-दै थियो

Past Ongoing Actions

Level 3Sounds Like dai thiyō

-दै थियो shows an action was still going on at a time in the past.

How It Works

Use -दै थियो when you picture a past moment and the action was already under way in it. It is the past of -दै छ.

DoerForm
मखाँदै थिएँ
हामीखाँदै थियौँ
तिमीखाँदै थियौ
ऊखाँदै थियो
उनी (woman)खाँदै थिइन्
तपाईं, उहाँखाँदै हुनुहुन्थ्यो

The action is often cut short by something else. That second event takes the simple past: म खाना खाँदै थिएँ, तब फोन आयो. If you only name an event that finished, use the simple past, not -दै थियो.

The doer usually takes no ले in this form, because it is an action in progress, not a completed one: उनी चिया पिउँदै थिइन् (she was drinking tea).

Examples (5)

  1. म खाना खाँदै थिएँ, तब फोन आयो।

    I was eating when the phone rang.

    खाँदै थिएँ shows the eating was in progress.

  2. बाहिर पानी पर्दै थियो।

    It was raining outside.

    पर्दै थियो describes weather that was going on.

  3. सरिता कलेज जाँदै थिइन्।

    Sarita was on her way to college.

    The helper थिइन् agrees with a woman.

  4. तपाईं के गर्दै हुनुहुन्थ्यो?

    What were you doing?

    With तपाईं the helper is हुनुहुन्थ्यो.

  5. हामी बसमा गफ गर्दै थियौँ।

    We were chatting on the bus.

    थियौँ goes with हामी.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the present helper for a past moment.

    हिजो म खाना खाँदै छु।
    हिजो म खाना खाँदै थिएँ।

    छु is present. A past moment needs थिएँ.

  • Dropping the nasal after a vowel stem.

    म खादै थिएँ।
    म खाँदै थिएँ।

    A stem that ends in a vowel takes the nasal before -दै.

How It Connects

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

-दै थियोLevel 3Past Ongoing Actions

Learn This First

-दै थियो is the past of -दै छ.