Connecting Sequential Actions with the Absol
Add `kar` to the first verb's root to say "having done X" before doing Y.
The Rule in 30 Seconds
- Connects two sequential actions.
- Formula: Verb Root + `kar`.
- Subject must be the same.
- First action finishes before second.
Quick Reference
| Verb | Root | Absolutive Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jānā (to go) | jā | jākar / jāke | having gone |
| Khānā (to eat) | khā | khākar / khāke | having eaten |
| Dekhnā (to see) | dekh | dekhkar / dekhke | having seen |
| Karnā (to do) | kar | karke | having done (Irregular!) |
| Dhona (to wash) | dho | dhokar / dhoke | having washed |
| Lenā (to take) | le | lekar / leke | having taken |
Key Examples
3 of 10मैं नहाकर नाश्ता करता हूँ।
I eat breakfast after showering. (Lit: Having showered, I breakfast.)
वह सोचकर जवाब देगा।
He will think and then answer.
तुम ये दवाई पानी पीकर खाना।
Take this medicine after drinking water.
The 'Ke' Shortcut
In casual speech (like Bollywood movies or chatting with friends), you'll hear `jāke` instead of `jākar`. It means the exact same thing but sounds a bit more relaxed.
Don't be a Crow
Never say `karkar`. It sounds like a bird noise. The verb `karnā` (to do) is special and always becomes `karke`.
The Rule in 30 Seconds
- Connects two sequential actions.
- Formula: Verb Root + `kar`.
- Subject must be the same.
- First action finishes before second.
Overview
Ever feel like a robot when you speak Hindi? "I woke up. I ate breakfast. I went to work." It gets boring fast. To sound like a fluent human (and not a GPS navigation system), you need to link your actions. That's where the Absolutive form comes in. It’s the magic glue that turns "I did A. Then I did B" into "Having done A, I did B." It makes your sentences flow like water.
How This Grammar Works
In Hindi, we take the first action, strip it down to its root, and add a little tail to it. This tail tells the listener, "Hey, this action happened *first* and is totally finished." Then we state the second action. The best part? This form doesn't care about gender or number. Whether you're a guy, a girl, or a group of people, the form stays exactly the same. One less headache for you!
Formation Pattern
- 1It's simpler than making instant noodles. Here is the recipe:
- 2Take the verb infinitive (e.g.,
bolnā- to speak). - 3Remove the
nāto get the root (bol). - 4Add
kar(or sometimes justke). - 5
bol+kar=bolkar(having spoken) - 6
jā+kar=jākar(having gone) - 7The One Big Exception:
- 8
karnā(to do) becomeskarke(having done), NOTkarkar. Sayingkarkarsounds like a crow cawing. Don't do it.
When To Use It
Use this when one person does two things, one after the other. The order matters!
- "I will go home and eat." → (Going home happens first) →
Main ghar jaakar khānā khāūngā. - "She read the book and slept." → (Reading happened first) →
Vah kitāb padhkar so gayī.
When Not To Use It
Don't use this if the actions are happening at the exact same time. If you are eating *while* watching TV, that's a different grammar pattern (te hue). The Absolutive implies a sequence: Action A finishes, *then* Action B starts.
Also, you generally can't use it if the subjects are different. You can't say "Rimjhim came (aakar) and I left." That implies Rimjhim came and *Rimjhim* left. Chaos!
Common Mistakes
- The "Double Subject" Trap: Learners often try to link two people's actions. "Mom cooked (
pakākar) and I ate." Nope. That means Mom cooked and Mom ate. You need a conjunction likeaurfor that. - The "Simultaneous" Slip-up: Using
karfor things happening together. "He walkedhaskar(having laughed)." This means he laughed first, stopped, and then walked. Usehanste hue(laughing) instead.
Contrast With Similar Patterns
- Vs.
ne ke bād:Khānā khāne ke bādmeans "After eating food." It's correct but sounds heavier and more formal.Khānā khākaris snappier. - Vs.
te hī:Ghar pahunchte hīmeans "As soon as arriving." This emphasizes immediacy.Ghar pahunchkarjust means you got there and then did something else, no rush implied.
Quick FAQ
Q: Can I use ke instead of kar?
Yes! Jāke, khāke are very common in spoken Hindi. It's casual and cool.
Q: Does the tense of the first verb matter?
Nope. The main verb at the end decides the tense. The kar verb just rides shotgun.
Reference Table
| Verb | Root | Absolutive Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jānā (to go) | jā | jākar / jāke | having gone |
| Khānā (to eat) | khā | khākar / khāke | having eaten |
| Dekhnā (to see) | dekh | dekhkar / dekhke | having seen |
| Karnā (to do) | kar | karke | having done (Irregular!) |
| Dhona (to wash) | dho | dhokar / dhoke | having washed |
| Lenā (to take) | le | lekar / leke | having taken |
The 'Ke' Shortcut
In casual speech (like Bollywood movies or chatting with friends), you'll hear `jāke` instead of `jākar`. It means the exact same thing but sounds a bit more relaxed.
Don't be a Crow
Never say `karkar`. It sounds like a bird noise. The verb `karnā` (to do) is special and always becomes `karke`.
Politeness Hack
Using `kar` sentences can sometimes feel very direct. To soften a command, instead of just `jākar paānī lā` (Go and bring water), you might add `zara` (just/little) or use the polite request form at the end.
