-लहुँ With हम and अहाँ

The Simple Past with हम and अहाँ

Level 2Sounds Like lahum̐ (hama, ahām̐)

The ending -लहुँ makes the simple past for हम and अहाँ.

How It Works

First find the past stem of the verb. Most verbs just add -ल to the stem: पढ़ → पढ़ल-. A few change, such as जाएब → गेल-, करब → कएल-, आएब → अएल-, and खाएब → खएल-. Then add -हुँ.

Verbहम / अहाँ past
जाएबगेलहुँ
आएबअएलहुँ
खाएबखएलहुँ
करबकएलहुँ
पढ़बपढ़लहुँ
देखबदेखलहुँ

Unlike Hindi, Maithili has no ने: हम रोटी खएलहुँ, not हम ने रोटी खएलहुँ. The verb does not agree with the thing eaten.

For the close तोँ, the ending is -लह: तोँ कएलह. For other people the endings change, and the next entries explain them.

Examples (5)

  1. हम बजार गेलहुँ।

    I went to the market.

    गेलहुँ is गेल- plus -हुँ.

  2. अहाँ की कएलहुँ?

    What did you do?

    कएलहुँ comes from करब.

  3. हम काल्हि माछ खएलहुँ।

    I ate fish yesterday.

    The verb does not agree with माछ.

  4. हम अहाँक चिट्ठी पढ़लहुँ।

    I read your letter.

    पढ़लहुँ is a regular verb.

  5. अहाँ कखन अएलहुँ?

    When did you come?

    अएलहुँ is the past of आएब.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding the Hindi ने.

    हम ने भात खएलहुँ।
    हम भात खएलहुँ।

    Maithili does not use ने in the past. The subject stays हम.

How It Connects

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

-लहुँ With हम and अहाँLevel 2The Simple Past with हम and अहाँ

Learn This First

The simple past with हम and अहाँ has the same -लहुँ ending as छलहुँ.