-نا

Recognizing an Infinitive

Level 1

Find the verb stem before نا when you want to recognize the action word.

How It Works

سننا means to listen or hear, and پڑھنا means to read or study.

مجھے تیرنا پسند ہے says I like swimming. تیرنا names the activity.

Before a postposition, an infinitive can take an oblique ending: پڑھنے کے لیے means for reading. Compare dictionary پڑھنا with پڑھنے in this phrase.

Examples (4)

  1. سننا

    to listen or hear

    سننا is an infinitive ending in نا.

  2. پڑھنا

    to read or study

    پڑھنا is the dictionary form of the action.

  3. مجھے تیرنا پسند ہے

    I like swimming.

    تیرنا names the activity that is liked.

  4. پڑھنے کے لیے

    for reading

    The infinitive takes an oblique ending before the purpose phrase.

How It Connects

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

-ناLevel 1Recognizing an Infinitive

Learn This First

Distinguish the verb’s dictionary form from a statement with time and aspect.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

And 3 more in the full list.