A1 Verb Conjugation 3 دقيقة للقراءة

Modal verb: चाहना (want)

Use `चाहना` with `मैं` (Main) for active desires, and match the ending (`ta/ti/te`) to the subject's gender.

The Rule in 30 Seconds

  • Used to say "I want" something or to do something.
  • Changes with gender: -ta (m), -ti (f), -te (pl/formal).
  • Sentence structure: Subject + Object + Want + Helper.
  • Use 'Main' (I), never 'Mujhe' (to me) with this verb.

Quick Reference

Subject Gender Verb Form Helper Verb
मैं (Main) Male चाहता (chāhtā) हूँ (hūn)
मैं (Main) Female चाहती (chāhtī) हूँ (hūn)
तुम (Tum) Male चाहते (chāhte) हो (ho)
तुम (Tum) Female चाहती (chāhtī) हो (ho)
वह (Vah) Male चाहता (chāhtā) है (hai)
वह (Vah) Female चाहती (chāhtī) है (hai)
हम/आप/वे (Ham/Aap/Ve) Any चाहते (chāhte) हैं (hain)

أمثلة رئيسية

3 من 10
1

Main ek seb chāhtā hūn.

I want an apple. (Male speaker)

2

Vah pānī chāhtī hai.

She wants water.

3

Kyā āp nāchnā chāhte hain?

Do you want to dance? (Formal)

💡

The 'H' Factor

Don't forget the 'h' sound in `chāhtā`. It's soft but important. It's not 'chata' (which means 'licked'!), it's 'chaah-ta'.

⚠️

The Wrong 'I'

Never say `Mujhe... chahta hun`. If you use `chahta`, you MUST use `Main`. If you use `chahiye`, you MUST use `Mujhe`. They don't mix!

The Rule in 30 Seconds

  • Used to say "I want" something or to do something.
  • Changes with gender: -ta (m), -ti (f), -te (pl/formal).
  • Sentence structure: Subject + Object + Want + Helper.
  • Use 'Main' (I), never 'Mujhe' (to me) with this verb.

Overview

Ready to tell the world what you really desire? Whether it’s a hot cup of chai or a ticket to Mumbai, the verb चाहना (chāhnā) is your ticket to expressing wishes. It simply means "to want." Unlike some Hindi verbs that act like moody teenagers (looking at you, complex ergative cases!), चाहना plays by the rules. It behaves just like a regular verb. By the end of this, you'll be demanding—politely, of course—everything your heart desires.

How This Grammar Works

Think of चाहना as the engine of your desire train. It connects Subject (you) to the Object (the thing or action you want). In Hindi, the verb always hangs out at the very end of the sentence. So, while in English you say "I want tea," in Hindi, you literally say "I tea want." It’s like Yoda speak, but tastier.

Crucially, चाहना changes its outfit based on *who* is doing the wanting. If you are a guy, it wears one ending. If you are a girl, it wears another. It’s fashion-conscious like that.

Formation Pattern

  1. 1Here is your 4-step recipe for wanting things:
  2. 2The Wanter (Subject): Start with मैं (I), तुम (You), वह (He/She), etc.
  3. 3The Desire (Object/Verb): What do you want? चाय (tea)? सोना (to sleep)? Put it here.
  4. 4The Verb Stem: Take चाहना, chop off the ना, and you get चाह (chāh).
  5. 5The Ending + Helper: Add ता (tā), ती (tī), or ते (te) + हूँ/है/हैं.
  6. 6Formula:
  7. 7Subject + Object/Infinitive + Root + ta/ti/te + Helper Verb

When To Use It

  • Ordering food: "I want samosas." (मैं समोसे चाहता हूँ)
  • Making plans: "I want to go home." (मैं घर जाना चाहता हूँ)
  • Expressing dreams: "She wants to become a doctor."
  • Simple refusal: "I do not want this." (Just add नहीं before the verb!)

When Not To Use It

  • Need vs. Want: If you *need* something (like medicine or oxygen), don't use चाहना. Use चाहिए (chāhiye). चाहना is for active desire, not necessity. Using चाहना for oxygen implies you're just a big fan of breathing, rather than dependent on it.
  • Future Tense: Don't use it to say what you *will* do. "I will go" is different from "I want to go."

