Hindi grammar · Upper intermediate (B2)
Probably: the presumptive (होगा)
How to say what is probably true in Hindi with होगा: वह घर पर होगा, वे आ रहे होंगे, उन्होंने देख लिया होगा.
What the presumptive is
To say what you think is probably true, Hindi adds the future of (honaa), / / / (hogaa / hogee / honge / hongee), to a noun, an adjective or a verb form. This is called the presumptive: (vah ghar par hogaa), he's probably at home, he'll be at home.
It looks like a future, but it is about now or the past. The situation tells you which: (vah ghar par hogaa) can also mean “he will be at home (later)”. (hogaa) agrees with the subject, or with the object when the verb takes (ne).
- वे मीटिंग में होंगे।Ve meeting men honge.They must be in a meeting.
- आप थक गए होंगे।Aap thak gaye honge.You must be tired.
- इस समय कौन होगा?Is samay kaun hogaa?Who could that be at this time?
With every tense
The presumptive works with every verb form you know: put (hogaa) after the -ता (-taa) form for habits, after the continuous for something in progress, and after the simple past for something that has probably happened.
| Form | Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| noun or adjective | (vah vyast hogee.) | She's probably busy. |
| habit | (ve somvaar ko vyast rahte honge.) | They're probably busy on Mondays. |
| in progress | (vah khaanaa banaa rahee hogee.) | She's probably cooking. |
| in progress | (ve aa rahe honge.) | They must be on their way. |
| finished, no | (vah lanch par gaee hogee.) | She has probably gone to lunch. |
| finished, with | (unhonne dizaain dekh liyaa hogaa.) | They'll have seen the design. |
| finished, with (tumhen) | (tumhen achchhaa lagaa hogaa.) | You must have liked it. |
How sure are you?
The presumptive means you're fairly sure. To say something is only possible, use (shaayad) or (ho saktaa hai ki) with the subjunctive, and for the past the perfect subjunctive: (ho saktaa hai ki usne dekhaa ho), she may have seen it.
| Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (ve meeting men hain.) | They're in a meeting. (you know it) |
| (ve meeting men honge.) | They must be in a meeting. (fairly sure) |
| (shaayad ve meeting men hon.) | Maybe they're in a meeting. |
| (ho saktaa hai ki ve meeting men hon.) | They may be in a meeting. (possible) |
| (gaard ne kisee ko dekhaa hogaa.) | The guard must have seen someone. |
| (ho saktaa hai ki gaard ne kisee ko dekhaa ho.) | The guard may have seen someone. |