Learning a new language is an exciting and rewarding journey, but it can also be challenging, especially when it comes to understanding and correctly using verbs. Today, we will dive into the intricacies of the verb “khana” in Hindi. “Khana” translates to “to eat” in English, and like many verbs, it can take on various forms depending on tense, mood, and subject. By the end of this article, you’ll have a thorough understanding of how to use “khana” correctly in different contexts.
Understanding the Base Form
The base form of the verb “khana” is “खाना” in Hindi script. This is the infinitive form, meaning “to eat”. Just like in English, Hindi verbs need to be conjugated to fit the subject, tense, and sometimes even the gender of the subject. Let’s start by understanding the basic structure and then move on to the various forms it can take.
Present Tense
In the present tense, “khana” changes form depending on the subject pronoun. Here are the conjugations:
– **Main khata hoon** (मैं खाता हूँ) – “I eat” (male speaker)
– **Main khati hoon** (मैं खाती हूँ) – “I eat” (female speaker)
– **Tum khate ho** (तुम खाते हो) – “You eat” (informal, male)
– **Tum khati ho** (तुम खाती हो) – “You eat” (informal, female)
– **Aap khate hain** (आप खाते हैं) – “You eat” (formal, male)
– **Aap khati hain** (आप खाती हैं) – “You eat” (formal, female)
– **Woh khata hai** (वह खाता है) – “He eats”
– **Woh khati hai** (वह खाती है) – “She eats”
– **Hum khate hain** (हम खाते हैं) – “We eat” (male group or mixed group)
– **Hum khati hain** (हम खाती हैं) – “We eat” (female group)
Notice how the verb changes not only with the subject pronoun but also with the gender of the speaker or subject. This is a common feature in Hindi and something that English speakers need to pay attention to.
Past Tense
The past tense also requires different forms of “khana”. Here are the past tense conjugations:
– **Main ne khana khaya** (मैंने खाना खाया) – “I ate” (male speaker)
– **Main ne khana khaya** (मैंने खाना खाया) – “I ate” (female speaker)
– **Tum ne khana khaya** (तुमने खाना खाया) – “You ate” (informal)
– **Aap ne khana khaya** (आपने खाना खाया) – “You ate” (formal)
– **Woh ne khana khaya** (वहने खाना खाया) – “He ate” / “She ate”
– **Hum ne khana khaya** (हमने खाना खाया) – “We ate” (male group or mixed group)
– **Hum ne khana khaya** (हमने खाना खाया) – “We ate” (female group)
In the past tense, the verb “khana” gets a little simpler as it does not change with gender. The auxiliary verb “ne” is used to indicate the past tense.
Future Tense
Let’s move on to the future tense:
– **Main khana khaoonga** (मैं खाना खाऊँगा) – “I will eat” (male speaker)
– **Main khana khaoongi** (मैं खाना खाऊँगी) – “I will eat” (female speaker)
– **Tum khana khaooge** (तुम खाना खाओगे) – “You will eat” (informal, male)
– **Tum khana khaoogi** (तुम खाना खाओगी) – “You will eat” (informal, female)
– **Aap khana khayenge** (आप खाना खायेंगे) – “You will eat” (formal, male)
– **Aap khana khayengi** (आप खाना खायेंगी) – “You will eat” (formal, female)
– **Woh khana khayega** (वह खाना खायेगा) – “He will eat”
– **Woh khana khayegi** (वह खाना खायेगी) – “She will eat”
– **Hum khana khayenge** (हम खाना खायेंगे) – “We will eat” (male group or mixed group)
– **Hum khana khayengi** (हम खाना खायेंगी) – “We will eat” (female group)
In the future tense, the verb “khana” takes different forms depending on the subject pronoun and the gender of the speaker or subject.
Imperative Mood
The imperative mood is used for giving commands or making requests. Here’s how “khana” is used in the imperative mood:
– **Kha** (खा) – “Eat” (informal, singular)
– **Khao** (खाओ) – “Eat” (informal, plural or polite singular)
– **Khaaiye** (खाइए) – “Please eat” (formal)
The imperative forms are quite straightforward and don’t change with gender. However, the level of formality does affect the form used.
