-दा

When or While Doing

Level 3Sounds Like dā

-दा gives the time or situation in which the main thing happens.

How It Works

-दा makes a time clause. It fits both a moment and a stretch of time: सानो हुँदा (when I was small), खाना खाँदा (while eating).

Verb-दा form
जानुजाँदा
खानुखाँदा
आउनुआउँदा
हुनुहुँदा
गर्नुगर्दा

The doer of the two clauses can differ: म घर जाँदा पानी पर्‍यो. The tense is in the main clause, so the -दा verb stays as it is.

-दा often combines with -एको थियो, as in म पुग्दा बस गएको थियो. A related word, बेला, gives a similar sense with a noun: खानाको बेला.

Do not confuse -दा with -दै. -दै means doing something at the same time as another action by the same doer.

Examples (5)

  1. म घर जाँदा पानी पर्‍यो।

    It rained when I was going home.

    जाँदा is nasal after the vowel stem.

  2. सानो हुँदा म गाउँमा बस्थेँ।

    When I was small, I lived in the village.

    हुँदा is the -दा form of हुनु.

  3. बस चढ्दा मलाई वाकवाकी लाग्छ।

    I feel sick when I ride the bus.

    चढ्दा comes from a consonant stem, so it has no nasal.

  4. नेपाल जाँदा हामी पोखरा गयौँ।

    When we went to Nepal, we went to Pokhara.

    जाँदा names the occasion.

  5. खाना खाँदा नबोल्नुहोस्।

    Please do not talk while eating.

    खाँदा gives the situation for the command.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out the nasal after a vowel stem.

    म घर जादा पानी पर्‍यो।
    म घर जाँदा पानी पर्‍यो।

    A vowel stem is nasal before -दा.

  • Using -दै for two different doers.

    म घर जाँदै पानी पर्‍यो।
    म घर जाँदा पानी पर्‍यो।

    -दै usually needs the same doer in both actions. Here I and the rain differ, so use -दा.

How It Connects

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

-दाLevel 3When or While Doing

Learn This First

-दा says when or while.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.