मैंने क्या किया?
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Use ने productively with first-person, respectful second-person, and common third-person subjects.
- Form the transitive perfective with a scheduled set of high-frequency verbs, including किया, लिया, दिया, खाया, पिया, पढ़ा/पढ़ी, लिखा/लिखी, देखा/देखी, खरीदा/खरीदी, and भेजा/भेजी.
- Recognize and produce object agreement when the object is unmarked.
- Recognize agreement blocking when the object is marked with को.
- Distinguish intransitive perfective (no ने) from transitive perfective (ने required) in context.
- Form the negative perfective with scheduled transitive verbs.
- Correct common learner errors involving ने, agreement, and object marking.
Communication Scenario
Later that same Monday, Priya's study group is comparing notes on what they got done over the weekend before their next class. Sunita wants a full report from Aman: not just what happened to him (Chapter 6's focus), but exactly what he did, and what he still hasn't done. As the group talks, they move from Chapter 6's intransitive narration into fully productive transitive perfective sentences with ने, and they notice for the first time how the verb agrees with the object rather than the subject.
- Notice that every completed action with a direct object now uses ने: मैंने किताब पढ़ी, not मैं किताब पढ़ी.
- Notice that the verb agrees with the unmarked object किताब (feminine), not with the subject मैं.
- Notice that when the object is marked with को, as in मैंने उसे देखा, the verb no longer agrees with the object and instead defaults to the masculine singular.
Where This Chapter Fits
Chapter 7 continues Unit II, घटना और अनुभव, by building directly on Chapter 6's intransitive perfective narration, sequencing words, and formulaic transitive recall. It makes ने and transitive perfective agreement fully productive for the first time in the course.
Coming Into This Chapter
From Chapter 6, learners already narrate intransitive perfective events (गया/गई, आया/आई, हुआ/हुई) with sequencing words, and they recognize a small set of formulaic transitive sentences such as मैंने खाना खाया without full analysis.
New in This Chapter
Productive ने with a scheduled set of transitive verbs; object agreement with unmarked objects; recognition and limited production of agreement blocking with को-marked objects; and negative transitive perfective forms.
Looking Forward
Chapter 8, यात्रा और मुलाक़ात, integrates this productive ने system into longer travel and visit narration, alongside source, destination, and time-relation postpositions.
Core Vocabulary
7.1 Completed tasks and errands
| Hindi | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| काम पूरा करना | to finish a task | compound expression |
| सामान | things, belongings, goods | masculine |
| चिट्ठी | letter | feminine |
| तस्वीर | picture, photo | feminine |
| रिपोर्ट | report | feminine; common English loan |
| जवाब | answer, reply | masculine |
7.2 Scheduled transitive verbs (perfective set)
| Infinitive | Meaning | Masc. sg. perfective | Fem. sg. perfective |
|---|---|---|---|
| करना | to do | किया | की |
| लेना | to take | लिया | ली |
| देना | to give | दिया | दी |
| खाना | to eat | खाया | खाई |
| पीना | to drink | पिया | पी |
| पढ़ना | to read | पढ़ा | पढ़ी |
| लिखना | to write | लिखा | लिखी |
| देखना | to see, watch | देखा | देखी |
| खरीदना | to buy | खरीदा | खरीदी |
| भेजना | to send | भेजा | भेजी |
7.3 Correction and confirmation language
| Hindi | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| सही | correct | |
| ग़लत | wrong | nukta variant: गलत |
| अभी तक नहीं | not yet | time-bound negation |
| पहले ही | already | |
| सच में? | really? | confirmation question |
Productive load for this chapter: approximately 35-45 items above, recycled continuously with food, shopping, school, work, and home vocabulary from Volume I and Chapters 1-6.
Pronunciation and Schwa Deletion
The agent markers मैंने, आपने, उसने, and हमने are pronounced as single rhythmic units, not as two separate words with equal stress. Practice saying each one smoothly, with ने attaching lightly to the pronoun rather than standing apart from it.
