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Lesson 1
Nouns
Post Positions
NOUNS
Word Order
Two cases: direct and oblique. The direct case usually appears with sentences subjects or direct objects; the oblique occurs most
Vocabulary commonly with postpositions.
Related Links
Lesson 1 Exercises Number: singular and plural vs.
vs.
HELP! Gender: masculine and feminine
Having trouble viewing text
on this site? Click here for
more info.
1. Inflectional pattern of masculine nouns.

Type 1 Sg. Dir., Sg. Obl., Pl. Dir. -

idan
िदन
idanon
Pl. Obl. - िदनों
kamara
Type 2 Sg. Dir. - कमरा
Sg. Obl., Pl. Dir. - कमरे
kamare

Pl. Obl. – कमरों

kamaron
aan kamara kuaan
(a.) A few masculines end in – आँ these are inflected like कमरा but with endings nasalized, e.g. कुआँ ‘well'
aa
(b.) Some masculines with a final – आ follow the pattern of िदन , these are chiefly terms of relationship, loanwords fr om
idan
Sanskrit, or place names, e.g. –
chaacha
चाचा paternal uncle देवता devata deity
daada daata
दादा paternal grandfather दाता giver
ipata aagara
िपता father आगरा Agra
raaja राजा kalakatta
rajah कलकत्ता Calcutta

(c.) A spelling convention: आदमी आदिमयों, िहन्दू िहन्दुओं

aadamee aadimayon,
(d.) Vocative: ihandoo ihanduon
ladake ladako
लड़के! Boy! लड़को! Boys!

2. Inflectional pattern of feminine nouns

- ई finals Singular लड़की girl ladakee

ee ladakiyaan
Pl. Dir. लड़िकयाँ
ladakiyon
Pl. Obl. लड़िकयों chidiya
- इया finals Singular िचिड़या bird
iya
chidiya
Pl. Dir. िचिड़याँ
ichidayon
Pl. Obl. िचिड़यों
samasya
- आ finals Singular समस्या problem
samasyaen
Pl. Dir. समस्याएं
Pl. Obl. समस्याओं samasyaon
Others Singular मेज़ mez table
Pl. Dir. मेज़ें mezen
mezon
Pl. Obl. मेंज़ों
ee
(a.) Note the spelling convention regarding final – ई

(b.) Feminine nouns in final – इ (loanwords from Sanskrit, and almost all abstract nouns) follow the pattern of the – ई finals.
e.g.

स्िथित ‘position' स्िथितयाँ ‘positions'

iya dibaya dibba
(c.) Feminines in – इया are frequently diminutives, e.g. िडिबया ‘small box' Compare िडब्बा m. box '
aa maata
(d.) Among ‘other feminines' are loanwords in final – आ from Sanskrit, e.g. माता ‘mother'. A few common Arabic and Persi
an loanwords may also be noted, e.g. हवा ‘air, wind'; दुिनया ‘world'; दफ़ा ‘time, occasion'.
hava dafa
duinaya
(e.) Feminine vocatives are formed in the same way as the masculine.

3. Further comments relating to nouns

 There are no definite or indefinite articles in Hindi. A noun acting as subject or direct object in its sentence is definite rather
than indefinite; but depending on its context the word मकान ‘house' may have as its translation equivalent ‘a house' or ‘the
house' or ‘houses' or ‘the houses'. The word एक ‘one' makaan
can be used before nouns with the force of an indefinite article where
ek
explicitness is required.
aadamee
In the case of nouns denoting animate beings, grammatical gender almost always agrees with natural gender. Thus आदमी
‘man', दर्ज़ी ‘tailor', डािकया ‘postman' are masculines following िदन and कमरा in inflection, not लड़की and िचिड़या .
darzee daaikaya idan kamara ladakee chidiya
The gender of other nouns is hard to predict from their form. The student is advised to note the gender of each new noun
that he/she learns.

