अगर ... -ता, तो ... -ता
Unreal Conditions
The -ता form in both clauses makes a condition unreal: if things were different, or had been different.
How It Works
To talk about something that is not true, Hindi uses the -ता form of the verb with no है or था after it. It appears in both halves: अगर मेरे पास पैसे होते, तो मैं नई गाड़ी ख़रीदता। (If I had money, I would buy a new car.)
Each -ता form agrees with its own subject, like an adjective:
| Subject | Form |
|---|---|
| Masculine singular | जाता |
| Feminine singular | जाती |
| Masculine plural, आप to a man | जाते |
| Feminine plural, आप to a woman | जातीं |
The -ता form never takes ने, even with a transitive verb: अगर मैं जानता (if I knew).
The same form covers the past too: अगर तुम कल आते, तो रीमा से मिल लेते means If you had come yesterday, you would have met Reema. Time words such as कल show which time you mean. To make a past event very clear, Hindi also has the past form plus होता: अगर तुम आए होते.
In speech अगर is often left out, and so is तो: वह होता तो मदद करता (If he were here, he'd help). You may also hear -ता होता for an imagined ongoing situation: अगर मैं वहाँ रहता होता.
Don't translate these forms as used to. अगर तुम रोज़ अभ्यास करते means if you practiced every day, which you don't.
Examples (5)
- आज मेरे पास समय नहीं है। अगर समय होता, तो मैं तुम्हारे साथ जाती।
I don't have time today. If I had time, I would go with you.
The speaker is a woman, so the result is जाती; समय is masculine, so होता.
- अगर यह रास्ता छोटा होता, तो हम पैदल जाते।
If this road were shorter, we would walk.
Each clause has its own -ता form: होता for रास्ता, जाते for हम.
- अगर तुम रोज़ अभ्यास करते, तो यह काम आसान लगता।
If you practiced every day, this would seem easy.
करते imagines a routine that does not happen.
- अगर तुम कल आते, तो रीमा से मिल लेते।
If you had come yesterday, you would have met Reema.
With कल, the same -ता forms refer to the past.
- वह यहाँ होता तो ज़रूर मदद करता।
If he were here, he would definitely help.
अगर is left out; the -ता forms alone make the condition unreal.
Common Mistakes
Adding ने to the -ता form.
अगर मैंने यह बात जानता, तो तुम्हें बताता।अगर मैं यह बात जानता, तो तुम्हें बताता।ने goes only with completed forms such as देखा or देखा है. The -ता form never takes it.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Unreal conditions use the -ता form in both clauses.
Related Patterns
- -आ होताAn Unreal Past
The past form plus होता makes an unreal past very clear.
Level 5 - काशWishing Things Were Different
Wishes use the same unreal -ता forms.
Level 4 - यदि ... तोFormal Conditions
The formal word for if, which takes the same verb forms.
Level 5 - -ता है / -ती है / -ते हैंPresent Habits and Routines
The same -ता form, used with है for real habits.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice अगर ... -ता, तो ... -ता in Bubblegum
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