Tenses in Depth
Hindi has a rich tense system built from a small set of participle endings combined with forms of होना (to be). Once you recognize the pattern, all of the tenses below become predictable.
The pattern
| Tense | Formed with | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | verb stem + ता/ती + है/हैं | habitual/general action |
| Present Continuous | verb stem + रहा/रही + है/हैं | action happening now |
| Present Perfect | verb stem + चुका/चुकी + है/हैं | action already completed |
| Simple Past | verb stem + आ/ई/ए (+ ने for transitive verbs) | completed action |
| Simple Future | verb stem + गा/गी/गे | will happen |
Full reference
Every tense above — plus Past Continuous, Past Perfect, Future Continuous, and Future Perfect — is covered with full masculine/feminine, singular/plural conjugation tables and example sentences in:
Practice tip
Pick one everyday action (eating, going to school, reading) and say it in all six main tenses — present, past, and future, each as simple and continuous. This is one of the fastest ways to internalize the pattern.
Continue to Conversational Practice.