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POSTPOSITIONS

Postpositions function much like prepositions or prepositional phrases in English. Postpositions are characteristically immediately
preceded by a noun or pronoun in oblique case. Thus मेज़ पर ‘on the table'; मेज़ों परpar
mezon ‘on the tables'.
mez par
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SIMPLE SENTANCES

ORDER OF WORDS

1. Neutral style and emphasis: subject first, verb last (in close association with any negative); objects and adverbial expressions
occupy an intervening position, in less fixed word order. Expressions of time tend to precede those of place: e.g.

लड़का आज यहाँ नहीं है | The boy isn't here today.

ladaka aaj yahaan nahin hai |
2. This general pattern is varied for emphasis. For instance, an adverb advanced to initial position usually gains in emphasis, e.g.

आज लड़का यहाँ नहीं है | Today the boy isn't here.

aaj ladaka yahaan nahin hai
Note in this connection that the sense of introduction ‘there is, are, were', etc., is expressed in Hindi by an inversion of the neutral
(non-affective, colorless) order of subject and following adverbial (emphasis on the subject being thereby diminished).

पुस्तक मेज़ पर है | The book is on the table.

pustak mez par hai |
There is a book on the
मेज़ पर पुस्तक है |
mez par pustak hai | table.

3. Questions: Interrogative pronouns and adverbs. e.g. क्या ‘what', कहाँ ‘where', do not usually introduce questions in sentenc es of
neutral style and emphasis, but follow the subject in second position, or later.

लड़की कहाँ है ? Where is the girl?

ladakee kahaan hai ?
यह क्या है ? What is this?
yah kya hai ? kya
In initial position in a sentence, क्या is usually a question marker, serving to introduce questions not containing an interrogative. In
conversation the inflection of the voice often makes it's presence unnecessary.

(क्या) लड़िकयाँ यहाँ हैं ? Are the girls here?

(kya) ladakiyaan yahaan hain
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VOCABULARY

this
mez yah
मेज़ table f. यह
book f. that
पुस्तक pustak वह vah
pen m.f.
कलम kalam एक ek one
कमरा kamara room m. दो do two
कुरसीkurasee chair f. तीन teen three
घड़ाghada pot, jar m. आज aaj today
yahaan
पानीpaanee water m. यहाँ here
कुआँ kuaan well m. वहाँ vahaan there
where ?
लड़का ladaka boy m. कहाँ kahaan
what?; and as a - question
लड़की ladakee girl f. क्या
kya marker
आगरा aagara Agra m. कलकत्ता kalakatta Calcutta m.
आदमी aadamee man m. लेिकन leikan but
औरत aurat woman f. में mein in
 patr
पत्र letter m. पर par on
िचिड़या chidiya bird f. नहीं nahin no, not
िपंजरा ipajara cage m. हैhai is
house m.
hain
मकान makaan हैं are
newspaper m.
अखबार akhabaar और aur and

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Lesson 2
Adjectives
Demonstrative Pronouns
ADJECTIVES
Postposition: ka
aa
Adjectives whose direct singular masculine form ends in – आ show agreement with nouns in gender, number, and case:
Vocabulary
achchha
Related Links अच्छा ‘good' agrees with masculine, singular, direct nouns
Lesson 2 Exercises अच्छे achchhe agrees with masculine singular oblique nouns and plural nouns, direct or
oblique.
HELP!
Having trouble viewing text अच्छीachchhee agrees with feminine nouns regardless of number or case.
on this site? Click here for aan achchha baayaan
more info. Adjectives ending in – आँ follow the pattern of अच्छा with endings nasalized, e.g . बायाँ ‘left' (hand); and most ordinal numerals.

Other adjectives are invariable (except for a few loanwords, and some adjectival use of pronouns).

अच्छा लड़का a good boy achchha ladaka

bade makaan mein
बड़े मकान में in a big house
badee dukaanon mein
बड़ी दुकानों में in the big shops
दो लाल िकताबें two red books do laal kitaab

(a) Adjectives are used predicatively as well as attributively (i.e. following as well as preceding nouns which they qualify): e.g.

