Understanding the different tenses in Hindi can be a fascinating journey for English speakers. Each tense has its unique structure and usage, reflecting the nuances of time and action in the language. One of the most commonly used tenses in daily conversations is the **present continuous tense**. In this article, we will delve into the intricacies of the present continuous tense in Hindi grammar and how it is used to describe ongoing actions.
What is Present Continuous Tense?
The present continuous tense, also known as the present progressive tense, is used to describe actions that are currently happening at the moment of speaking. In English, it is formed using the auxiliary verb “to be” (am, is, are) followed by the present participle of the main verb (ending in -ing). For example, “I am eating,” “She is reading,” and “They are playing.”
Similarly, in Hindi, the present continuous tense is used to indicate actions that are happening right now. However, the formation and structure differ from English, involving specific suffixes and auxiliary verbs.
Formation of Present Continuous Tense in Hindi
To form the present continuous tense in Hindi, you need to follow a specific structure that involves the root verb, a suffix, and an auxiliary verb. The general formula is:
**Root Verb + रहा/रही/रहे + Auxiliary Verb (हूँ, है, हैं, हो)**
Let’s break down this structure:
1. **Root Verb**: This is the base form of the verb without any tense markers. For example, the root verb for “to eat” is “खाना” (khaana).
2. **Suffix (रहा/रही/रहे)**: The suffix changes according to the gender and number of the subject.
– **रहा (raha)**: Used with masculine singular subjects.
– **रही (rahi)**: Used with feminine singular subjects.
– **रहे (rahe)**: Used with plural subjects (both masculine and feminine).
3. **Auxiliary Verb (हूँ, है, हैं, हो)**: The auxiliary verb agrees with the subject in terms of person and number.
– **हूँ (hoon)**: First person singular (I am).
– **है (hai)**: Third person singular (he/she/it is) and second person singular informal (you are).
– **हैं (hain)**: Plural subjects (we are, they are, you are formal).
– **हो (ho)**: Second person singular and plural informal (you are).
Examples of Present Continuous Tense
To better understand the formation, let’s look at some examples:
1. **I am eating (मैं खा रहा हूँ)**
– **मैं (main)**: I (subject, first person singular)
– **खा (kha)**: Root verb for “to eat”
– **रहा (raha)**: Masculine singular suffix
– **हूँ (hoon)**: First person singular auxiliary verb
2. **She is reading (वह पढ़ रही है)**
– **वह (vah)**: She (subject, third person singular feminine)
– **पढ़ (padh)**: Root verb for “to read”
– **रही (rahi)**: Feminine singular suffix
– **है (hai)**: Third person singular auxiliary verb
3. **They are playing (वे खेल रहे हैं)**
– **वे (ve)**: They (subject, plural)
– **खेल (khel)**: Root verb for “to play”
– **रहे (rahe)**: Plural suffix
– **हैं (hain)**: Plural auxiliary verb
Usage of Present Continuous Tense in Hindi
The present continuous tense is used in various contexts in Hindi, similar to its usage in English. Here are some common scenarios:
1. Actions Happening Now
The primary use of the present continuous tense is to describe actions that are happening at the moment of speaking. For example:
– **मैं किताब पढ़ रहा हूँ। (main kitaab padh raha hoon)** – I am reading a book.
– **वह गाना गा रही है। (vah gaana gaa rahi hai)** – She is singing a song.
– **वे बाजार जा रहे हैं। (ve bazaar ja rahe hain)** – They are going to the market.
2. Temporary Actions
It can also be used to describe actions that are temporary or happening around the current time but may not be happening exactly at the moment of speaking. For example:
– **मैं इन दिनों कड़ी मेहनत कर रहा हूँ। (main in dino kadi mehnat kar raha hoon)** – I am working hard these days.
– **वह इस सप्ताह छुट्टी पर जा रही है। (vah is saptah chutti par ja rahi hai)** – She is going on a holiday this week.
3. Future Plans
The present continuous tense can indicate future plans or arrangements, similar to English. For example:
– **हम कल फिल्म देखने जा रहे हैं। (hum kal film dekhne ja rahe hain)** – We are going to watch a movie tomorrow.
– **वह अगले महीने शादी कर रही है। (vah agle mahine shaadi kar rahi hai)** – She is getting married next month.
