Vocabulary: Verbs #1

Now that we have some basic pronouns and grammar rules under our belts, we can start to expand our vocabulary of verbs. Here are some verbs that you'll be hearing very often in daily Urdu conversation:

• hona = to be
• karna = to do
• jaana = to go
• aana = to come
• kaana = to eat
• peena = to drink
• dekhna = to see
• sunna = to hear, to listen to
• saamajhna = to understand
• bataana = to tell
  

Notice that all of these verbs end with "na". To conjugate these verbs in the present habitual tense, we replace the "na" with the appropriate suffix, as outlined in our last lesson. Here are a few examples:

• aap kaam karte hain = you (do) work
• voh paanee peeti hai = she drinks water
• main school jaata hoon = I go to school
• ham saamajhte hain = we understand

In cases where the context makes it obvious who the verb is referring to, the pronoun is often left out:

• kaam karte hain = you (do) work
• paanee peeti hai = she drinks water
• school jaata hoon = I go to school
• saamajhte hain = we understand

The Present Habitual Tense

Today we'll learn how to conjugate Urdu verbs in the present habitual tense. This tense refers to phrases such as "I do", "I eat", and so on (as opposed to the present continuous tense: "I am doing", "I am eating", etc.) Urdu verbs in their infinitive form all have the suffix "na". Here are a few examples:

• karna = to do
• peena = to drink
• bataana = to tell

We'll look at some more verbs in our next lesson, but for now, let's focus on the verb "karna" ("to do"). To conjugate a verb in the present habitual tense, first we replace the "na" suffix with the appropriate ending (which depends on whether the subject is masculine or feminine). Then we add the appropriate conjugation of the verb "hona". The example below shows how to conjugate the verb "karna" in the present habitual tense.

Masculine:

• main karta hoon = I do
• aap karte hain = you do
• tum karte ho = you do
• tu karta hai = you do
• yeh/voh karta hai = he/it does
• ham karte hain = we do
• yeh/voh karte hain = they do

Feminine:

• main karti hoon = I do
• aap karti hain = you do
• tum karti ho = you do
• tu karti hai = you do
• yeh/voh karti hai = she/it does
• ham karte hain = we do
• yeh/voh karti hain = they do

You can see that in the masculine case, the suffix "na" is replaced by either "ta" or "te" (depending on the pronoun). In the feminine case, the suffix "na" is always replaced with the ending "ti", except for the pronoun "ham" (which uses the ending "te" instead).

The Verb "Hona" ("To Be")

The Urdu word for "to be" is "hona". Memorizing its conjugation is essential since it's so frequently used, not only by itself, but for conjugating other verbs as well (as we will see in later lessons).

• main hoon = I am
• aap hain = you are
• tum ho = you are
• tu hai = you are
• yeh/voh hai = he/she/it is
• ham hain = we are
• yeh/voh hain = they are

Note that the letter n in "hoon" and "hain" are soft n's -- they're pronounced the way you would pronounce the letter n in the French word, "bon".

To use the verb in conjunction with a noun or adjective, you can insert the noun or adjective in between the pronoun and the verb :

• Tum mera beta ho = You're my son
  
• Voh dur hain = They're late