दीवार ऊँची हैं | The wall is high. deevaar oonchee hain

िकताबें लाल हैं | The books are red. kitaaben laal hain
iya bidhaya
(b) A few adjectives in – आ are invariable: some showing final – इया, e.g. बिढ़या ‘good, nice'; some Persian and Arabic loanwords, e.g.
िज़ंदा ‘alive', मादा ‘female'; also the numeral सवा.
izandagee maada sava
(c)

An adjective used predicatively with two or more nouns of pronouns of different genders, and not referring to persons, agrees with
the nearest: e.g.
kaagaz aur penisalen sastee hain
कागज़ और पेंिसलें सस्ती हैं | Paper and pencils are cheap.
If the nouns or pronouns refer to persons the adjective usually take masculine plural form: e.g.
मैं और सीता बूढ़े हैं |main aur seeta boodhe hain Sita and I are old.
donon
But a composite pronoun subject, e.g. दोनों ‘both', is very often added in these cases to minimize the awkward of the concord: e.g.
मैं और सीता दोनों बुढ़े हैं | main aur seeta donon budhe hain Sita and I are both old.

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DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS

(a)
yah vah
Sg. Dir. यह this वह that

Obl. इस is उस us
Object इसे ise उसे use
vah ve
(b) वह and its plural वे as well as acting as demonstratives, are the normal translation equivalents of the third person pronouns ‘he,
she, it, they'. ye ve
yah vah
(c) The singular direct case forms यह, वह are often substituted for ये, वे in both the spoken and written language.

(d) The demonstrative pronouns are also used as demonstrative adjectives, preceding and in concord with nouns: e.g.

यह लड़काyah ladaka this boy

इस कमरे में in this roomis kamare mein
उन मेज़ों पर on those tablesun mezon par
उन छोटी मेज़ों पर on those small tables un chhotee mezon par
Isakō, usakō, inakō, unakō
(e) The object forms are equivalents (preferred by many speakers) of the forms इसको, उसको, इनको, उनको , showing the postposition
को. The uses of these forms and other uses of को are discussed in Lesson IX, and elsewhere.
ko
ko
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THE POSTPOSITION काka

 This postposition indicates possession; it agrees in the same way as an adjective in – आ with nouns; e.g.

उस स्त्री का बेटा us stree ka beta that woman's son

उस स्त्री के बेटे us stree ke bete that woman's sons
उस स्त्री के बेटे का मकान that woman's son's house
उस आदमी की बहनों का मकान that man's sisters house
us stree ke bete ka makaan
उसका मकान his, her house
usaka makaan
Possessive forms and expression can be used predicatively as well as attributively: e.g.
yah makaan usaka hai |
यह मकान उसका है | This house is his, hers.
यह मकान उस स्त्री का है | This house belongs to that woman.
yah makaan us stree ka hai |
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VOCABULARY
deevaar ghar
दीवार f, wall घर m, house, home
kaagaz
कागज़ m, paper घर पर ghar par at home
f, pencil
penisal daravaaza m, door
पेंिसल दरवाज़ा
stree
स्त्री f, woman दरवाज़ा पर at the door
daravaaza par
m, child; baby
बेटा beta m, son बच्चा
bachcha
f, book
betee
बेटी f, daughter िकताब kitaab
भाईbhaee m, brother सदूंक sandook m, box
छोटा भाई chhota bhaee
younger brother देश desh m, country
बहन bahan f, sister शहर Shahar m, city, town
chhotee bahan
छोटी बहन younger sister गाँव gaanv m, village
सीता Sita (a girl's name) साफ़ saaf clean
क्लास klaas f,m, class (school); grade काला kaala black
िकला
ikala m, fort सफ़ेद safed white
idallee
िदल्ली f, Delhi सुन्दर sundar beautiful
imaarat chaar
इमारत f, building चार four
m, rajah
raaja
राजा पाँच Pām̐ca five
paanchavaan
महल mahal m, palace पाँचवाँ fifth
कपड़ा kapada m, cloth; pl., clothes छह, छः, छै six chhah, chhah, chhai
laal
मंिदर manidar m, temple लाल red
small
छोटा chhota ऊँचा high ooncha
बड़ा bada large बिढ़या bidhaya good, nice
बहुत bahut adj.& adv.,much,many;very सस्ता sasta cheap
old; m, old man
मैला maila dirty बूढ़ा boodha
main
खड़ा khada standing मैं I

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Lesson 3
Personal Pronouns
Honorific Usages
PERSONAL PRONOUNS
Vocabulary
1. Singular/Plural; Direct/Oblique; Objective, Possessive
Related Links tum
Lesson 3 Exercises (a) तुम may be used to address one or more people, but its verb concord is always plural.
aap
HELP! (b) The most common translation equivalent of आप is ‘you', and it may have either singular or plural reference. Note that with respect
Having trouble viewing text to verb concord, आप is a third person plural noun.
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more info.
(c) Possessive forms of the first and second person pronouns are inflected as adjectives: e.g.

