The following sentences will illustrate the usage:
| ýáäãðÜ ¡ðÑð¨îð÷ çðô®ðó Ü®ð÷ | may God keep you happy` (hope, wish). |
| Ùðøü µððèÃðð èõü ò¨î ãðè òãðÎðÐð ×ðÐð÷ | `I wish that he turns out to be a scholar` (wish). |
| Ðððø¨îÜ çð÷ ¨îèð÷, µððÚð âðð¦ | `tell the servant to bring tea` (indirect command). |
| ©Úðð Ùðøü ¡ðÑð¨î÷ çððÆð µðâðõû? | `shall I come with you?` (wish or requirement). |
| Çãðð ®ðð¡ð÷ ò¸ðçðçð÷ ÃðôÙð ¡µ¶÷ èð÷ ¸ðð¡ð÷ | `take medicine so that you get well` (purpose). |
| äððÚðÇ ãðè äððÙð ¨îó ±ððÀÿó çð÷ ¡ð¦ | `he may come by the evening train` (possibility). |
| òÙðëð ãðèó èø ¸ðð÷ òãðÑðòÄð Ùð÷ü èÙððÜð çððÆð Ç÷ | `he alsone is a friend who stands by us in adversity` (condition). |
| ÃðôÙð ¦÷çð÷ ÜèÃð÷ èð÷ ¸ðøçð÷ ¨îÜð÷ÀÿÑðòÃð èð÷ | `you are living as if you were a millionaire` (supposition). |
Note: (i) It will be observed that all the sentences, except the last two, have an implied reference to Future. The last but one makes a general statement with no reference to time. In the last sentences, the Verb èó expresses a supposed state existing at present.
(ii) It will also be noticed that the Optative Verb in the third sentence âðð¦ has the force of an Imperative. But being an indirect command, it cannot be classed as imperative which is the mood of direct command or request. For the same reason, the Imperative can have no form for the first person. The forms mentioned bymost of the grammarians as first and third person ``Imperative`` are identical with the Optative forms given above. But they cannot be regarded as Imperative. It will be observed that the second peson Plural form (µðâðð÷ etc.) is identical in the two moods. Notice, however, in the fifth sentence the clear difference between the meaning of an Imperative secon person plural ®ðð¡ð÷ `eat, take` and that of an Optative second person, (¡µ¶÷ÿ) èð÷ ¸ðð¡ð÷! `so that you get well`.
With the honorific pronoun, the Optatives may denote polite request or suggestion:
¡ðÑð ãðèðü Ðð ¸ðð¦û `you had better not go there` (180-a).
(iv) The forms ¡ðÚð÷ or ¡ðãð÷ (for ¡ðÚð÷), ¡ðãð÷ü (for ¡ð¦û), ¸ððÚð, ¸ððãð÷ (for ¸ðð¦), ¸ððÚðû, ¸ððãð÷ (for ¸ðð¦û), èð÷ãð÷, èð÷ãð÷ü (for èð÷,èð÷ü) etc. should be discarded as archaic. The only correct forms are those with - ¦-¦û, (Cf.205-d).
The above forms are in the subjectival construction. The Obtative does not have the objectival construction. For Passive and Impersonal Voice. For Progressive forms, see
(a) ÜèÐðð as stated above (256-i 260 261-e and k) can be combined with a main Verb which is eighter in the asbsolutive (root) form, or in the present form or in the participle form: ãðè ¸ðð Üè ð èø `he is going`, ãðè ¸ððÃðð ÜèÃðð èø `he keeps going (habitually), ãðè ×ðø¿ð ÜèÃðð èø `he keeps sitting`, ãðè ¨ ð÷¾ ÑðèÐð÷ ÜèÃðð èø `he keeps wearing a coat,
(b)of these, (1) alone dontes an action in progress or in process not yet complited. of the other three forms, (2) denotes a habit (not an action in progress), while (3) and (4) denote continuity of a state. Only (1), therefore, can form the progressive aspect.