Common Mistakes

  • The Mujhe Trap: Beginners love saying मुझे चाय चाहता हूँ (Mujhe chāy chāhtā hūn). Stop! Mujhe is for "to me" (used with chāhiye). With चाहना, you are the active doer, so use मैं (Main).
  • Gender Benders: Guys, stick to ता (tā). Ladies, stick to ती (tī). If you mix them up, you might accidentally declare yourself the opposite gender. It happens to the best of us, but let’s try to avoid it on the first date.
  • Dropping the Helper: Saying मैं चाहता without the हूँ is like wearing shoes without socks. You *can* do it in casual slang, but in proper speech, it sounds incomplete.

Contrast With Similar Patterns

चाहना (Want) vs. चाहिए (Need/Should):

This is the heavyweight championship of Hindi confusion.

  • Main chāhtā hūn = I want (Active verb, uses Nominative case like Main).
  • Mujhe chāhiye = I need / It is needed to me (Passive-ish feel, uses Oblique case like Mujhe).

Think of it this way: चाहना comes from *you*. चाहिए comes *at* you.

Quick FAQ

Q. Can I use चाहना with other verbs?

A. Absolutely! Just use the infinitive form of the second verb (ending in na). "I want to eat" = Main khānā chāhtā hūn.

Q. What if I want multiple things?

A. List them out! Main chai aur biscuit chāhtā hūn.

Q. Is this formal?

A. It's neutral. To be super formal, use आप (Aap) as the subject and conjugate with ते हैं (te hain) or ती हैं (ti hain).

Reference Table

Subject Gender Verb Form Helper Verb
मैं (Main) Male चाहता (chāhtā) हूँ (hūn)
मैं (Main) Female चाहती (chāhtī) हूँ (hūn)
तुम (Tum) Male चाहते (chāhte) हो (ho)
तुम (Tum) Female चाहती (chāhtī) हो (ho)
वह (Vah) Male चाहता (chāhtā) है (hai)
वह (Vah) Female चाहती (chāhtī) है (hai)
हम/आप/वे (Ham/Aap/Ve) Any चाहते (chāhte) हैं (hain)
💡

The 'H' Factor

Don't forget the 'h' sound in `chāhtā`. It's soft but important. It's not 'chata' (which means 'licked'!), it's 'chaah-ta'.

⚠️

The Wrong 'I'

Never say `Mujhe... chahta hun`. If you use `chahta`, you MUST use `Main`. If you use `chahiye`, you MUST use `Mujhe`. They don't mix!

🎯

Politeness Hack

To sound extra polite when asking for something, add `kripayā` (please) at the start, or turn it into a question: `Kyā main... chāhtā hūn?`

💬

Indirectness

Indians often use `chāhiye` (need) even when they just 'want' something, to sound less demanding. But strictly grammatically, `chāhnā` is 'want'.

أمثلة

10
#1 मैं एक सेब चाहता हूँ।

Main ek seb chāhtā hūn.

Focus: chāhtā

I want an apple. (Male speaker)

Standard masculine usage.

#2 वह पानी चाहती है।

Vah pānī chāhtī hai.

Focus: chāhtī

She wants water.

Standard feminine usage.

#3 क्या आप नाचना चाहते हैं?

Kyā āp nāchnā chāhte hain?

Focus: nāchnā

Do you want to dance? (Formal)

Infinitive verb 'nāchnā' is the object.

#4 हम यहाँ नहीं रहना चाहते।

Ham yahān nahīn rahnā chāhte.

Focus: nahīn

We don't want to stay here.

Negative sentence (nahīn comes before verb).

#5 बच्चे खेलना चाहते हैं।

Bachche khelnā chāhte hain.

Focus: chāhte

The children want to play.

Plural masculine subject.

#6 ✗ मुझे घर जाना चाहता हूँ।

Mujhe ghar jānā chāhtā hūn.

Focus: Mujhe

WRONG: 'Mujhe' implies passive need.

Use 'Main' for active wanting.

#7 ✓ मैं घर जाना चाहता हूँ।

Main ghar jānā chāhtā hūn.

Focus: Main

CORRECT: I want to go home.

Correct subject pronoun.