मेरा भाईmera bhaee my brother

तुम्हारी बहनें tumhaaree bahanenyour sisters
तह िकताब मेिर है this book is mine
tah ikataab meir hai
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HONORIFIC USAGES

1. Plural concord in a sentence can be a mark of honorific reference, but the only nouns used honorifically in plural number are the
masculine when in direct case: e.g.
आपके बेटे कैसे हैं ? How is your son?
aapake bete kaise hain
Compare:
उसकी बेटी कैसी हैं ? How is your daughter?
usakee betee kaisee hain jee
2. Common uses of the honorific particle जी are as follows:

(a)
aap, jee
In addressing a person (male or female) to whom one uses आप, जी may be added to the last name: e.g.
वाजपेयी जी, आप कैसे हैं ? How are you, Mr. Vajpeyi?
vaajapeyee jee, aap kaise hain
When added to a first name, it denotes a certain familiarity: e.g.
कैसी हैं राधा जी ? How are you, Radha?
kaisee hain raadha jee
(b)
nahin
In referring to persons whom one would address आप, जी precedes last names in this case: e.g.
आप समय
aap रामraam
samay प्रसादprasaad
जी मंत्री jee
थे | mantree the At that time, Mr. Ram Prasad was secretary.

(c) The words हाँ ‘yes' and नहीं ‘no' used alone sometimes seem rather crude.
haan nahin
The forms श्री, श्रमती , and कमारी or सश्री are also used in the same way as the titles Mr., Mrs., and Miss.
Śrī, śramatī, and kamārī or saśrī
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VOCABULARY

िपताipata m, father ठीक

theek correct, all right, fine
Maata, maan
माता, माँ f, mother काम kaam m, work
baitha
स्कूल skool m, school बैठा seated, sitting
kaise
स्कूल मेskool
ं mein at school कैसे what sort of ?
pit aap kaise hain
पित m, husband आप कैसे हैं ? How are you?
पत्नी patnee f, wife अभी abhee now
maata- ipata
माता-िपता m. pl., parents हाँ haan yes
भारतbhaarat m, India नहीं
nahin no
raajadhaanee
राजधानी f, capital नमस्ते, नमस्कार ‘greeting' namaste, namaskaar
mantree ham hain
मंत्री m, secretary, minister हम हैं we are
main hoon sab
मैं हूँ I am सब all; everything
Us samay
उस समय at that time सब िकताबें all the books
sab kitaaben
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Lesson 4
Verb Structure + Concord
Verb: hona
VERB STRUCTURE and CONCORD
Regular Conjugational
1. The basic structural units of the Hindi verb are:
Patterns
Verbal Concord w/ (a) The verb stem
Composite Structures
Postposition: se (b) Formative suffixes. Chief among these are:
Expressions of Motion
Vocabulary (i) -ता, -आ and their concord variants

Related Links -ता forms imperfect participles, characterizes verbal actions as not completed
Lesson 4 Exercises
-आ forms perfective participles, characterizes verbal action as completed
HELP!
Having trouble viewing text
on this site? Click here for Note: Aspect (imperfect and perfective, here) refers to the character of a verbal action (completed, not completed, hypothetical,
more info. temporary, durative, habitual) not its placement in time.
na
(ii) -ना and its concord variants. These form verbal nouns or adjectives.

(iii) Certain modal suffixes. These appear in subjective and imperative forms.
hona
(c) Certain forms of the verb होना used with the participles as auxiliaries of tense and mood.

