Tense and Aspect

FoundationsSounds Like kāla aura pakṣa

Hindi builds verbs from two parts, how the action happens and when: जाता है, जा रहा था, गया है.

How It Works

English forms like goes, is going and has gone mix two ideas: when something happens and how it happens. Hindi builds the two ideas separately and puts them side by side.

The first part says how: as a habit (जाता), in progress (जा रहा) or completed (गया). The second part says when: है for the present and था for the past.

HowWith है (present)With था (past)
habit: जातावह जाता है: he goesवह जाता था: he used to go
in progress: जा रहावह जा रहा है: he is goingवह जा रहा था: he was going
completed: गयावह गया है: he has goneवह गया था: he went (and it is over), he had gone

Both parts usually agree with the subject: रीमा जाती है, लड़के जा रहे थे. The past with ने, which comes later, is the exception.

Two common forms stand on their own without है or था: the simple past वह गया (he went) and the future वह जाएगा (he will go). Putting होगा in place of है turns a sentence into a guess: वह जा रहा होगा (he must be on his way).

Each of these combinations has its own entry. This overview shows how they fit together.

Examples (5)

  1. मैं रोज़ दफ़्तर जाता हूँ।

    I go to the office every day.

    Habit plus present: जाता हूँ.

  2. बच्चे पार्क जा रहे हैं।

    The children are going to the park.

    In progress plus present: जा रहे हैं.

  3. बचपन में मैं गाँव में रहती थी।

    As a child, I lived in a village.

    Habit plus past: रहती थी.

  4. कल रात आठ बजे हम खाना खा रहे थे।

    At eight last night, we were having dinner.

    In progress plus past: खा रहे थे.

  5. अमित दिल्ली गया है।

    Amit has gone to Delhi.

    Completed plus present: गया है.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Tense and AspectFoundations

Learn This First

Habitual, ongoing and completed markers all attach to the stem, so the overview of verb forms follows finding stems.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.