🎭 Verb Mastery: Hindi Present Tense
The Magic of “Now” in Hindi
Imagine you have a special camera. This camera can take three kinds of pictures:
- 📸 What happens regularly (like the sun rising every day)
- 📹 What’s happening RIGHT NOW (like a video recording this moment)
- ✅ What just finished (like checking off a task on your list)
These three “pictures” are the three present tenses in Hindi! Let’s discover each one.
🌅 Present Simple Tense (सामान्य वर्तमान काल)
What Is It?
The Present Simple is like your daily routine poster. It shows things that happen regularly, always, or are true facts.
The Magic Formula
Subject + Verb Root + ता/ती/ते + है/हैं/हो/हूँ
Think of it as building blocks:
- 🧱 Verb Root = The action word
- 🎀 ता/ती/ते = Gender ribbon (boy/girl/many)
- 🎯 है/हैं/हो/हूँ = Who’s doing it
Gender Rules (Like Picking Colors!)
| Who’s Doing? | Male (He/I) | Female (She/I) | Many People |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ending | ता | ती | ते/ती |
Real Examples
खाना (to eat) → खा (root)
| Hindi | English | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| मैं खाता हूँ | I eat (male) | मैं + खा + ता + हूँ |
| मैं खाती हूँ | I eat (female) | मैं + खा + ती + हूँ |
| वह खाता है | He eats | वह + खा + ता + है |
| वह खाती है | She eats | वह + खा + ती + है |
| वे खाते हैं | They eat | वे + खा + ते + हैं |
🎯 Quick Examples
🌞 सूरज निकलता है। = The sun rises.
📚 राम पढ़ता है। = Ram studies.
🎵 सीता गाती है। = Sita sings.
🏃 बच्चे खेलते हैं। = Children play.
🎬 Present Continuous Tense (वर्तमान अपूर्ण काल)
What Is It?
This is your LIVE VIDEO button! It captures what’s happening right at this very moment.
The Magic Formula
Subject + Verb Root + रहा/रही/रहे + है/हैं/हो/हूँ
The secret ingredient is रहा/रही/रहे (the “-ing” of Hindi!)
Gender Rules
| Gender | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Male | रहा | रहे |
| Female | रही | रही |
Real Examples
पढ़ना (to read/study) → पढ़ (root)
| Hindi | English | Breaking It Down |
|---|---|---|
| मैं पढ़ रहा हूँ | I am reading (male) | मैं + पढ़ + रहा + हूँ |
| मैं पढ़ रही हूँ | I am reading (female) | मैं + पढ़ + रही + हूँ |
| वह खा रहा है | He is eating | वह + खा + रहा + है |
| वह खा रही है | She is eating | वह + खा + रही + है |
| वे सो रहे हैं | They are sleeping | वे + सो + रहे + हैं |
🎯 Quick Examples
📱 मैं फोन पर बात कर रहा हूँ। = I am talking on the phone.
🍳 माँ खाना बना रही है। = Mom is cooking food.
🎮 बच्चे खेल रहे हैं। = Children are playing.
🚗 गाड़ी जा रही है। = The car is going.
✅ Present Perfect Tense (पूर्ण वर्तमान काल)
What Is It?
This is your “DONE!” stamp. It shows actions that just completed but connect to now.
The Magic Formula
Subject + Verb Root + या/ई/ए + है/हैं/हो/हूँ
OR with चुका/चुकी/चुके for emphasis:
Subject + Verb Root + चुका/चुकी/चुके + है/हैं/हो/हूँ
Two Ways to Say “I Have Done”
Way 1: Simple (या/ई/ए)
| Gender | Ending |
|---|---|
| Male Singular | या |
| Female Singular | ई |
| Plural | ए/ईं |
Way 2: Emphatic (चुका/चुकी/चुके)
| Gender | Ending |
|---|---|
| Male Singular | चुका |
| Female Singular | चुकी |
| Plural | चुके/चुकी |
Real Examples
करना (to do) → कर (root)
| Hindi | English | Method |
|---|---|---|
| मैंने खाना खाया है | I have eaten food | Simple (या) |
| उसने काम किया है | He has done work | Simple (या) |
| वह जा चुका है | He has gone (already) | Emphatic (चुका) |
| वह पढ़ चुकी है | She has read (already) | Emphatic (चुकी) |
| हम सो चुके हैं | We have slept | Emphatic (चुके) |
🎯 Quick Examples
📬 मैंने पत्र लिखा है। = I have written a letter.
🎬 उसने फिल्म देखी है। = He/She has watched the movie.
🍽️ हम खा चुके हैं। = We have (already) eaten.
✈️ वह जा चुकी है। = She has (already) gone.
🎯 The Three Tenses Side by Side
Let’s see all three with the verb जाना (to go):
graph TD A["जाना - To Go"] --> B["Simple: जाता है"] A --> C["Continuous: जा रहा है"] A --> D["Perfect: गया है / जा चुका है"] B --> E["Goes regularly"] C --> F["Going right now"] D --> G["Has gone / finished going"]
Compare These Sentences
| Tense | Hindi | English | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | वह स्कूल जाता है | He goes to school | Daily routine |
| Continuous | वह स्कूल जा रहा है | He is going to school | Right now |
| Perfect | वह स्कूल गया है | He has gone to school | Just happened |
🧙♂️ Master Pattern Summary
graph TD A["Pick Your Tense"] --> B["SIMPLE?"] A --> C["CONTINUOUS?"] A --> D["PERFECT?"] B --> E["Root + ता/ती/ते + है"] C --> F["Root + रहा/रही/रहे + है"] D --> G["Root + या/ई/ए + है"] D --> H["Root + चुका/चुकी + है"]
🎪 Fun Practice Scenarios
Morning Routine Story
सूरज निकलता है (Simple - happens daily)
अभी मैं उठ रहा हूँ (Continuous - happening now)
मैं नहा चुका हूँ (Perfect - just finished!)
At the Kitchen
माँ रोज खाना बनाती है (Simple - regular habit)
अभी वह चाय बना रही है (Continuous - making right now)
खाना बन चुका है! (Perfect - cooking is done!)
🌟 Remember These Key Points
- Simple = Regular, habits, facts → ता/ती/ते
- Continuous = Right now, ongoing → रहा/रही/रहे
- Perfect = Just completed → या/ई/ए or चुका/चुकी/चुके
The Helper Verb Chart
| Subject | Helper Verb |
|---|---|
| मैं (I) | हूँ |
| तू (You-informal) | है |
| तुम (You) | हो |
| आप (You-formal) | हैं |
| वह/यह (He/She/It) | है |
| वे/ये (They/These) | हैं |
| हम (We) | हैं |
🚀 You’ve Got This!
Now you know the three magical present tenses of Hindi:
- 🔄 Simple for routines and facts
- 🎬 Continuous for right-now actions
- ✅ Perfect for just-completed actions
Start with simple sentences, mix and match, and soon you’ll speak Hindi like a native! Remember: every expert was once a beginner. Keep practicing! 🎉