-न लगाउनु

Telling Someone to Do It

Level 4Sounds Like na lagā'unu

Verb + -न + लगाउनु means getting a person to do the job. The person asked takes लाई.

How It Works

The -न form of a verb is the plain infinitive used before many helper verbs. Before लगाउनु it means the doer arranges for another person to do the job.

The person who is asked takes लाई. The person who asks takes ले in the past, and the verb agrees with that person: आमाले मलाई तरकारी किन्न लगाउनुभयो (mother had me buy vegetables).

The verb is not harsh by itself. Teachers, parents, doctors and shop owners use it every day. Whether the request is friendly depends on who is asking and how, not on the verb.

DoerPast of लगाउनु
मलगाएँ
तिमीलगायौ
ऊलगायो
तपाईं, उहाँलगाउनुभयो

Examples (4)

  1. आमाले मलाई तरकारी किन्न लगाउनुभयो।

    Mother had me buy the vegetables.

    किन्न is the -न form; मलाई marks the person asked.

  2. मालिकले कामदारलाई पसल सफा गर्न लगाए।

    The owner had the worker clean the shop.

    लगाए agrees with a man shown mid respect.

  3. हजुरआमाले नातिनीलाई दाल केलाउन लगाउनुभयो।

    Grandmother had her granddaughter pick over the lentils.

    The respectful past fits a grandmother.

  4. दिदीले भाइलाई पानी ल्याउन लगाइन्।

    My older sister had my younger brother bring some water.

    लगाइन् shows the person who asks is a woman.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the -नु form instead of the -न form.

    शिक्षकले विद्यार्थीलाई निबन्ध लेख्नु लगाउनुभयो।
    शिक्षकले विद्यार्थीलाई निबन्ध लेख्न लगाउनुभयो।

    The helper verb लगाउनु takes the -न form, as in लेख्न.

How It Connects

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

-न लगाउनुLevel 4Telling Someone to Do It

Learn This First

-न लगाउनु means telling someone.