The Order is Logical
Hindi is chronological. You can't say "I ate after washing hands." You must say "Having washed hands, I ate." The sentence order matches the real-life timeline.
Examples
10मैं नहाकर नाश्ता करता हूँ।
Focus: nahākar
I eat breakfast after showering. (Lit: Having showered, I breakfast.)
Routine actions often use this.
वह सोचकर जवाब देगा।
Focus: sochkar
He will think and then answer.
Future tense applies to the final verb only.
तुम ये दवाई पानी पीकर खाना।
Focus: pīkar
Take this medicine after drinking water.
Imperative/Command context.
अपना काम ख़त्म करके आओ।
Focus: karke
Finish your work and come.
Irregular: karnā becomes karke.
उसने मुझे देखकर मुँह फेर लिया।
Focus: dekhkar
Having seen me, he turned his face away.
Emotional/Reaction sequence.
पुलिस को देखकर चोर भाग गया।
Focus: dekhkar
Seeing the police, the thief ran away.
Cause and effect.
गलती: मैं टीवी देखकर खाना खा रहा था।
Focus: dekhkar
Wrong: I was eating having watched TV. (Implies TV finished first).
Use 'dekhte hue' for simultaneous actions.
गलती: बारिश रुककर हम निकले।
Focus: rukkar
Wrong: The rain having stopped, we left. (Different subjects).
Use 'Bārish rukne ke bād...' instead.
आप वहां जाकर क्यों नहीं पूछते?
Focus: jākar
Why don't you go there and ask?
Interrogative sentence.
जान-बूझकर उसने ऐसा किया।
Focus: Jān-būjhkar
He did this knowingly/deliberately.
Advanced idiom: 'having known and understood'.
Test Yourself
Combine the actions: He will open the book. He will read.
Vah kitāb ___ paḍhegā. (kholnā)
We need the sequential 'having opened' form, which is Root + kar.
Complete the irregular form for 'karnā' (to do).
Vah homework ___ khelega.
'Karnā' is irregular. It never becomes 'karkar', always 'karke'.
Choose the correct form for: 'Go home and sleep.'
Ghar ___ so jāo.
Root 'jā' + 'kar' creates the sequence 'having gone'.
🎉 Score: /3
Visual Learning Aids
Sequential vs. Simultaneous
Can I use 'kar'?
Are there two actions?
Is the subject the same for both?
Does Action A finish before Action B starts?
Is the verb 'karnā'?
Is the verb 'karnā'?
Usage Categories
Routine
- • Uthkar (Having woken)
- • Nahākar (Having showered)
Movement
- • Jākar (Having gone)
- • Aākar (Having come)
Irregulars
- • Karke (Having done)
- • Liye (Taken - specific contexts)
Idioms
- • Sochkar (Thoughtfully)
- • Milkar (Together/Jointly)
Frequently Asked Questions
20 questionsIt is called the **Conjunctive Participle** or the **Absolutive**. In Hindi grammar books, you might see it referred to as Purvkalik Kriya (Pre-temporal verb).
No! That's the best part. Whether you say Main jākar... as a man or a woman, the jākar part stays 100% locked. No gender changes here.
In formal writing (like an exam or a job application), stick to kar. In texting or WhatsApp, ke is perfectly fine.
Yes, you can! "I woke up, brushed, and ate" = Main uthkar, brush karke, khānā khātā hūn. But don't go crazy—more than three gets confusing.
It's tricky. Usually, we don't say na jākar (not having gone). We use a different structure: bina gaye (without going).
Yes. The kar part is timeless. Main kal jākar milūngā (I will go and meet tomorrow). The milūngā sets the future time.
Hokar comes from honā (to be). It literally means "having been" or "having become," but it's often used to mean "via" or "through." E.g., Main Delhi hokar aayā (I came via Delhi).
Mainly, yes. Dena (to give) usually follows the rule (dekar), and lenā (to take) becomes lekar. Karnā -> karke is the main oddball to memorize.
Then you cannot use this rule. If "The rain stopped and we went out," you must use ke bād (after) or aur (and). Bārish rukkar... would imply the rain stopped and *the rain* went out.
No. Dekhkar is just sequence: "I saw him and waved." Dekhte hi is immediate: "The moment I saw him, I screamed." Hi adds urgency.
Be careful not to confuse this with compound verbs like le ānā (to bring). Those are fixed units. Lekar ānā puts more stress on the sequence: "take it AND THEN come."
Yes, it's like saying "Having eaten, I slept." But in English, that sounds super poetic or old-fashioned. In Hindi, it's everyday street talk.
Yes, both work fine. Sokar (having slept - intransitive) and khākar (having eaten - transitive) are both valid.
The object usually sits before the kar verb. Kitāb padhkar (Book having-read). Not padhkar kitāb.
Literally "having met," but it is used to mean "together." Hum milkar kām karenge (We will work together).
Yes! Main tumhārī bāt sunkar khush hūn (Having heard your news, I am happy -> I am happy *because* I heard your news).
No. Never. Burn it from your memory. It is always karke.
Yes. Bāhar jākar khelo (Go outside and play). It connects the location change to the activity.
No. The ne (ergative marker) only applies to the subject if the *final* verb requires it. The kar part doesn't trigger ne on its own.
Yes, often. Mujhe lekar (concerning me / taking me). It has evolved beyond just the literal verb meaning in some contexts.
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