Understanding Past Indefinite Negative Sentences in Hindi

In Hindi, the Past Indefinite Tense is used to describe actions that were completed in the past. When forming negative sentences in the past tense, it is important to use the right structure to express that something did not happen or was not done. In this blog, we will explore how to make Past Indefinite Negative Sentences in Hindi, the correct structure, and provide several examples for practice.

Past Indefinite Tense: A Quick Recap

The Past Indefinite Tense (also called Simple Past Tense) is used to describe actions that were completed at a definite time in the past. For example:

• मैंने खाना खाया। (I ate food.) 
• वह स्कूल गया। (He went to school.) 

In negative sentences, we negate the verb by adding “नहीं” after the verb. It is important to note that this tense is used for actions that happened and ended in the past.

Structure of Past Indefinite Negative Sentences

The basic structure for a negative sentence in the Past Indefinite Tense is as follows:

Subject + Verb (in past form) + नहीं + Object

The verb in past tense is followed by “नहीं” (meaning “not”) to negate the action. This is used for all subjects in the sentence.

Example:

• मैंने किताब नहीं पढ़ी। (I did not read the book.) 
• वह बाजार नहीं गया। (He did not go to the market.) 
• हमने खाना नहीं खाया। (We did not eat food.) 

The verb in the past tense changes according to the subject, but the structure of negation remains the same.

Past Indefinite Negative Sentence Examples:

1. Negative Sentences with “मैं” (I):

• मैंने उसे नहीं देखा। (I did not see him/her.) 
• मैंने उसको नहीं बुलाया। (I did not call him/her.) 

2. Negative Sentences with “तुम” (You):

• तुमने मुझे नहीं बताया। (You did not tell me.) 
• तुमने वह किताब नहीं पढ़ी। (You did not read that book.) 

3. Negative Sentences with “वह” (He/She):

• वह स्कूल नहीं गया। (He did not go to school.) 
• वह फिल्म नहीं देखी। (She did not watch the movie.) 

4. Negative Sentences with “हम” (We):

• हमने गाना नहीं गाया। (We did not sing the song.) 
• हमने आपकी मदद नहीं की। (We did not help you.) 

5. Negative Sentences with “वे” (They):

• वे काम नहीं कर रहे थे। (They were not working.) 
• वे घर नहीं आए। (They did not come home.) 

Important Points to Remember:

• The word “नहीं” comes after the verb in the sentence to make it negative. 
• The verb used in the sentence should be in its past form, i.e., it should follow the regular past tense rules. 
• “नहीं” is used to negate the action for all types of subjects: singular or plural, masculine or feminine. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Past Indefinite Negative Sentences

When learning the Past Indefinite Negative tense in Hindi, there are a few common mistakes people make:

1. Omitting “नहीं” (Not):

• Incorrect: मैंने उसे देखा। (I did see him.) 
• Correct: मैंने उसे नहीं देखा। (I did not see him.) 

2. Incorrect Use of the Verb:

• In Hindi, the verb changes according to the subject, so make sure you use the correct form: 
  • वह बाजार गए नहीं। (Incorrect) 
  • वह बाजार नहीं गए। (Correct) 

3. Placing “नहीं” in the Wrong Place:

• Incorrect: मैंने नहीं पढ़ी किताब। (I did not read the book.) 
• Correct: मैंने किताब नहीं पढ़ी। (I did not read the book.) 

4. Confusing with Present or Future Tenses:

• The Past Indefinite Negative tense is used only for actions that were completed in the past. For example: 
  • वह स्कूल नहीं जाता है। (He does not go to school.) is present tense. 
  • वह स्कूल नहीं गया था। (He had not gone to school.) is past perfect tense. 
  • वह स्कूल नहीं गया। (He did not go to school.) is past indefinite tense.
    

Practice Sentences for Better Understanding

Here are more practice sentences to help you master the Past Indefinite Negative Tense:

1. मैंने काम नहीं किया। (I did not work.) 
2. उसने हमें नहीं बताया। (He did not tell us.) 
3. तुमने मुझसे झूठ नहीं कहा। (You did not lie to me.) 
4. हमने उसे कभी नहीं देखा। (We never saw him.) 
5. मैंने फिल्म नहीं देखी। (I did not watch the movie.) 
6. वे मुझे नहीं पहचानते। (They do not recognize me.) 
7. वह मुझे फोन नहीं किया। (He did not call me.) 
8. तुमने मदद नहीं की। (You did not help.)
   

By regularly practicing these sentences, you will become more fluent in using the Past Indefinite Negative Tense and can easily form sentences when speaking or writing in Hindi.

The Past Indefinite Negative Sentence in Hindi is quite easy to form once you understand the structure and usage of the verb “नहीं”. With the correct practice and by avoiding common mistakes, you can easily convey actions that did not happen in the past. Remember to always use the correct past form of the verb and place “नहीं” immediately after it to make your sentence negative.

Keep practicing these sentences in your daily conversations, and soon you will be comfortable using the Past Indefinite Negative Tense in Hindi with ease!