Klingon verbs do not indicate tense (past, present, future) explicitly. Instead, timeframes become clear through context or specific words (e.g. wa'Hu' – yesterday, DaHjaj – today, DaHram – tonight, wa'leS – tomorrow).

• wa'Hu' naHlet vISop – Yesterday I ate the nuts (naHlet – nuts, Sop – eat)
• wa'leS naHlet vISop – Tomorrow I will eat the nuts

Klingon verbs do, however, explicitly indicate aspect—whether an action is finished or unfinished, ongoing, or completed as a single event. Verbs without Type 7 suffixes generally indicate actions that are neither specifically ongoing nor completed, translating naturally into the English simple present tense:

• Dalegh – you see him/her (legh – see)
• qaja' – I tell you (ja' – tell)

Depending on context, verbs without Type 7 suffixes might also indicate future events, similar to English expressions like "We leave tomorrow."

-pu' (perfective – completed action)

The suffix -pu' indicates that the action is completed. Often it matches the English present perfect tense ("have done"):

• Daleghpu' – you have seen it (legh – see)
• vIneHpu' – I have wanted them (neH – want)
• qaja'pu' – I have told you (ja' – tell)

-ta' (accomplished intentionally)

The suffix -ta' is similar to -pu' but emphasizes that the completed action was intentional or deliberately accomplished. English typically translates both similarly, without showing this subtle difference explicitly:

• vISuqta' – I have deliberately acquired it (Suq – get, acquire)
• luHoHta' – they have deliberately killed him/her (HoH – kill)

If the killing was accidental or unplanned, -pu' would be used instead: luHoHpu' ("they have killed him/her"). Another way to express completed and irreversible action is by using the verb rIn ("be finished") combined with the suffix -taH ("continuous") in the special construction rIntaH. This emphasizes finality and irreversibility:

• luHoH rIntaH – they have killed him/her (and it is final)
• vIje' rIntaH – I have purchased it (with finality) (je' – purchase)

While both -ta' and rIntaH often translate similarly into English, rIntaH emphasizes absolute finality and is occasionally used dramatically even when the action might be undone.

-taH (continuous action)

The suffix -taH describes ongoing or continuous actions, implying activity over time:

• nughoStaH – it is approaching us (ghoS – approach)
• yIghoStaH – maintain your course! (continuous action implied)

The difference between singular action and ongoing action is clearly shown in these two commands:

• yIjun – execute an evasive maneuver! (single event)
• yIjuntaH – take continuous evasive action! (ongoing)

-lI' (ongoing action towards a known goal)

Similar to -taH, the suffix -lI' also indicates continuing action, but with the additional nuance of an action progressing towards a known and defined endpoint or goal:

• chollI' – it is approaching (with a clear target in mind) (chol – get close)
• vIlI'lI' – I am transmitting the data (lI' – transmit data; implying a finite transmission)

If the goal or endpoint is not specified or unknown, -taH would be appropriate instead. In short, -lI' can be viewed as the continuous counterpart to -ta' (goal-oriented completion), while -taH serves as the continuous counterpart to -pu' (general completion).