Hindi grammar · Elementary (A2)
Compound verbs: ले लेना, दे देना, हो जाना
Why Hindi adds लेना, देना and जाना to other verbs, and how to use the most common compound verbs in everyday speech.
Two verbs, one action
In a compound verb, the main verb appears as a bare stem and a second verb follows it: (le leejiye), (bataa doongee), (ho gayaa). The second verb loses its own meaning. It carries the tense and the endings, and it adds a sense that the action is complete, done for someone, or has happened.
Compound verbs are very common in everyday Hindi. Using the simple verb instead is rarely wrong, but it can sound flat or formal.
- मैं यह ले लेती हूँ।Main yah le letee hoon.I'll take this. (woman speaking)
- मैं उन्हें बता दूँगी।Main unhen bataa doongee.I'll tell him. (woman speaking)
लेना and देना: for yourself or for others
(lenaa) is added when the action is for yourself or towards you: (khaa lenaa), to eat (and be done); (buk kar lenaa), to book (for yourself). (denaa) is added when the action is for someone else or away from you: (bataa denaa), to tell (someone); (badal denaa), to change (for someone).
In the past, the rule mostly follows the helper verb: with and you usually use (ne): (mainne khaanaa khaa liyaa), I've eaten.
| Compound | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| (le lenaa) | (main neelaa le letee hoon.) | I'll take the blue one. |
| (de denaa) | (puraanaa kurtaa mujhe de deejiye.) | Please give me the old kurta. |
| (kar denaa) | (ve aapko fon kar denge.) | He'll call you. |
| (kar lenaa) | (main hotal buk kar letee hoon.) | I'll book a hotel. |
जाना: change and arrival
(jaanaa) as a helper shows a change or a completed movement: (ho jaanaa), to become; (aa jaanaa), to arrive; (pahunch jaanaa), to get there. With there is never (ne).
(ho gayaa) on its own is very common: “it's done”, “that's it”, or “it happened”.
- हम सब गीले हो गए।Ham sab geele ho gaye.We all got wet.
- मैं छह बजे पहुँच जाऊँगा।Main chhah baje pahunch jaaoongaa.I'll be there at six. (man speaking)
- काम हो गया।Kaam ho gayaa.The work is done.
When to use the simple verb
Compound verbs are mostly used for single, completed actions. In the negative, and for habits, use the simple verb: (main yah naheen loongee), I won't take this; (main har din chaay peetaa hoon), I drink tea every day.
It broke, or I broke it?
Many verbs come in pairs: one for what happens, like (tootnaa), to break, or (khonaa), to get lost, and one for what someone does, like (tornaa), to break something. The “happening” verbs take (jaanaa) and no (ne): (dhakkan toot gayaa), the lid broke; (bil kho gayaa), the bill got lost.
To admit that you broke something by accident, put yourself with (se): (mujhse gilaas toot gayaa), I broke the glass (I didn't mean to). (mainne gilaas tor diyaa) is also heard, but it can sound as if you did it on purpose.