-ता हुआ

Ongoing Descriptions

Level 4Sounds Like tā hu'ā

-ता, -ती or -ते plus हुआ describes a person or thing in the middle of doing something: flowing water, a moving train.

How It Works

This pattern describes something by what it is doing right now. English usually puts an -ing word before the noun or a who clause after it: a crying baby, children who are playing.

MasculineFeminine
Oneबहता हुआ पानीबहती हुई नदी
More than oneखेलते हुए बच्चेखेलती हुई लड़कियाँ

Before a postposition, a masculine singular phrase also takes -ते हुए: रोते हुए बच्चे को चुप कराओ (Calm the crying child down). Feminine forms don't change.

हुआ is often left out, especially in short, set phrases: चलती गाड़ी (a moving train or car), उबलता पानी (boiling water), डूबता सूरज (the setting sun).

Compare the two describing patterns. -ता हुआ is for an action in progress: जलती हुई मोमबत्ती, a burning candle. -आ हुआ is for a finished result: जली हुई रोटी, a burnt roti.

Examples (5)

  1. वह हँसता हुआ बच्चा मेरा बेटा है।

    That laughing boy is my son.

    हँसता हुआ agrees with masculine बच्चा.

  2. बहती हुई नदी के पास एक गाँव है।

    There's a village beside the flowing river.

    बहती हुई agrees with feminine नदी.

  3. खेलते हुए बच्चों की आवाज़ आ रही है।

    I can hear the children playing.

    खेलते हुए describes the children, not the speaker.

  4. चलती गाड़ी से मत उतरिए।

    Don't get off while the train is moving.

    In set phrases, हुआ is often dropped: चलती गाड़ी.

  5. रोते हुए बच्चे को चुप कराओ।

    Calm the crying child down.

    Before को, masculine singular takes -ते हुए.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the -ता हुआ form before a postposition.

    रोता हुआ बच्चे को गोद में उठाओ।
    रोते हुए बच्चे को गोद में उठाओ।

    Before को, masculine singular changes to -ते हुए, just as बड़ा becomes बड़े.

How It Connects

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

-ता हुआLevel 4Ongoing Descriptions

Learn This First

Ongoing descriptions pair हुआ with the -ता form.

Words in This Pattern

-ताहोना