past tense -nout ending

Discussion in 'Grammar & Pronunciation' started by dzurisova, Sep 23, 2009.

  1. dzurisova

    dzurisova Well-Known Member

    Is there a way to know when a verb ending in -nout will have the -nul ending or another.

    ex: odpočinout si = odpočinul si
    zapomenout = zapomeněl

    Is there some explanation to help or we must simply memorize the endings.
     
  2. bibax

    bibax Well-Known Member

    It is quite simple:

    1. if the root ends in a vocal, the past participle ends in -nul:

    mi-nouti: minul (root mi-)
    to-nouti: tonul (root to-)

    2. if the root ends in r, the past participle ends in -nul:

    hr-nouti: hrnul (root hr-)
    tr-nouti: trnul (root tr-)

    2. if the root consists merely of ONE consonant, the past participle ends in -nul:

    h-nouti: hnul (root h-)
    l-nouti: lnul (root l-)
    u-s-nouti: usnul (root -s-)

    4. other verbs in -nouti have usually the past participle without the ending -nul:

    tisknouti: tiskl
    padnouti: padl
    dotknouti: dotkl
    kopnouti: kopl
    klesnouti: klesl
    etc.

    The forms tisknul, padnul, dotknul, kopnul, klesnul, ... are considered non-standard.
     
  3. bibax

    bibax Well-Known Member

    The verb zapomenouti has the past participle zapomenul (the root ends in vocal: zapome-).

    The form zapomněl is from another verb: zapomníti, most forms of this verb are archaic, but the past participle zapomněl is still living and succesfully competes with the form zapomenul.
     

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