Progressive Aspect
The progressive aspect, which indicates an ongoing action, also requires different forms of “khana”. Here’s how it looks in the present, past, and future progressive tenses:
Present Progressive
– **Main khana kha raha hoon** (मैं खाना खा रहा हूँ) – “I am eating” (male speaker)
– **Main khana kha rahi hoon** (मैं खाना खा रही हूँ) – “I am eating” (female speaker)
– **Tum khana kha rahe ho** (तुम खाना खा रहे हो) – “You are eating” (informal, male)
– **Tum khana kha rahi ho** (तुम खाना खा रही हो) – “You are eating” (informal, female)
– **Aap khana kha rahe hain** (आप खाना खा रहे हैं) – “You are eating” (formal, male)
– **Aap khana kha rahi hain** (आप खाना खा रही हैं) – “You are eating” (formal, female)
– **Woh khana kha raha hai** (वह खाना खा रहा है) – “He is eating”
– **Woh khana kha rahi hai** (वह खाना खा रही है) – “She is eating”
– **Hum khana kha rahe hain** (हम खाना खा रहे हैं) – “We are eating” (male group or mixed group)
– **Hum khana kha rahi hain** (हम खाना खा रही हैं) – “We are eating” (female group)
Past Progressive
– **Main khana kha raha tha** (मैं खाना खा रहा था) – “I was eating” (male speaker)
– **Main khana kha rahi thi** (मैं खाना खा रही थी) – “I was eating” (female speaker)
– **Tum khana kha rahe the** (तुम खाना खा रहे थे) – “You were eating” (informal, male)
– **Tum khana kha rahi thi** (तुम खाना खा रही थी) – “You were eating” (informal, female)
– **Aap khana kha rahe the** (आप खाना खा रहे थे) – “You were eating” (formal, male)
– **Aap khana kha rahi thi** (आप खाना खा रही थी) – “You were eating” (formal, female)
– **Woh khana kha raha tha** (वह खाना खा रहा था) – “He was eating”
– **Woh khana kha rahi thi** (वह खाना खा रही थी) – “She was eating”
– **Hum khana kha rahe the** (हम खाना खा रहे थे) – “We were eating” (male group or mixed group)
– **Hum khana kha rahi thi** (हम खाना खा रही थी) – “We were eating” (female group)
Future Progressive
– **Main khana kha raha hoonga** (मैं खाना खा रहा हूँगा) – “I will be eating” (male speaker)
– **Main khana kha rahi hoongi** (मैं खाना खा रही हूँगी) – “I will be eating” (female speaker)
– **Tum khana kha rahe hoge** (तुम खाना खा रहे होगे) – “You will be eating” (informal, male)
– **Tum khana kha rahi hogi** (तुम खाना खा रही होगी) – “You will be eating” (informal, female)
– **Aap khana kha rahe honge** (आप खाना खा रहे होंगे) – “You will be eating” (formal, male)
– **Aap khana kha rahi hongi** (आप खाना खा रही होंगी) – “You will be eating” (formal, female)
– **Woh khana kha raha hoga** (वह खाना खा रहा होगा) – “He will be eating”
– **Woh khana kha rahi hogi** (वह खाना खा रही होगी) – “She will be eating”
– **Hum khana kha rahe honge** (हम खाना खा रहे होंगे) – “We will be eating” (male group or mixed group)
– **Hum khana kha rahi hongi** (हम खाना खा रही होंगी) – “We will be eating” (female group)
Perfect Aspect
The perfect aspect, indicating a completed action, also has its own set of conjugations for “khana”.
