-ता था

Past Habits

Level 2Sounds Like tā thā

-ता था describes past habits: मैं रोज़ यहाँ आता था (I used to come here every day).

How It Works

SubjectFormExample
masculine singular-ता थामैं रोज़ यहाँ आता था।
feminine singular-ती थीमीरा दिल्ली में रहती थी।
masculine plural, respectful-ते थेहम शाम को खेलते थे।
feminine plural-ती थींदादी कहानियाँ सुनाती थीं।

English has several ways to say this: I used to go, I would go, or simply I went (every day). Hindi uses -ता था for all of them when the action was a habit or a lasting state.

In the negative, keep था: वह यहाँ नहीं रहता था. Only the present helper is often dropped after नहीं.

Compare three past forms: वह आया (he came, once), वह आता था (he used to come), वह आ रहा था (he was on his way at that moment).

Time words help: पहले (before), बचपन में (as a child), हर साल (every year).

Examples (5)

  1. मैं रोज़ यहाँ आता था।

    I used to come here every day.

    -ता था describes a past routine.

  2. मीरा दिल्ली में रहती थी।

    Meera used to live in Delhi.

    A feminine subject takes -ती थी.

  3. हम शाम को खेलते थे।

    We used to play in the evening.

    A plural subject takes -ते थे.

  4. दादी हमें कहानियाँ सुनाती थीं।

    Grandma used to tell us stories.

    Respect for दादी gives the plural थीं.

  5. वह यहाँ नहीं रहता था।

    He didn't live here.

    In the negative, था stays.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding ने to a past habit.

    मैंने रोज़ चाय पीता था।
    मैं रोज़ चाय पीता था।

    -ता था is not a completed form, so it never takes ने.

How It Connects

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

-ता थाLevel 2Past Habits

Learn This First

Past habits are the habitual form with a past form of to be.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

-ताहोना