🌿 Pali Lesson | Gerund / Absolutive (-tvā form) — Not Your English Gerund!
Hello Dhamma friends!
Today, let’s explore an important grammatical form in Pāli: the Gerund, also called the Absolutive. But beware — it’s not the same as the English gerund!
What is the Pāli Gerund?
It’s formed from a verb root or verbal base plus the suffix -tvā (sometimes preceded by the connecting vowel -i-).
It’s an indeclinable, meaning it doesn’t change form for case, number, or gender.
It expresses completed action—“having done” something—before the main verb in a sentence.
It’s used to show a sequence of events.
How to form the Gerund:
Root / verbal base + (i) + tvā = having done
The Pāli gerund is formed by taking the root or verbal base of a verb, sometimes adding the connecting vowel “i,” and then adding the suffix “tvā.” This construction expresses the meaning “having done” the action denoted by the verb.
For example, from the verb pacati (to cook), we get pacitvā, meaning “having cooked.” From paṭhati (to read), it becomes paṭhitvā (“having read”), and from bhuñjati (to eat), it is bhuñjitvā (“having eaten”).
Similarly, gacchati (to go) forms gacchitvā (“having gone”), nisīdati (to sit) forms nisīditvā (“having sat”), kiṇāti (to buy) becomes kiṇitvā (“having bought”), and suṇāti (to hear) becomes suṇitvā (“having heard”).
Other examples include karoti (to do) turning into karitvā (“having done”), deseti (to teach) becoming desetvā (“having taught”), and cinteti (to think) becoming cintetvā (“having thought”). This gerund form is indeclinable and shows a completed action prior to the main verb in a sentence.
Usage: How it functions in sentences
The gerund describes an action already completed before the main action occurs — much like "having done" in English, but often just translated naturally as a sequence without the explicit “having.”
Sample sentences with Gerund
Kassako bhattaṃ pacitvā putte pakkosati.
The farmer, having cooked the rice, calls his son.Vihāraṃ gacchitvā buddhaṃ vandissāma.
Having gone to the monastery, we will pay homage to the Buddha.Kumārā uyyānamhi sannipatitvā mittehi saddhiṃ kīḷanti.
The boys, having gathered in the park, play together with their friends.Dārako gehaṃ pavisitvā khīraṃ yācati.
The child, having entered the house, asks for milk.Rukkhesu phalāni passitvā kumārā rukkhe āruhissanti.
Having seen the fruits on the trees, the boys will climb the tree.
More examples showing sequences:
Kassako khettamhā gehaṃ āgacchitvā nahāyitvā bhattaṃ bhuñjati.
The farmer, having come home from the field and bathed, eats his meal.Vāṇijā nagarasmā bhaṇḍāni āharitvā tāni gāme vikkiṇissanti.
The merchant, having brought the goods from the city, will sell them in the village.Bhūpālo pāsādā nikkhamitvā assaṃ āruhitvā vihāraṃ gamissati.
The king, having left the palace and mounted his elephant, will go to the monastery.Samaṇe nimantetvā vanditvā dānāni dadissāmi.
Having invited the ascetic and paid respects, I will give gifts.Vihāraṃ gacchitvā bhikkhunā dhammaṃ suṇitvā upāsakā modiṃsu.
Having gone to the monastery and listened to the Dhamma from the monk, the lay devotees rejoiced.
Why is this useful?
The gerund is essential to express multiple related actions in sequence clearly and smoothly — a common style in the Suttas to describe day-to-day events or spiritual progress.
Challenge for you!
Try making your own sentences using the gerund with verbs you know! Comment below with your examples or questions.