Learning Hindi can be a rewarding experience, and understanding verb conjugation is a key aspect of mastering the language. Hindi, like many other languages, changes the form of its verbs to reflect different subjects, tenses, moods, and voices. One of the most important conjugations to master is the third person plural, which corresponds to “they” in English. This article will delve into the intricacies of verb conjugation for the third person plural in Hindi grammar, providing you with a comprehensive understanding and practical examples.
Basics of Hindi Verb Conjugation
Before diving into the specifics of the third person plural, it’s essential to understand some basic concepts of Hindi verb conjugation. In Hindi, verbs are conjugated based on three primary factors: the subject (who is performing the action), the tense (when the action is taking place), and the aspect (the completeness of the action). Hindi verbs are also affected by gender and number.
When dealing with the third person plural, the subject is “they,” which can be either masculine or feminine. The verb must agree with the gender and number of the noun it refers to.
Root Forms of Verbs
Every Hindi verb has a root form, often referred to as the “infinitive” form. For instance, the infinitive form of the verb “to do” is “करना” (karna), and “to go” is “जाना” (jana). The root form is obtained by removing the “ना” (na) ending from the infinitive. For “करना,” the root is “कर” (kar), and for “जाना,” it is “जा” (ja).
Present Tense
In the present tense, the third person plural conjugation of a verb depends on whether the subject is masculine or feminine. For masculine subjects, the suffix “ते हैं” (te hain) is added to the root form of the verb. For feminine subjects, the suffix “ती हैं” (ti hain) is used.
Let’s look at some examples:
1. **Masculine Subject:**
– **Verb:** करना (karna) – to do
– **They do:** वे करते हैं (ve karte hain)
– **Verb:** जाना (jana) – to go
– **They go:** वे जाते हैं (ve jaate hain)
2. **Feminine Subject:**
– **Verb:** करना (karna) – to do
– **They do:** वे करती हैं (ve karti hain)
– **Verb:** जाना (jana) – to go
– **They go:** वे जाती हैं (ve jaati hain)
Notice that the verb endings change according to the gender of the subject.
Past Tense
The past tense conjugation for the third person plural also depends on the gender of the subject. For masculine subjects, the suffix “ए थे” (e the) is added to the root form of the verb, and for feminine subjects, the suffix “ई थीं” (i thin) is used.
Here are some examples:
1. **Masculine Subject:**
– **Verb:** करना (karna) – to do
– **They did:** वे किए थे (ve kiye the)
– **Verb:** जाना (jana) – to go
– **They went:** वे गए थे (ve gaye the)
2. **Feminine Subject:**
– **Verb:** करना (karna) – to do
– **They did:** वे की थीं (ve ki thin)
– **Verb:** जाना (jana) – to go
– **They went:** वे गई थीं (ve gayi thin)
Again, the verb endings are gender-specific, ensuring agreement with the subject.
Future Tense
In the future tense, the conjugation pattern for the third person plural is slightly different. For masculine subjects, the suffix “एंगे” (enge) is added to the root form of the verb, while for feminine subjects, the suffix “एंगी” (engi) is used.
Examples include:
1. **Masculine Subject:**
– **Verb:** करना (karna) – to do
– **They will do:** वे करेंगे (ve karenge)
– **Verb:** जाना (jana) – to go
– **They will go:** वे जाएंगे (ve jaayenge)
2. **Feminine Subject:**
– **Verb:** करना (karna) – to do
– **They will do:** वे करेंगी (ve karengi)
– **Verb:** जाना (jana) – to go
– **They will go:** वे जाएंगी (ve jaayengi)
The future tense endings “एंगे” (enge) for masculine and “एंगी” (engi) for feminine clearly indicate the gender and number of the subject.
Imperative Mood
The imperative mood is used to give commands or make requests. In Hindi, the third person plural imperative is rarely used, as commands are usually directed to the second person. However, for completeness, it’s worth noting that the third person plural imperative form can be created by using the root form of the verb followed by “ने दो” (ne do) for masculine and “ने दो” (ne do) for feminine (the form remains the same for both genders in plural).
Examples:
1. **Verb:** करना (karna) – to do
– **Let them do:** वे करने दो (ve karne do)
2. **Verb:** जाना (jana) – to go
– **Let them go:** वे जाने दो (ve jaane do)
Progressive/Continuous Aspect
The progressive aspect, which indicates an ongoing action, is formed by adding the appropriate form of “रहे हैं” (rahe hain) for masculine subjects and “रही हैं” (rahi hain) for feminine subjects to the root form of the verb.
