Overview of Tenses
- Tense: Indicates the time of an action or event (past, present, or future).
- Simple Tenses: Express habitual actions, facts, or completed actions.
- Continuous (Progressive) Tenses: Describe actions that are in progress at a particular time.
- Perfect Tenses: Emphasize the completion of an action.
- Perfect Continuous Tenses: Combine aspects of duration (continuous) and completion (perfect).
In Hindi, these tenses have equivalent forms though sometimes the structure and usage nuances differ from English.
Contents
English–Hindi Tenses Chart
| Tense (English Name) | Structure/Formula | Usage/Definition | Example (English) | Example (Hindi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Present (वर्तमान सामान्य काल) | S + V(base) (add s/es for 3rd person singular) | Used for habits, general truths, repeated actions, and permanent situations. (आदतें, सामान्य तथ्य, दोहराए जाने वाले कार्य) | He plays football. | वह फुटबॉल खेलता है। |
| Present Continuous (वर्तमान अपूर्ण काल) | S + am/is/are + V-ing | Describes actions happening now or around the current time. (अभी चल रहे कार्य, वर्तमान में हो रही क्रिया) | She is reading a book. | वह किताब पढ़ रही है। |
| Present Perfect (पूर्ण वर्तमान काल) | S + has/have + Past Participle | Expresses actions completed at an unspecified time before now or actions that have relevance to the present. (हाल में पूरा हुआ कार्य) | They have finished their work. | उन्होंने अपना काम पूरा कर लिया है। |
| Present Perfect Continuous (वर्तमान पूर्ण अपूर्ण काल) | S + has/have been + V-ing | Indicates actions that started in the past and continue up to the present, often emphasizing duration. (पिछले से जारी कार्य) | I have been studying for two hours. | मैं दो घंटे से पढ़ रहा हूँ। |
| Simple Past (भूतकाल सामान्य काल) | S + V2 (Past form) | Describes actions that happened and were completed in the past. (भूतकाल में पूरी हुई क्रिया) | She visited the market. | उसने बाजार का दौरा किया। |
| Past Continuous (भूतकाल अपूर्ण काल) | S + was/were + V-ing | Describes actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past. (भूतकाल में चल रही क्रिया) | They were playing cricket. | वे क्रिकेट खेल रहे थे। |
| Past Perfect (पूर्व भूतकाल पूर्ण काल) | S + had + Past Participle | Indicates that an action was completed before another action occurred in the past. (दूसरी भूतकालीन क्रिया से पहले पूरा हुआ कार्य) | He had left before I arrived. | मैं आने से पहले वह जा चुका था। |
| Past Perfect Continuous (पूर्व भूतकाल पूर्ण अपूर्ण काल) | S + had been + V-ing | Emphasizes the duration of an action that was ongoing until another action occurred in the past. (भूतकाल में लगातार चल रही क्रिया) | They had been waiting for an hour when the bus arrived. | बस के आने पर वे एक घंटे से इंतजार कर रहे थे। |
| Simple Future (भविष्यत काल सामान्य काल) | S + will/shall + V(base) | Expresses actions that will occur in the future. (भविष्य में होने वाली क्रिया) | I will call you tomorrow. | मैं तुम्हें कल कॉल करूंगा। |
| Future Continuous (भविष्यत अपूर्ण काल) | S + will be + V-ing | Describes actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future. (भविष्य में चल रही क्रिया) | She will be travelling next week. | वह अगले सप्ताह यात्रा कर रही होगी। |
| Future Perfect (भविष्यत पूर्ण काल) | S + will have + Past Participle | Indicates that an action will be completed before a specified future time. (भविष्य में किसी समय से पहले पूरा होने वाला कार्य) | They will have finished the project by next month. | वे अगले महीने तक परियोजना को पूरा कर लेंगे। |
| Future Perfect Continuous (भविष्यत पूर्ण अपूर्ण काल) | S + will have been + V-ing | Emphasizes the duration of an action that will continue until a certain point in the future. (भविष्य में एक अवधि तक चलने वाला कार्य) | I will have been working here for five years by next month. | अगले महीने तक मैं यहाँ पांच साल से काम कर रहा होऊंगा। |
Additional Explanation and Definitions
-
Simple Tenses:
- Simple Present:
- Definition: States regular actions or universal truths.
- Hindi Example: “वह रोज स्कूल जाता है।”
- English Translation: “He goes to school every day.”
- Simple Past:
- Definition: Describes an action that started and finished at a specific time in the past.
- Hindi Example: “मैंने कल खाना खाया।”
- English Translation: “I ate food yesterday.”
- Simple Future:
- Definition: Talks about an action that will happen later.
- Hindi Example: “मैं कल काम पर जाऊँगा।”
- English Translation: “I will go to work tomorrow.”
- Simple Present:
-
Continuous (Progressive) Tenses:
- Present Continuous:
- Definition: Indicates an action currently in progress.
- Hindi Example: “वे फिल्म देख रहे हैं।”
- English Translation: “They are watching a movie.”
- Past Continuous:
- Definition: Describes an action that was ongoing at a past moment.
- Hindi Example: “मैं पढ़ रहा था जब वह आई।”
- English Translation: “I was reading when she arrived.”
- Future Continuous:
- Definition: Talks about an action that will be in progress at a future time.
- Hindi Example: “वह सुबह काम कर रही होगी।”
- English Translation: “She will be working in the morning.”
- Present Continuous:
-
Perfect Tenses:
- Present Perfect:
- Definition: Used for actions that have been completed at some indefinite time before now.
- Hindi Example: “मैंने अपना होमवर्क पूरा कर लिया है।”
- English Translation: “I have completed my homework.”
- Past Perfect:
- Definition: Indicates an action completed before another past action.
- Hindi Example: “उसने जाने से पहले ही खाना खा लिया था।”
- English Translation: “He had eaten before he left.”
- Future Perfect:
- Definition: Expresses that an action will be completed before a certain future moment.
- Hindi Example: “मैं अगले साल तक यह किताब पढ़ चुका होऊँगा।”
- English Translation: “I will have read this book by next year.”
- Present Perfect:
-
Perfect Continuous Tenses:
- Present Perfect Continuous:
- Definition: Emphasizes the duration of an action that began in the past and continues into the present.
- Hindi Example: “मैं सुबह से ही काम कर रहा हूँ।”
- English Translation: “I have been working since morning.”
- Past Perfect Continuous:
- Definition: Describes a past action that was ongoing until another past event occurred.
- Hindi Example: “वे दो घंटे से चल रहे थे जब बारिश शुरू हुई।”
- English Translation: “They had been walking for two hours when it started to rain.”
- Future Perfect Continuous:
- Definition: Indicates how long an action will have been in progress by a future time.
- Hindi Example: “अगले महीने तक, मैं यहाँ पांच साल से काम कर रहा होऊँगा।”
- English Translation: “By next month, I will have been working here for five years.”
- Present Perfect Continuous:
How to Use This Chart
- Identify the Time Frame: Decide whether the action is in the present, past, or future.
- Select the Aspect:
- Simple: Use for general facts or completed actions.
- Continuous: Use for ongoing actions.
- Perfect: Use for completed actions with relevance to another time.
- Perfect Continuous: Use when both duration and completion are important.
- Apply the Structure: Follow the structure/formula provided for the selected tense.
- Practice with Examples: Use the example sentences to see how the rules work in practice.
This chart serves as a handy reference for students learning English and Hindi grammar. By studying the structures and examples, you can build confidence in using the correct tense to express yourself accurately in both languages.