It is to be noted that, while (2), (3) and (4) can be used in all Tenses and Moods (¸ððÃðð Üè÷±ðð, µðâðÃðð Üèð, ×ðø¿÷ Üè÷, ÑðèÐð÷ Üèð èð÷Ãðð etc.) in the progressive sense, the Subsidiary ÜèÐðð is always in the past participle form (with the usual fem. and pl. modifications). Besides, it can be used only in the present and the habitual past (¸ðð Üèð èø - ¸ðð Üèð Æðð) or in the Subjective forms ¡ðÃðð èð÷, ¡ðÃðð èð÷Ãðð, ¡ðÃðð èð÷±ðð, ¡ð Üèð èð÷, ¡ð Üèð èð÷Ãðð, ¡ð Üèð èð÷±ðð. In fact, ¡ð Üèð is to be regarded as a past participle form of the compound ¡ð + ÜèÐðð, and as equivalent to ¡ðÃðð èô¡ð. This is clear from the fact that a present participle when used as an Adjective denotes the progressive aspect with the help of forms like ¡ðÃðð èô¡ð, ¸ððÃðð èô¡ð etc. (241).
It may also be noted that the rare progressive of the simple past (when used as future conditional) is ¡ðÃðð èô¡ð. (322). It is evident from the above that Hindi Verbs have a regular progressive form only in those Tenses and Moods which are made with the help of a present participle. These are :-
ãðè ¸ððÃðð èø (¸ðð Üèð èø) Present Indicative,
ãðè ¸ððÃðð Æðð (¸ðð Üèð Æðð) Habitual Past-Indicative,
ãðè ¸ððÃðð èð÷ (¸ðð Üèð èð÷) Present Potential,
ãðè ¸ððÃðð èð÷Ãðð (¸ðð Üèð èð÷Ãðð) Present Contingent,
ãðè ¸ððÃðð èð÷±ðð (¸ðð Üèð èð÷±ðð) Present Presumptive.
The Üèð forms in these Tenses are, of course, of the nature of a compound Verb. But having a special form and being so frequently used, they are on par with the common forms (¸ððÃðð èø etc.).
B. ¡ðÃðð èð÷, ¡ðÚðð èð÷ (Potential)
(a) These forms denote, mainly, possibility of the occurrece of an action with reference to the present and the past:
| ãðè ¡ðÃðð èð÷ | `he may be coming`, |
| ãðè ¡ðÃðð èð÷ | `he may have come`. |
They may also express wish and desire, but not command, erquierment and purpose. Condition and supposition can be expressed by them These forms may be called present and past `potential`.
(b) The potential forms are made by combining the present and the past participles of the main Verb with the forms of èð÷ given above.
Thus:-
Singular Plural
| I Person | Ùðøü ¡ðÃðð èð÷¤û èÙð ¡ðÃð÷ èð÷ü |
| II Person | Ãðõ ¡ðÃðð èð÷ ÃðôÙð ¡ðÃð÷ èð÷¡ð÷ |
| III Person | ãðè ¡ðÃðð èð÷ ãð÷ ¡ðÃð÷ èð÷ü |
Similarly, Ùðøü ¡ðÚðð èð÷¤ û etc.
For changing into Feminie, - Ãðð, and - ¡ð of the participles are replaced by - Ãðó and -ýá: Ùðøü ¡ðÃðó èð÷¤û etc. The Progressive (present forms can be made by substituting Üèð for Ãðð: ãðè ¡ð Üèð èð÷.