Forms such as पढ़ा, लिखा, and खरीदा keep a clear final vowel, but their feminine counterparts पढ़ी, लिखी, and खरीदी shift that final vowel and shorten the overall word slightly in natural speech. As in Chapter 6, keep the vowel quality distinct rather than flattening every ending to the same sound.
ने is a short, low-stress word and can be easy to miss in fast speech. Listen for it immediately after a pronoun or noun subject, right before a perfective transitive verb, and use it to confirm that the sentence describes a completed action with an object.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
7.4 ने with transitive perfective verbs
Form: In many perfective transitive clauses, the agent (the person doing the action) is marked with ने. The agent phrase is subject + ने, and it appears before the object and verb.
Meaning and use: ने does not mean "by," and it is not simply a translation of the English passive. It is a grammatical marker that appears with many transitive verbs in the perfective. Do not attempt to translate it word for word into English.
7.5 Object agreement with unmarked objects
Form: When the object is not marked by को, the perfective verb agrees with the object's gender and number, not with the subject.
राम ने अख़बार पढ़ा। (masculine singular object → पढ़ा)
सीता ने चिट्ठियाँ लिखीं। (feminine plural object → लिखीं)
| Sentence | Object | Verb agrees with |
|---|---|---|
| मैंने किताब पढ़ी। | किताब (fem. sg.) | पढ़ी |
| मैंने खत लिखा। | खत (masc. sg.) | लिखा |
| उसने तस्वीरें देखीं। | तस्वीरें (fem. pl.) | देखीं |
This chapter activates object agreement only with the scheduled verb set and with familiar, concrete nouns whose gender learners already know. It does not require free production with unfamiliar nouns or exhaustive plural agreement patterns.
7.6 Agreement blocking with को-marked objects
Form and meaning: When the object is marked with को (often because it is a specific person), the verb no longer agrees with the object. Instead, the verb takes a default masculine singular form.
Use: Compare मैंने किताब देखी (object agreement, feminine) with मैंने उसे देखा (agreement blocked by को, default masculine). This chapter introduces agreement blocking receptively and allows limited controlled production with familiar pronouns such as उसे and उन्हें; it does not require free production with all noun types.
7.7 Negative transitive perfective
Use: नहीं is placed directly before the verb. ने and object agreement work exactly as in affirmative sentences.
This chapter does not require a full theoretical account of ergativity, free production with untaught transitive verbs, or comprehensive agreement rules across every noun and pronoun type. The target is confident, accurate use of ने with the scheduled verb set, object agreement with familiar nouns, and recognition of agreement blocking with को.
Model Dialogue
Setting: Monday, after class. Sunita is checking in on the group's weekend tasks.
समझ के प्रश्न — Comprehension questions:
- अमन ने क्या-क्या किया, और उसने अभी तक क्या नहीं किया? (What all did Aman do, and what hasn't he done yet?)
- विक्रम ने अपनी बहन के लिए क्या किया? (What did Vikram do for his sister?)
- सुनीता ने अपनी माँ को क्या पहले ही बता दिया था? (What had Sunita already told her mother?)
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a study partner, or a fluent Hindi speaker to read the passage below aloud twice. On the first listen, note who did what. On the second listen, complete the table.
If no speaker is available, this is a Listening Script for Independent Use. Read the passage slowly at first, then at a natural pace. Any spoken model should be verified by a fluent Hindi speaker before being treated as a pronunciation standard.