Examples in the present continuous tense:
1. **Masculine Subject:**
– **Verb:** करना (karna) – to do
– **They are doing:** वे कर रहे हैं (ve kar rahe hain)
– **Verb:** जाना (jana) – to go
– **They are going:** वे जा रहे हैं (ve ja rahe hain)
2. **Feminine Subject:**
– **Verb:** करना (karna) – to do
– **They are doing:** वे कर रही हैं (ve kar rahi hain)
– **Verb:** जाना (jana) – to go
– **They are going:** वे जा रही हैं (ve ja rahi hain)
In the past continuous tense, the forms “रहे थे” (rahe the) for masculine and “रही थीं” (rahi thin) for feminine are used:
1. **Masculine Subject:**
– **Verb:** करना (karna) – to do
– **They were doing:** वे कर रहे थे (ve kar rahe the)
– **Verb:** जाना (jana) – to go
– **They were going:** वे जा रहे थे (ve ja rahe the)
2. **Feminine Subject:**
– **Verb:** करना (karna) – to do
– **They were doing:** वे कर रही थीं (ve kar rahi thin)
– **Verb:** जाना (jana) – to go
– **They were going:** वे जा रही थीं (ve ja rahi thin)
For the future continuous tense, the forms “रहे होंगे” (rahe honge) for masculine and “रही होंगी” (rahi hongi) for feminine are used:
1. **Masculine Subject:**
– **Verb:** करना (karna) – to do
– **They will be doing:** वे कर रहे होंगे (ve kar rahe honge)
– **Verb:** जाना (jana) – to go
– **They will be going:** वे जा रहे होंगे (ve ja rahe honge)
2. **Feminine Subject:**
– **Verb:** करना (karna) – to do
– **They will be doing:** वे कर रही होंगी (ve kar rahi hongi)
– **Verb:** जाना (jana) – to go
– **They will be going:** वे जा रही होंगी (ve ja rahi hongi)
Perfect Aspect
The perfect aspect, which indicates a completed action, is expressed in Hindi by using the appropriate form of “हो चुके हैं” (ho chuke hain) for masculine subjects and “हो चुकी हैं” (ho chuki hain) for feminine subjects.
Examples in the present perfect tense:
1. **Masculine Subject:**
– **Verb:** करना (karna) – to do
– **They have done:** वे कर चुके हैं (ve kar chuke hain)
– **Verb:** जाना (jana) – to go
– **They have gone:** वे जा चुके हैं (ve ja chuke hain)
2. **Feminine Subject:**
– **Verb:** करना (karna) – to do
– **They have done:** वे कर चुकी हैं (ve kar chuki hain)
– **Verb:** जाना (jana) – to go
– **They have gone:** वे जा चुकी हैं (ve ja chuki hain)
In the past perfect tense, the forms “हो चुके थे” (ho chuke the) for masculine and “हो चुकी थीं” (ho chuki thin) for feminine are used:
1. **Masculine Subject:**
– **Verb:** करना (karna) – to do
– **They had done:** वे कर चुके थे (ve kar chuke the)
– **Verb:** जाना (jana) – to go
– **They had gone:** वे जा चुके थे (ve ja chuke the)
2. **Feminine Subject:**
– **Verb:** करना (karna) – to do
– **They had done:** वे कर चुकी थीं (ve kar chuki thin)
– **Verb:** जाना (jana) – to go
– **They had gone:** वे जा चुकी थीं (ve ja chuki thin)
For the future perfect tense, the forms “हो चुके होंगे” (ho chuke honge) for masculine and “हो चुकी होंगी” (ho chuki hongi) for feminine are used:
1. **Masculine Subject:**
– **Verb:** करना (karna) – to do
– **They will have done:** वे कर चुके होंगे (ve kar chuke honge)
– **Verb:** जाना (jana) – to go
– **They will have gone:** वे जा चुके होंगे (ve ja chuke honge)
2. **Feminine Subject:**
– **Verb:** करना (karna) – to do
– **They will have done:** वे कर चुकी होंगी (ve kar chuki hongi)
– **Verb:** जाना (jana) – to go
– **They will have gone:** वे जा चुकी होंगी (ve ja chuki hongi)
Common Irregular Verbs
While most Hindi verbs follow regular conjugation patterns, some common verbs are irregular and have unique conjugation forms. Here are a few examples:
1. **Verb:** होना (hona) – to be
– **Present Tense:**
– Masculine: वे हैं (ve hain)
– Feminine: वे हैं (ve hain)
– **Past Tense:**
– Masculine: वे थे (ve the)
– Feminine: वे थीं (ve thin)
– **Future Tense:**
– Masculine: वे होंगे (ve honge)
– Feminine: वे होंगी (ve hongi)
2. **Verb:** करना (karna) – to do (although regular, often used in irregular contexts)
– **Present Tense:**
– Masculine: वे करते हैं (ve karte hain)
– Feminine: वे करती हैं (ve karti hain)
– **Past Tense:**
– Masculine: वे किए थे (ve kiye the)
– Feminine: वे की थीं (ve ki thin)
– **Future Tense:**
– Masculine: वे करेंगे (ve karenge)
– Feminine: वे करेंगी (ve karengi)
Practice and Application
To master the third person plural verb conjugation in Hindi, consistent practice is essential. Here are some tips to help you practice:
1. **Use Flashcards:** Create flashcards with the root form of verbs on one side and their conjugated forms on the other. This will help reinforce your memory.
2. **Conjugation Drills:** Regularly practice conjugation drills. Write down or say aloud the conjugations for different verbs and tenses.
3. **Contextual Learning:** Use the verbs in sentences. Try to create sentences that are relevant to your daily life or interests.
4. **Language Exchange:** Engage in conversations with native Hindi speakers. Practicing with others can help you understand the nuances and correct your mistakes.
5. **Reading and Listening:** Read Hindi texts and listen to Hindi audio resources. Pay attention to how verbs are conjugated in different contexts.
By incorporating these practices into your language learning routine, you will become more comfortable and confident in using third person plural verb conjugations in Hindi.
Understanding verb conjugation is a fundamental aspect of mastering any language. In Hindi, the third person plural conjugation is particularly important due to its frequency of use in everyday conversation. By following the guidelines and examples provided in this article, you will be well-equipped to conjugate verbs correctly for “they” in various tenses and aspects. Happy learning!
