English and Hindi Tenses Side by Side

English and Hindi both express present, past and future, but they build the forms differently. This guide lines them up using one verb, खाना (to eat).

Present

English	Hindi
I eat rice. (habit)	मैं चावल खाता हूँ।
I am eating rice. (now)	मैं चावल खा रहा हूँ।

Feminine speakers say खाती हूँ and खा रही हूँ.

Past

English	Hindi
I ate rice.	मैंने चावल खाया।
I was eating rice.	मैं चावल खा रहा था।
I used to eat rice.	मैं चावल खाता था।
I have eaten rice.	मैंने चावल खाया है।

Future

English	Hindi
I will eat rice.	मैं चावल खाऊँगा।

The special ने

In the simple past (and perfect tenses) with a transitive verb, Hindi puts ने after the subject and the verb agrees with the object, not the subject:

• मैंने रोटी खाई। — I ate a roti. (खाई agrees with रोटी, feminine)
• मैंने चावल खाया। — I ate rice. (खाया agrees with चावल, masculine)
• उसने किताब पढ़ी। — He/she read a book.

With intransitive verbs like go, there is no ने: मैं गया / मैं गई।

English tenses that need care

• English present perfect (I have finished) often maps to मैंने खत्म कर लिया है.
• English past continuous (I was walking) maps to मैं चल रहा था.
• English future continuous (I will be working) maps to मैं काम कर रहा होऊँगा.

Quick tips

1. Learn one verb in every tense, then apply the pattern.
2. Remember ने with past transitive verbs.
3. Check verb forms in the dictionary when in doubt.

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