Disclaimer

Sindarin is a complex language with limited examples to guide us, especially for certain verb tenses. The information provided here represents our best interpretations based on the available material. However, some aspects may not be entirely accurate, and there could be mistakes or misinterpretations of the rules.

I am not an expert, but I have a general understanding of how Sindarin works. It is important for anyone studying this material to double-check the information and compare it with other reliable sources. Language learning is a journey, and accuracy improves as we learn more.

Present Tense: How to Conjugate Sindarin i-Stem Verbs

Step 1: Determine if the Verb is MONOSYLLABIC or POLYSYLLABIC

1a: MONOSYLLABIC (one syllable)

Example: bal- (meaning "have power")

• What to do:
  • Lengthen the stem vowel:
    • a → â
    • e → ê
    • i → î
    • o → ô
    • u → û
  • Important: The stem vowel does NOT change for the infinitive, imperative, gerund, and active present participle forms.
• Example: bal- ("have power") becomes bâl- ("have power")

1b: POLYSYLLABIC (two or more syllables)

Example: abgen- (meaning "foresee, expect")

• What to do:
  • Change the vowels as follows:
    • a → e
    • e → e (no change)
    • i → i (no change)
    • o → e
  • Note: In the 3rd person singular form, the verb does not change and stays the same as the base form.
• Example: abgen- ("foresee, expect") becomes ebgen- ("foresee, expect")

Step 2: Apply Vowel Changes for Monosyllabic Verbs in Specific Forms

For the following forms, change the vowels like this:

• a → e
• e → e (no change)
• i → i (no change)
• o → e

Forms affected:

• 1st person singular (I)
• 1st person plural (We)
• 2nd person singular polite (You - formal)
• 2nd person plural polite (You - formal, plural)
• 2nd person singular familiar (You - informal)

Example: bal- ("have power") becomes bel-

Step 3: Add the Correct Ending (Pronominal Suffix) to the Stem

Use these endings to form the conjugated verb:

• 1st person singular: -in (I)
• 1st person plural exclusive: -if (We, excluding listener)
• 1st person plural inclusive: -ib (We, including listener)
• 2nd person polite singular: -il (You - formal)
• 2nd person polite plural: -idh (You - formal, plural)
• 2nd person familiar singular: -ig (You - informal)
• 3rd person singular: Monosyllabic: Lengthen the vowel; Polysyllabic: Change vowel as per Step 1b.
• 3rd person plural: -ir (They)
• Infinitive: -ed
• Imperative: -o
• Gerund: -ed
• Active present participle: -el
• Active past participle:
  • Add -iel to the stem.
  • If the stem vowel is not before a consonant cluster, it lengthens:
    • a → á
    • e → é
    • o → ó
    • i → í
    • u → ú
    Examples: cíniel (from cen-), núríel (from nor-)
  • If the stem vowel is before a consonant cluster, apply internal i-affection:
    • a, o → e
    Example: ebgíniel (from abgen-)

Final Conjugation:

Combine the modified or lengthened stem with the correct ending to form the conjugated verb.