2. Composite verbal expressions. These contain verbal forms other than (or additional to)
hona
those of the verb होना.

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PRESENT, PAST, AND FUTURE TENSE FORMS OF होना ‘be, become'

Present ‘I am' etc. Past ‘I was', etc.

main hoon main + tha m. thee f.
मैं हूँ मैं + था m. थी f.
too, vah hai too, vah + tha m. thee f.
तू, वह है तू, वह + था m. थी f.
tum ho
तुम हो तुम + थे m. थीं f. tum + the m. theen f.
ve, aap hum hai
वे, आप, हम हैं वे, आप, हम + थे m. थीं f.
ve, aap, ham + the m. theen

Future ‘I shall be, become', etc.

m. f.
main hoonga
मैं हूँगा हूँगी
too, vah hoga
तू, वह होगा होगी
tum hoge
तुम होगे होगी
ve, aap, ham honge
वे, आप, हम होंगे होंगी

(a) Note that past tense forms show gender concord with subjects, and that feminine plural past tense forms show nasality.

(b) Future tense forms also show gender concord with subjects. Note that future forms of होना are often used to express
presumptions:

e.g. वह आदमी दक्िषणी होगा | That man is probably a southerner.

vah aadamee dakishanee hoga |
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REGULAR CONJUGATIONAL PATTERNS

1. General Present: ‘I go', etc.

main chalata hoon m.
मैं चलता हूँ m.
main chalatee hoon f.
मैं चलती हूँ f.
vah chalata hai vah chalatee hai
वह चलता है वह चलती है
tum chalate ho
तुम चलते हो तुम चलती हो tum chalatee ho
ham chalate hain
हम चलते हैं हम चलती हैं ham chalatee hain

(a) General present forms are compatible with habitual action or general state. Often used with an indefinite sense, for instance when
there is no explicit need felt to use a present continuous form:
main bhaarat mein rahata hoon |
मैं भारत में रहता हूँ | I live in India.
I speak hindi in India.
मैं भारत में िहन्दी बोलता हूँ |
main bhaarat mein ihandee bolata hoon |
 main chal rahee hoon f.
मैं चलता हूँ |main chalata hoon | I'm going

(b) General present forms are negated with नहीं preceding the participle; the auxiliary is usually dropped unless the negation is
strongly stressed. When the auxiliary is dropped, the nasality of the feminine plural forms is transferred to the final syllable of the
participle.
ve auraten aksar ihandee nahin bolateen
वे औरतें अक्सर िहन्दी नहीं बोलतीं | Those women usually don't speak Hindi.
hona hota hai hona hai
(c) होना has its own general present form होता है . Note particularly the use of होना है as opposed to है :
yah gaadee laal hai |
यह गाड़ी लाल है | This car is red. (particular case)
gaaidayaan mahangee hotee hain | are expensive. (general
Cars
गािड़याँ महँगी होती हैं |
case)

2. Imperfective past ‘I went, used to go', etc.

main, too, vah chalata tha m.
मैं, तू, वह चलता chalatee thee f.
चलती थी f.
था m.
ham, aap, ve chalate the
हम, आप, वे चलते
चलती थींchalatee theen
थे

(a) These forms have the same usual reference to habitual action or general state as general state as general present forms. They
are also common in narration where there is no explicit need felt to use a past continuous form: e.g.
us samay main idallee mein rahata tha |
उस समय मैं िदल्ली में रहता था | At that time I was living in Delhi.
nahin
They are negated with नहीं, preceding the participle: e.g.
main nahin chalata tha | i
मैं नहीं चलता था | I didn't used to go.

3. Temporary Aspect, Present Relevance (“Continuous Present”)

‘i'm going', etc.

main chal raha hoon m.
main chal rahee hoon f.
मैं चल रहा हूँ m. मैं चल रही हूँ f.
ham chal rahee hain
हम चल रहे हैं हम चल रही हैं
ham chal rahe hain
rahana
(a) The perfective participle of the verb रहना ‘remain' follows the stem. These forms stress the continuous nature of incomplete
actions. (Better: temporary nature of the action) The verbal unit चल रहा हूँ is pronounced with a single stress on the verb stem, the
following syllables being unstressed. chal raha hoon

(b) Some English expressions of present participial form refer to present state as much as the continued action, e.g. to be sitting, to be
standing. These have as Hindi translation equivalents not continuous present forms but perfective participles of verbs denoting
assumption of the given state, plus present tense forms of होना e.g.
main kurasee par baitha hoon | hona
मैं कुरसी पर बैठा हूँ | I am sitting on a chair.
िकताब मेज़ पर पड़ी है | The book is lying on the table.
ikataab mez par padee hai |
(c) The continuous present may be used, as in English, of future events which are thought of as already set in a train: e.g.
main kal ja raha hoon |
I am going
मैं कल जा रहा हूँ |
tomorrow.

