The grammar as a map

Two pictures of the same material: the tenses on a timeline, and all 82 topics arranged by level. Every box is a link.

The tenses on a timeline

The axis is time. On the left, what was already over when the events being told happened; in the middle, now; on the right, what is still to come. Each tense hangs at the point it says something about — “future” is not a chapter heading here but a stop, the same stop at which each language puts something different.

Below it are the forms that cannot sit at any stop. A future form for a guess, a past form for politeness, a conditional whose form is dictated by the condition: the name then says nothing about the point in time, and that is not a special case but half the reason tenses are hard.

Press a level to show only that level; press it again to bring everything back.

Level

The past5

Something that happened, finished, and stays where it happened.

The simple past: वह आया, वह गईA2 The past with ने: agreeing with the objectA2 Irregular pasts: गया, किया, दिया, लिया, हुआA2 Used to and was doing: जाता था, जा रहा थाA2 When the verb agrees with nothing: ने with कोB1

Past linked to the present1

Something that began or happened earlier and still holds or matters now.

Have done and had done: आया है, आया थाB1

The present2

What holds at the moment, what is under way, or what is always the case.

The everyday present: बोलता हैA1 Happening now: बोल रहा हैA1

The future2

What is still to come — promised, planned or merely guessed at.

The future: जाऊँगा, जाएगी, and होगा for “probably”A2 About to: जाने वाला हैB1

All the grammar, by level

Now the level is the axis: from A1 to B1, one band per level, with the areas stacked beneath one another. So one picture shows what each level adds to each area — “what does B1 add to the verb?” cannot be answered at a glance anywhere else.

An empty cell is information, not a gap: that there is nothing on the passive at A1 is part of the picture.

Vowels and vowel signsA1 The consonants, row by rowA1 The hidden a, and when it falls silentA1 Consonant clusters and the halantA1 Nasal vowels: the dot and the moonA1 The dot below: z, f, q and the flapped ṛA1 Two t’s and two d’sA1 With and without a breath: aspirated soundsA1 The verb comes lastA1 हूँ, है, हैं: “to be” in the presentA1 था, थी, थे, थीं: “was” and “were”A1 Yes–no questions with क्याA1 Who, what, where, when, why, how, how muchA1 Numbers to 100, learnt one by oneA1 Telling the time: बजे, सवा, साढ़े, पौने, डेढ़, ढाईA1 Days, months, dates, and first, second, thirdA1

Hundreds, thousands, lakhs and croresA2

The everyday present: बोलता हैA1 Happening now: बोल रहा हैA1

The simple past: वह आया, वह गईA2 The past with ने: agreeing with the objectA2 Irregular pasts: गया, किया, दिया, लिया, हुआA2 Used to and was doing: जाता था, जा रहा थाA2 The future: जाऊँगा, जाएगी, and होगा for “probably”A2

Have done and had done: आया है, आया थाB1 When the verb agrees with nothing: ने with कोB1 About to: जाने वाला हैB1

In and on: में and परA1 का, की, के: “of”, agreeing with what followsA1 को: to, for, and the definite objectA1 से: from, with, by, sinceA1 Having things: मेरे पास … हैA1

तक: until, as far as, evenA2 के लिए, के साथ, के बाद, से पहले, के बारे मेंA2

Telling a friend: जाओ, and the blunt जाA1 Asking politely: बैठिए, कीजिए, दीजिएA1 नहीं, and the है that drops awayA1 मत and न: “don’t”, and न with the subjunctiveA1

Shall I, let’s, may: the subjunctiveA2 If … then: अगर … तोA2 Never, nobody, nothingA2 सकना: canA2 चाहना: to want toA2 चाहिए: should, needA2 जाना है: having to, as a planA2 लगना: to seem, to like, to feelA2 Noun + करना or होना: इंतज़ार करना, शुरू होनाA2

If only: अगर … होताB1 पड़ना: having to, against your willB1 Compound verbs with जानाB1 लेना and देना: for yourself, for someone elseB1 Beginning to: करने लगाB1 Already done: कर चुका हैB1 Verb pairs: बनना / बनाना, खुलना / खोलनाB1 Having something done: बनवाना, करवानाB1 The passive: किया जाता हैB1

Every noun is masculine or feminineA1 Plurals: लड़के, लड़कियाँ, किताबेंA1 The oblique: the form before a postpositionA1 I, we, you, he, she, it: मैं, हम, तुम, आप, यह, वहA1 तू, तुम or आप: choosing your “you”A1 मेरा, तुम्हारा, आपका: possessives that agreeA1 Adjectives that agree, and those that never changeA1

मुझे, तुम्हें, उसे: pronouns with कोA2 अपना: one’s ownA2 Bigger, smaller, the biggest: से and सबसेA2

And, but, or: और, लेकिन, याA1

The infinitive as a noun: पढ़ना, पढ़ने के लिएA2 Having done: the -कर form (खाकर, जाकर)A2 Because and so: क्योंकि and इसलिएA2 That: the conjunction किA2 When: जब … तबA2

While doing: the -ते हुए form (गाते हुए)B1 Done, made: the -आ हुआ form (बना हुआ, लिखा हुआ)B1 As soon as: the -ते ही form (पहुँचते ही)B1 Relative clauses: जो … वहB1 So that and until: ताकि, जब तक … नB1 Reporting a statement: उसने कहा कि …B1 Reporting questions and requests: पूछा कि, कहा कि … आऊँB1

Also and only: भी and हीA2 The one who, the one with: -वालाA2

Then, so, and as for: तोB1

The learning path, step by step All topics as a list