मुझे चिट्ठी लिखनी है
Infinitives That Agree with the Object
In मुझे चिट्ठी लिखनी है (I have to write a letter), लिखनी matches चिट्ठी.
How It Works
In sentences like मुझे जाना है, the person has को, so the verb cannot agree with them. When the action has an object without को, standard Hindi makes the infinitive agree with that object, just as a past verb agrees with the object after ने.
| Object | Ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| masculine singular, or none | -ना | मुझे दूध लाना है। |
| masculine plural | -ने | मुझे दो फ़ोन करने हैं। |
| feminine singular | -नी | मुझे चिट्ठी लिखनी है। |
| feminine plural | -नी | हमें किताबें पढ़नी हैं। |
The helper agrees too: है or हैं, था or थी, and पड़ा, पड़ी or पड़े: मुझे दवाई लेनी पड़ी. चाहिए normally stays the same: आपको ज़्यादा सब्ज़ियाँ खानी चाहिए.
If the object has को, nothing agrees and the infinitive stays -ना: मुझे बच्चों को स्कूल छोड़ना है. The person with को never controls the ending, so a woman also says मुझे जाना है.
In relaxed speech you will often hear the plain -ना form even with a feminine object: मुझे चिट्ठी लिखना है. Careful speech and writing use the agreeing form.
Examples (5)
- मुझे आपसे एक बात कहनी है।
There's something I need to tell you.
बात is feminine, so the infinitive is कहनी.
- हमें बाज़ार से सब्ज़ियाँ ख़रीदनी हैं।
We need to buy vegetables at the market.
सब्ज़ियाँ is feminine plural: ख़रीदनी हैं.
- आपको यह फ़िल्म ज़रूर देखनी चाहिए।
You should definitely see this film.
फ़िल्म is feminine, so देखनी; चाहिए does not change.
- मुझे कल छुट्टी लेनी पड़ी।
I had to take the day off yesterday.
Both लेनी and पड़ी agree with छुट्टी.
- मुझे बच्चों को स्कूल से लाना है।
I have to pick the kids up from school.
बच्चों has को, so the infinitive stays -ना.
Common Mistakes
Making the infinitive agree with the person who has को.
रीमा को घर जानी है।रीमा को घर जाना है।The infinitive agrees only with an object. जाना has no object here, so it stays -ना even for a woman.
How It Connects
Learn This First
When the person has को, the infinitive can agree with the object, just as a ने verb does.
Related Patterns
- -ना चाहिएSaying What Someone Should Do
Advice with चाहिए follows the same agreement: फ़िल्म देखनी चाहिए.
Level 2 - -ना पड़नाHaving to Because of Circumstances
With पड़ना both words agree: छुट्टी लेनी पड़ी.
Level 3 - ने ... को ... कियाPast Verbs When the Object Has को
An object with को stops agreement here too.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
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