Potential Participle (ptp)

Potential Participle (ptp)

This is also called the Future Passive Participle

evaṃ eso pañho pucchitabbo. DN16.11

Thus this question should be asked.

As you can see from the example, like all the participles, they are verbal adjectives, they give more information about the noun they are describing.

Which noun does it describe in the given example?

Potential Participles Can Mean

to be

should be…

could be …

must be ...

can be…

ought to be...

fit to be…

able to be…

suitable to be….

depending on the context

Potential Participles are easy to recognise. The most common endings are -tabba -itabba & -anīya -aṇīya -aniya

			should be / fit to be
√kar	to do, make	karaṇīya	done
√vac	to say	vacanīya	said
√chaḍḍ	to discard	chaḍḍanīya	discarded
vi + ā + √kar	to answer	vyākaraṇīya	answered
√dā	to give	dātabba	given
pa + √hā	to give up	pahātabba	given up
√khād	to eat	khāditabba	eaten
√dis	to see	passitabba	seen
√pucch	to question	pucchitabba	asked
√sikkh	to train	sikkhitabba	trained
√vand	to worship	vanditabba	worshipped
√vid	to know	veditabba	known

How To Form The Potential Participle

The most common formation is equivalent to Sanskrit -tavya

1. √root + -tabba or -itabba

				should be / fit to be
abhi √nand	to approve	+ itabba	abhinanditabba	approved
abhi √vad	to welcome	+ itabba	abhivaditabba	welcomed
√ādā	to take	+ tabba	ādātabba	taken
ā √har	to bring	+ itabba	āharitabba	brought
ā √nī	to fetch	+ tabba	ānetabba	fetched
√bandh	to bind	+ itabba	bandhitabba	bound
√dā	to give	+ tabba	dātabba	given
√es	to look for	+ itabba	esitabba	looked for
√han	to kill	+ tabba	hantabba	killed

2. √root + -anīya

				should be / fit to be
√bandh	to tie	+ anīya	bandhanīya	bound, tied
√chaḍḍ	to discard	+ anīya	chaḍḍanīya	discarded
√dis	to see	+ anīya	dassanīya	seen
√kham	to endure	+ anīya	khamanīya	endured
√pūj	to worship	+ anīya	pūjanīya	worshipped
√vac	to say	+ anīya	vacanīya	said
√vajj	to avoid	+ anīya	vajjanīya	avoided

3. √root + -ya or -iya

Because of sandhi, these examples are tricky to spot unless you know them.

They can be used as nt. nouns.

				should be / fit to be
√bhuj	to eat	+ *ya	bhojja	eaten (food)
√has	to laugh	+ ya	hassa	laughed at (joke)
√gah	to take	+ ya	gayha	taken
√kar	to do	+ *iya	kāriya	done
√ji	to conquer	+ *ya	jeyya	conquered
√lih	to lick	+ *ya	leyya	licked
√nī	to lead	+ *ya	neyya	led

How To Decline Potential Participles

	Masculine		Feminine		Neuter
1.nom	pacitabbo	pacitabbā	pacitabbā	pacitabbā pacitabbāyo	pacitabbaṃ	pacitabbā pacitabbāni
2.acc	pacitabbaṃ	pacitabbe	pacitabbaṃ	pacitabbā pacitabbāyo	pacitabbaṃ	pacitabbe pacitabbāni
3.inst	pacitabbena	pacitabbehi	pacitabbāya	pacitabbāhi	pacitabbena	pacitabbehi
4.dat	pacitabbāya pacitabbassa	pacitabbānaṃ	pacitabbāya	pacitabbānaṃ	pacitabbāya pacitabbassa	pacitabbānaṃ
5.abl	pacitabbā pacitabbamhā pacitabbasmā	pacitabbehi	pacitabbāya	pacitabbāhi	pacitabbā pacitabbamhā pacitabbasmā pacitabbato	pacitabbehi
6.gen	pacitabbassa	pacitabbānaṃ	pacitabbāya	pacitabbānaṃ	pacitabbassa	pacitabbānaṃ
7.loc	pacitabbe pacitabbamhi pacitabbasmiṃ	pacitabbesu	pacitabbāyaṃ pacitabbāya	pacitabbāsu	pacitabbe pacitabbamhi pacitabbasmiṃ	pacitabbesu
8.voc	pacitabba pacitabbā	pacitabbā	pacitabbe	pacitabbā pacitabbāyo	pacitabba pacitabbā	pacitabbāni

