-ना

The Infinitive

Level 1Sounds Like nā

The -ना form is the dictionary form of every verb and names the action, like English to swim or swimming.

How It Works

Every Hindi verb appears in the dictionary with the ending -ना: बोलना (to speak), पढ़ना (to read), सोना (to sleep). This is the infinitive. Drop -ना and you have the stem that other forms are built on: बोल, पढ़, सो.

The infinitive names an action, like English to swim or swimming. It works like a masculine noun:

As the subject: तैरना आसान है (Swimming is easy).
With पसंद: मुझे पढ़ना पसंद है (I like reading).
With चाहना: मैं सोना चाहता हूँ (I want to sleep).

Before a postposition, -ना becomes -ने: खाने के बाद (after eating), सोने से पहले (before sleeping). Later entries use this form a lot.

Some infinitives are also everyday nouns. खाना means to eat and also food: खाना तैयार है (The food is ready).

The -ना form can also give a friendly instruction for later: कल ज़रूर आना (Be sure to come tomorrow). That use has its own entry.

Examples (5)

सुबह टहलना सेहत के लिए अच्छा है।
Walking in the morning is good for your health.
टहलना (walking) is the subject of the sentence.
मुझे तैरना पसंद है।
I like swimming.
तैरना names the activity that is liked.
हिंदी बोलना मुश्किल नहीं है।
Speaking Hindi isn't hard.
The phrase हिंदी बोलना is the subject.
मैं घर जाना चाहता हूँ।
I want to go home.
With चाहना, the wanted action stays in the -ना form.
यह पानी पीने के लिए है।
This water is for drinking.
Before के लिए, पीना becomes पीने.

Common Mistakes

Using the -ना form as the main verb.
मैं हिंदी बोलना।
मैं हिंदी बोलता हूँ।
The -ना form only names the action. A full sentence needs a conjugated verb such as बोलता हूँ.

How It Connects

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-नाLevel 1The Infinitive

Learn This First

The infinitive is the stem with -ना, the form every verb is listed under.

Finding a Verb Stem
Know that the stem plus -ना is the dictionary form you look up.
Foundations

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

-ना

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