राहुल का दिन — Rahul's Day:
"आज मैंने बहुत सारा काम किया। पहले मैंने नाश्ता किया और अख़बार पढ़ा। फिर मैंने अपने दोस्त को एक संदेश भेजा, और उसने मुझे तुरंत जवाब दिया। उसके बाद मैंने बाज़ार से कुछ सामान खरीदा और घर के लिए खाना भी लिया। शाम को मैंने अपनी बहन को फ़ोन किया, लेकिन मैंने अभी तक अपनी रिपोर्ट नहीं लिखी। मुझे लगता है कि मैं कल सुबह उसे लिखूँगा।"
सुनने का काम — Listening task:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| राहुल ने सबसे पहले क्या किया? (What did Rahul do first?) | ______ |
| राहुल के दोस्त ने क्या किया? (What did Rahul's friend do?) | ______ |
| राहुल ने बाज़ार से क्या-क्या लिया? (What all did Rahul get from the market?) | ______ |
| राहुल ने अभी तक क्या नहीं किया? (What hasn't Rahul done yet?) | ______ |
Reading Practice
Read Meera's message to her roommate below, which reports several completed tasks using ने, then answer the questions.
समझ के प्रश्न — Comprehension questions:
- What three household tasks did Meera complete?
- What did Meera tell her mother?
- What has Meera not done yet, and what does she ask her roommate to do?
Writing Workshop
Write a short task report titled मैंने क्या किया? describing what you did recently.
लेखन कार्य — Writing task: Write a connected account of 120-180 words in Devanagari. Your account must include: (1) at least four sentences using ने with scheduled verbs from this chapter, (2) at least two examples of correct object agreement with unmarked objects, (3) at least one negative perfective sentence, and (4) at least one sentence sequencing word recycled from Chapter 6.
- List your tasks. Note four or five things you did recently using the scheduled verb set.
- Check object agreement. For each unmarked object, confirm the verb matches its gender and number.
- Add one negative. Include one thing you have not done yet using अभी तक नहीं.
- Sequence your account. Use at least one sequencing word from Chapter 6 to connect two actions.
संपादन सूची — Editing checklist:
- ने appears correctly with every scheduled transitive verb.
- The perfective verb agrees with the unmarked object's gender and number, not with the subject.
- Any को-marked object correctly blocks agreement (default masculine singular verb).
- Negative perfective sentences place नहीं directly before the verb.
- Intransitive perfective forms from Chapter 6 (which never take ने) are not confused with transitive forms.
- Spelling, matras, word spacing, and dandas are correct throughout.
Speaking Practice
नियंत्रित अभ्यास — Controlled practice: task checklist
Using a simple checklist of five household or school/work tasks, say which ones you have already done using ने and the scheduled verb set, and which ones you haven't done yet using अभी तक नहीं.
संचार कार्य — Communicative task: who did what?
With a partner, ask and answer तुमने क्या किया? / आपने क्या किया? about a recent day. Confirm at least one fact using सच में? as Sunita does in the Model Dialogue.
अकेले अभ्यास — Solo alternative
Record yourself describing five completed tasks from your day, including at least one negative perfective sentence. Listen back and check that your object agreement is correct.
Culture and Communication
Among friends, roommates, and family members, task updates like Meera's message are often informal and combine several completed and incomplete tasks in one message. The balance of detail and brevity varies by relationship and by how much coordination the task requires, rather than following one fixed pattern.
Short confirmation questions such as सच में? are common in everyday conversation and show attentive listening rather than doubt. Reacting to a friend's completed task with mild surprise or approval, as Sunita does, is a normal way to keep a conversation warm and engaged.
Common Mistakes
Error: Writing मैं किताब पढ़ी.
Correction: मैंने किताब पढ़ी। Transitive perfective verbs in this scheduled set require ने with the agent.
Error: A woman writing मैंने किताब पढ़ा, matching the masculine default instead of the object's gender.
Correction: मैंने किताब पढ़ी। With an unmarked object, the verb agrees with the object (किताब, feminine), not with the subject's own gender.
Error: Writing मैंने सीमा को देखी, agreeing the verb with the feminine noun सीमा even though it is marked with को.
Correction: मैंने सीमा को देखा। When the object is marked with को, agreement is blocked and the verb defaults to masculine singular.
