-ला (कर्म)

Marking a Person as the Object

Level 3Sounds Like lā (karma)

In the past, when a -ला object is the only object, the verb stays neuter, whoever the doer is.

How It Works

In the past, a transitive verb matches its object: मी भाजी आणली (भाजी is feminine). When the object is a person and takes -ला, the verb stops matching and takes the neuter ending -ले: मी सईला पाहिले.

ObjectSentence
no -ला (thing)तिने आंबा खाल्ला. (matches the masculine आंबा)
no -ला (thing)तिने पोळी खाल्ली. (matches the feminine पोळी)
-ला (person)तिने मुलाला पाहिले. (neuter -ले)
-ला (person)तिने मुलीला पाहिले. (neuter -ले)

With मी, तू, आम्ही and तुम्ही the verb takes -स or -त as usual: तू बाबांना पाहिलेस. (You saw Dad.) तुम्ही सईला पाहिलेत.

Things usually take no -ला: मी पुस्तक वाचले. A person usually takes -ला with verbs like पाहणे, बोलावणे, उचलणे and विचारणे. भेटणे is different: its past verb matches the person who meets (मी सईला भेटलो). In the present and the future the verb matches the doer as usual: मी सईला बोलावतो. (A man says this.) मी सईला बोलावते. (A woman says this.)

Examples (5)

  1. मी सईला पाहिले.

    I saw Sai.

    सईला is a person with -ला, so the verb is neuter.

  2. तिने मुलाला बोलावले.

    She called the boy.

    The verb is -ले and not -ला, although मुलगा is masculine.

  3. आईने बाळाला उचलले.

    Mom picked up the baby.

    बाळ is neuter and also takes -ला, so the verb ends in -ले.

  4. सरांनी मुलांना घरी पाठवले.

    The teacher sent the children home.

    सरांनी is respectful, and पाठवले is the neuter form for a -ला object.

  5. तू बाबांना कधी पाहिलेस?

    When did you see Dad?

    पाहिलेस is neuter -ले plus -स for तू.

Common Mistakes

  • Matching the verb to the person after -ला.

    मी सईला पाहिली.
    मी सईला पाहिले.

    With -ला the verb stays neuter.

  • Adding -ला to a thing.

    मी पुस्तकाला वाचले.
    मी पुस्तक वाचले.

    Things in this pattern take no -ला; only the person does.

How It Connects

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

-ला (कर्म)Level 3Marking a Person as the Object

Learn This First

-ला also marks a person who is the object.

Words in This Pattern

-ला