Lat Lakar (लट् लकार) is the present tense in Sanskrit grammar. It is used to describe actions that are happening at the present time — what someone is doing right now or does habitually. Lat Lakar is the most commonly used tense in Sanskrit and the first lakar students learn. All dhatu (verb roots) are conjugated in Lat Lakar across three purush (persons) and three vachan (numbers). It is an essential topic for Sanskrit from class 6 to class 10.
Lat Lakar = Present Tense (लट् लकार = वर्तमान काल)
Used for: current actions, habitual actions, general truths
Third person singular Parasmaipada ending: -ति
First person singular ending: -मि
Third person plural ending: -न्ति
Signal words: अधुना (now), प्रतिदिनम् (daily), सदा (always)
Most commonly used lakar in Sanskrit
No 'अ' augment before verb (distinguishes it from Lang Lakar/past tense)
लट् लकार = वर्तमान काल (Present Tense). जो कार्य इस समय हो रहा हो, उसे व्यक्त करने के लिए लट् लकार का प्रयोग किया जाता है। Lat Lakar is used when: An action is happening right now (e.g., 'He is reading'). A habitual action (e.g., 'He reads every day'). A general truth (e.g., 'The sun rises in the east'). Signal words: अधुना (now), प्रतिदिनम् (every day), सदा (always), नित्यम् (always/daily).
Parasmaipada endings for Lat Lakar:
पुरुष | एकवचन | द्विवचन | बहुवचन प्रथम पुरुष (He/She/It) | -ति | -तः | -न्ति मध्यम पुरुष (You) | -सि | -थः | -थ उत्तम पुरुष (I/We) | -मि | -वः | -मः
Atmanepada endings for Lat Lakar: पुरुष | एकवचन | द्विवचन | बहुवचन प्रथम पुरुष | -ते | -ेते | -न्ते मध्यम पुरुष | -से | -ेथे | -ध्वे उत्तम पुरुष | -ए | -वहे | -महे
भू (to be) — Lat Lakar: भवति, भवतः, भवन्ति | भवसि, भवथः, भवथ | भवामि, भवावः, भवामः
पठ् (to read) — Lat Lakar: पठति, पठतः, पठन्ति | पठसि, पठथः, पठथ | पठामि, पठावः, पठामः
गम् (to go) — Lat Lakar: गच्छति, गच्छतः, गच्छन्ति | गच्छसि, गच्छथः, गच्छथ | गच्छामि, गच्छावः, गच्छामः
लिख् (to write) — Lat Lakar: लिखति, लिखतः, लिखन्ति | लिखसि, लिखथः, लिखथ | लिखामि, लिखावः, लिखामः
खाद् (to eat) — Lat Lakar: खादति, खादतः, खादन्ति | खादसि, खादथः, खादथ | खादामि, खादावः, खादामः
धाव् (to run) — Lat Lakar: धावति, धावतः, धावन्ति | धावसि, धावथः, धावथ | धावामि, धावावः, धावामः
वद् (to speak) — Lat Lakar: वदति, वदतः, वदन्ति | वदसि, वदथः, वदथ | वदामि, वदावः, वदामः
Rules for making sentences: (1) Find the correct purush and vachan of the subject. (2) Choose the correct Lat Lakar ending. (3) Add it to the verb root (after any required vowel changes).
Examples: • सः पठति — He reads. (Third person singular) • तौ पठतः — They two read. (Third person dual) • ते पठन्ति — They all read. (Third person plural) • त्वं पठसि — You (singular) read. • युवां पठथः — You two read. • यूयं पठथ — You all read. • अहं पठामि — I read. • आवां पठावः — We two read. • वयं पठामः — We all read.
To identify Lat Lakar in a text: (1) Third person singular ends in -ति (पठति, गच्छति). (2) First person singular ends in -मि (पठामि). (3) Third person plural ends in -न्ति (पठन्ति). (4) The time context is present — अधुना (now), सदा (always), प्रतिदिनम् (daily). (5) No augment (अ prefix) before the verb — if 'अ' is prefixed, it is Lang Lakar (past tense). Test: Remove the ending and check the root — the root should be recognisable.