What do you notice?

	Masculine		Feminine		Neuter
1.nom	pacanīyo	pacanīyā	pacanīyā	pacanīyā pacanīyāyo	pacanīyaṃ	pacanīyā pacanīyāni
2.acc	pacanīyaṃ	pacanīye	pacanīyaṃ	pacanīyā pacanīyāyo	pacanīyaṃ	pacanīye pacanīyāni
3.inst	pacanīyena	pacanīyehi	pacanīyāya	pacanīyāhi	pacanīyena	pacanīyehi
4.dat	pacanīyāya pacanīyassa	pacanīyānaṃ	pacanīyāya	pacanīyānaṃ	pacanīyāya pacanīyassa	pacanīyānaṃ
5.abl	pacanīyā pacanīyamhā pacanīyasmā	pacanīyehi	pacanīyāya	pacanīyāhi	pacanīyā pacanīyamhā pacanīyasmā pacanīyato	pacanīyehi
6.gen	pacanīyassa	pacanīyānaṃ	pacanīyāya	pacanīyānaṃ	pacanīyassa	pacanīyānaṃ
7.loc	pacanīye pacanīyamhi pacanīyasmiṃ	pacanīyesu	pacanīyāyaṃ pacanīyāya	pacanīyāsu	pacanīye pacanīyamhi pacanīyasmiṃ	pacanīyesu
8.voc	pacanīya pacanīyā	pacanīyā	pacanīye	pacanīyā pacanīyāyo	pacanīya pacanīyā	pacanīyāni

These are extensively used in the Canon, so please make sure you understand them clearly. A quick search of Sutta and Vinaya reveals more than 1000 examples, some of which are used around 1000 times!²⁷

This list is meant to show the vast number of ptp in the Cannon. Don't worry if you can't read the end of it.

