Supplement 2: Complete Verb Paradigm Reference

Master reference for all Sindarin verb conjugation: all 12 verb classes, all tenses/moods, all 9 persons — with full tables for model verbs and notes on scholarly disagreements.

Using This Reference

This supplement is a master reference document, not a lesson. It assumes you have completed Lessons 17–22 (verbs: present, past, intransitive, future, conditional, irregular) and want a single place to look up complete paradigms. Use it alongside those lessons rather than as a substitute for them.

All paradigms here follow the RealElvish Academy / Strack reconstruction as the primary framework, with Jallings' Learning Sindarin as a secondary source, unless a specific note says otherwise. Where scholars disagree, the disagreement is flagged and a working recommendation given. All forms not directly attested in Tolkien's writings are marked ᴺS. (Neo-Sindarin reconstruction).

How to find what you need:

  • For a specific verb: see the Verb Lookup Table (Section 9)
  • For full paradigms of a verb class: see Sections 3–6
  • For tense markers only: see the Quick Reference Table (Section 8)
  • For information on scholarly disagreements: see Section 7

A note on notation: S. = directly attested in Tolkien; N. = attested in Noldorin (earlier form of Sindarin); ᴺS. = Neo-Sindarin reconstruction; before a note = source information.


The 12 Verb Classes

Sindarin verbs divide into two broad groups — Primary (P) verbs and Derived (A/D) verbs — and then into finer subclasses based on the root's final consonant and derivational history.

Class Name Description Key Examples
P1 Primary, stop-final Root ends in voiceless or voiced stop (p, t, c, b, d, g) ped- (speak), cab- (leap), dag- (slay), mat- (eat)
P2 Primary, nasal/fricative-final Root ends in nasal (m, n) or fricative (f, v, s, h) haf- (sit), hen- (eye → see)
P3 Primary, liquid-final Root ends in l or r hal- (lift), pel- (fade)
A1 Analogical from P1 voiced P1 verb extended by analogy; historically voiced-root sog- (drink)
A1a Analogical from P1 voiceless P1 verb extended; historically voiceless-root tob- (cover)
A2 Analogical from P2 Nasal/fricative root extended analogically draf- (hew)
A3 Analogical from P3 Liquid root with analogical extension gar- (hold, have)
A3a Analogical from P3 (polysyllabic) Longer A3 roots trenar- (recount)
D1 Derived transitive (-a) Verb formed from noun/adj; active/transitive meaning teitha- (write), linna- (sing), noro- (run)
D2 Derived intransitive (-a) Verb formed with stative/intransitive meaning muda- (labor), esta- (call, name)
D2a Causative with strong past Special causative D-class verbs nimmid- (whiten), orthad- (raise)
D3 Derived, vowel-strengthening Irregular derived verbs, often from ancient complex roots anna- (give), elia- (rain)

Primary vs. Derived: The Core Distinction

Primary verbs have roots that end in a consonant and typically have one syllable in their uninflected stem form: ped-, cab-, mat-. Their past tense is formed by nasal infixion — a nasal consonant is inserted before the final consonant of the root. This is an ancient formation, cognate with the nasal presents in Quenya.

Derived verbs have roots ending in -a (though this -a is sometimes obscured) and typically come from nouns, adjectives, or more complex verbal roots. Their past tense is formed by the -ant suffix (for D1/D2) or by irregular vowel alternation (D3). The suffix -ant is itself an old formation (related to the participial -ant of IE languages).


Complete Paradigm: Class P1 — ped- (to speak)

ped- is the model P1 verb. Its root ends in -d, a voiced dental stop. Attested forms include pedo! (speak!) and pedin (I speak) from the Doors of Durin inscription.

Aorist (Simple Present / General Statement)

The aorist expresses habitual, general, or timeless actions: "I speak (in general)," "she speaks (habitually)," "speaking is what we do."

Formation: personal suffix attached directly to the stem. In P1 verbs, the stem vowel lengthens in the 3rd person singular (the "bare" form).

Person Form Translation Notes
1sg pedin I speak ← S. attested (Doors of Durin)
2sg familiar pediгpedigl (debate; see §7) you speak (intimate) ᴺS.
2sg polite pedil you speak (formal) ᴺS.
2sg archaic formal pedidh you speak (very formal/poetic) ᴺS.
3sg pêd he/she/it speaks ᴺS.; note vowel length: eê
1pl exclusive pedif we speak (not you) ᴺS.
1pl inclusive pedib we speak (including you) ᴺS.
2pl pedidhir you all speak ᴺS.
3pl pedir they speak ᴺS.

The 3sg vowel lengthening (eê) is a regular feature of P-class aorists: the bare 3sg form represents the root in its "strong" grade, with a long vowel. This is analogous to the strong/weak grade alternation in older Germanic and Indo-European verbs.

Continuative Present (Progressive)

The continuative present expresses an ongoing action: "I am speaking right now," "she is running at this moment." It is formed with a long vowel in the stem (same lengthening as 3sg aorist) plus the -a ending, followed by personal suffixes.

Person Form Translation
1sg pêdon I am speaking
2sg familiar pêdog you are speaking
2sg polite pêdol you are speaking (formal)
3sg pêda he/she/it is speaking
1pl exclusive pêdof we are speaking
1pl inclusive pêdob we are speaking (incl.)
3pl pêdar they are speaking

All forms here are ᴺS. The pattern is consistent and well-supported by analogy with attested D1 verbs.

Past Tense (Nasal Infixion)

P1 verbs form their past by inserting a nasal consonant immediately before the final consonant of the root. The nasal matches the place of articulation of the stop:

  • -d (dental) → insert -n-: ped-penn-
  • -b (bilabial) → insert -m-: cab-camm-camp-
  • -g (velar) → insert -ŋ-: dag-daŋg-danc (with final cluster simplification)
  • -t (dental) → insert -n-: mat-mant-

The final consonant may also change: -d + nasal → -nn- (with doubling and then the consonant may harden). The exact mechanism varies by the specific stop.

Person Form Translation Notes
1sg pennin I spoke ᴺS.
2sg familiar pennich you spoke ᴺS.
2sg polite pennil you spoke (formal) ᴺS.
3sg pent he/she spoke ᴺS. (cf. attested ment from men- perhaps)
1pl exclusive pennim we spoke ᴺS.
1pl inclusive pennib we spoke (incl.) ᴺS.
3pl pennir they spoke ᴺS.

The 1sg suffix -in (past) vs. -in (aorist) can appear identical — context disambiguates, and stress may differ in speech.

Future Tense (-itha- infix)

The future is formed by inserting -itha- into the verb between the stem and the personal suffixes. This -itha- is an ancient formation, possibly related to a suffix marking prospective aspect.

Person Form Translation
1sg pedithon I will speak
2sg familiar pedithog you will speak
2sg polite pedithol you will speak (formal)
3sg peditha he/she will speak
1pl exclusive pedithof we will speak (excl.)
1pl inclusive pedithob we will speak (incl.)
3pl pedithar they will speak

All future forms are ᴺS., but the pattern is supported by analogy with D-class futures (see linnathon, nathon) and is widely used in Neo-Sindarin composition.

Non-Finite Forms

Form Surface form Translation Notes
Infinitive / Gerund peded (to) speak; speaking ᴺS.; reduplication of stem
Imperative 2sg pedo! Speak! ← S. attested (Doors of Durin)
Imperative 2pl pedof! or pedodh! Speak! (all of you) ᴺS.
Continuative active participle pedel speaking (ongoing) ᴺS.
Perfective active participle pídiel having spoken ᴺS.; uses long vowel + -iel
Passive participle sg. pennen spoken ᴺS.; nasal infix + -en
Passive participle pl. pennin spoken (pl.) ᴺS.; i-affection of pennen

The perfective active participle ending in -iel is one of the richest participial forms, used in compounds like palan-díriel (having gazed afar) in A Elbereth. Its formation: strong-grade stem vowel → lengthened, add -iel (from -iell < -ielle < participial suffix + -i vowel).


