouns they qualify. (See §§46 and 48).
Conjugation of Verbs
10. There are three tenses, two voices, two numbers, and three persons in the conjugation of Pali verbs.
Tense
Vattamaanakaala = Present Tense
Atiitakaala = Past Tense
Anaagatakaala = Future Tense
Voice
Kattukaaraka = Active Voice
Kammakaaraka = Passive Voice
Person
Pa.thamapurisa = Third Person
Majjhimapurisa = Second Person
Uttamapurisa = First Person
The first person in English is third in Pali.
Numbers are similar to those of nouns.
11. There is no attempt to conjugate the Continuous, Perfect, and Perfect Continuous tenses in Pali; therefore only the indefinite forms are given here.
Conjugation of the Root Paca (to cook)
12. Indicative, Present Active Voice
PersonSingularPlural
Third(So) pacati = he cooks(Te) pacanti = they cook
Second(Tva.m) pacasi = thou cookest(Tumhe) pacatha = you cook
First(Aha.m) pacaami = I cook(Maya.m) pacaama = we cook
13. The base bhava (to be) from the root bhuu is similarly conjugated.
PersonSingularPlural
Third(So) bhavati = he is(Te) bhavanti = they are
Second(Tva.m) bhavasi = thou art(Tumhe) bhavatha = you are
First(Aha.m) bhavaami = I am(Maya.m) bhavaama = we are
The following are conjugated similarly:-
gacchati = goes
ti.t.thati = stands
nisiidati = sits
sayati = sleeps
carati = walks
dhaavati = runs
passati = sees
bhu~njati = eats
bhaasati = says
harati = carries
aaharati = brings
kii.lati = plays
vasati = lives
hanati = kills
aaruhati = ascends
hasati = laughs
yaacati = begs
Exercise 3
Suggested Solutions
Translate into English
Naraa suriya.m passanti.
Go.naa paasaa.ne ti.t.thanti.
Manusso gaame carati.
Saku.no rukkhe nisiidati.
Buddho dhamma.m bhaasati.
Aha.m diipa.m aaharaami.
Maya.m go.ne haraama.
Sa`ngho gaama.m gacchati.
Tva.m siiha.m passasi.
Bhuupaalaa asse aaruhanti.
Devaa aakaasena gacchanti.
Assaa diipesu dhaavanti.
Tva.m paadehi carasi.
Tumhe hatthehi haratha.
Maya.m loke vasaama.
Sunakhaa vaanarehi ki.lanti.
Puriso ma~nce sayati.
Varaahaa ajehi vasanti.
Siihaa saku.ne hananti.
Sunakhaa gaame caranti.
Translate into Pali
The horse stands on the rock.
The goats walk in the village.
You see the sun.
The moon rises in the sky.
The men sleep in beds.
The oxen run from the lion.
People live in the world.
Thou bringest a lamp.
We live in an island.
Thou art a king.
You see the bird on the tree.
The monkey plays with the pig.
The king kills a lion.
The deity walks in the sky.
Trees are in the island.
He carries the lamp.
We see the body of the man.
We eat with the hands.
Copy by tetkathol sarthinthar
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