Bengali edit

Etymology edit

Inherited from Prakrit 𑀆𑀘𑁆𑀙𑀇 (ācchaï), from Sanskrit आक्षेति (ākṣeti), a compound of आ- (ā-) + क्षेति (kṣeti, to live), from Proto-Indo-Aryan *ṭṣáyti, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *ćšáyti, from Proto-Indo-European *tḱéyti (to live), from *teḱ- (to sire, beget) +‎ *-éyti (present suffix).

Cognate with Sylheti ꠀꠍꠦ (asé), Assamese আছে (ase), Gujarati છે (che), Hindi अछना (achnā).

Pronunciation edit

Verb edit

আছ- (ach-)

  1. to have; to possess
    আমার একটা কুকুর আছে
    amar ekṭa kukur ache.
    I have a dog.
    তার অনেক বন্ধু ছিল
    tar onek bondhu chilo.
    He/she had many friends.
  2. there be; to exist
    ওদের গাড়িতে অনেক জায়গা ছিল
    ōder gaṛite onek jaẏga chilo.
    There was lots of room in their car.
    এখানে কি কোনো নিয়ম কানুন আছে?
    ekhane ki kōnō niẏom kanun ache?
    Are there any rules around here?
  3. to be (somewhere)
    আমি বাড়িতে আছিami baṛite achi.I am at home.
    তুমি কোথায় ছিলে?tumi kōthaẏ chile?Where were you?
  4. to be (in a state)
    সে কেমন আছে?śe kemon ache?How is he/she?
    ঘরটা পরিষ্কার ছিল?ghorṭa poriśkar chilo?Was the room clean?

Usage notes edit

আছ- (ach-) is an irregular verb that isn't used in all tenses.

In the present tense, আছ- (ach-) is often omitted. It is only required in questions formed using sense 2 and in certain fixed expressions such as:

  • কেমন আছ?kemon acho?how are you?
  • ভাল আছিbhalo achiI am well
  • ঠিক আছেṭhik acheit's okay

The negative form of আছ- (ach-) in the present tense is নাই (nai).

In the past tense, আছ- (ach-) is required and cannot be dropped (unless another word clearly specifies the time frame). Its negative form is the regular আছ- না (ach- na).

In the future tense (and all other tenses), থাকা (thaka) is used instead of আছ- (ach-).

Conjugation edit