-ने लगना

Starting to Do Something

Level 3Sounds Like nē laganā

-ने plus लगना means to begin: बच्चा रोने लगा (The child began to cry).

How It Works

बच्चा रोने लगा means the child began to cry. रोने names the action, and लगा says it started. It often describes a start that just happens, without a plan.

HindiEnglish
वह रोने लगाhe began to cry
वह हँसने लगीshe began to laugh
बारिश होने लगीit began to rain
हम जल्दी उठने लगे हैंwe have started getting up early

The -ने form is the form a verb takes before a postposition or a word like लगना. It stays the same for every subject.

लगना never takes ने, even when the first verb has an object. Say मैं खाना खाने लगा, not मैंने खाना खाने लगा.

With a present helper, the phrase can describe a new habit: वह अब हिंदी में बात करने लगी है (She has started talking in Hindi now). For a planned start, Hindi also uses शुरू करना: मैंने हिंदी पढ़ना शुरू किया.

लगना has other meanings too, such as to seem and to take time. The -ने form before it tells you it means to begin.

Examples (5)

  1. बच्चा रोने लगा।

    The child began to cry.

    रोने stays the same; लगा agrees with बच्चा.

  2. रीमा हँसने लगी।

    Reema began to laugh.

    लगी agrees with Reema.

  3. अचानक बारिश होने लगी।

    Suddenly it started raining.

    लगी agrees with feminine बारिश.

  4. हम सुबह जल्दी उठने लगे हैं।

    We've started getting up early in the morning.

    With हैं, the phrase describes a new habit.

  5. मैं चुपचाप खाना खाने लगा।

    I quietly started eating.

    There is no ने, even though खाना has an object, because लगना decides.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding ने because the first verb has an object.

    मैंने खाना खाने लगा।
    मैं खाना खाने लगा।

    लगना decides the form of the subject, and it never takes ने.

  • Keeping the -ना ending before लगना.

    बच्चा रोना लगा।
    बच्चा रोने लगा।

    Before लगना, -ना changes to -ने.

How It Connects

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

-ने लगनाLevel 3Starting to Do Something

Learn This First

Began to joins the -ने form of a verb to लगना, usually in the past.

Words in This Pattern

लगना-ना