Negation in Present Continuous Tense
To make the present continuous tense negative in Hindi, you simply add “नहीं” (nahin) before the root verb. The structure becomes:
**Subject + नहीं + Root Verb + रहा/रही/रहे + Auxiliary Verb**
Let’s see some examples:
1. **I am not eating (मैं नहीं खा रहा हूँ)**
– **मैं (main)**: I (subject, first person singular)
– **नहीं (nahin)**: Not
– **खा (kha)**: Root verb for “to eat”
– **रहा (raha)**: Masculine singular suffix
– **हूँ (hoon)**: First person singular auxiliary verb
2. **She is not reading (वह नहीं पढ़ रही है)**
– **वह (vah)**: She (subject, third person singular feminine)
– **नहीं (nahin)**: Not
– **पढ़ (padh)**: Root verb for “to read”
– **रही (rahi)**: Feminine singular suffix
– **है (hai)**: Third person singular auxiliary verb
3. **They are not playing (वे नहीं खेल रहे हैं)**
– **वे (ve)**: They (subject, plural)
– **नहीं (nahin)**: Not
– **खेल (khel)**: Root verb for “to play”
– **रहे (rahe)**: Plural suffix
– **हैं (hain)**: Plural auxiliary verb
Questions in Present Continuous Tense
To form questions in the present continuous tense in Hindi, you typically place the question word (if any) at the beginning and invert the subject and auxiliary verb. The structure is:
**Question Word + Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Root Verb + रहा/रही/रहे?**
Here are some examples:
1. **Are you eating? (क्या तुम खा रहे हो?)**
– **क्या (kya)**: What/Are (question word)
– **तुम (tum)**: You (subject, second person singular/plural informal)
– **खा (kha)**: Root verb for “to eat”
– **रहे (rahe)**: Plural suffix
– **हो (ho)**: Second person plural/singular informal auxiliary verb
2. **Is she reading? (क्या वह पढ़ रही है?)**
– **क्या (kya)**: What/Is (question word)
– **वह (vah)**: She (subject, third person singular feminine)
– **पढ़ (padh)**: Root verb for “to read”
– **रही (rahi)**: Feminine singular suffix
– **है (hai)**: Third person singular auxiliary verb
3. **Are they playing? (क्या वे खेल रहे हैं?)**
– **क्या (kya)**: What/Are (question word)
– **वे (ve)**: They (subject, plural)
– **खेल (khel)**: Root verb for “to play”
– **रहे (rahe)**: Plural suffix
– **हैं (hain)**: Plural auxiliary verb
Common Verbs in Present Continuous Tense
To give you a better grasp of how the present continuous tense works, here are some common verbs conjugated in this tense:
1. **To do (करना – karna)**
– I am doing: मैं कर रहा हूँ (main kar raha hoon)
– She is doing: वह कर रही है (vah kar rahi hai)
– They are doing: वे कर रहे हैं (ve kar rahe hain)
2. **To go (जाना – jaana)**
– I am going: मैं जा रहा हूँ (main jaa raha hoon)
– She is going: वह जा रही है (vah jaa rahi hai)
– They are going: वे जा रहे हैं (ve jaa rahe hain)
3. **To write (लिखना – likhna)**
– I am writing: मैं लिख रहा हूँ (main likh raha hoon)
– She is writing: वह लिख रही है (vah likh rahi hai)
– They are writing: वे लिख रहे हैं (ve likh rahe hain)
4. **To speak (बोलना – bolna)**
– I am speaking: मैं बोल रहा हूँ (main bol raha hoon)
– She is speaking: वह बोल रही है (vah bol rahi hai)
– They are speaking: वे बोल रहे हैं (ve bol rahe hain)
5. **To come (आना – aana)**
– I am coming: मैं आ रहा हूँ (main aa raha hoon)
– She is coming: वह आ रही है (vah aa rahi hai)
– They are coming: वे आ रहे हैं (ve aa rahe hain)
Practice Exercises
To solidify your understanding of the present continuous tense in Hindi, here are some practice exercises. Try to translate the following sentences into Hindi:
1. I am drinking water.
2. She is studying for exams.
3. They are watching television.
4. We are cooking dinner.
5. He is driving a car.
6. Are you listening to music?
7. They are not sleeping.
8. She is not working today.
9. I am reading a newspaper.
10. Are they going to the park?
Answers:
1. मैं पानी पी रहा हूँ। (main paani pee raha hoon)
2. वह परीक्षा के लिए पढ़ रही है। (vah pariksha ke liye padh rahi hai)
3. वे टेलीविज़न देख रहे हैं। (ve television dekh rahe hain)
4. हम रात का खाना बना रहे हैं। (hum raat ka khana bana rahe hain)
5. वह गाड़ी चला रहा है। (vah gaadi chala raha hai)
6. क्या तुम संगीत सुन रहे हो? (kya tum sangeet sun rahe ho?)
7. वे नहीं सो रहे हैं। (ve nahin so rahe hain)
8. वह आज काम नहीं कर रही है। (vah aaj kaam nahin kar rahi hai)
9. मैं अखबार पढ़ रहा हूँ। (main akhbar padh raha hoon)
10. क्या वे पार्क जा रहे हैं? (kya ve park ja rahe hain?)
Conclusion
Mastering the present continuous tense in Hindi is a significant step in achieving fluency in the language. It allows you to describe ongoing actions, temporary situations, and future plans effectively. By understanding the structure and practicing with common verbs and exercises, you can enhance your speaking and writing skills in Hindi. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll find yourself using the present continuous tense naturally in your conversations. Happy learning!