Complete Paradigm: Class D1 — teitha- (to write)

teitha- is the model D1 (derived transitive) verb. Its past tense in 3sg is directly attested: teithant i thiw hin "wrote these signs" (Doors of Durin). This makes it the best-anchored verb in the entire paradigm.

Aorist (D1 verbs)

For D-class verbs, the aorist and continuative present 3sg are identical — both are simply the -a stem with no additional suffix for the 3sg. Other persons add suffixes.

Person Form Translation Notes
1sg teithan I write ᴺS.
2sg familiar teithag you write ᴺS.
2sg polite teithal you write (formal) ᴺS.
3sg teitha he/she writes ᴺS. (same as continuative!)
1pl exclusive teithaf we write ᴺS.
1pl inclusive teithab we write (incl.) ᴺS.
2pl teithadhir you all write ᴺS.
3pl teithar they write ᴺS.

Continuative Present (D1 verbs)

Since the -a ending is already present in the stem, D1 verbs do not add a further -a infix for the continuative. The 3sg form teitha serves double duty. Context and adverbs ( "now" for continuative, nef "already" etc.) distinguish the two when needed.

Past Tense (D1 verbs — -ant formation)

D1 and D2 verbs form their past with the -ant suffix (3sg) and related forms for other persons:

Person Form Translation Notes
1sg teithannen I wrote ᴺS.
2sg familiar teithannech you wrote ᴺS.
2sg polite teithannel you wrote (formal) ᴺS.
3sg teithant he/she wrote S. attested (Doors of Durin inscription)
1pl teithannem we wrote ᴺS.
1pl incl. teithanneb we wrote (incl.) ᴺS.
3pl teithanner they wrote ᴺS.

The -nn- in non-3sg forms comes from the -ant suffix's -n combining with the personal suffix's nasal onset: -ant + -en (1sg) → -ann-en with vowel adjustment.

Future Tense (D1 verbs — -atha- infix)

Derived verbs use -atha- (vs. primary verbs' -itha-):

Person Form Translation Notes
1sg teithathon I will write ᴺS.; cf. linnathon ← S. attested
2sg polite teithathol you will write ᴺS.
3sg teithatha he/she will write ᴺS.
1pl teithathom we will write ᴺS.
3pl teithathar they will write ᴺS.

Key anchor: linnathon "I will sing" (1sg future of linna-) is directly attested in A Elbereth Gilthoniel line 6. This confirms the -atha- + -on (1sg) future pattern for D1 verbs beyond any doubt.

Non-Finite Forms (D1 verbs)

Form Surface form Translation Notes
Infinitive / Gerund teithad (to) write; writing ᴺS.; stem + -d (gerund suffix)
Imperative 2sg teitho! Write! ᴺS.; stem loses -a, adds -o
Active participle teithol writing (ongoing) ᴺS.; stem + -ol
Perfective participle teithiel having written ᴺS.; stem + -iel
Passive participle sg. teithannen written ᴺS.; -ant root + -en
Passive participle pl. teithennin written (pl.) ᴺS.; i-affection of teithannen

Complete Paradigm: Class D3 — anna- (to give)

anna- is classified D3 because its past tense does not follow the regular -ant pattern of D1/D2 but instead shows vowel alternation — an ancient "strong" past formation. It is the most important irregular verb in Sindarin after na- (to be).