(d) Continuous present forms can be negated with in the same way as general present forms. They are less common with negated
than the latter, however, since it is not often necessary to describe a non-occurring action as specifically ‘continuous'. (Perhaps there
is a semantic clash here)

(4) Continuous past : ‘I was going', etc

M. chal raha tha

main F.
main chal rahee thee
मैं चल रहा था मैं चल रही थी
हम चल रहे थे हम चल रही थी ham chal rahee thee
ham chal rahe the
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VERBAL CONCORD WITH COMPOSITE SUBJECTS

Where there are two or more subjects of different genders the verb usually agrees with the subject nearest to it, although if both
subjects have personal reference it often shows a ‘common' masculine gender. When first and second person subjects are involved, a
composite subject pronoun (e.g. दोनो ‘both') is often added.
dono
kaagaz aur syaahee sastee hai
कागज़ और स्याही सस्ती है | Paper and ink are cheap. mere bhaee aur unakee
मेरे भाई और उनकी पत्नी िदल्ली में रहते हैं | My brother & his wife live in Delhi. patnee idallee mein rahate hain |
मैं और मेरी बहन दोनो िदल्ली में रहते हैं | My sister & I live in Delhi.
main aur meree bahan
dono idallee mein rahate hain |
Where there are two or more subjects of the same gender, the verb is plural and of that gender if they have personal reference;
otherwise it most frequently agrees with the nearest subject: e.g.

लड़की और उसकी माँ कल िदल्ली जा रही है |
िकताब और पेंिसल मेज़ पर है |
ladakee aur usakee maan
The girl & her mother are going to kal idallee ja rahee hai
Delhi tomorrow.
ikataab aur penisal mez par hai |
The book and pencil are on the table.

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se
THE POSTPOSITION से
bolana
This postposition is used in construction with various verbs of speaking, telling, etc. (but not all such verbs); e.g. with बोलना ‘to speak',
कहना ‘to say', and पूछना ‘to ask'. (There is a notion of reciprocity.)
kahana poochhana
मैं उससे हमेशा िहन्दी बोलता हूँ | I always speak Hindi to him.
main usase hamesha ihandee bolata hoon
उससे यह सबाल पूिछए | Ask him this question.
usase yah sabaal pooichhe |
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SOME EXPRESSIONS OF MOTION

Expressions describing motion to a destination denoted by a place-name usually show the noun concerned without following
postposition: e.g.
main bhaarat ja raha hoon
मैं भारत जा रहा हूँ | I'm going to India.
मैं कलकत्ते जा रहा हूँ | I'm going to Calcutta.
main kalakatte ja raha hoon
The second example with its alternative forms show that oblique case usages are involved in this type of expression.

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VOCABULARY
hindee
िहन्दी F. Hindi भारतीयbhaarateey adj. & noun, Indian
गाड़ीgaadee F. vehicle (car, cart, train) रहना rahana stay, remain, live
अँग्रेज़
angrez m.f., Englishman/woman बोलना bolana speak, talk, utter
sit, take one's seat