Present Perfect
– **Main khana kha chuka hoon** (मैं खाना खा चुका हूँ) – “I have eaten” (male speaker)
– **Main khana kha chuki hoon** (मैं खाना खा चुकी हूँ) – “I have eaten” (female speaker)
– **Tum khana kha chuke ho** (तुम खाना खा चुके हो) – “You have eaten” (informal, male)
– **Tum khana kha chuki ho** (तुम खाना खा चुकी हो) – “You have eaten” (informal, female)
– **Aap khana kha chuke hain** (आप खाना खा चुके हैं) – “You have eaten” (formal, male)
– **Aap khana kha chuki hain** (आप खाना खा चुकी हैं) – “You have eaten” (formal, female)
– **Woh khana kha chuka hai** (वह खाना खा चुका है) – “He has eaten”
– **Woh khana kha chuki hai** (वह खाना खा चुकी है) – “She has eaten”
– **Hum khana kha chuke hain** (हम खाना खा चुके हैं) – “We have eaten” (male group or mixed group)
– **Hum khana kha chuki hain** (हम खाना खा चुकी हैं) – “We have eaten” (female group)
Past Perfect
– **Main khana kha chuka tha** (मैं खाना खा चुका था) – “I had eaten” (male speaker)
– **Main khana kha chuki thi** (मैं खाना खा चुकी थी) – “I had eaten” (female speaker)
– **Tum khana kha chuke the** (तुम खाना खा चुके थे) – “You had eaten” (informal, male)
– **Tum khana kha chuki thi** (तुम खाना खा चुकी थी) – “You had eaten” (informal, female)
– **Aap khana kha chuke the** (आप खाना खा चुके थे) – “You had eaten” (formal, male)
– **Aap khana kha chuki thi** (आप खाना खा चुकी थी) – “You had eaten” (formal, female)
– **Woh khana kha chuka tha** (वह खाना खा चुका था) – “He had eaten”
– **Woh khana kha chuki thi** (वह खाना खा चुकी थी) – “She had eaten”
– **Hum khana kha chuke the** (हम खाना खा चुके थे) – “We had eaten” (male group or mixed group)
– **Hum khana kha chuki thi** (हम खाना खा चुकी थी) – “We had eaten” (female group)
Future Perfect
– **Main khana kha chuka hoonga** (मैं खाना खा चुका हूँगा) – “I will have eaten” (male speaker)
– **Main khana kha chuki hoongi** (मैं खाना खा चुकी हूँगी) – “I will have eaten” (female speaker)
– **Tum khana kha chuke hoge** (तुम खाना खा चुके होगे) – “You will have eaten” (informal, male)
– **Tum khana kha chuki hogi** (तुम खाना खा चुकी होगी) – “You will have eaten” (informal, female)
– **Aap khana kha chuke honge** (आप खाना खा चुके होंगे) – “You will have eaten” (formal, male)
– **Aap khana kha chuki hongi** (आप खाना खा चुकी होंगी) – “You will have eaten” (formal, female)
– **Woh khana kha chuka hoga** (वह खाना खा चुका होगा) – “He will have eaten”
– **Woh khana kha chuki hogi** (वह खाना खा चुकी होगी) – “She will have eaten”
– **Hum khana kha chuke honge** (हम खाना खा चुके होंगे) – “We will have eaten” (male group or mixed group)
– **Hum khana kha chuki hongi** (हम खाना खा चुकी होंगी) – “We will have eaten” (female group)
Conditional Mood
The conditional mood expresses hypothetical situations or actions that might happen under certain conditions.
– **Agar main khana khaoonga** (अगर मैं खाना खाऊँगा) – “If I eat” (male speaker)
– **Agar main khana khaoongi** (अगर मैं खाना खाऊँगी) – “If I eat” (female speaker)
– **Agar tum khana khaooge** (अगर तुम खाना खाओगे) – “If you eat” (informal, male)
– **Agar tum khana khaoogi** (अगर तुम खाना खाओगी) – “If you eat” (informal, female)
– **Agar aap khana khayenge** (अगर आप खाना खायेंगे) – “If you eat” (formal, male)
– **Agar aap khana khayengi** (अगर आप खाना खायेंगी) – “If you eat” (formal, female)
– **Agar woh khana khayega** (अगर वह खाना खायेगा) – “If he eats”
– **Agar woh khana khayegi** (अगर वह खाना खायेगी) – “If she eats”
– **Agar hum khana khayenge** (अगर हम खाना खायेंगे) – “If we eat” (male group or mixed group)
– **Agar hum khana khayengi** (अगर हम खाना खायेंगी) – “If we eat” (female group)
Subjunctive Mood
The subjunctive mood is used to express wishes, demands, or suggestions.
– **Main chahta hoon ki tum khana khao** (मैं चाहता हूँ कि तुम खाना खाओ) – “I wish that you eat” (male speaker)
– **Main chahti hoon ki tum khana khao** (मैं चाहती हूँ कि तुम खाना खाओ) – “I wish that you eat” (female speaker)
– **Woh chahta hai ki main khana khao** (वह चाहता है कि मैं खाना खाऊँ) – “He wishes that I eat”
– **Woh chahti hai ki main khana khao** (वह चाहती है कि मैं खाना खाऊँ) – “She wishes that I eat”
Understanding these different forms of “khana” will help you become more proficient in Hindi. By practicing these conjugations, you’ll be able to express yourself more clearly and accurately. Remember, language learning is a gradual process, so take your time and practice regularly. Happy learning!
