-थेँ / -थ्यौ / -थ्यो

Past Habits

Level 3Sounds Like thēm̐, -thyau ra -thyō

The habitual past is for routines you remember.

How It Works

Use this tense for what used to happen again and again.

DoerEndingखेल्नु
म-थेँखेल्थेँ
हामी-थ्यौँखेल्थ्यौँ
तिमी-थ्यौखेल्थ्यौ
ऊ-थ्योखेल्थ्यो
उनीहरू-थेखेल्थे
उनी (woman)-थिन्खेल्थिन्

A plain ऊ for a girl or woman takes -थी (ऊ खेल्थी). The -थिन् ending is for a respected woman.

Vowel stems add न् or a nasal: जान्थेँ, खान्थ्यो, पिउँथ्यो. The doer usually takes no ले in this tense, even with a verb that has an object: म सानो हुँदा दूध पिउँथेँ. For an honorific doer, use -नुहुन्थ्यो. Use it for remembered routines, not for one event: for a single finished event, the simple past is the right tense. A time phrase such as सानो हुँदा (when little) or हरेक बिहान (every morning) often sits in the same sentence to set the scene.

Examples (5)

  1. म सानो हुँदा हामी छतमा खेल्थ्यौँ।

    When I was little, we used to play on the roof.

    खेल्थ्यौँ goes with हामी.

  2. म सानो हुँदा हरेक बिहान दूध किन्न जान्थेँ।

    When I was little, I used to go to buy milk every morning.

    जान्थेँ goes with म.

  3. तिमी सानो हुँदा धेरै रुन्थ्यौ।

    You used to cry a lot when you were little.

    रुन्थ्यौ goes with तिमी.

  4. आमा हरेक बिहान चिया पिउँथिन्।

    Mother used to drink tea every morning.

    A respected woman takes -थिन्.

  5. उनीहरू बेलुका चिया पसलमा भेट्थे।

    They used to meet at the tea shop in the evening.

    -थे goes with उनीहरू.

Common Mistakes

  • A learner gives हामी the म ending.

    हामी सानो हुँदा छतमा खेल्थेँ।
    हामी सानो हुँदा छतमा खेल्थ्यौँ।

    -थेँ goes with म. हामी takes -थ्यौँ.

How It Connects

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

-थेँ / -थ्यौ / -थ्योLevel 3Past Habits

Learn This First

-थेँ shows past habits.