A Door Into Hindi: Lesson 17

17.1 Future Constructions

17.2 Presumptive

17.3 "Maybe" with Subjunctive

17.4 Seasons and Weather

17.5 Compound Verbs

17.6 Perspiration

17.7 Adjective Doubling

Culture Notes

Exercises

Quiz

Supplemental Materials

Devanagari Writing System

Digital Dictionaries

Other Resources

17.3	"Maybe" with Subjunctive

शायद (“maybe”) can be used with any tense:

शायद वह काम कर रहा है ।	Maybe he is working.
शायद यह मंहगा होगा ।	Maybe this will be expensive.
शायद मैं वहाँ नहीं थी ।	Maybe I wasn’t there.

To express greater uncertainty, शायद can be used with the subjunctive (optative):

शायद मैं आप से कल मलूँ ।

Maybe I’ll meet you tomorrow.

OR: I may meet you tomorrow.

शायद वह लड़की फिर आये ।

Maybe that girl will come again.

OR: That girl may come again.

Any present or past sentence can be “subjunctivized” by using हो or हों in place of the auxiliary verb. Remember that the subjunctive of होना is simply हो (singular) or हों (plural).

शायद वे आ रहे हों ।	Maybe they are coming. OR: They may be coming.
शायद वह आई हो ।	Maybe she has come. OR: She may have come.
शायद आप को खाना चाहिये हो ।	Maybe you need food. OR: You may need food.
शायद उसको जाना हो ।	Maybe he has to go. OR: He may have to go.
शायद वह मुझसे कुछ कहना चाहती हो ।	Maybe she wants to say something to me. OR: She may want to say something to me.

Subjunctive sentences may also be preceded by other expressions of uncertainty, hope, fear, desire, etc.

See Snell's Teach Yourself Hindi (2000)
Section 10.2