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Tense

Lein "Today we've come to the beach! The sea is huge! Hey, what are you doing, Shion?"
Shion "Uh... I just thought your legs were thin. I wish I were you"
Lein "Okay..."
Shion "You know, it's "xion in lein". Shion sees Lein. We did that before, didn't we? You said Arka is an SVO language"
Lein "Yeah, SVO. And adjectives come after nouns. You remember that?"



What do you say when you mean "Shion saw Lein," then?



It's a past tense. In English, "-ed" is attached to a verb while a verb is followed by "-at" in Arka.



So, "Shion saw Lein" becomes "xion inat lein," I think.
Arka is easier on this point because you don't have to memorize the past form, "saw." There's no exceptions?



Let me see... Oh, you have to attach "-t" instead of "-at" when a verb ends up with a vowel.
Xa means "to be somewhere." This verb ends up with a vowel, so you have to attach "-t" to it. "Xat" means "was somewhere."



To avoid a vowel hiatus?
Are there other suffixes like "-at"?



When you want to make a progressive aspect, you need to attach "-or" to a verb. "Axt" is "to write" and "axtor" is "be writing."
If a verb ends up with a vowel, you have to attach only "-r," not "-or." "Ena" is "to cry" and "enar" is "be crying."



Arka isn't similar to English on how to make progressive forms.
"-Or" makes progressive forms. I think you're going to mention the perfect form next.



Good guess! You have to attach "-ik" to a verb to make a perfect form.
"Axtik" means "have written."
If a verb ends up with a vowel, you have to make the suffix "-k."



"-At" makes past tenses. "-Or" makes progressive forms. And "-ik" makes perfect forms.
Wait, how do you express the future?



We don't express the future by using a suffix.
I'll mention that next time.







By the way, Lein, which sea are we now?



Um, we're in Kateej which is located in the south of Arna, the capital city...



Actually we are in Shizuoka prefecture and you know it :-7



OK, I told a little white lie!