अँग्रेज़ी
angrezee English, the language (f) बैठना baithana
to go
bhaasha
भाषा f. language जाना jaana
to write
बािरश baarish f. rain िलखना ilakhana
to rain to know
baarish hona
बािरश होना जाननाjaanana
sing; song (m)
ped
पेड़ m. tree गाना gaana
पत्ताpatta m. leaf पढ़ना padhana read; study
दोस्त dost m. friend पड़ना padana fall; be found
to come
दफ़्तर daftar m. office आना aana
to sleep
sona
िवद्यार्थी m. student सोना
गरिमयाँGarimayām̐ f. pl., hot season अक्सरaksar usually
kal
िदन m. day कल yesterday, tomorrow
f.m., cigarette
parason
िसग्रेट परसों day before/after yesterday
syaahee hamesha
स्याही f. ink हमेशा always
kab
डािकयाdaaikaya m. postman कब when?
kyon
सवाल savaal m. question क्यों why?
pada hara
पड़ा lying, placed flat हरा green
long; tall
लंबा
lamba महँगाmahanga expensive
good; adv., well; interj.; all
अच्छाachchha right, I see, etc.

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Home / Grammar /

Lesson 3
Regular Conjugational
Patterns REGULAR CONJUGATIONAL PATTERNS (contd.)
Emphatic Enclitic: hi, bhi
1. Perfective: ‘I went', etc.
Vocabulary
main chala m.
Related Links मैं चला m. मैं चली f.
main chalee f.
Lesson 5 Exercises ham chale
हम चले हम चलीham chalee
HELP!
Having trouble viewing text (a) Perfective forms denote completeness of action, without specific reference to time. They are used chiefly, but not only, of events
on this site? Click here for
more info.
occurring in past time.

(b) Note some spelling conventions. The perfective forms of छूना ‘touch' and सीना ‘sew' and thus.
chhua chhuee chhueen
chhue
छुआ छुई छुए छुईं touched
िसया सी
see िसए
ise सीं
seen sewed
isaya
ya
(c) Verbs whose stem ends in -ा, -े, ि-, or -ी show a semi-vocalic glide य before masculine singular endings.
aaya aaee
आया आई आए aae आईं aaeen came
सोयाsoya सोई
soee सोए soe सोईंsoeen slept
खेयाkheya खेईkheee खेयkheye
े खेईं rowed
िसयाisaya सीsee िसए ise सीं seen sewed

(d) The perfective forms of five verbs require special note:

Gender-Number Concord

m.sg. f.sg. m.pl. f.pl.

करना karana िकया ikaya की kee िकए ike कीं keen
लेनाlena िलया ilaya ली lee िलए ile लीं leen
dee
देनाdena िदया idaya दी िदए ide दीं deen
gaee
जाना jaana गया gaya गई गए gae गईं gaeen
होना hona हुआ hua हुई huee हुए hue हुईं hueen
hua tha
Note the difference between perfective हुआ ‘became' and past tense था
main ladaee mein zakhamee hua
मैं लड़ाई में ज़खमई हुआ | I was wounded in the war.
युद्ध के समय भारत में था | I was in India during the war.
yuddh ke samay bhaarat mein tha
(e) In general, perfective forms of transitive verbs are not used in subject concord constructions of the type so far considered.
Perfective forms of a few transitive verbs are, however, used in subject concord constructions: e.g.
bolana laana samajana
बोलना speak, talk लाना bring समजना understand
nahin
(f) With perfective forms the negative न is common, as well as नहीं . The choice is semantic and discourse dependent.

2. Perfective present: ‘I have gone', etc.

main chala hoon
main chalee hoon f.
मैं चला हूँ m. मैं चली हूँ f.
vah chala hai vah chalee hai
वह चला है वह चली है
tum chale ho
तुम चले हो तुम चली हो tum chalee ho
हम चले हैं हम चली हैham
ं chalee hain
ham chale hain
(a) Perfective present forms define actions as completed and connected in some way with present time (present relevance). These
forms have nothing to do with whether an action occurred in the immediate past or in the more distant past.

मैं अभी आया हूँ | I've just come.

मैं एक बार िदल्ली गया हूँ | I've been to Delhi once. ‘on one
occasion'

3. Perfective past: ‘I went, had gone', etc.

मैं चला था मैं चली थी

वह चला था वह चली थी
हम चले थे हम चली थीं
(a) Perfective past forms define actions as completed specifically in past time, and disconnected in some way from the present. They
can correspond to the English verb forms ‘had come', ‘had gone', etc. as well as to simple past tenses: e.g.

मैं कल आया था | I came yesterday.

