ले When It Is Needed

When ले Is Needed

Level 2Sounds Like lē (prayōgakō niyama)

Past with an object: use ले. Plain present, or no object: usually no ले.

How It Works

The rule has a few simple parts.

  • Simple past with an object: ले is needed. मैले चिया पिएँ.
  • Plain present: the doer usually has no ले. म चिया पिउँछु. A speaker can add it to stress who does the action: यो काम मैले गर्छु (I am the one who will do this work).
  • Verbs with no object (जानु, आउनु, हुनु, सुत्नु): no ले in the simple past. ऊ घर गयो.
  • Perfect forms with an object: ले is needed too. You will meet them at Level 3.
  • With -नुपर्छ and -नु छ: ले is usual: तिमीले यो गर्नुपर्छ.
  • With -न सक्नु and the future: ले is optional.

Check each new verb. भन्नु (to say) and सोध्नु (to ask) take ले in the past: उसले सोध्यो. सुत्नु (to sleep) does not: ऊ सुत्यो. The verb that ends the sentence decides. With पाउनु, the doer takes ले even when the first verb has no object: मैले हिजो सुत्न पाइनँ (I did not get to sleep yesterday).

ले has another job in every tense: it marks a tool or a cause, as in म साबुनले हात धुन्छु (I wash my hands with soap). That is not the doer, so this rule does not cover it.

When the doer is a pronoun that needs a special shape, see मैले, तिमीले र उसले.

Examples (5)

  1. मैले चिया पिएँ।

    I drank tea.

    Past verb with an object, so the doer has ले.

  2. म चिया पिउँछु।

    I drink tea.

    In a plain present statement the doer has no ले.

  3. ऊ घर गयो।

    He went home.

    जानु takes no object, so there is no ले.

  4. तिमीले यो काम गर्नुपर्छ।

    You must do this work.

    With -नुपर्छ the doer usually has ले.

  5. उसले मलाई सोध्यो।

    He asked me.

    सोध्नु takes ले in the past.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving ले out of a past sentence with an object.

    म भात खाएँ।
    मैले भात खाएँ।

    A past verb with an object needs ले.

  • Adding ले to a past verb with no object.

    उसले घर गयो।
    ऊ घर गयो।

    जानु takes no object, so the doer stays plain, even in the past.

How It Connects

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

ले When It Is NeededLevel 2When ले Is Needed

Learn This First

The rule for when ले is used depends on the past tense.