Hindi Present Perfect: Past Part

In English, we say "I have gone." In Hindi, we literally say "I gone am." You take the past form of the verb (like *gaya*, *khaya*, *dekha*) and add the present tense of "to be" (*hoon*, *hai*, *hain*, *ho*). It’s like a grammatical sandwich. The filling is the past action, and the bread is the present reality. But here’s the plot twist: Hindi verbs love to agree with things. Sometimes they agree with you (the subject), and sometimes—if you use a special kind of verb—they ignore you completely and agree with the object (the thing you acted upon). Don't panic; we'll break it down.

1. 1Here is your cheat sheet for building these sentences. It depends on whether the verb is Intransitive (no target, like 'sleeping' or 'going') or Transitive (has a target, like 'eating food' or 'reading a book').
2. 2For Intransitive Verbs (The Easy Ones):
3. 3Subject + Verb Stem + (aa/e/ii) + Auxiliary (*hoon/hai/hain*)
4. 4* *Main* (I) + *aa* (come) + *gaya* (masc. past) + *hoon* (am) = *Main aa gaya hoon.* (I have come/arrived.)
5. 5For Transitive Verbs (The "Ne" Zone):
6. 6Subject + ne + Object + Verb Stem + (aa/e/ii) + Auxiliary (*hai/hain*)
7. 7* *Main* + *ne* + *chai* (tea - fem) + *pii* (drank - fem) + *hai* (is) = *Maine chai pii hai.* (I have drunk tea.)
8. 8* Wait, why *pii*? Because *chai* is feminine! The verb agrees with the tea, not you. You are just the agent marked by *ne*.

Use this tense when the ink is still wet on the page.

• Immediate completion: "Are you ready?" -> "Haan, maine taiyaari kar li hai." (Yes, I have finished preparing.)
• Life experiences: "Have you ever been to India?" -> "Kya tum kabhi Bharat gaye ho?"
• News and Updates: "The train has arrived." -> "Train aa gayi hai."
• Present Result: "I have lost my keys" (meaning: I don't have them right now) -> "Maine chabiyaan kho di hain."

Don't use this if you mention a specific finished time in the past that has no connection to now.

• Incorrect: "Maine kal pizza khaya hai." (I have eaten pizza yesterday.) -> Sounds weird, like "I have eaten pizza yesterday" in English.
• Correct: "Maine kal pizza khaya." (Simple Past: I ate pizza yesterday.)

If the time is "yesterday," "last year," or "in 1990," stick to Simple Past.

• The "Ne" Amnesia: Forgetting to add *ne* with transitive verbs. "Main khana khaya hai" is a classic rookie error. It must be "Maine khana khaya hai."
• Agreement Confusion: In "Ne" sentences, saying "Maine chai piya hai" (masculine verb) instead of "pii hai" (feminine verb matching *chai*).
• Wrong Auxiliary: Using *tha* (was) instead of *hai* (is). If you use *tha*, you plunge into the Past Perfect (I had eaten), which is a whole different story.

• Simple Past vs. Present Perfect:

* *Main gaya* (I went - maybe long ago, maybe just now, context dependent).

* *Main gaya hoon* (I have gone - definitely completed, relevant now).

• Present Continuous:

* *Main kha raha hoon* (I am eating).

* *Maine khaya hai* (I have eaten).

Q: How do I know if a verb is Transitive or Intransitive?

Ask "What?" or "Whom?" after the verb. "I slept." Slept what? No answer -> Intransitive. "I bought." Bought what? A car -> Transitive. Transitive verbs trigger the *ne* rule.

Q: Do I always use 'gaya' for 'go'?

Yes, *jaana* (to go) becomes *gaya/gaye/gayi* in the past. It's irregular, just like "go" becomes "went" in English.

Q: What if I'm a girl?

If it's Intransitive, change the verb! *Main aa gayi hoon.* If it's Transitive (with *ne*), it doesn't matter who you are. The verb only cares about the object. *Maine seb khaya hai* (I have eaten an apple) is the same whether you are a boy or a girl because *seb* (apple) is masculine.