-ना as a Noun

Actions as Nouns

Level 2Sounds Like nā san̄jñā kē rūpa mēṁ

The -ना form can be a noun: हिंदी सीखना आसान है (Learning Hindi is easy).

How It Works

The infinitive names an action, so it can do the job of a noun. It can be the subject, the thing someone likes, or the word before a postposition.

  • As a subject: हिंदी सीखना आसान है (Learning Hindi is easy).
  • With पसंद: मुझे नई किताबें पढ़ना पसंद है (I like reading new books).
  • On signs: यहाँ सिगरेट पीना मना है (Smoking is not allowed here).

Agreement. The action counts as masculine singular: रोज़ चलना अच्छा है (Walking every day is good). Here it stays masculine singular even when its object is feminine or plural: नई किताबें पढ़ना अच्छा है. With को plus है, चाहिए or पड़ना, the -ना form can change to agree with the object, as in मुझे चिट्ठी लिखनी है. That has its own entry.

Before a postposition. Like a noun ending in -आ, the infinitive changes -ना to -ने: सुबह जल्दी उठने से (from getting up early), पढ़ने में (in reading). This -ने form is the base of many later patterns, such as -ने के लिए and -ने के बाद.

The infinitive can keep its own object and adverbs: रोज़ थोड़ा चलना (walking a little every day), हिंदी सीखना (learning Hindi).

Examples (5)

  1. हिंदी सीखना आसान है।

    Learning Hindi is easy.

    सीखना is the subject, and आसान है describes it.

  2. रोज़ थोड़ा चलना अच्छा है।

    Walking a little every day is good for you.

    अच्छा is masculine singular because the action counts as masculine.

  3. मुझे नई किताबें पढ़ना पसंद है।

    I like reading new books.

    किताबें belongs to the action; the whole action is what I like.

  4. सुबह जल्दी उठने से मुझे ज़्यादा समय मिलता है।

    Getting up early gives me more time.

    Before से, उठना becomes उठने.

  5. यहाँ सिगरेट पीना मना है।

    Smoking is not allowed here.

    A common sign: the action पीना is what is forbidden.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping -ना before a postposition.

    जल्दी उठना से मुझे ज़्यादा समय मिलता है।
    जल्दी उठने से मुझे ज़्यादा समय मिलता है।

    Before से, में or के, -ना changes to -ने, like a noun ending in -आ.

How It Connects

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

-ना as a NounLevel 2Actions as Nouns

Learn This First

The infinitive behaves as a masculine noun, including its -ने form before postpositions.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

And 3 more in the full list.

Words in This Pattern

-ना