The past
imperfective tense is the “used to” tense. For example: “I used to go to school”,
“I used to work as an accountant”, “I used to play drums”, “I used to live in
India”, “I used to have a dog”.
To make the
past imperfective tense you will have to:
* Take a verb in its infinitive/dictionary form that usually ends in "-na";
* Remove the ending "-na" and add the ending "-ta";
* Add an auxiliary/helping verb "to be" in its past form (था - tha - was);
Look at this comparison of present simple and past imperfective:
Present simple tense: “मैं काम करता हूँ” (Main kaam kartaa hoon –
I work)
Past imperfective tense: “मैं काम करता था” (Main kaam kartaa thaa –
I used to work).
The difference is, we use “था” (tha – was, m) instead of “हूँ” (hoon – am, f/m).
Subject
pronoun
|
Verb
|
Helping verb “to
be”
|
Complete
phrase
|
|
|
|
|
मैं
Main
I
|
कर
+ ता
kar + taa
did
|
था
thaa
(was, m, sg)
|
मैं
करता था।
Main kartaa thaa.
I used to do.
|
मैं
Main
I
|
पढ़
+ ता
parh + taa
read
|
था
thaa
(was, m, sg)
|
मैं
पढ़ता था।
Main parhtaa thaa.
I used to read.
|
मैं
Main
I
|
जा
+ ता
jaa + taa
went
|
था
thaa
(was, m, sg)
|
मैं
जाता था।
Main jaataa thaa.
I used to go.
|
मैं
Main
I
|
सुन
+ ता
sun + taa
listened
|
था
thaa
(was, m, sg)
|
मैं
सुनता था।
Main suntaa thaa.
I used to listen.
|
मैं
Main
I
|
रह
+ ता
rah + taa
lived
|
था
thaa
(was, m, sg)
|
मैं
रहता था।
Main rahtaa thaa.
I used to live.
|
मैं
Main
I
|
गा
+ ता
gaa + taa
sang
|
था
thaa
(was, m, sg)
|
मैं
गाता था।
Main gaataa thaa.
I used to sing.
|
मैं
Main
I
|
बना
+ ता
banaa + taa
made
|
था
thaa
(was, m, sg)
|
मैं
बनाता था।
Main banaataa thaa.
I used to make.
|
मैं
Main
I
|
सोच
+ ता
soch + taa
thought
|
था
thaa
(was, m, sg)
|
मैं
सोचता था।
Main sochtaa
thaa.
I used to
think.
|
(This chart shows an
example of what does the imperfective past tense (“used to”) look like in
Hindi. If you wonder what does “कर + ता” mean and what is the plus for, it is to show how the verb has
changed from its dictionary form. Let’s say you find a Hindi verb “करना” (karnaa – to do) in the
dictionary in its infinitive form that ends with “-na” and you want to change
it into the past imperfective tense, first thing you need to do is to drop the
ending “-na” and add “-ta” which is the suffix for the present simple and past
tense imperfective tense. Then, you add “tha” which is the verb “hona” (to be)
in its past tense form and is used as a helping verb such as the English “have”.)
1. In this chart you will be introduced to all the forms of the
auxiliary verb “to be” in its past tense. As the auxiliary verb “to be” changes
depending on the gender and number and is an irregular verb, it is important to
first learn its past forms.
मैं था
|
main thaa
|
I was (m)
|
तू था
|
too thaa
|
You were (m, cas.)
|
तुम/आप थे
|
tum/aap the
|
You were (m, pol.)
|
यह/वह था
|
yah/vah thaa
|
He was
|
|
|
|
हम थे
|
ham the
|
We were (m)
|
तुम/आप थे
|
tum/aap the
|
You were (m, pol.)
|
ये/वे थे
|
ye/ve the
|
They were (m)
|
|
|
|
मैं थी
|
main thee
|
I was (f)
|
तू थी
|
too thee
|
You were (f, cas.)
|
तुम/आप थीं
|
tum/aap theen
|
You were (f, pol.)
|
यह/वह थी
|
yah/vah thee
|
She was
|
|
|
|
हम थीं
|
ham theen
|
We were (f)
|
तुम/आप थीं
|
tum/aap theen
|
You were (f, pl)
|
ये/वे थीं
|
ye/ve theen
|
They were (f)
|
(The blue shaded part of the table – masculine, the reddish – feminine
gender.)
