Hand-book of Volapük/13

= TENSES =

Each of the tenses has one of the vowels as its peculiar sign: [a], &auml;, e, i, o, u.

These vowels when prefixed to the verb are called tense-signs or augments.

The present-sign, a, is omitted in the activ voice.

Binob, I am; &auml;binol, you were; ebinom, he has been; ibinof, she had been; obinos, it will be; ubinon, one will have been.

In English, most of the tenses are expressed by using the auxiliary verbs, have, shall and will; while in Volap&uuml;k there are no such auxiliaries, the verb-form consisting of a single word.

The word "do" is used in English as an auxiliary denoting emphasis, as, "I do believe." In Volap&uuml;k this cannot be translated otherwise than "I believe."

The same tense-vowels,

a, &auml;, e, i, o, u,

are used with some words other than verbs, when time is to be distinguished.