Special potential forms are used to add a modal meaning to a verb in the present tense, the future tense, the past tense with the imperfective or perfective aspect, and the present tense in the subjunctive mood or the conditional desirable mood.
Present Potential Forms
The present potential form is a combination of a potential participle (see Potential Participle) and the subjunctive form of the verb "to become" - کېدٌل:
|
Person |
Singular Number |
Plural Number |
||
|
Affirmative |
Negative |
Affirmative |
Negative |
|
|
First |
"I can go" - زٌه تْلای شٌم |
"I cannot go" - زٌه تْلای نَه شٌم |
"we can go" - مُوږ تْلای شُو |
"we cannot go" - مُوږ تْلای نَه شُو |
|
Second |
"you can go" - تٌه تْلای شې |
"you cannot go" - تٌه تْلای نَه شې |
"you can go" - تاسی تْلای شۍ |
"you cannot go" - تاسی تْلای نَه شۍ |
|
Third |
"he can go" - دَی تْلای شى "she can go" - دا تلای شى |
"he cannot go" - دَی تْلای نَه شى "she cannot go" - دا تلای نَه شى |
"they can go" - دُوی تْلای شى |
"they cannot go" - دُوی تْلای نَه شى |
Future Imperfective Potential Forms
Verbs in the future imperfective potential form express the possibility of doing something in the future. This verb form can be translated into English with the modal verbs "can" or "to be going" + a verb in the simple future tense. It is a combination of the present potential form and the particle بٌه . The particle is inserted before the subjunctive form of the verb "to become" in affirmative sentence and before the negative particle "not" - نَه in a negative sentence.
"You will read this book in one day." - تاسی بٌه دا کِتاب پٌه یوَه وْرَڂ کی لْوَسْتٌلای شۍ .
تاسی بٌه دا کِتاب پٌه یوَه وْرَڂ کی لْوَسْتٌلای نَه شۍ .
"You will not read this book in one day."
or
تاسی بٌه دا کِتاب پٌه یوَه وْرَڂ کی نَه شۍ لْوَسْتٌلای .
Past Imperfective Potential Forms
Verbs in the past imperfective potential form express possible not completed actions in the past. This verb form can be translated into English as "could" + verb. It is a combination of the potential participle and the past perfective form of the verb "to become" - کېدٌل :
|
Person |
Singular Number |
Plural Number |
||
|
Affirmative |
Negative |
Affirmative |
Negative |
|
|
First |
"I could go" - زٌه تْلای شْوٌم |
"I could not go" - زٌه تْلای نَه شْوٌم |
"we could go" - مُوږ تْلای شْوُو |
"we could not go" - مُوږ تْلای نَه شْوُو |
|
Second |
"you could go" - تٌه تْلای شوې |
"you could not go" - تٌه تْلای نَه شْوې |
"you could go" - تاسی تْلای شوۍ |
"you could not go" - تاسی تْلای نَه شْوۍ |
|
Third |
"he could go" - دَی تْلای شُو "she could go" - دا تلای شْوَه |
"he could not go" - دَی تْلای نَه شُو "she could not go" - دا تلای نَه شْوَه |
"they (men) could go" - دُوی تْلای شْوٌل |
"they (women) could not go" - دُوی تْلای نَه شْوٌلې |
Past Imperfective Narrative Potential Forms
Verbs in the past imperfective narrative potential form can be translated into English as "could" + verb. This form is a combination of the past imperfective potential form and the particle بٌه . Negative forms are produced by adding the negative particle "not" - نَه .
"I often could go to my village." - زٌه بٌه زْما کٌلى تَه تْلای شْوٌم .
"I often could not go to my village." - زٌه بٌه زْما کٌلى تَه تْلای نَه شْوٌم.
Past Perfective Potential Forms
Verbs in the past perfective potential form are a combination of the potential participle with the prefix [wu-] وُ and the past perfective form of the verb "to become" - کېدٌل . They can be translated into English as "could" + verb. Intransitive denominative verbs, verbs which use suffixes, and verbs such as "to become" - کېدٌل , "to go" - تْلٌل , and "to come" - راتْلٌل do not have this verb form.
|
Person |
Singular Number |
Plural Number |
|
First |
"I could arrive" - زٌه وُرَسېدٌلای شْوٌم |
"we could arrive" - مُوږ وُرَسېدٌلای شْوُو |
|
Second |
"you could arrive" - تٌه وُرَسېدٌلای شوې |
"you could arrive" - تاسی وُرَسېدٌلای شْوۍ |
|
Third |
"he could arrive" - دَی وُرَسېدٌلای شُو "she could arrive" - دا وُرَسېدٌلای شْوَه |
"they (men) could arrive" - دُوی وُرَسېدٌلای شْوٌل "they (women) could arrive" - دُوی وُرَسېدٌلای شْوٌلې |
Future perfective potential forms
Verbs in the future perfective potential form express possible completed actions in the future. This form is a combination of the potential participle with the prefix [wu-] وُ- , a subjunctive form of the verb "to become" - کېدٌل , and the particle بٌه .
"I can write this letter tomorrow." - زٌه بٌه سَبا دَغَه لیک وُلیکٌلای شٌم.
"I cannot write this letter tomorrow." - زٌه بٌه سَبا دَغَه لیک وُلیکٌلای نَه شٌم.
Subjunctive Potential Forms
Verbs in the subjunctive potential form are a combination of the potential participle and a subjunctive form of the verb "to become" - کېدٌل :
"I am sure I can see him." - زٌه ډاډَه یٌم چی لېدٌلای یی شٌم.
"I am sure I cannot see him." - زٌه ډاډَه یٌم چی لېدٌلای یی نَه شٌم.
Conditional Desirable Potential Forms
Verbs in the conditional desirable potential form are a combination of a potential participle and the potential participle of the verb "to become" - کېدٌل for all persons :
کَه ما کَرۍ وْرَڂ لْوَسْتٌلای شْوای زٌه بٌه ټُول کِتابُونَه وُلْوَلٌم.
"If I could read all day, I would read all the books."
See Also: