The Present Indefinite Tense is one of the most commonly used tenses in English. It describes actions or events that happen regularly, are general truths, or are habitual. However, when we talk about the negative form of the Present Indefinite Tense, we are expressing actions that do not happen regularly, are not true, or are not occurring at the present time.
In Hindi, the negative form of Present Indefinite is created by adding the word “नहीं” after the verb. The structure is quite simple, but it’s important to know how to translate it properly into English.
What is Present Indefinite Negative Tense?
The Present Indefinite Negative Tense in English refers to actions that do not occur regularly or actions that are not true. This tense is used to express denials, habits that do not occur, or facts that are false.
In Hindi, negative sentences are usually formed by adding “नहीं” after the verb in the Present Indefinite Tense. In English, the structure is slightly different, as we need to use the auxiliary verb “do not” (or “don’t”) for I, you, we, they, and “does not” (or “doesn’t”) for he, she, it.
Example in Hindi:
- मैं रोज़ नहीं जाता हूँ।
- वह नहीं खाता है।
- वे स्कूल नहीं जाते हैं।
Translation in English:
- I do not go every day.
- He does not eat.
- They do not go to school.
Structure of Present Indefinite Negative Sentences
Basic Structure:
To form negative sentences in the Present Indefinite Tense, the structure is:
Subject + do/does + not + base form of the verb + object.
- “Do” is used with I, you, we, they.
- “Does” is used with he, she, it.
Examples:
- I do not like coffee.
- (मैं कॉफी पसंद नहीं करता हूँ।)
- She does not go to the gym.
- (वह जिम नहीं जाती है।)
- They do not watch TV.
- (वे टीवी नहीं देखते हैं।)
- (वे टीवी नहीं देखते हैं।)
Important Notes:
- The base form of the verb is used after do or does.
- The contraction of do not is don’t, and the contraction of does not is doesn’t.
- Does is only used with he, she, it, while do is used with the rest of the subjects (I, you, we, they).
✅ Examples in Hindi and English
Hindi Sentence | English Sentence |
मैं टीवी नहीं देखता हूँ। | I do not watch TV. |
वह पढ़ाई नहीं करती है। | She does not study. |
वे खाना नहीं खाते हैं। | They do not eat food. |
तुम म्यूजिक नहीं सुनते हो। | You do not listen to music. |
वह बाजार नहीं जाती है। | She does not go to the market. |
More Examples:
- I do not speak Hindi.
- (मैं हिंदी नहीं बोलता हूँ।)
- We do not play cricket.
- (हम क्रिकेट नहीं खेलते हैं।)
- He does not like vegetables.
- (वह सब्जियाँ पसंद नहीं करता है।)
- (वह सब्जियाँ पसंद नहीं करता है।)
How to Form Negative Questions in Present Indefinite Tense
To form negative interrogative sentences in Present Indefinite Tense, you need to invert the sentence structure. This means the do/does comes at the beginning, followed by not, the subject, and then the base verb.
Structure of Negative Interrogative Sentences:
Do/Does + Subject + not + base form of verb + object?
Examples:
- Do you not like coffee?
- (क्या तुम कॉफी पसंद नहीं करते हो?)
- Does she not work here?
- (क्या वह यहाँ काम नहीं करती है?)
- Do they not eat pizza?
- (क्या वे पिज़्ज़ा नहीं खाते हैं?)
- (क्या वे पिज़्ज़ा नहीं खाते हैं?)
More Examples:
Do I not look good?
-
- (क्या मैं अच्छा नहीं दिखता हूँ?)
Does he not play football?
-
- (क्या वह फुटबॉल नहीं खेलता है?)
Do they not go to school?
-
- (क्या वे स्कूल नहीं जाते हैं?)
- (क्या वे स्कूल नहीं जाते हैं?)
⚡ Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake | Correction | Reason |
She do not like coffee. | She does not like coffee. | Use “does not” with he, she, it. |
I doesn’t play cricket. | I do not play cricket. | Use “do not” with I. |
They don’t goes to school. | They do not go to school. | Use the base verb after do/does. |
Practice Exercise (Translate Hindi to English)
Translate the following Hindi sentences into English:
- वह म्यूजिक नहीं सुनता है।
- मैं स्कूल नहीं जाता हूँ।
- वे क्रिकेट नहीं खेलते हैं।
- तुम मुझे नहीं जानते हो।
- वह काम नहीं करती है।
Answers:
- He does not listen to music.
- I do not go to school.
- They do not play cricket.
- You do not know me.
- She does not work.
When to Use Present Indefinite Negative Tense
The Present Indefinite Negative Tense is used in the following situations:
To express actions that do not happen regularly:
-
- I do not visit the gym every day.
- He does not drink tea in the morning.
To talk about things that are not true or facts that are false:
-
- The sun does not rise in the west.
- Cats do not like water.
To indicate a habit or routine that doesn’t occur:
-
- I do not wake up early.
- She does not go to the office on Sundays.
Summary of Present Indefinite Negative Tense
Sentence Type | Structure | Example |
Affirmative | Subject + base verb | She sings a song. |
Negative | Subject + do/does + not + base verb | She does not sing a song. |
Negative Interrogative | Do/Does + Subject + not + base verb? | Does she not sing a song? |
The Present Indefinite Negative Tense is used to describe actions that do not occur regularly, are not true, or are not habitual. The structure is simple but crucial for negative statements in English. By adding “do not” or “does not”, you can easily form negative sentences for I, you, we, they or he, she, it.
To summarize:
- Use “do not” for I, you, we, they.
- Use “does not” for he, she, it.
- Remember to always use the base verb after do/does in negative sentences.
With practice, you’ll master the Present Indefinite Negative Tense and be able to use it confidently in everyday conversations!