The implication here is that whatever the speaker is now doing is not a direct sequel to the action of his coming. Compare:

मैं कल आया हूँ | I got here yesterday (in order to attend today's meeting, for a much anticipated stay,
etc.).
and
मैं कल आया | I came yesterday (matter-of-fact-statement, neutral with regard to time and context
of action).

4. Subjunctive: ‘I may go', etc.

(a) Spelling conventions.

मैं चलूँ तुम चलो

वह चले हम चलें

(b) Subjective forms characterize actions as possible, desired or desirable, hypothetical, subject to some doubt, etc., rather than as
objectively realized or envisaged: e.g.

मैं चलूँ ? May I go? Shall I go?

I'll perhaps go to Delhi
मैं कल शायद िदल्ली जाऊँ |
tomorrow.

(c) The negative used with subjunctive forms is regularly न : e.g.

मैं कल शायद िदल्ली न जाऊँ | I perhaps won't go to Delhi tomorrow.

(d) The subjunctive forms of होना ‘be', देना ‘give', and लेना ‘take' are:

मैं होऊँ दूँ लूँ

वह हो दे ले
तुम हो / होओ दो लो
वे हों दें लें

In construction with देना , “beneficiaries” are marked by the postposition को . More frequently than not the beneficiary (indirect object)
precedes the direct object.

मैं सीता को िकताब दूँगा | I shall give Sita the book.

मैं उसे िकताब दूँगा | I shall give her the book.

(e) Subjunctives are often used as polite request forms and in making suggestions: e.g.

आप मुझे पत्र िलखें | Please write me a letter.

चलें ? Shall we go?

5. Future: ‘I shall go', etc.

(a) Spelling conventions

मैं चलूँगा मैं चलूँगी

वह चलेगा वह चलेगी
तुम चलोगे तुम चलेगी
वे चलेंगे वे चलेंगी

(b) Note that future forms can be derived from subjunctives by adding the adjectivally inflected element.

(c) Both नहीं and न are used as negatives with future forms. Discourse-related semantics determine the choice.

6. Imperfective, continuous, and perfective forms with the future auxiliary.

These forms express likelihood that a given action may be occurring, or may have occurred: e.g.

They're probably coming now / They'll

अभी आते होंगे |
be here directly.
अभी आ रहे होंगे | They're probably on their way now.
आप जानते होंगे | I expect you know. You will know.
अभी आए होंगे | They must have just come.

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THE EMPHATIC ENCLITIC ही, भी

 These forms are used freely in Hindi. Their function is to stress the importance of the word or syntactic group immediately preceding
them in sentences.

(a) ही has a restrictive force:

The people of Banaras speak Hindi

बनारस के लोग िहन्दी िह बोलते हैं |
(not another language).
I've been there just once (not more
मैं एक िह बार वहाँ गया हूँ |
often).

1. घर पर ; or, if the sense is ‘I didn't go out all day', घर पर ही.

Note that the form अभी ‘now' represents अब-ही and contrasts with अब ‘now' as meaning ‘at this particular time' rather than ‘at the
present time'. Note its use in such sentences as:

मैं अभी आया हूँ | I've just come.

मैं अभी नहीँ गया | I haven't gone yet.

(b) B:i has inclusive force, frequently being translatable as ‘also'. Sometimes as ‘even', especially with negatives:

मैं भी वहाँ था | I was there too.

There wasn't even a well in that
उस गाँव में कुआँ भी नहीं थी |
village.

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VOCABULARY

लड़ाई f. war काफ़ी f. coffee

बार f. time, occasion रूप या m. rupee; money (usu. pl.)
एक बार once सर्िदयाँ f. pl. cold season
अंगन m. courtyard मौसम m. season, weather
बंबई f. Bombay लोग m. pl. people
बनारस m. Banaras सब लोग everyone
रेस्टराँ m. restaurant दूध m. milk
बरसात f. rainy season लेना take
drink
ज़ख्मी wounded पीना
bring
िकतना how many? लाना
understand
िकतना िदन how many days? समझना
सारा entire, all पहुँचना arrive
सारा िदन all day अब now
जीना live, be alive शायद perhaps
करना do

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