Past Tense in Sinhala
Tense 2 of 3 — Past
Grammar Explanation
The past tense in Sinhala is used to describe actions that have already happened. Like the present tense, Sinhala follows Subject–Object–Verb (SOV) order. Past tense verbs typically end in -වා (-wa) or -ලා (-laa) depending on the verb class. The most common spoken ending is -වා after the verb root changes. Mastering this tense allows you to talk about completed events and tell stories.
📐 Sentence Structure
Subject + (Object) + Verb (past form, ends in -වා or -ලා)
🔤 Verb Endings
Common past endings: -වා (e.g., ගියා = went, කෑවා = ate, දුන්නා = gave). Some verbs use -ලා (e.g., ගෙනාවා = brought, කිව්වා = said).
Mama eeyee bath kaewa.
→ I ate rice yesterday.
Ohu paasalata giya.
→ He went to school.
Aeya lipiyak liwwa.
→ She wrote a letter.
Api sinamaawata giya.
→ We went to the cinema.
Lamaayaa hodaata nidaagaththa.
→ The child slept well.
Ammata kaema uyalaa dunna.
→ Mom cooked and gave food.
Owun geethayak kiwwa.
→ They sang a song.
Oya ayi aawe?
→ Why did you come?
Shishyayaa prashnayta uththara dunna.
→ The student answered the question.
Api gedarata ikmanin aawa.
→ We came home quickly.
Quick Tips
- ✓Past tense verbs do NOT require 'was/were' as helpers — the verb ending alone signals past tense.
- ✓Common past verb pairs: කනවා → කෑවා (eat→ate), යනවා → ගියා (go→went), බොනවා → බිව්වා (drink→drank).
- ✓Add 'ඊයේ' (eeyee = yesterday) or 'කලින්' (kalin = before/earlier) to make the time clear.
- ✓Verb forms change quite differently from present tense — you need to learn each past form.