Leaving Out the Subject

Level 2Sounds Like kartā-lōpa aura sandarbha

In Hindi you can drop a subject that the listener already knows: रवि कहाँ है? — घर पर है.

How It Works

Once someone is clear from the conversation, Hindi speakers often leave the subject out. This is normal in speech and in writing, and it is not a mistake.

The verb ending is your main clue:

EndingDropped subjectExample
हूँमैंदफ़्तर जा रही हूँ।
होतुमकहाँ जा रहे हो?
हैhe, she or it, from contextघर पर है।
हैंwe, you (आप), they, or a respected personकल आ रहे हैं।

Endings such as है, हैं and the future -एँगी fit several people, so the conversation decides. In माँ आज आएँगी? — हाँ, शाम तक आएँगी, the answer clearly means माँ.

Short answers can drop the object too: यह किताब पढ़ी? — हाँ, पढ़ी। The verb पढ़ी still agrees with किताब.

Bring the name or pronoun back when a new person comes into the story, so the listener does not lose track.

Examples (5)

  1. रवि कहाँ है? — घर पर है।

    Where's Ravi? — He's at home.

    The answer leaves out रवि because the question already named him.

  2. आप कहाँ जा रहे हैं? — लाइब्रेरी जा रहा हूँ।

    Where are you going? — I'm going to the library.

    हूँ shows that the speaker is the subject.

  3. रवि घर पहुँचा। फिर थोड़ी देर सोया।

    Ravi got home. Then he slept for a while.

    The second sentence keeps रवि as its subject without repeating it.

  4. यह किताब पढ़ी? — हाँ, पढ़ी।

    Did you read this book? — Yes, I did.

    In the answer, both the reader and the book are dropped; पढ़ी still agrees with किताब.

  5. माँ आज आएँगी? — हाँ, शाम तक आएँगी।

    Is Mom coming today? — Yes, she'll be here by evening.

    The respectful plural आएँगी points back to माँ.

How It Connects

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

Leaving Out the SubjectLevel 2

Learn This First

Leaving out the subject relies on verb endings that still show who is meant.