Error: Writing मैंने गया when describing simple movement.
Correction: मैं गया। As established in Chapter 6, intransitive verbs such as जाना, आना, and होना never take ने. ने belongs only with the transitive verbs introduced in this chapter.
Chapter Review
भाग A — समझ (Comprehension)
1. Return to the Model Dialogue and Reading passage and answer in English:
- What had Aman not finished by the time Sunita asked him?
- What task does Meera ask her roommate to complete?
भाग B — व्याकरण (Grammar)
1. Complete each sentence with the correctly agreeing perfective form of the verb in parentheses:
- मैंने चिट्ठी ______ (लिखना)।
- उसने अख़बार ______ (पढ़ना)।
- हमने तस्वीरें ______ (देखना)।
- मैंने उसे ______ (देखना)। (remember: को blocks agreement)
2. Rewrite each sentence in the negative using अभी तक नहीं: (a) मैंने रिपोर्ट लिखी। (b) उसने जवाब दिया।
भाग C — पठन (Reading)
1. Return to Meera's message above and answer: What did Meera do for her roommate?
भाग D — लेखन (Writing)
1. Write your 120-180 word account मैंने क्या किया?, following all four required elements from the Writing Workshop above.
भाग E — वाचन (Speaking)
1. Tell a partner (or record) five things you did recently, including one thing you haven't done yet.
Cumulative Review
This chapter recycles intransitive perfective narration and sequencing words (Chapter 6), pronoun reference and honorific agreement (Chapter 2), and habitual-progressive contrast (Chapter 4), while introducing productive ने, object agreement, agreement blocking with को, and negative transitive perfective forms.
Practical Performance Task
मैंने क्या किया? — Report What You Did
Complete the following connected tasks in order.
- Listen to Rahul's account above and complete the listening table.
- Speak a short report of five completed tasks to a partner (or record it), including one negative perfective sentence.
- Read Meera's message above and answer the comprehension questions.
- Write your own 120-180 word account titled मैंने क्या किया?, following the Writing Workshop checklist.
| Criterion | What is assessed |
|---|---|
| Productive ने accuracy | Correct use of ने with the scheduled transitive verb set. |
| Object agreement | Correct verb agreement with unmarked objects in gender and number. |
| Agreement blocking recognition | Correct default masculine singular verb with को-marked objects in controlled examples. |
| Negative perfective | Accurate placement of नहीं in transitive perfective sentences. |
| Devanagari and pronunciation | Correct spelling and punctuation; intelligible rhythm of मैंने/आपने/उसने/हमने. |
This task covers productive ने with the scheduled verb set, object agreement, limited agreement-blocking recognition, and negative perfective forms. It does not require free production with untaught transitive verbs, comprehensive ergative theory, or compound verbs, which are introduced further in Chapter 9.
Answer Key
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- Aman read the whole book and wrote some notes, but he hadn't written the report yet.
- Vikram called his sister and sent her a photo; she replied right away.
- Sunita had already told her mother that they are busy.
Listening
- Rahul first had breakfast and read the newspaper.
- Rahul's friend replied to his message right away.
- Rahul bought some things and got food for home from the market.
- Rahul hasn't written his report yet.
Reading — Comprehension
- Meera washed the dishes, washed the clothes, and cleaned the kitchen.
- Meera told her mother that they are coming next week.
- Meera hasn't paid the electricity bill yet, and she asks her roommate to do it tomorrow morning.
Chapter Review — भाग B
- (a) लिखी (b) पढ़ा (c) देखीं (d) देखा
- (a) मैंने अभी तक रिपोर्ट नहीं लिखी। (b) उसने अभी तक जवाब नहीं दिया।
Looking Ahead
अब आप क्या कर सकते हैं — What you can do now
You can use ने productively with a scheduled set of transitive verbs, form correct object agreement with unmarked objects, recognize agreement blocking with को-marked objects, and report what you have and haven't done using negative perfective forms.