Aorist (anna-)

Person Form Translation
1sg annan I give
2sg familiar annag you give
2sg polite annal you give (formal)
3sg anna he/she gives
1pl annam we give
1pl incl. annab we give (incl.)
3pl annar they give

Past Tense (anna- — irregular)

Person Form Source / Notes
1sg ónen S. attested (LotR Appendix A, Gilraen's linnod: Ónen i-Estel Edain)
2sg ónech (fam.) / ónel (pol.) ᴺS. by analogy
3sg aun S. attested VT44/21 (Tolkien's own note)
1pl ónem ᴺS.
3pl óner ᴺS.

The vowel alternation: aorist stem anna- (short a), past ón- / au- (long vowel, different quality). This is a suppletive strong past, where the past tense comes from a different grade of the root. The 1sg ónen vs. 3sg aun shows person-specific variation in the past stem, analogous to how Germanic strong verbs sometimes show different vowels in 1sg vs. 3sg past.

Future (anna-)

Person Form Translation
1sg annathon I will give
3sg annatha he/she will give
3pl annathar they will give

All ᴺS.; follows regular D-class future pattern with -atha- infix.


Complete Paradigm: na- (to be)

The verb "to be" is universally irregular in languages, and Sindarin is no exception. na- has several directly attested forms, making it the best-documented verb in the language despite its irregularity.

Tense / Form Person Sindarin Source
Present 3sg ← S. PE17, various texts
Present 1sg nân ᴺS. (by analogy: + -n)
Present 2sg fam. nâg ᴺS.
Present 2sg pol. nâl ᴺS.
Present 1pl nâm ᴺS.
Present 3pl nâr ᴺS.
Past 3sg nant ← S. PE17/68
Past 1sg nannen ᴺS.
Past 3pl nanner ᴺS.
Future 3sg natha ← S. PE17/68 (attested in "it will be")
Future 1sg nathon ← S. (by analogy with linnathon; also semi-attested)
Future 1pl nathom ᴺS.
Imperative 2sg no! ← S. attested (found in Navaer and related texts)
Conditional naen ← S. or ᴺS.; "it would be / I wish it were"
Gerund/Inf. nad ᴺS.; "being"

Note on as a copula: In Sindarin, the copula can often be omitted, especially in predicative constructions with adjectives. Aran Aragorn "Aragorn [is] king" is grammatical without . The copula is most necessary with pronouns (Im nân Aragorn "I am Aragorn") and in formal/emphatic contexts.

Note on no!: The imperative no! is used in wishes and blessings: Navaer = no vaer = "be well" (farewell; literally "be good/safe"). This shows na- imperative + maer (good) with soft mutation: mv.


Competing Reconstructions: The 2nd Person Suffix Debate

The 2nd person verb suffixes are the single most debated point in Neo-Sindarin verb paradigms. Tolkien left insufficient data to settle the question definitively, and different scholars have reconstructed differently.

Scholar / Source 2sg familiar 2sg polite 2pl Basis
Derdzinski (elvish.org/gwaith) -ch -l -dhir CE analogy, conservative
Strack (RealElvish Academy) -g -l -dhir Noldorin attestations
Jallings (2017 textbook) -g -l -dhir Strack + own analysis
Neo-Sindarin Grammar (sindarin.elvish.nz) -g -l, -dh alt. -dhir Broad attestation survey
Bertrand (older reconstruction) -ch -dh -ir Different CE reading

Working recommendation: Use -g (2sg familiar) and -l (2sg polite). These are the most widely accepted forms across the major active Neo-Sindarin composition communities as of 2024–2025. The -ch (familiar) form appears in older texts and some translations made before 2010; if you read those, recognize -ch as a valid older convention rather than an error.

The distinction between familiar and polite is meaningful in Sindarin:

  • Familiar (-g): Used between equals, friends, intimates, family members; also used when addressing children, animals, or social inferiors
  • Polite (-l): Used to show respect, when addressing elders, lords, strangers until relationship is established; the unmarked default in formal contexts

Le (reverential 2sg pronoun) typically co-occurs with polite verb forms.


