रहा / रही / रहे

Was and Were

Level 2Sounds Like rahā, rahī a'ura rahē

The past of "to be" changes for the subject.

How It Works

Whowas, were
one man or masculine nounरहा
one woman or feminine nounरही
several, or respectरहे (a woman you respect: रहीं)

Use it for place and state: where someone was, or how something was. For an action, use the verb: ऊ आवा.

A respected man takes रहे, like the plural: चाचा जी सहर मा रहे. A respected woman takes रहीं: अम्मा बीमार रहीं. The word आप also takes रहे.

हम and तुम have their own forms, रहेन and रहेव. For something that went on or used to happen, put रहा after a verb in -त: -त रहा.

Examples (5)

  1. ऊ घरे रहा।

    He was at home.

    रहा is for one man.

  2. नेहा दुकान पर रही।

    Neha was at the shop.

    रही is for one woman.

  3. ऊ लोग स्कूल मा रहे।

    They were at school.

    रहे is for several people.

  4. चाचा जी सहर मा रहे।

    Uncle was in the city.

    A respected man takes रहे.

  5. काल्हि मौसम बहुतै नीक रहा।

    The weather was very nice yesterday.

    मौसम is masculine, so रहा.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the Hindi form था.

    ऊ घरे था।
    ऊ घरे रहा।

    Awadhi uses रहा, not था.

How It Connects

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रहा / रही / रहेLevel 2Was and Were

Learn This First

These past forms of to be change with gender and number.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

रहीरहेरहीं