Editing Manchu language (section)

===== Participles =====
Participles play an important role in Manchu grammar, because most [[Finite verb|finite]] forms are derived from them.<ref>Gorelova (2002: 241)</ref> They can have four different functions in the sentence:

# They can be used [[Grammatical modifier|attributively]]. 
# They can receive [[Nominalization|nominalizing]] suffixes – among them case markers – and in that form, they can function like nouns as [[Subject (grammar)|subject]], [[Object (grammar)|object]], etc. 
# They can function as the [[Head (linguistics)|head]] of the [[Predicate (grammar)|predicate]] in the equivalent of a [[dependent clause]].
# They can function as the head of the [[Predicate (grammar)|predicate]] of a sentence, even without a copula.<ref>Gorelova 2002, 233; Haenisch 1986, 53.</ref>

====== Imperfect participle ======
The imperfect participle is formed by adding the variable suffix ''-ra, -re, -ro'' to the stem of the verb. ''Ra'' occurs when the final syllable of the stem contains an ''a''. ''Re'' occurs when the final syllable of the stem contains ''e'', ''i'', ''u'' or ''ū''. ''Ro'' occurs with stems containing all ''o''<nowiki/>'s. An irregular suffix ''-dara, -dere, -doro'' is added to a limited group of irregular verbs (''jon-, wen-, ban-'') with a final ''-n''. (The perfect participle of these verbs is also irregular). Three of the most common verbs in Manchu also have irregular forms for the imperfect participle:

* ''bi-, bisire'' — 'be'
* ''o-, ojoro'' — 'become'
* ''je-, jetere'' — 'eat'

Imperfect participles can be used as objects, attributes, and [[Predicate (grammar)|predicates]]. Using ''ume'' alongside the imperfect participle makes a negative imperative.

As an attribute:{{interlinear|indent=4
|habša-ra niyalma
|complain-IPTC man|"A man who complains"}}When this form is used predicatively it is usually translated as a future tense in English; it often carries an indefinite or conditional overtone when used in this fashion:{{interlinear|indent=4
|bi sinde ala-ra
|1sg 2sg-ACC tell-IPTC|"I'll tell you"}}As an object:{{interlinear|indent=4
|gisure-re be han donji-fi
|speak-IPTC ACC king hear-PCVB|"The king having heard what was being said"}}

====== Perfect participle ======
The perfect participle in ''-ha/-he/-ho'' often expresses an action in the past tense:<ref>Gorelova 2002, 256f, 289f.; Haenisch 1986, 54; Möllendorff 1892, 9.</ref> e.g. ''araha'', while originally meaning "who has written", can also be used in the sense "(I, you, etc.) wrote". Certain verbs take, instead of ''-ha/-he/-ho,'' the ending ''-ka/-ke/-ko'', fewer still take ''-nka/-nke/-nko'', and a few have irregular forms: ''bahambi'' "find" – ''baha'', ''hafumbi'' "penetrate" – ''hafuka''.<ref>Gorelova 2002, 256; Haenisch 1986, 60.</ref>

====== Relative/indefinite participle ======
When the indefinite pronoun ''ele'' "all" is added to a perfective or imperfective participle, the resulting form has a relative/indefinite meaning: ''bisire ele jaka'' "whatever things are present", ''mini alaha ele ba'' "whatever I said", "everything I said". The pronoun can also merge into the preceding word as a suffix ''-le'':<ref>Gorelova 2002, 224f.; Haenisch 1986, 54; Möllendorff 1892, 9.</ref> ''arahale'', ''ararale'' „whoever writes“, "whatever is written", ''duleke ele ba'' "whatever places he passed by", "all places he passed by". This suffix didn't exhibit vowel-harmony alternations in older Manchu, but it later acquired the back variant ''-la.''

====== Durative participle ======
The durative participle in ''-mbihe'' appears to originate from the imperfect converb in ''-me'' and the perfect participle ''bihe'' of the verb ''bi-'' "to be": thus, almost literally, "(which) was doing (something)".<ref>Gorelova (2002: 292)</ref> It expresses an incomplete or continuing action in the past:<ref>Gorelova 2002, 292; Haenisch 1986, 54; Möllendorff 1892, 9.</ref> ''arambihe'' "(I was) writing".
{{interlinear
| indent = 4|malaha boo-de weile-mbihe|Hat house-DAT make-{{gcl|PTC.DUR|durative participle}}|"They were making hats at home."
}}