The past habitual tense functions like its present counterpart, but in the past: it can express repeated actions and states, characterize somebody or something, or describe the ability to do an action. The only meaning of the present habitual tense that can not be expressed in the past habitual tense is a general statement of permanent validity.
The past habitual tense is formed in a way that is similar to the present habitual tense, except that the verb 'to be' is in the past tense. The forms are as follows:
|
Person |
Gender |
Singular |
Plural |
|
I |
masculine |
मैं बोलता था maiN boltaa thaa |
हम बोलते थे ham bolte the |
|
feminine |
मैं बोलती थी maiN boltii thii |
हम बोलती थीं ham boltii thiiN |
|
|
II |
masculine |
तू बोलता था tuu boltaa thaa |
तुम बोलते थे tum bolte the आप बोलते थे aap bolte the |
|
feminine |
तू बोलती थी tuu boltii thii |
तुम बोलती थीं tum boltii thiiN आप बोलती थीं aap boltii thiiN |
|
|
III |
masculine |
यह, वह बोलता था yeh, vo boltaa thaa |
ये, वे बोलते थे ye, ve bolte the |
|
feminine |
यह, वह बोलती थी yeh, vo boltii thii |
ये, वे बोलतीं थीं ye, ve boltii thiiN |
The verb is made negative by placing the particle नहीं nahiiN ' not' before the main verb. In the past habitual tense, the verb 'to be' is often omitted in negative sentences, more so than in the present habitual tense. When the verb 'to be' is omitted with a feminine plural verbal form, the ending of the main verb becomes nasalized.
Examples:
बचपन में वह लँगड़ाता था।
bacpan meN vo laNgRaataa thaa.
'He limped in his childhood.' (=he was a lame man)
सुबह को वह अख़बार पढ़ता था।
subeh ko vo akh'baar paRhtaa thaa.
'He used to read newspapers in the morning.'
मैं सोचती थी कि आप अकेले रहते हैं।
maiN soctii thii ki aap akele rehte haiN.
'I thought that you lived alone.' (Notice that there is no sequence of tenses in Hindi.)
तुम स्कूल में नहीं पढ़ते थे।
tum skuul meN nahiiN paRhte the.
'You didn't study at school.'
वे सिनेमा कभी नहीं जाती थी।
ve sinemaa kabhii nahiiN jaatii thiiN.
'They've never been (gone) to the cinema.'
See Also: