English tenses can be confusing, especially for Hindi speakers. But don’t worry! This guide will help you understand English tenses in a simple way. We will compare them with Hindi tenses so that you can learn faster.
What Are Tenses?
Tenses tell us when an action happens. In English, there are three main tenses:
- Past – Something that happened before.
- Present – Something happening now.
- Future – Something that will happen later.
Each of these tenses has four subtypes, making a total of 12 tenses. Let’s explore them with examples and their Hindi meanings.
Present Tense (वर्तमान काल)
The present tense is used for actions happening now or regularly.
1. Simple Present / Present Indefinite
- Structure: Subject + Verb (base form) + s/es (for he/she/it) + Object
- Example:
- I play cricket. (मैं क्रिकेट खेलता हूँ।)
- She sings a song. (वह एक गाना गाती है।)
- Usage: Used for daily routines, universal truths, and habits. (रोजमर्रा की दिनचर्या, सार्वभौमिक सत्य और आदतों के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है।)
2. Present Continuous
- Structure: Subject + is/am/are + Verb + ing + Object
- Example:
- He is reading a book. (वह किताब पढ़ रहा है।)
- They are playing football. (वे फुटबॉल खेल रहे हैं।)
- Usage: Used for ongoing actions happening right now. (वर्तमान में जारी कार्यों के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है।)
3. Present Perfect
- Structure: Subject + has/have + Verb (past participle) + Object
- Example:
- I have finished my homework. (मैंने अपना होमवर्क पूरा कर लिया है।)
- She has visited Delhi. (वह दिल्ली जा चुकी है।)
- Usage: Used for completed actions with present relevance. (ऐसे कार्यों के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है जो पूरे हो चुके हैं लेकिन वर्तमान से जुड़े हुए हैं।)
4. Present Perfect Continuous
- Structure: Subject + has/have + been + Verb + ing + Object
- Example:
- He has been working since morning. (वह सुबह से काम कर रहा है।)
- They have been studying for two hours. (वे दो घंटे से पढ़ाई कर रहे हैं।)
- Usage: Used for actions that started in the past and are still continuing. (ऐसे कार्यों के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है जो अतीत में शुरू हुए थे और अभी भी जारी हैं।)
Past Tense (भूतकाल)
The past tense is used for actions that already happened.
1. Simple Past
- Structure: Subject + Verb (past form) + Object
- Example:
- I watched a movie. (मैंने एक फिल्म देखी।)
- He ate an apple. (उसने एक सेब खाया।)
- Usage: Used for actions that happened at a specific time in the past. (ऐसे कार्यों के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है जो अतीत में एक निश्चित समय पर हुए थे।)
2. Past Continuous
- Structure: Subject + was/were + Verb + ing + Object
- Example:
- She was cooking dinner. (वह रात का खाना बना रही थी।)
- They were playing outside. (वे बाहर खेल रहे थे।)
- Usage: Used for actions that were happening at a specific time in the past. (ऐसे कार्यों के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है जो अतीत में किसी निश्चित समय पर हो रहे थे।)
3. Past Perfect
- Structure: Subject + had + Verb (past participle) + Object
- Example:
- I had completed my work. (मैंने अपना काम पूरा कर लिया था।)
- They had left before we arrived. (हमारे पहुँचने से पहले वे जा चुके थे।)
- Usage: Used for actions completed before another past event. (ऐसे कार्यों के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है जो अतीत में किसी अन्य कार्य से पहले पूरे हो चुके थे।)
4. Past Perfect Continuous
- Structure: Subject + had been + Verb + ing + Object
- Example:
- He had been waiting for an hour. (वह एक घंटे से इंतजार कर रहा था।)
- We had been traveling since morning. (हम सुबह से यात्रा कर रहे थे।)
- Usage: Used for actions that were continuing before another past action. (ऐसे कार्यों के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है जो अतीत में किसी अन्य कार्य से पहले जारी थे।)
Future Tense (भविष्य काल)
The future tense is used for actions that will happen later.
1. Simple Future
- Structure: Subject + will/shall + Verb (base form) + Object
- Example:
- I will visit my grandmother. (मैं अपनी दादी से मिलने जाऊँगा।)
- She will complete the project. (वह प्रोजेक्ट पूरा करेगी।)
- Usage: Used for future actions. (भविष्य में होने वाले कार्यों के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है।)
2. Future Continuous
- Structure: Subject + will be + Verb + ing + Object
- Example:
- They will be playing football. (वे फुटबॉल खेल रहे होंगे।)
- She will be cooking at 7 PM. (वह शाम 7 बजे खाना बना रही होगी।)
- Usage: Used for ongoing actions in the future. (ऐसे कार्यों के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है जो भविष्य में जारी रहेंगे।)
3. Future Perfect
- Structure: Subject + will have + Verb (past participle) + Object
- Example:
- I will have completed my work. (मैं अपना काम पूरा कर चुका होऊँगा।)
- She will have reached home by 8 PM. (वह रात 8 बजे तक घर पहुँच चुकी होगी।)
- Usage: Used for actions that will be completed before a specific future time. (ऐसे कार्यों के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है जो भविष्य में किसी निश्चित समय से पहले पूरे हो चुके होंगे।)
4. Future Perfect Continuous
- Structure: Subject + will have been + Verb + ing + Object
- Example:
- He will have been studying for five years. (वह पाँच साल से पढ़ाई कर रहा होगा।)
- We will have been traveling for 10 hours. (हम 10 घंटे से यात्रा कर रहे होंगे।)
- Usage: Used for actions continuing up to a point in the future. (ऐसे कार्यों के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है जो भविष्य में किसी निश्चित समय तक जारी रहेंगे।)
Conclusion
Tenses are important for speaking and writing English correctly. By comparing them with Hindi tenses, you can understand them easily. Keep practicing, and soon, you will be confident in using English tenses!