Sentences using Lat Lakar in context:
Lat Lakar (लट् लकार) is the present tense in Sanskrit grammar. It is used to describe actions happening at the present time or habitually. Signal words: अधुना (now), प्रतिदिनम् (daily), सदा (always), नित्यम् (regularly). Example: 'रामः पठति' — Ram reads (right now or habitually). The third person singular form ends in -ति, which is the most recognisable marker of Lat Lakar.
Parasmaipada Lat Lakar endings: Prathama Purush (Third person) — Singular: -ति; Dual: -तः; Plural: -न्ति. Madhyama Purush (Second person) — Singular: -सि; Dual: -थः; Plural: -थ. Uttama Purush (First person) — Singular: -मि; Dual: -वः; Plural: -मः. These endings are added to the verb stem (which may change from the root form in some verbs).
Patha (पठ्) dhatu Lat Lakar (to read): Prathama — पठति, पठतः, पठन्ति. Madhyama — पठसि, पठथः, पठथ. Uttama — पठामि, पठावः, पठामः. Example sentences: 'रामः पाठं पठति' — Ram reads the lesson. 'वयं संस्कृतं पठामः' — We read Sanskrit.
Gam (गम्) dhatu in Lat Lakar: गच्छति, गच्छतः, गच्छन्ति (Prathama); गच्छसि, गच्छथः, गच्छथ (Madhyama); गच्छामि, गच्छावः, गच्छामः (Uttama). Note: गम् undergoes a root change to गच्छ in the present tense (Lat Lakar). Example: 'सः विद्यालयं गच्छति' — He goes to school.
Lat Lakar (Present Tense): describes actions happening now or habitually. No augment (no 'अ' before the root). Ending: -ति (3rd sing.), -मि (1st sing.). Example: 'रामः पठति' — Ram reads. Lang Lakar (Past Tense): describes actions that have already happened. Has augment 'अ' before the root: अपठत्. Ending: -त् (3rd sing.), -म् (1st sing.). Example: 'रामः अपठत्' — Ram read. The presence of 'अ' before the verb (augment) is the clearest signal of Lang Lakar.
1. सः पुस्तकं पठति — He reads a book. 2. वयं विद्यालयं गच्छामः — We go to school. 3. अहं जलं पिबामि — I drink water. 4. ते क्रीडन्ति — They play. 5. आचार्यः पाठं पाठयति — The teacher teaches the lesson.
Lat Lakar is used in Sanskrit sentences for: (1) Present continuous — what is happening now: 'बालकः खेलति' (The boy is playing). (2) Simple present/habitual — what one regularly does: 'सः प्रतिदिनं पठति' (He reads every day). (3) General truths — universally true statements: 'सूर्यः उदयति' (The sun rises). (4) Timeless statements in stories — sometimes past stories use present for vividness: 'रामः वनं गच्छति' (Ram goes to the forest — narrating a story).
There are 10 lakars in Sanskrit: Lat (लट्) — Present; Lit (लिट्) — Perfect Past; Lut (लुट्) — First Future; Lrit (लृट्) — Second Future; Let (लेट्) — Vedic Subjunctive; Lot (लोट्) — Imperative; Lang (लङ्) — Imperfect Past; Vidhiling (विधिलिङ्) — Optative; Ashirling (आशीर्लिङ्) — Benedictive; Lung (लुङ्) — Aorist. For school exams, the most important are Lat (present), Lang (past), Lot (imperative), Vidhiling (should), and Lrit (future).
Likh (लिख्) dhatu (to write) in Lat Lakar: Prathama — लिखति, लिखतः, लिखन्ति. Madhyama — लिखसि, लिखथः, लिखथ. Uttama — लिखामि, लिखावः, लिखामः. Example sentences: 'छात्रः पत्रं लिखति' — The student writes a letter. 'अहं संस्कृतं लिखामि' — I write Sanskrit.
The Lat Lakar ending for Uttama Purush (First person) Bahuvachana (Plural) is -मः. Example: पठामः (we read), गच्छामः (we go), लिखामः (we write). The full first person row: Singular — -मि (पठामि — I read); Dual — -वः (पठावः — we two read); Plural — -मः (पठामः — we all read).
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