Verb Stem + لینا

Completing an Action for Oneself

Level 3

Change لینا while leaving the first stem unchanged.

How It Works

In مریم نے نمبر لکھ لیا, the number is now noted down. The compound highlights the completed step rather than a separate act of taking.

Compare masculine نمبر with feminine تاریخ: تاریخ لکھ لی. The feminine doer does not determine لی here; the unmarked feminine object does.

In a request, لینا can present a useful action for the listener: پہلے ہاتھ دھو لیجیے. Its contribution is often small, so do not force “for yourself” into every translation.

Examples (4)

  1. مریم نے نمبر لکھ لیا۔

    Maryam noted down the number.

    Masculine نمبر selects لیا.

  2. بلال نے تاریخ لکھ لی۔

    Bilal noted down the date.

    Feminine تاریخ selects لی despite a masculine doer.

  3. پہلے ہاتھ دھو لیجیے۔

    Please wash your hands first.

    The request uses respectful لیجیے after bare دھو.

  4. میں تھوڑی دیر آرام کر لوں گا۔

    I will rest for a little while.

    The masculine speaker selects the future لوں گا; there is no نے.

How It Connects

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

Verb Stem + لیناLevel 3Completing an Action for Oneself

Learn This First

Recognize the stem-plus-light-verb structure before contrasting the contribution of لینا.

Words in This Pattern

لینا