aññātabbaṃ (2), anubandhitabbaṃ (2), anubandhitabbo (5), anubhavitabbo (1), anubujjhitabbaṃ (3), anuddhaṃsetabbo (2), anuggahetabbaṃ (1), anuggahetabbo (5), anujānitabbā (1), anulimpitabbaṃ (1), anuminitabbā (4), anuminitabbaṃ (3), anumoditabbaṃ (7), anunamitabbaṃ (1), anunetabbo (1), anurakkhitabbaṃ (1), anurakkhitabbāni (1), anurakkhitabbo (1), anusāsitabbā (3), anusāsitabbaṃ (15), anusāsitabbo (4), anussaritabbo (2), anuvattitabbaṃ (4), anuvijjitabbaṃ (1), anuviloketabbā (1), anuyuñjitabbaṃ (5), anvesitabbo (1), apacetabbā (2), apacetabbo (2), apadisitabbo (3), āpajjitabbā (10), āpajjitabbaṃ (6), āpajjitabbo (2), apakaḍḍhitabbā (2), apakaḍḍhitabbo (1), apalāḷetabbā (1), apaloketabbo (6), apanayitabbaṃ (1), aparipakkhitabbā (1), apasādetabbā (2), apasādetabbaṃ (8), apasādetabbo (3), apassetabbā (1), apayāpetabbaṃ (2), apucchitabbaṃ (2), āpucchitabbo (1), ārocāpetabbaṃ (1), ārocetabbā (19), ārocetabbaṃ (7), ārocetabbo (1), āropetabbā (2), āropetabbaṃ (1), āropetabbo (8), āsādetabbaṃ (7), āsādetabbo (2), āsevitabbā (3), asevitabbā (7), āsevitabbaṃ (7), asevitabbe (4), āsevitabbo (5), asevitabbopi (1), āsiñcitabbaṃ (15), assāsetabbo (2), assāsitabbo (1), atidhāvitabbaṃ (2), atiharāpetabbaṃ (1), atiharitabbaṃ (1), atikkamitabbaṃ (1), atikkamitabbo (1), attharitabbaṃ (2), aṭṭīyitabbaṃ (2), avalekhitabbaṃ (1), āvāretabbaṃ (1), āvikātabbā (2), aviññātamajānitabbaṃ (8), bādhetabbaṃ (1), bahulīkātabbā (3), bahulīkātabbaṃ (9), bahulīkātabbo (6), bandhitabbaṃ (2), bandhitabbo (1), bhājetabbaṃ (1), bhajitabbā (3), bhajitabbāni (1), bhajitabbe (4), bhajitabbo (13), bhaṇitabbā (1), bhaṇitabbaṃ (5), bhāsitabbā (5), bhāsitabbaṃ (2), bhāsitabbo (9), bhāvanāpahātabbāni (1), bhāvayitabbā (1), bhāvetabbā (99), bhāvetabbaṃ (38), bhāvetabbāni (4), bhāvetabbe (1), bhāvetabbo (25), bhāvitabbā (1), bhāvitabbaṃ (1), bhavitabbaṃ (86), bhāyitabbaṃ (5), bhedetabbo (2), bhettabbo (1), bhinditabbā (2), bhojetabbā (1), bhottabbo (2), bhuñjitabbā (1), bhuñjitabbaṃ (32), bhuñjitabbo (10), bujjhitabbaṃ (4), byāharitabbaṃ (3), byāhātabbaṃ (1), byākātabbā (4), byākātabbo (3), byantīkātabbaṃ (1), cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbā (6), cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbe (8), cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbesu (5), calitabbaṃ (1), caṅkamitabbaṃ (11), caritabbā (6), caritabbaṃ (29), caritabbo (2), cāvetabbo (3), cetāpetabbaṃ (4), chaḍḍetabbā (1), chaḍḍetabbaṃ (12), chaḍḍetabbāni (1), chādetabbaṃ (2), chādetabbo (1), chedāpetabbā (5), chedetabbā (3), cheditabbā (1), chetabbaṃ (2), chetabbamhi (1), chettabbo (1), chinditabbaṃ (2), chupitabbaṃ (1), cintayitabbaṃ (2), cintetabbā (1), cintetabbaṃ (2), cintetabbāni (1), cintetabbo (1), cittamupanetabbaṃ (1), codetabbā (3), codetabbaṃ (3), codetabbo (34), coditabbaṃ (1), cuṇṇetabbaṃ (2), ḍahitabbā (1), dakkhitabbaṃ (5), dāletabbā (1), ḍaṃsitabbaṃ (1), daṇḍetabbo (1), daraṇitabbaṃ (1), dassanapahātabbāni (1), dassanappahātabbā (1), dassanappahātabbānaṃ (1), dassanappahātabbāni (1), dassanappahātabbo (1), dassayitabbaṃ (3), dassetabbā (2), dassetabbaṃ (4), dassetabbāni (1), dassetabbo (3), dātabbā (59), dātabbaṃ (142), dātabbo (162), dayitabbaṃ (1), dayitabbo (1), desāpetabbo (11), desetabbā (17), desetabbaṃ (12), desetabbo (18), desitabbaṃ (3), dhammānussaritabbā (1), dhārayitabbā (1), dhārayitabbaṃ (1), dhāretabbā (26), dhāretabbaṃ (23), dhāretabbāni (10), dhāretabbo (8), dhovitabbā (2), dhovitabbaṃ (9), dhovitabbo (2), diṭṭha-suta-muta-viññātabbesu (1), diṭṭhasutamutaviññātabbe (11), diṭṭhasutamutaviññātabbesu (13), diṭṭhibhavagantabbā (1), dubbhitabbaṃ (1), dussitabbaṃ (1), gāhāpetabbā (1), gāhāpetabbaṃ (1), gāhāpetabbo (1), gahetabbā (2), gāhetabbā (2), gāhetabbaṃ (1), gahetabbaṃ (223), gahetabbāni (71), gāhetabbo (3), gahetabbo (8), gāḷhamogāhitabbaṃ (1), gaṇhitabbā (7), gantabbā (1), gantabbaṃ (121), gantabbo (85), garahitabbā (10), garahitabbaṃ (16), garukātabbā (5), garukātabbaṃ (2), garukātabbo (6), gavesitabbā (1), gavesitabbaṃ (3), gavesitabbo (1), gāyitabbo (1), ghaṃsāpetabbaṃ (1), ghānaviññāṇaviññātabbā (1), ghātetabbā (1), ghaṭitabbaṃ (2), ghaṭṭetabbo (1), ghāyitabbo (2), gopetabbo (1), hantabbā (4), hantabbo (8), harāyitabbaṃ (2), haritabbaṃ (1), haritabbāni (2), hāsamabhijanetabbaṃ (2), hāsamuppādetabbaṃ (1), hāsetabbo (1), hātabbā (1), hātabbo (1), hotabbaṃ (10), icchitabbā (4), icchitabbaṃ (4), icchitabbo (5), janetabbo (1), jānitabbā (15), jānitabbaṃ (23), jānitabbāni (2), jānitabbo (14), jāyitabbassa (1), jetabbā (1), jigucchitabbaṃ (2), jigucchitabbo (1), jivhāviññāṇaviññātabbā (4), jivhāviññāṇaviññātabbe (4), jivhāviññāṇaviññātabbesu (2), jīvitabbaṃ (4), kampitabbaṃ (1), kappāpetabbaṃ (1), kappetabbā (1), kārāpetabbā (3), kārāpetabbaṃ (13), kārāpetabbo (6), kāretabbā (8), kāretabbaṃ (14), kāretabbo (38), kasāpetabbaṃ (1), kātabbā (50), kātabbaṃ (190), kātabbāni (14), kātabbo (118), kathetabbaṃ (1), kattabbaṃ (32), kattabbāni (2), kattabbo (2), kāyaviññāṇaviññātabbā (3), khāditabbaṃ (9), khamāpetabbo (3), khamitabbā (1), khamitabbaṃ (3), khantabbaṃ (1), khipitabbaṃ (1), khīyitabbaṃ (2), kīḷitabbā (1), kittetabbā (2), koṭṭāpetabbaṃ (1), kukkuccāyitabbaṃ (3), laggetabbaṃ (1), laggetabbo (1), laggitabbaṃ (1), lañchetabbaṃ (1), lañchitabbaṃ (1), lavāpetabbaṃ (1), maddāpetabbaṃ (1), madditabbaṃ (1), madditabbāni (1), maggitabbā (1), mamāyitabbo (1), manasikātabbā (3), manasikātabbaṃ (2), manasikātabbo (1), mānetabbā (5), mānetabbaṃ (3), mānetabbo (3), manoviññāṇaviññātabbā (6), manoviññāṇaviññātabbe (8), manoviññāṇaviññātabbesu (5), mantayitabbo (1), māretabbā (1), mathayitabbā (1), metabbā (3), missitabbaṃ (1), motabbaṃ (1), muñcitabbā (1), muñcitabbaṃ (4), muyhitabbaṃ (1), nābhivādetabbā (2), nācametabbaṃ (1), nādātabbaṃ (6), naditabbaṃ (1), nahāyitabbaṃ (16), namassitabbā (1), nāmavantapahātabbaṃ (1), nāmetabbā (2), nānubandhitabbo (4), nānussaritabbo (1), nānuyuñjitabbaṃ (5), napaṭikkositabbaṃ (1), ñāpetabbā (9), ñāpetabbo (159), nappamajjitabbaṃ (1), nappaṭikkositabbaṃ (13), nappaṭipharitabbaṃ (1), nappaṭippassambhetabbaṃ (30), nappaṭippassambhetabbāṭṭhārasakaṃ (4), nāsetabbā (6), nāsetabbo (4), nāsevitabbo (1), ñātabbaṃ (15), ñātabbo (1), nātimaññitabbā (1), nātimaññitabbo (2), naupasampādetabbekavīsativāro (1), nāvajānitabbo (1), netabbo (1), nhāpetabbā (1), nibbānamadhigantabbaṃ (1), nibbāpetabbo (2), nibbattetabbo (1), nibbeṭhetabbaṃ (1), nidahitabbaṃ (8), nidahitabbo (9), niddāyitabbaṃ (1), niddhāpetabbaṃ (1), niddisitabbā (16), niddisitabbaṃ (26), niddisitabbāni (8), niddisitabbāvayavena (1), niddisitabbena (1), niddisitabbo (19), niggahetabbā (1), niggahetabbaṃ (3), niggahetabbo (2), nihanitabbaṃ (1), nīharāpetabbo (9), nīharitabbaṃ (1), nīharitabbāni (1), nīharitabbo (5), nijjhāpetabbaṃ (1), nijjhāpetabbo (1), nijjīretabbaṃ (7), nikhaṇitabbaṃ (1), nikkaḍḍhitabbo (1), nikkhamitabbaṃ (13), nikkhipitabbā (8), nikkhipitabbaṃ (43), nikkhipitabbo (32), nikkujjitabbo (1), nilloketabbo (1), nimantetabbo (5), nimujjitabbaṃ (1), ninditabbā (1), ninnetabbaṃ (1), nirodhetabbaṃ (1), niropayitabbaṃ (1), nisedhetabbo (1), nisevitabbā (1), nisīditabbaṃ (52), nissajjitabbaṃ (37), nissajjitabbāni (2), nissajjitabbo (4), niṭṭhubhitabbaṃ (1), nivāretabbo (4), nivāsetabbaṃ (7), nivāsetabbo (1), nivattitabbaṃ (3), nivesetabbā (16), niyāmetabbaṃ (1), niyyādetabbaṃ (2), niyyādetabbo (1), obhāsitabbā (2), odhunitabbā (1), ohāretabbaṃ (7), okappetabbaṃ (1), okkamitabbaṃ (1), oloketabbā (1), oloketabbaṃ (8), oloketabbo (3), onamitabbaṃ (1), opātetabbā (4), opilāpetabbaṃ (1), opunāpetabbaṃ (1), osaṇṭhetabbā (1), osāretabbā (1), osāretabbāni (2), osāretabbo (3), osāritabbāni (1), osiñcitabbā (1), osiñcitabbo (1), otāpetabbaṃ (9), otāpetabbo (9), otārayitabbāni (2), otāretabbā (1), otāretabbaṃ (3), otāretabbāni (9), otaritabbaṃ (1), ovaditabbā (12), ovaditabbaṃ (2), ovaditabbo (3), pabbājetabbaṃ (3), pabbājetabbo (19), paccāgantabbaṃ (1), paccāharitabbo (1), paccāsīsitabbā (5), paccāsīsitabbaṃ (1), paccavekkhitabbā (4), paccavekkhitabbaṃ (63), paccavekkhitabbāni (1), paccavekkhitabbo (1), paccuddharitabbā (1), paccuddharitabbo (1), paccukkaḍḍhitabbaṃ (2), paccupaṭṭhapetabbā (1), paccupaṭṭhātabbā (6), paccuṭṭhātabbaṃ (6), paccuṭṭhātabbo (3), pacitabbā (1), pacitabbaṃ (7), padātabbo (7), padīpetabbo (1), paggahetabbaṃ (5), paggahetabbo (1), pahātabbā (65), pahātabbaṃ (36), pahātabbassa (2), pahātabbe (1), pahātabbo (63), pāhetabbo (21), pajahitabbā (1), pajahitabbaṃ (1), pakāsitabbaṃ (1), pakiṇitabbaṃ (1), pakkamitabbā (6), pakkamitabbaṃ (49), pakkhipitabbā (1), pakkhipitabbaṃ (2), pakkhipitabbo (3), palāyitabbaṃ (2), pamajjitabbā (8), pamajjitabbaṃ (8), paṇāmetabbaṃ (1), paṇāmetabbo (8), paṇidahitabbaṃ (2), paññāpetabbā (1), paññapetabbaṃ (43), paññāpetabbo (1), paññapetabbo (9), papphoṭetabbaṃ (1), parāmasitabbā (7), parāmasitabbaṃ (1), paribhāsitabbaṃ (1), paribhāsitabbo (5), paribhotabbā (1), paribhotabbo (2), paribhuñjitabbā (5), paribhuñjitabbaṃ (18), paribhuñjitabbāni (6), paribhuñjitabbo (3), pariccajitabbaṃ (1), paricchinditabbā (1), pariggahetabbo (1), parihāpetabbaṃ (3), pariharitabbaṃ (2), pariharitabbo (1), parihātabbā (2), parihātabbo (3), parikkhipitabbaṃ (1), paripañhitabbaṃ (1), paripucchitabbā (2), paripucchitabbaṃ (1), paripucchitabbo (4), paripūrayitabbaṃ (2), paripūretabbaṃ (15), parirakkhitabbaṃ (1), parirakkhitabbo (1), parisosetabbā (1), paritassitabbaṃ (1), parivajjayitabbāni (1), parivajjetabbā (2), parivajjetabbo (3), parivasitabbā (10), parivasitabbo (8), parivattitabbaṃ (1), pariyādiyitabbā (1), pariyādiyitabbāni (1), pariyāpuṇitabbā (1), pariyāpuṇitabbaṃ (6), pariyesitabbā (11), pariyesitabbaṃ (19), pariyesitabbo (9), pariyogāhitabbaṃ (1), pārupitabbaṃ (2), pasādetabbaṃ (1), pasādetabbo (1), pasaṃsitabbaṃ (1), pasāretabbo (1), pasāritabbaṃ (2), passitabbaṃ (3), passitabbāni (2), passitabbo (1), pātabbaṃ (15), pātetabbaṃ (7), paṭibāhetabbā (1), paṭibāhetabbaṃ (2), paṭibāhitabbā (11), paṭibāhitabbaṃ (5), paṭibujjhitabbaṃ (13), paṭibujjhitabbāni (4), paṭicchādetabbaṃ (4), paṭidesetabbaṃ (11), paṭiggahetabbā (19), paṭiggahetabbaṃ (32), paṭiggahetabbāni (2), paṭiggahetabbo (11), paṭihanitabbaṃ (1), paṭihantabbā (2), paṭijānitabbaṃ (1), pāṭikaṅkhitabbā (2), pāṭikaṅkhitabbāni (2), paṭikassitabbo (37), paṭikātabbā (11), paṭikātabbaṃ (1), paṭikkamitabbaṃ (3), paṭikkositabbaṃ (7), paṭipajjitabbā (5), paṭipajjitabbaṃ (12), paṭipajjitabbo (1), paṭippassambhetabbaṃ (35), paṭippassambhetabbāṭṭhārasakaṃ (4), paṭipucchitabbaṃ (8), paṭipucchitabbo (5), paṭisāmetabbā (1), paṭisāmetabbaṃ (17) …