Hindi Conjunct Verbs with Karn

Think of karnā as a generic activator. It takes a static concept (a noun like "help" or an adjective like "clean") and turns it into an active process. The cool part? You only ever conjugate karnā. The noun or adjective part usually sits there looking pretty and unchanged. However, there is a catch (there's always a catch, right?). Because you are technically "doing" a noun, the thing you are acting upon often gets connected with a genitive marker like kā or kī. It’s a grammatical bridge you cannot skip.

1. 1Here is the formula to build these verbs. It’s pretty reliable:
2. 2Pick your Concept: Choose a noun (e.g., madad - help) or an adjective (e.g., sāf - clean).
3. 3Add the Activator: Add karnā (to do).
4. 4Connect the Object (The Tricky Part):
5. 5* If using an Adjective: Object + Adjective + karnā. (e.g., kamrā sāf karnā - to clean the room).
6. 6* If using a Noun: Object + kā/kī + Noun + karnā. (e.g., dost kī madad karnā - to help a friend).
7. 7* *Note:* The kā/kī agrees with the gender of the *noun inside the conjunct verb*, not the object you are talking about. Since madad (help) is feminine, we use kī.

You will use this constantly. It is the default way to express most abstract actions in Hindi. Use it for:

• Emotions: pyār karnā (to love), nafrat karnā (to hate).
• Daily Tasks: nāštā karnā (to have breakfast), fon karnā (to call).
• Interactions: bāt karnā (to talk), intezār karnā (to wait).
• Work: kām karnā (to work), prabandh karnā (to arrange/organize).

Basically, if you can't find a one-word verb for it, try sticking karnā after the English word (e.g., login karnā). Yes, Hinglish works perfectly here too!

Don't use karnā when the state is happening to you passively. If you get angry, you don't "do anger" (gussā karnā means to get angry *at* someone). If you are just feeling angry, you might use honā (to be). Also, avoid this pattern if a simple, common verb already exists and implies a specific nuance. For example, don't say khānā karnā for "to eat" (use khānā). That just sounds like you are "doing food," which is... weird.

• The "Ne" Neglect: karnā is a transitive verb. In the Past Perfective tense (actions completed in the past), you MUST use the ergative marker ne with the subject. Even if it’s an emotion like love! *Correct:* mainequsane pyār kiyā (I loved). *Wrong:* maĩ pyār kiyā.
• The Gender Mismatch: Ignoring the gender of the abstract noun. Learners often guess kā for everything. You need to know that madad (help) is feminine (kī madad), but intezār (wait) is masculine (kā intezār).
• Double Object Confusion: Saying "I helped him" as maĩ usko madad kiyā. Nope. It’s "I did his help" -> maine uskī madad kī.

The biggest rival to karnā is honā (to be). They are two sides of the same coin.

• band karnā (to close something - Active)
• band honā (to be closed/to close on its own - Passive)
• shurū karnā (to start something)
• shurū honā (to start - like a movie starting)

Think of karnā as the driver, and honā as the passenger.