ने ... को ... किया

Past Verbs When the Object Has को

Level 3Sounds Like nē ... kō ... kiyā

ने on the subject and को on the object leave the verb in its default form: मैंने लड़कियों को देखा.

How It Works

In the simple past, verbs that take ने agree with the object, not the subject. That rule needs an object with no postposition. Compare these three sentences:

SentenceThe verb agrees with
रीमा आई।the subject रीमा (no ने)
रीमा ने रोटी खाई।the object रोटी (no को)
रीमा ने बच्चियों को बुलाया।nothing, so it uses the default -आ

Both रीमा ने and बच्चियों को have a postposition, so neither one controls the verb. It falls back to the masculine singular form. This default does not mean anyone is male.

को usually marks people and specific things you are pointing at: मैंने रीमा को देखा, मैंने उस किताब को पढ़ा. Many objects do not take को, and then the verb agrees with them: मैंने किताब पढ़ी.

Watch for को on a receiver. In दादी ने बच्चों को कहानियाँ सुनाईं, बच्चों को are the listeners. The object कहानियाँ has no को, so the verb agrees with it: सुनाईं.

A helper verb follows the same default: मैंने उसे देखा है, मैंने उसे देखा था.

Examples (5)

  1. मैंने लड़कियों को देखा।

    I saw the girls.

    लड़कियों has को, so देखा stays in the default form.

  2. रवि ने मीरा को देखा।

    Ravi saw Meera.

    Meera is female, but मीरा has को, so the verb stays देखा.

  3. माँ ने बेटियों को स्कूल भेजा।

    Mother sent her daughters to school.

    बेटियों को is the object with को, so भेजा takes the default form.

  4. दादी ने बच्चों को कहानियाँ सुनाईं।

    Grandma told the children stories.

    बच्चों को are the listeners; the verb agrees with कहानियाँ, which has no को.

  5. मैंने मीरा को देखा था।

    I had seen Meera.

    The helper था also stays in the default form.

Common Mistakes

  • Making the verb agree with an object that has को.

    मैंने लड़कियों को देखीं।
    मैंने लड़कियों को देखा।

    लड़कियों has को, so it cannot control the verb. Use the default देखा.

How It Connects

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

ने ... को ... कियाLevel 3Past Verbs When the Object Has को

Learn This First

When the object has को, a ने verb has nothing to agree with, so it falls back to masculine singular.

Words in This Pattern

नेको