-ू लागणे
Starting an Action
The action then goes on: बाळ रडू लागले means the baby started crying and kept at it.
How It Works
Make the -ू form by adding -ू to the stem: पडू, रडू, शिकू, जेवू, लिहू. A stem that ends in a vowel adds -ऊ: खाऊ, जाऊ, येऊ, घेऊ.
| Doer | Example |
|---|---|
| masculine | पाऊस पडू लागला. |
| feminine | ती पत्र लिहू लागली. |
| neuter | बाळ रडू लागले. |
| plural | मुले हसू लागली. |
With -ू लागणे, the past does not use -ने, and लागणे does not agree with the object. It agrees with the one who acts: ती पत्र लिहू लागली. Compare the simple past of the same verb: तिने पत्र लिहिले.
The pattern fits any verb. It also covers the start of a feeling or a state: मला हे गाणे आवडू लागले. (I started to like this song.) The song is the subject, so लागले is neuter, and मला names the person who feels it.
In speech, -ायला लागणे is as common: तो वाचायला लागला. Use whichever form you hear around you, but keep one choice within a conversation.
The negative goes at the end: तो अजून बोलू लागला नाही. (He hasn't started speaking yet.) A question uses का: पाऊस पडू लागला का?
Examples (5)
- पाऊस पडू लागला.
It started to rain.
पडू लागला shows the moment the rain begins.
- बाळ रडू लागले.
The baby started to cry.
लागले agrees with बाळ, a neuter noun.
- मी मराठी शिकू लागले.
I started learning Marathi. A woman is speaking.
शिकू लागले ends in -ले because the speaker is a woman.
- ती पत्र लिहू लागली.
She started writing a letter.
लागली agrees with ती; no -ने is used.
- मी जेवू लागलो, तेव्हाच फोन वाजला.
I had just started eating when the phone rang. A man is speaking.
जेवू लागलो shows a man starting to eat.
Common Mistakes
Using -ने with the doer.
तिने पत्र लिहू लागली.ती पत्र लिहू लागली.With -ू लागणे the doer is the subject and has no -ने.
Using the -त form.
बाळ रडत लागले.बाळ रडू लागले.लागणे joins with the -ू form.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Begin to uses -ू and लागणे.
Related Patterns
- -ायलाGoing to Do Something and Liking to Do It
The -ायला form that can replace -ू.
Level 3 - सुरू करणे / सुरू होणेVerbs Made with करणे and होणे
Other ways to say that something starts.
Level 2 - -त राहणेKeeping an Action Going
Keeping an action going once it has started.
Level 4 - -ू देणेAllowing Someone to Do Something
Another pattern that takes the -ू form.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice -ू लागणे in Bubblegum
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