Quick Reference: All Tense Markers

Tense Marker Applies to Example
Aorist (P-class) Personal suffix directly on stem P1, P2, P3 ped- + -inpedin
Aorist 3sg (P-class) Long vowel in stem (no suffix) P1, P2, P3 ped-pêd
Continuative present (P-class) Long stem vowel + -a- + suffix P1, P2, P3 pêd- + -apêda (3sg)
Aorist / Cont. pres. 3sg (D-class) Bare -a stem (ambiguous) D1, D2, D3 teitha = aorist 3sg AND cont. pres. 3sg
Aorist other persons (D-class) -a stem + personal suffix D1, D2, D3 teith-a- + -nteithan (1sg)
Past (P-class) Nasal infix before final cons. P1, P2, P3 ped-penn- + past suffixes
Past 3sg (P-class) Nasal infix + -t (voiceless final becomes -t) P1 stop-final ped-pent
Past (D1/D2) -ant suffix (3sg) / -(ann)en etc. (others) D1, D2 teithant, teithannen
Past (D3) Vowel alternation / strong past D3 only anna-aun/ónen
Past (D2a causative) -(n)t suffix with consonant mutation D2a nimmid-nimmint
Future (P-class) -itha- infix P1, P2, P3 peditha-pedithon (1sg)
Future (D-class) -atha- infix D1, D2, D3 teithatha-teithathon (1sg)
Conditional aen particle + present All aen pedin "I would speak"
Optative / wish no + adjective / avo + verb Special Navaer, Avo garo

Verb Lookup Table: 50 Common Sindarin Verbs

For each verb: English meaning, verb class, aorist 3sg, past 3sg, and future 1sg are given. Bold = directly attested form. ᴺS. = reconstruction.

Verb English Class Aorist 3sg Past 3sg Future 1sg
anna- give D3 anna aun annathon
awartha- forsake, abandon D1 awartha awarthant awarthathon
boe it is necessary (impersonal) invariable boe
brenia- endure D1 brenia breniant breniathon
cab- leap P1 câb camp cabithon
car- do, make P1 câr agor garithon
cen- see P1 cên cennen cenithon
dag- slay A1a dâg danc dagithon
dago- slay (derived) D1 dago dagant dagathon
dartha- stay, wait D1 dartha darthant darthathon
dir- gaze, look steadily P1 dîr dirn dirithon
edro- open D1 (from edr-) edra edrant edrathon
eglerio- glorify, praise D1 eglerio egleriant egleriathon
esta- call, name D2 esta estant estathon
fara- hunt D1 fara farant farathon
gal- shine P3 gâl gaul galithon
gar- hold, have A3 gâr garant garithon
gir- shudder P1 gîr girn girithon
glir- sing, recite P1 glîr glirn glirithon
gova- meet D1 gova govant govathon
hal- lift, raise P3 hâl haul halithon
heb- keep, retain P1 hêb hebin (reconstructed past part.) hebithon
linna- sing D1 linna linnant linnathon
mat- eat P1 mât mant matithon
men- go, proceed P2/P3 mên ment menithon
na- be irreg. nant nathon
nalla- cry out D1 nalla nallant nallathon
nen- flow (of water) P2 nên
nimmida- whiten D2a nimmida nimmidant nimmidathon
nor- run (of horses esp.) P3 nôr norol ? norithon
noro- run (derived form) D1 noro norant norathon
ped- speak P1 pêd pent pedithon
peleth- wither, fade D1 (from pel-) peleth pelethant pelethathon
prestanno- affect, disturb D1 prestanno prestannant prestannathon
ritha- jerk, twitch D1 ritha rithant rithathon
sog- drink A1 sôg sunc sogithon
teitha- write, draw D1 teitha teithant teithathon
tir- watch, guard P1 tîr tirn tirithon
tol- come P3/irreg. tôl tollen tolthon
trenor- tell a tale, recount A3a trenor trenorant trenorathon
tur- wield, govern P1 tûr turn turithon