The following sentences will illustrate the usage:-
| äððÚðÇ ãðè ×ðÙ×ðýá (Ùð÷ü) ÜèÃðð èð÷ | `it is possible that he lives in Bombay` (possibility), |
| çðüØðãð èø ò¨î Úðè ò¨îÃðð×ð ÃðôÙðÐð÷ ÑðÁÿó èð÷÷ | `It may be that you have read this book` (possibility), |
| ýáäãðÜ ¨îÜ÷ ò¨î £çðÐð÷ Ùðô»ð÷ Ðð Ç÷®ðð èð÷ | `I wish to God that he might not have seen me` (wish-past), |
| ÚðòÇ ãðè çðð÷ Üèð èð÷,Ùð Ãðð÷ ÙðÃð ¸ð±ðð¡ð÷ | `if he is asleep, do not awaken him` (condition present). |
| Ùðøü ¦÷çðð òÙðëð µððèÃðð èõü ¸ðð÷ çððÆð Ç÷Ãðð èð÷ | `I want a friend who would stand by (a friend)» (condition-general). |
| ÚðòÇ £çðÐð÷ »ðõ¿ ×ðð÷âðð èð÷, Ãðð÷ £çð÷ òÐð¨îðâð Çð÷ | `if he has told a lie, turn him out, (condition-past). |
| ³ðð÷Àÿð ¦÷çð÷ ÇðøÀÿ Üèð èø ¸ðøçð÷ £Àÿ Üèð èð÷ | `the horse is running in such a way as if it were flying` (supposition-present). |
| ¦÷çðð äð×Ç èô¡ð ¸ðøçð÷ ò×ð¸ðâðó ò±ðÜó èð÷ | `there was such a loud report as if the lightning had struck` (Supposition-past). |
(b) The present, especially the Progressive forms, may, if the context so indicates, refer to (immediate) future:-
| äððÚðÇ ãðè äððÙð ¨îó ±ððÀÿó çð÷ ¡ðÃðð èð÷ | `he may be coming by the evening train`, |
| ÚðòÇ ãðè ¡ð¸ð Üèð èð÷, Ãðð÷ ÃðôÙð ÙðÃð ¸ðð¡ð÷ | `do not go, if he is coming to-day`. |
(c) The present Potential has only the subjectival construction. The past Potential has the objectival construction if the Verb is Transitive: see the second and the sixth sentences under (a) above. Where the object is in the oblique form, the past Potential has the neutral construction: see the third sentence under (a) above.
For Passive and Impersonal forms,
In most of the grammars, the Optative form has been mentioned as the future form of the Potential and the Optative mood completely ignored, its function having been assigned to the Imperative. This is hardly justifiable. See
(ii) It will also be noticed that the Optative Verb in the third sentence âðð¦ has the force of an Imperative. But being an indirect command, it cannot be classed as imperative which is the mood of direct command or request. For the same reason, the Imperative can have no form for the first person. The forms mentioned bymost of the grammarians as first and third person ``Imperative`` are identical with the Optative forms given above. But they cannot be regarded as Imperative. It will be observed that the second peson Plural form (µðâðð÷ etc.) is identical in the two moods. Notice, however, in the fifth sentence the clear difference between the meaning of an Imperative secon person plural ®ðð¡ð÷ `eat, take` and that of an Optative second person, (¡µ¶÷ÿ) èð÷ ¸ðð¡ð÷! `so that you get well`.
¡ðÃðð èð÷±ðð, ¡ðÚðð èð÷±ðð (Presumptive)
(a) These forms express probability and presumed or inferred certainty. They may be called `Presumptive`. The names `Doubtful Present` and `Doubtful Past` for these forms, adopted by some grammarians, are misleading. The forms seldom denote `doubt`.
The presumptive forms are made by combining the present or the past participle forms of the main Verb with the future forms of èð÷. The participles are, of course, modified to agree with the subject in Number and Gender:
Ùðøü ¡ðÃðð èð÷¤ü±ðð, èÙð ¡ðÃð÷ èð÷ü±ð÷, Ùðøü ¡ðÚðð èð÷¤û±ðð, èÙð ¡ð¦ èð÷ü±ð÷, etc.