-ता है / -ती है / -ते हैं

Present Habits and Routines

Level 1Sounds Like tā hai, -tī hai aura -tē haiṁ

The habitual present says what someone usually or regularly does.

How It Works

The habitual present has two parts. The first is the verb stem plus -ता, -ती or -ते, which shows gender and number. The second is हूँ, है, हो or हैं, which shows the person.

SubjectMan or masculineWoman or feminine
मैंपीता हूँपीती हूँ
तू, यह, वहपीता हैपीती है
तुमपीते होपीती हो
हम, आप, ये, वेपीते हैंपीती हैं

Use it for routines, jobs, where people live and things that are generally true: मैं रोज़ चाय पीता हूँ, वह दिल्ली में रहती है, मेरे पापा बैंक में काम करते हैं.

It does not describe what is happening right now. For that, use रहा है: मैं चाय पी रहा हूँ (I am drinking tea now).

In the negative, the last word is usually dropped: मैं चाय नहीं पीता (I don't drink tea). If the subject is feminine plural, the verb then ends in -तीं: वे चाय नहीं पीतीं.

Examples (5)

  1. मैं रोज़ चाय पीता हूँ।

    I drink tea every day.

    A man speaking: पीता हूँ.

  2. मीरा हिंदी पढ़ती है।

    Meera studies Hindi.

    A woman as the subject: पढ़ती है.

  3. हम घर पर खाना खाते हैं।

    We eat at home.

    हम takes खाते हैं.

  4. ये लड़कियाँ यहाँ पढ़ती हैं।

    These girls study here.

    A group of girls: पढ़ती हैं.

  5. अमित मांस नहीं खाता।

    Amit doesn't eat meat.

    In the negative, है is usually dropped.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the habitual for something happening right now.

    देखो, बारिश होती है।
    देखो, बारिश हो रही है।

    होती है describes what usually happens. For something happening as you speak, use रहा, रही or रहे.

How It Connects

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

-ता है / -ती है / -ते हैंLevel 1Present Habits and Routines

Learn This First

The habitual present joins an agreeing habitual form with a present form of to be.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

And 1 more in the full list.

Words in This Pattern

-ताहोना