मुझे हिंदी आती है
Knowing a Skill or a Person
A skill comes to you: मुझे तैरना आता है (I know how to swim). A person is known with जानना: मैं उसे जानता हूँ.
How It Works
Hindi uses two patterns for the English word know.
A skill comes to you. Put the person in the को form and use आना. The verb agrees with the skill, not with the person.
| Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| मुझे हिंदी आती है। | I know Hindi. |
| उसे तैरना आता है। | She knows how to swim. |
| मुझे खाना बनाना नहीं आता। | I don't know how to cook. |
Language names are feminine, so they take आती है. A skill named with a -ना verb, such as तैरना, takes आता है. You will also hear मैं हिंदी जानता हूँ; it is correct, but मुझे हिंदी आती है is more common.
A person: use जानना like any verb. The knower is the subject: मैं रीमा को जानता हूँ (a man speaking), मैं रीमा को जानती हूँ (a woman speaking). The person you know usually takes को.
जानना also works for facts, as in मैं उसका नाम जानता हूँ, but everyday speech more often says मुझे उसका नाम पता है.
Examples (5)
- मुझे तैरना आता है।
I know how to swim.
The person takes को; the skill तैरना is the subject.
- रीमा को हिंदी आती है।
Reema knows Hindi.
आती agrees with feminine हिंदी.
- मुझे खाना बनाना नहीं आता।
I don't know how to cook.
In the negative, है is usually dropped.
- मैं उसके भाई को जानती हूँ।
I know his brother.
जानती agrees with the woman speaking; the person she knows takes को.
- क्या आप रीमा को जानते हैं?
Do you know Reema?
With जानना, आप is the subject and रीमा takes को.
Common Mistakes
Making the person the subject of आना.
मैं हिंदी आता हूँ।मुझे हिंदी आती है।With आना, the person takes को and the skill is the subject.
Making आना agree with the speaker.
मुझे हिंदी आता है।मुझे हिंदी आती है।The verb agrees with हिंदी, which is feminine.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Knowing a skill uses the को frame, while knowing a person uses जानना, both in the habitual present.
Related Patterns
- पता होनाKnowing a Fact
For facts and information, say मुझे पता है.
Level 2 - मुझे / तुम्हें / आपकोPronouns with को
These are the को forms for the person with the skill.
Level 1 - उसे / उन्हें / हमेंHim, Her and Them with को
These short forms mark the known person or the skilled person.
Level 2 - सकनाBeing Able to
सकना says you are able to do something; आना says you know how because you learned it.
Level 2 - कोMarking Objects and Recipients
The person you know with जानना usually takes को.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
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