Past Indefinite Tense

Posted on November 18, 2013 Updated on November 18, 2013

PAST INDEFINITE TENSE
SAMANYA BHOOT KAAL/सामान्य भूत काल

An action mentioned as done in the past without any definite reference to the time or its condition is said to be in past indefinite tense. e.g. I went, I watched, I won gaya/dekha/jeeta. These are the form of simple past tense.

• If the verb ends in silent with a/अ, lengthen it to aa/आ, to from masculine singular, and change it into ae/ए for masculine plural. In feminine singular it becomes ee/ई and in plural een/ईं (dikha/dikhey/dikhi/dikhin/दिखा/दिखे/दिखी/दिखीं).

• If the verb ends in aa/o/आ/ओ, ya/या is added (gaya/khaya/गया/खाया) which becomes ye/ये in masculine plural yee/यी in feminine singular and yeen/यीं in feminine plural. But where the use of ya/या is optional, it may be avoided using only the vowel form. Hence khaaye,khayee, khaayeen/खाए/खाई/खाईं  are preferred instead of khaaye/khayee/khayeen/खाये/खायी/खायीं

	Masculine		Feminine
Verb /Action	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Read/padh/पढ़	read/padha/पढ़ा	read/padhey/पढ़े	read/padhi/पढ़ी	read/padheen/पढ़ीं
Watch/dekh/देख	watched/dekha/देखा	watched/dekhe/देखे	watched/dekhi/देखी	watched/dekheen/देखीं
Run/daud/दौड़	ran/dauda/दौड़ा	ran/daudey/दौड़े	ran/daudi/दौड़ी	ran/daudeen/दौड़ीं
Laugh/hans/हँस	laughed/hansa/हँसा	laughed/hansey/हँसे	laughed/hansee/हँसी	laughed/hanseen/हँसीं

Examples:

1.  I went to the home yesterday.

     Main kal ghar gaya tha./मैं कल घर गया था।

2.  I read a story book.

     Maine kahaniyon ki ek kitaab padhi./मैंने कहानियों की एक किताब पढ़ी।

3.  Suddenly the train left the station.

     Achanak railgaadi ne station chod diya./अचानक रेलगाड़ी ने स्टेशन छोड़ दिया।

4.  When did you return from the village.

     Tum gaaon se kab lautey./तुम गाँओ से कब लौटे।

5.  I went to market to purchase some clothes. 

     Main kal kapde khareedney ke liye baajar gaya tha./ मैं कल कपड़े खरीदने के लिए बाजार  गया था।

6.  Radha watched a movie  yesterday.

     Radha ne kal ek chalchitra dekha./राधा ने कल एक चलचित्र  देखा।

7.  Last year, Kavita went to Japan.

     Pichle saal, kavita japan gayi thi./पिछले साल, कविता जापान गयी थी।

8.  Did you have dinner last night?

     Kya kal tumne raat ka bhojan kiya tha?/क्या कल तुमने रात का भोजन किया था?

Vocabulary:

went-gaya/गया, read- padha/पढ़ा, left-choda/छोड़ा, returned-lauta/लौटा, watched-dekha/देखा, dinner-raat ka bhojan/रात का भोजन