A Door Into Hindi: Lesson 15 |
4.gender and number of unknowns
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In Hindi, all transitive verbs in the perfect form (simple past, present perfect, and past perfect tenses) require a special construction called the ने construction. In this construction:
What are transitive and instransitive verbs? Transitive verbs are verbs which normally have a direct object. Some transitive verbs you know are: खाना (to eat), चलाना (to drive), ख़रीदना (to buy), etc. Intransitive verbs, on the other hand, never have a direct object. These include जाना (to go), आना (to come), होना (to be), etc. Example with a transitive verb: लड़के ने ख़रीदा । = The boy bought. लड़के ने क्या ख़रीदा ? = The boy bought what? लड़के ने कार ख़रीदी । = The boy bought a car. The verb ख़रीदना (to buy) is transitive since it normally has a direct object, in this example कार (car). The postposition ने changes लड़का into लड़के. Note that ने blocks the agreement between the subject and the verb. The verb must now agree with the direct object कार. Since कार is feminine singular, ख़रीदा becomes ख़रीदी. The easiest way to figure out whether a verb is transitive or intransitive is to as the question "what" in relation to the verb's object. If the question "what" makes sense with the verb, then the verb is intransitive. If "what" doesn't make any sense after the verb then the verb is probably intransitive. Examples:
Remember: if the verb is transitive but the direct object isn't stated, then the verb stays in third person masculine singular. For Example: लड़कियों ने खाया है । The girls have eaten. लड़कियों ने संतरे खाये हैं । The girls have eaten the oranges. If the direct object is followed by the postposition को (which it must be if the direct object is animate), then the agreement relationship between the object and the verb is also broken. Since the verb now has nothing to agree with, it remains "unagreed," i.e. in third person masculine singular form. Compare the following sentences: A. उसने फ़िल्में देखी थीं । B. उसने फ़िल्मों को देखा था । In sentence A there is no को after the direct object and thus the verb agrees with the direct object. In sentence B there is a को after the direct object and thus the verb stays third person masculine singular. Let's review:
ने joins with pronouns to form a single word (e.g. उसने, हमने). Most pronouns form their normal obliques when followed by ने but there are some exceptions. Refer to the table below:
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