When to use it
Use it when your child missed school and you ask another parent about the homework.
The sentence in English — “Did the teacher explain the homework?”
In “Did the teacher explain the homework?” ‘Did’ carries the past, so ‘explain’ stays in base form.
- Did
- auxiliary verbdo · tense: past · auxiliary that makes a question in the past
- the
- determinerdefinite article
- teacher
- nounnoun
- explain
- verbexplain · form: base form (infinitive without "to") · after "did" the verb stays in its base form
- the
- determinerdefinite article
- homework
- noununcountable noun; it has no plural
The sentence in Telugu — “ఉపాధ్యాయులు ఇంటి పని వివరించారా?”
In “ఉపాధ్యాయులు ఇంటి పని వివరించారా?” both the past and the question sit in one verb, ‘వివరించారా’. ‘ఉపాధ్యాయులు’ is a respectful plural even for one teacher, and ‘ఇంటి పని’ (work of home) is homework.
- ఉపాధ్యాయులు
- noun'teacher', respectful plural form
- ఇంటి
- nounoblique of illu 'house': of home
- పని
- nouninṭi pani = homework
- వివరించారా
- verbvivarincu · tense: past · person: 3rd, respectful · vivarincāru 'explained' + ā (question)
English × Telugu — What changes from one language to the other
English puts the past in ‘did’; Telugu in the verb, with a respectful plural for the teacher.
Example conversation
— ఉపాధ్యాయులు ఇంటి పని వివరించారా?
— Did the teacher explain the homework?
— అవును, పన్నెండో పేజీలో ఉంది.
— Yes, it's on page twelve.