Prostý min.

The simple past takes the suffix -ল- -l- plus a personal ending. As in every Bengali tense, the form changes with the person and the level of respect, not with gender. যাওয়া jaowa (to go), past stem গে- ge-:

Stems that change

A few very common verbs shift their vowel in the past: যাওয়া → গেলাম (went), খাওয়া khaowa → খেলাম khelam (ate, drank), দেওয়া deowa → দিলাম dilam (gave). Regular verbs keep the stem: করলাম korlam (did), দেখলাম dekhlam (saw).

Examples

• কাল আমরা সিনেমা দেখলাম। kal amra cinema dekhlam - Yesterday we watched a film.
• দুপুরে ইলিশ মাছ খেলাম। dupure ilish machh khelam - I had hilsa fish for lunch.

Negative

The negative past is not made from these forms. Use the present form + নি: গেলাম "I went" → যাইনি jaini "I didn't go".

Note: কাল kal means both "yesterday" and "tomorrow"; the verb's tense tells you which.