नव्हता / नव्हती / नव्हते
Saying How Things Were Not
More than one man takes नव्हते, more than one woman takes नव्हत्या and more than one neuter noun takes नव्हती.
How It Works
| Person | Man | Woman |
|---|---|---|
| मी | नव्हतो | नव्हते |
| तू | नव्हतास | नव्हतीस |
| तो / ती | तो नव्हता | ती नव्हती |
| आम्ही | नव्हतो | |
| तुम्ही | नव्हतात |
A neuter noun takes नव्हते: मूल घरी नव्हते. More than one man takes नव्हते, more than one woman takes नव्हत्या and more than one neuter noun takes नव्हती.
A respectful plural takes the plural verb: आजी घरी नव्हत्या.
Use नव्हता for what was not so: काल दुकान उघडे नव्हते (The shop was not open yesterday). For to be, the present negative is नाही and the past negative is नव्हता. Other past verbs take नाही: ती आली नाही.
It also describes a state or says something did not exist: ती आजारी नव्हती (she was not ill), काल पाऊस नव्हता (there was no rain yesterday).
Compare the two sentences: काल दुकान उघडे होते (the shop was open yesterday) and काल दुकान उघडे नव्हते (the shop was not open yesterday).
Examples (5)
- काल दुकान उघडे नव्हते.
The shop was not open yesterday.
नव्हते matches the neuter noun दुकान.
- मी काल घरी नव्हतो.
I was not at home yesterday. A man is speaking.
नव्हतो shows a man is speaking.
- मी काल शाळेत नव्हते.
I was not at school yesterday. A woman is speaking.
नव्हते shows a woman is speaking.
- ती काल ऑफिसमध्ये नव्हती.
She was not at the office yesterday.
नव्हती matches ती.
- आजी घरी नव्हत्या.
Grandmother was not at home.
नव्हत्या is plural for respect.
Common Mistakes
Putting नाही after होतो.
मी काल घरी होतो नाही.मी काल घरी नव्हतो.The negative of होतो is नव्हतो, one word.
Using the man's form for a woman.
ती घरी नव्हता.ती घरी नव्हती.ती is a woman, so the form is नव्हती.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Was not is the negative of होता.
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice नव्हता / नव्हती / नव्हते in Bubblegum
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