This is a simple review of verbs in Hindi. If you are learning them for the first time, a more comprehensive reference with detailed explanations may be more useful to you.
Hindi verbs always end in ना in the infinitive. They also end, by default, in ना when the verb is being used as a noun (Ending in -ing in English, such as "I like fishing") but in this form they may, like many other nouns, be inflected into the oblique case or for number and gender. Their inflections are the same as every other noun except for the fact that they do not use the plural oblique ending ओं. In this way they are more like adjectives.
Verbs in the present tense inflect for number and gender, with the endings ता, ते and ती. These are also the verb endings used in the imperfect past tense. The only difference is the tense of the verb होना, as to whether the present tense set of forms (हूँ हो है हैं) or the past tense set of forms (था थे थी थीं) are used.
The subjunctive is a bit more complicated. Here is an example of how to use it with the verb करना.
| मैं करूँ | हम करें |
| तू करे | तुम करो
|
| वह करे
| वे करें |
Note also that for the subjunctive of होना, होऊँ is often used to avoid ambiguity.
The future tense inflections are almost exactly like the subjunctive. The subjunctive is used as a base, but then the future tense is inflected for gender as well, adding the endings गा गे and गी.
The perfective is the simplest, though there are irregular forms that must be memorized. Otherwise, it is simply the stem of the verb (remove ना) plus the appropriate gender ending. However, in exchange for this simplicity, you must learn the oddities associated with the postposition ने.
Go back to Intermediate Hindi Resources.
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