-दै

Doing Two Things at Once

Level 3Sounds Like dai

-दै shows two actions by the same doer happening together.

How It Works

-दै shows the doer is doing something while also doing the main action: उनी हाँस्दै भित्र आइन् (she came in laughing).

Verb-दै form
गाउनुगाउँदै
रुनुरुँदै
हाँस्नुहाँस्दै
बोल्नुबोल्दै
गर्नुगर्दै

The first action is more like a manner: it shows how the main action is done. म कुरा गर्दै चिया पिउँछु (I drink tea while chatting).

The same -दै is part of the present progressive -दै छ, but here there is no helper. Without छ or थियो, it simply adds the second action.

Use it when one person does both actions. For two doers or a time frame, use -दा: पानी पर्दा म घर गएँ.

Examples (5)

  1. म गीत गाउँदै हिँड्छु।

    I walk while singing.

    गाउँदै is nasal after the vowel stem.

  2. उनी हाँस्दै भित्र आइन्।

    She came in laughing.

    The tense and person are only in आइन्.

  3. सरिता रुँदै घर आइन्।

    Sarita came home crying.

    रुँदै shows how she came.

  4. हामी कुरा गर्दै चिया पिउँछौँ।

    We drink tea while talking.

    Both actions have the same doer.

  5. उहाँ मुस्कुराउँदै बाहिर निस्कनुभयो।

    He came out smiling.

    The polite ending is only on the main verb.

Common Mistakes

  • Using -दै for two different doers.

    पानी पर्दै म घर गएँ।
    पानी पर्दा म घर गएँ।

    -दै usually needs the same doer for both actions. Different doers need -दा.

  • Dropping the nasal after a vowel stem.

    सरिता रुदै घर आइन्।
    सरिता रुँदै घर आइन्।

    A vowel stem is nasal before -दै.

How It Connects

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

-दैLevel 3Doing Two Things at Once

Learn This First

-दै does two things at once.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.