D: `dhātu` (roots)

27 Oct 2026 · 6 min read

A listing of Pāḷi roots by class, with the sense and the verbs of each

Pāḷi verbs, and most nouns, are built on a dhātu (root). Kaccāyana names the roots in {457} (Bhūvādayo dhātavo, “bhū and the rest are roots”) and sorts them into classes (gaṇa), each named after its first root. The class decides which vikaraṇa (class suffix) stands between the root and the verb ending in the active voice {445}–{452}; in the passive and the impersonal every root takes ya instead {440}. The Basics chapter shows how a root such as gamu is turned into gacchati; this appendix lists the classes and the roots that Kaccāyana and the Padarūpasiddhi (Buddhappiya’s commentary on Kaccāyana) use as models.

Root classes (`dhātugaṇa`) {445}–{452}

class	class suffix (`vikaraṇa`)	sutta	model root	sense	▶️🤟⨀
`bhūvādi` (the `bhū` class)	`a`	{445}	`bhū`	to be	`bhavati`
`rudhādi` (the `rudha` class)	`a`, with a `niggahīta` inserted before the root’s final consonant	{446}	`rudha`	to obstruct	`rundhati`
`divādi` (the `divu` class)	`ya`	{447}	`divu`	to play, to shine	`dibbati`
`svādi` (the `su` class)	`ṇu`, `ṇā`, `uṇā`	{448}	`su`	to hear	`suṇoti`, `suṇāti`
`kiyādi` (the `kī` class)	`nā`	{449}	`kī`	to buy	`kiṇāti`
`gahādi` (the `gaha` class)	`ppa`, `ṇhā`	{450}	`gaha`	to take	`gheppati`, `gaṇhāti`
`tanādi` (the `tanu` class)	`o`, `yira`	{451}	`tanu`	to stretch	`tanoti`; `kara` gives `kayirati`
`curādi` (the `cura` class)	`ṇe`, `ṇaya` (also called `kārita`)	{452}	`cura`	to steal	`coreti`, `corayati`

The ṇ of ṇu, ṇā, ṇhā, ṇe and ṇaya is an indicatory letter (anubandha): it is elided {523} and marks the suffix as one that strengthens (vuddhi) the root’s vowel {483}, so cura + ṇe + ti gives coreti. The Padarūpasiddhi further divides the bhū class into the bhū, tuda, hū and juhoti groups, whose roots take the same suffix a but differ in how the root itself changes.

Model roots

The roots in the order of their classes, with the sense Kaccāyana’s examples give them (checked against the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary) and the present-tense third person singular (▶️🤟⨀, vattamānā paṭhamapurisa ekavacana) that Kaccāyana or the Padarūpasiddhi derives.

root	class	sense	▶️🤟⨀
`bhū`	`bhū`	to be	`bhavati`
`paca`	`bhū`	to cook	`pacati`
`gamu`	`bhū`	to go	`gacchati`
`isu`	`bhū`	to wish	`icchati`, `esati`
`yamu`	`bhū`	to restrain	`yamati`
`āsa`	`bhū`	to sit	`acchati`
`labha`	`bhū`	to get	`labhati`
`vaca`	`bhū`	to speak	`vacati`, `vatti`
`vasa`	`bhū`	to live, to dwell	`vasati`
`ruda`	`bhū`	to weep	`rodati`
`kusa`	`bhū`	to call out, to abuse	`kosati`
`vaha`	`bhū`	to carry	`vahati`
`jara`	`bhū`	to age, to decay	`jīrati`
`mara`	`bhū`	to die	`marati`
`disa`	`bhū`	to see	`passati`, `dakkhati`
`sada`	`bhū`	to sink, to sit	`sīdati`
`yaja`	`bhū`	to sacrifice, to offer	`yajati`
`vada`	`bhū`	to speak	`vadati`, `vadeti`
`kamu`	`bhū`	to step, to walk	`kamati`, `caṅkamati`
`cala`	`bhū`	to tremble	`calati`
`dala`	`bhū`	to burst	`dalati`
`jhe`	`bhū`	to think, to meditate	`jhāyati`
`tuda`	`bhū` (`tuda` group)	to strike, to prick	`tudati`
`nuda`	`bhū` (`tuda` group)	to throw, to drive away	`nudati`
`likha`	`bhū` (`tuda` group)	to write	`likhati`
`phusa`	`bhū` (`tuda` group)	to touch	`phusati`
`hū`	`bhū` (`hū` group)	to be	`hoti`
`sī`	`bhū` (`hū` group)	to lie down	`seti`, `sayati`
`nī`	`bhū` (`hū` group)	to lead	`neti`, `nayati`
`ṭhā`	`bhū` (`hū` group)	to stand	`tiṭṭhati`
`pā`	`bhū` (`hū` group)	to drink	`pivati`
`asa`	`bhū` (`hū` group)	to be	`atthi`
`brū`	`bhū` (`hū` group)	to speak	`bravīti`, `brūti`
`hana`	`bhū` (`hū` group)	to strike, to kill	`hanti`, `hanati`
`hu`	`bhū` (`juhoti` group)	to offer, to sacrifice	`juhoti`
`hā`	`bhū` (`juhoti` group)	to abandon	`jahāti`
`dā`	`bhū` (`juhoti` group)	to give	`dadāti`, `deti`
`dhā`	`bhū` (`juhoti` group)	to hold, to place	`dadhāti`, `dahati`
`rudha`	`rudha`	to obstruct	`rundhati`
`divu`	`divu`	to play, to shine	`dibbati`
`su`	`su`	to hear	`suṇoti`, `suṇāti`
`kī`	`kī`	to buy	`kiṇāti`
`ñā`	`kī`	to know	`jānāti`
`gaha`	`gaha`	to take, to grasp	`gaṇhāti`, `gheppati`
`tanu`	`tanu`	to stretch, to extend	`tanoti`
`kara`	`tanu`	to do, to make	`karoti`, `kubbati`, `kayirati`
`saka`	`tanu`	to be able	`sakkoti`
`apa`	`su`	to attain (with `pa`)	`pāpuṇāti`
`cura`	`cura`	to steal	`coreti`, `corayati`
`cinta`	`cura`	to think	`cinteti`, `cintayati`
`tija`	`bhū`	to endure (with `kha`)	`titikkhati`
`bhuja`	`bhū`	to eat (with `kha`, “to wish to eat”)	`bubhukkhati`

The forms of each root in every tense, mood and person are worked through rule by rule in the Padarūpasiddhi’s Ākhyātakaṇḍa: https://kaccayana.github.io/rupasiddhi/6-akhyatakanda. For the full list of roots see the Dhātupāṭha entries of the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary, which gives every root with its class, its sense and its verb forms.

D: `dhātu` (roots)

Root classes (dhātugaṇa) {445}–{452}

Model roots

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Root classes (`dhātugaṇa`) {445}–{452}