2. Now we can make short sentences that express the past imperative
tense. For example:
सलमान मुंबई में रहता था।
Salmaan
Mumbai men rahtaa thaa.
Salman used
to live in Mumbai.
|
राज मोडल का काम करता था।
Raaj modal kaa kaam kartaa thaa.
Raj used to be a model.
|
अजय पहले गाड़ी चलाता था।
Ajay pahle gaaDee chalaataa thaa.
Before Ajay used to drive a car.
|
मेरे पिता काम से जल्दी आते थे।
Mere pitaa kaam se jaldee aate the.
My father used to come from work
fast.
|
|
नीतू बचपन में बहुत रोती थी।
Neetu bachpan men bahut rotee thee.
As a child, Neetu used to cry a lot.
|
मेरी बहिन बहुत अच्छा खाना बनाती थी।
Meree bahin bahut achchhaa khaanaa
banaatee thee.
My sister used to make a very good
food.
|
मैं मंदिर रोज़ जाती थी।
Main mandir roz jaatee thee.
I used to go to the temple every day.
|
मेरा भाई स्कूल से हमेशा देर आता था।
Meraa bhaaii, skool se hameshaa der
aataa thaa.
My brother used to come from school
always late.
|
|
हम तब दिल्ली में रहते थे।
Ham tab Dillee men rahte the.
We used to live in Delhi then.
|
मेरे दादाजी और नानाजी दोनों पहले
गाँव में रहते थे।
Mere daadaajee aur naanaajee donon
pahle gaanv men rahte the.
My parental grandfather and maternal
grandfather, both used to live in a village before.
|
हम औरतें सारा ज़िंदगी घर में ही
बिताती थीं।
Ham auraten saaraa zindagee ghar men
hee bitaatee theen.
We women used to spend all life at
home.
|
पहले औरतें रोज़ साड़ी पहनती थीं।
Pahle auraten roz saaDee pahantee
theen.
Before women used to wear saris
every day.
|
3. You can also use “था/थी/थे/थीं” (thaa/thee/the/then
–was/were) alone in sentences like:
कल मेरा जन्मदिन था।
Kal meraa
janmdin thaa.
It was my
birthday yesterday.
|
कल राजदीप बीमार थी।
Kal Rajdeep beemaar thee.
Yesterday Rajdeep was ill.
|
कल मौसम अच्छा था।
Kal mausam achchhaa thaa.
Yesterday the weather was good.
|
कल वाला चलचित्र बहुत मजेदार था।
Kal vaalaa chalchitr bahut mazedaar
thaa.
Yesterday’s movie was very funny.
|
कल शाम आप कहाँ पर थे?
Kal
sham aap kahaan par the?
Where
were you yesterday night?
|
क्या वह यहाँ थी?
Kyaa
vah yahan thee?
Was
she here?
|
क्या तुम भी उस मेले पर थीं?
Kyaa
tum bhee us mele par theen?
Where
you also at that fair?
|
कल मंगलवार था।
Kal mangalvaar thaa.
Yesterday was Tuesday.
|
उस दिन बहुत काम था।
Us din bahut kaam thaa.
That day there was a lot of work.
|
उसकी बीवी बहुत सुन्दर थी।
Uskee beevee bahut sundar thee.
His wife was very beautiful.
|
उसके बच्चे बहुत शैतान थे।
Uske bacche bahut shaitaan the.
His children were very naughty.
|
मेरे जूते बिलकुल नए थे।
Mere joote bilkul naye the.