#8 ✗ वह कार चाहता है। (Referring to a female)

Vah car chāhtā hai.

Focus: chāhtā

WRONG: Gender mismatch.

If 'Vah' is female, verb must correspond.

#9 ✓ वह कार चाहती है।

Vah car chāhtī hai.

Focus: chāhtī

CORRECT: She wants a car.

Gender agreement fixed.

#10 मेरी माँ आराम करना चाहती हैं।

Merī mān ārām karnā chāhtī hain.

Focus: hain

My mother wants to rest.

Honorific plural 'hain' used for respect.

اختبر نفسك

Choose the correct verb form for a MALE speaker.

Main chai ___ hūn. (I want tea.)

✓ صحيح! ✗ ليس تمامًا. الإجابة الصحيحة: chāhtā

Since the speaker is 'Main' (I) and Male, we use the masculine singular ending '-ta'.

Select the correct pronoun for this sentence.

___ pānī chāhtī hai. (She wants water.)

✓ صحيح! ✗ ليس تمامًا. الإجابة الصحيحة: Vah

'Chāhtī hai' indicates a third-person singular female subject ('She'). 'Tum' would use 'ho' and 'Main' would use 'hūn'.

Fix the error in this sentence.

Mujhe jānā chāhtā hūn.

✓ صحيح! ✗ ليس تمامًا. الإجابة الصحيحة: Change 'Mujhe' to 'Main'

With the verb form 'chāhtā hūn' (active want), the subject must be Nominative 'Main', not Oblique 'Mujhe'.

🎉 النتيجة: /3

وسائل تعلم بصرية

Want (Active) vs Need (Passive)

Chāhnā (Want)
Main chāhtā hūn I want (Active)
Chāhiye (Need)
Mujhe chāhiye I need (Passive)

Choosing the Ending

1

Is the subject Male?

YES ↓
NO
Go to Female
2

Is it Plural or Formal?

YES ↓
NO
Use -tā
3

Use -te

Subject Pronouns

👤

Singular

  • • Main (I)
  • • Vah (He/She)
👥

Plural/Formal

  • • Hum (We)
  • • Aap (You)
  • • Ve (They)

الأسئلة الشائعة

21 أسئلة

It translates directly to 'to want' or 'to desire'. Use it when you have a specific wish.

Yes! You can want a thing (Main chai chāhtā hūn) or an action (Main sonā chāhtā hūn - I want to sleep).

Hindi verbs agree with the gender and number of the subject. ta is male singular, ti is female, te is plural/formal.

In grammatically correct sentences, yes. In very casual slang, people might drop it, but you should keep it.

Chāhtā is active (I want). Chāhiye is passive/oblique (I need / something is needed by me).

Just put nahīn (no/not) before the verb. Main nahīn chāhtā.

You would say: Main pizza chāhtī hūn. Note the chāhtī ending.

You say: Tum kyā chāhte ho? (informal) or Āp kyā chāhte hain? (formal).

Nope! It follows the standard conjugation pattern perfectly.

Yes, Main tumhe chāhtā hūn. But be careful, it can sound very romantic or dramatic!

Use Hum and the plural ending te. Hum jānā chāhte hain (We want to go).

Grammatically, the masculine plural te takes precedence. Ve chāhte hain.

Yes, but that's a different pattern (chāhā). For now, focus on the present chāhtā.

All the time. Main coffee chāhtā hūn is perfectly acceptable Hinglish.

Vah paṛhnā chāhtī hai. Paṛhnā is the infinitive for 'to read'.

Not rude, but direct. To be softer, you might say 'I would like' (using subjunctive), but chāhnā is fine for general use.

Native speakers sometimes speak fast and the 'h' gets soft. But try to pronounce it chāh-tā.

Yes, with the verb 'to be'. Main amīr honā chāhtā hūn (I want to be rich).

That's a complex structure (causative). Stick to what *you* want to do for now.

Yes. Subject first, verb last. Main (1) pizza (2) chāhtā hūn (3).

Kyā tum pānī chāhte ho? The Kyā at the start turns it into a question.

هل كان هذا مفيداً؟
السابق
Infinitive form: verb stem + ना
التالي
Modal verb: सकना (can, to be able)

تعلّم هذه أولاً

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