Special irregular forms to memorize:

  • car- "make/do" past 3sg is agor (not *cant) — suppletive past from a different grade ← attested
  • mant "ate" ← directly attested (Tolkien uses it in linguistic notes)
  • ónen "I gave" ← directly attested (Gilraen's linnod in LotR)
  • aun "gave" (3sg past) ← attested VT44
  • teithant "wrote" ← attested (Doors of Durin)
  • linnathon "I will sing" ← attested (A Elbereth)
  • nathon "I will be" ← semi-attested / strongly supported

Verb Morphology: Special Topics

The e- Completive Prefix

The prefix e- (or ec- before consonants) appears on some past tense forms to indicate completed action rather than simply past action: echant "made/fashioned" (in the Doors of Durin: Im Narvi hain echant) uses e- + past of car-. The e- prefix seems to add a perfective or resultative nuance — not just "did" but "did and it was done/finished."

This prefix is productive in Neo-Sindarin composition for verbs where completion is semantically important: eteg (made/built, of permanent structures), eglenno (departed, with implication of finality).

The a- / o- Augment in Past Tense

Some verbs show a vowel augment (an added initial vowel) in the past tense, characteristic of a more ancient formation:

  • car- (do) → past agor (not *cart): the a- augment + gor (strong grade past)
  • tog- (bring) → past *antog or *odog: augment + past stem

These augment forms are relics of an older perfective formation (cognate with the Greek perfect augment e-). They appear mainly in the most common, ancient verbs.

Negated Verb Forms

Negation uses the prefix ú- (negating a single element) or al- (total negation / prohibition) or the particle avo (prohibitive "don't!"):

  • ú- + verb: the initial consonant of the verb undergoes soft mutation: ú- + ped-ú-bêd "does not speak"; ú- + ceninú-genin "I do not see"
  • al-: modifies the whole clause: alcarel "not having done it"
  • avo + imperative: Avo garo! "Don't do it!" (prohibition)

The ú- + soft mutation is attested: ú-chebin in Gilraen's linnod (ú- + hebin, with hch under the leniting effect of ú-... actually: ú- + h- initial → the h is already a fricative and lenites to ch? or: the form is simply ú- + the aspirated form. The exact mechanism of ú- + h is disputed; the attested form ú-chebin stands as data).


Notes on Reconstructing Unattested Verb Forms

When you need a verb form that is not in the lookup table above, follow this decision tree:

  1. Check Eldamo (eldamo.org) — the most comprehensive database of Tolkien's linguistic writings. Search for the English meaning and check all Sindarin/Noldorin entries.

  2. If a Noldorin (N.) cognate exists: Apply sound changes N. → S. to get a Neo-Sindarin form. Label ᴺS.[N.].

  3. If only a Quenya cognate exists: Identify the PE root from the Quenya form (using Eldamo's root entries), then apply Sindarin sound changes. This is more speculative. Label ᴺS.[Q.] with a note.

  4. If nothing exists: Consider:

    • Can you use a circumlocution with an attested verb? (iston "I know" instead of ᴺS.! *istog "I learn")
    • Can you use a D-class derived verb from an attested noun/adjective? (glas "joy" → glassa- "to rejoice" ᴺS.)
    • Is the concept necessary to express directly in Sindarin, or can the composition work around it?
  5. If you must coin a new form: Follow Sindarin phonotactics rigorously (see Supplement 5), mark it ᴺS.!, and consider consulting the Vinyë Lambengolmor Discord community before publishing.


All paradigm forms not explicitly labeled S. (attested Sindarin) are Neo-Sindarin reconstructions (ᴺS.) and should be labeled as such in any published composition. This reference follows the scholarly consensus as of 2025–2026 and may need updating as new Tolkien linguistic manuscripts are published.