My shoes were brand new.
|
 |
| Madhubani/tribal art inspired painting "Fish" |
4. EXERCISE:
a) Match the words and
make your own sentences. Try to use the right form of auxiliary verb “था/थी/थे/थीं” for the masculine and feminine. Example: “आप गरीब थे” (Aap gareeb the. – You were poor.)
कल
kal
yesterday
|
जवान
javaan
young
|
था
thaa
was (m., sg.)
|
आप
aap
you (m,f, pl)
|
गरीब
gareeb
poor
|
थी
thee
was
(f., sg)
|
वह
vah
he, she
|
मोटा
moTaa
fat
|
थे
the
were (m., pl.)
|
गाड़ी (f)
gaaDee
car
|
स्वादिष्ट
svaadiSht
tasty
|
थीं
theen
were
(f.,pl)
|
खाना (m)
khaanaa
food
|
दिलचस्प
dilchasp
interesting
|
|
बात (f)
baat
affair;
matter
|
मज़ेदार
mazedaar
funny; fun
|
|
चलचित्र (m)
chalchitr
movie
|
नया
nayaa
new
|
|
मैं
main
I
|
शुक्रवार (m)
shukrvaar
Friday
|
|
EXTRAS: How to say: "USED TO BE" (Hotaa thaa)
होता था
|
Hotaa thaa
|
Used to be (masc., sing.)
|
होती थी
|
Hotee thee
|
Used to be (fem., sing.)
|
होते थे
|
Hote the
|
Used to be (masc., plur.)
|
होती
थीं
|
Hotee theen
|
Used to be (fem., plur.)
|
|
|
|
अर्जुन
खुश होता था।
|
Arjun khush hotaa thaa.
|
Arjun used to be happy.
|
मीना
खुश होती थी।
|
Meenaa khush hotee thee.
|
Meenaa used to be happy.
|
|
|
|
अर्जुन
और दानेश खुश होते थे।
|
Arjun aur Danesh khush hote the.
|
Arjun and Danesh used to be happy.
|
मीना और
सीता खुश होती थीं।
|
Meenaa aur Seetaa khush hotee theen.
|
Meenaa and Seetaa used to be happy.
|
(This chart shows you how to use: "Used to be". Pay attention to the changes of the suffix "-ta", "-tee", "-te" and "-tee").
b) Match
the mixed up words and make sentences. Try to use the right form of auxiliary
verb “था/थी/थे/थीं” for the masculine and
feminine. Example: “मैं मुंबई में
रहता था” (Main Mumbai men rahtaa thaa – I used to live in Mumbai.), “वह बहुत हँसती थी”(Vah bahut hanstee
thee – She used to laugh a lot.)
मैं
Main
I
|
रहना
rahnaa
to
live
|
मुंबई में
Mumbai men
in Mumbai
|
था
thaa
was, m
|
तुम
Tum
You
|
जाना
jaanaa
to go
|
दफ्तर
daftar
office
|
थी
thee
was, f
|
आप
Aap
You (pl)
|
चलाना
chalaanaa
to drive
|
गाड़ी
gaaDee
car
|
थे
the
were, m
|
यह
Yah
He/she
|
देखना
dekhnaa
to watch; look
|
टीवी
teevee
TV
|
थीं
theen
were, f
|
हम
Ham
We
|
खेलना
khelnaa
to play
|
ताश
taash
playing cards
|
|
वे
Ve
They
|
खाना
khaanaa
to eat
|
खाना
khaanaa
food
|
|
|
पढ़ना
parhnaa
to read
|
किताबें
kitaaben
books
|
|
|
पीना
peenaa
to drink
|
चाय
chaay
tea
|
|
|
करना
karnaa
to do
|
शोपिंग
shoping
shopping
|
|
|
होना
honaa
to be
|
बीमार
beemaar
ill
|
|
|
कमाना
kamaanaa
to earn
|
पैसे
paise
money
|
|
|
हँसना
hansnaa
to laugh
|
बहुत
bahut
very
|
|
|
करना
karnaa
to do
|
काम
kaam
work
|
|
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