B1 · Verbs in pairs
लेना and देना: for yourself, for someone else
compound verbs with लेना and देना
Stem + लेना when the action comes back to the doer (खा लिया), stem + देना when it goes out to others (बता दिया).
At a glance
- Remember
- Lena brings the action home, dena sends it out — and both take ne in the past.
- Form
- खा लिया, पी ली, ख़रीद लियाfor yourself, done
- Signal words
- लिया
- ली
- दिया
- दी
- लीजिए
- दीजिए
- ले लो
- दे दो
- Trap
- Wrong:मैं खाना खा लिया।Right:मैंने खाना खा लिया।
Your turn
10 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.
The form
| for yourself, done | खा लिया, पी ली, ख़रीद लिया |
| outward, for others | बता दिया, भेज दी, खोल दो |
| polite requests | बता दीजिए, ले लीजिए |
| with ने | मैंने चाय पी ली |
| compare जाना, no ने | मैं समझ गया |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
Stem + लेना: the action comes back to the doer.
मैंने खाना खा लिया है।I have already eaten.
Stem + देना: the action goes out to others.
मैंने उसे सारी बात बता दी।I told her everything.
In the past both take ने and agree with the object.
उसने नई साइकिल ख़रीद ली।He bought himself a new bicycle.
In requests they make the tone friendlier.
कृपया मुझे अपना पता बता दीजिए।Could you please give me your address?
Example sentences
मैंने खाना खा लिया है।I have already eaten.
कृपया मुझे अपना पता बता दीजिए।Could you please give me your address?
उसने नई साइकिल ख़रीद ली।He bought himself a new bicycle.
ये पैसे रख लो।Keep this money.
मैंने उसे सारी बात बता दी।I told her everything.
ज़रा खिड़की खोल दो।Open the window, would you?
6 more example sentences
यह दवाई अभी ले लीजिए।Take this medicine now.
मैंने चिट्ठी भेज दी है।I have sent the letter.
उसने सिगरेट पीना छोड़ दिया।He gave up smoking.
हमने टिकट पहले ही ख़रीद लिए।We bought the tickets in advance.
मैं यह काम ख़ुद कर लूँगी।I will do this myself.
ज़रा नमक दे दीजिए।Could you pass the salt?
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
Unlike जाना, the helpers लेना and देना are transitive, so the compound takes ने in the past. मैं खा गया exists, but it means “I gobbled it up”.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
Two more helpers follow a bare stem and colour the action. लेना, “to take”, turns it towards the doer: something done for yourself, or done and finished on your side — मैंने खाना खा लिया, “I’ve had my meal”; मैं समझ लूँगा, “I’ll work it out”. देना, “to give”, turns it outward: something done for or towards someone else — मैंने उसे बता दिया, “I told her (and that’s done)”; खिड़की खोल दो, “open the window (for us)”.
Some verbs prefer one helper by their meaning. Taking, buying, eating, drinking, understanding and keeping go with लेना: ख़रीद लेना, पी लेना, रख लेना. Giving, telling, sending, leaving and throwing go with देना: दे देना, भेज देना, छोड़ देना, फेंक देना.
Both helpers are transitive, so in the past the compound takes ने and agrees with the object: मैंने चाय पी ली (चाय f.), उसने दरवाज़ा खोल दिया (दरवाज़ा m.). It is the helper that decides — compare मैं समझ गया, with जाना and no ने, and मैंने समझ लिया.
In requests both soften and complete the action: बता दीजिए, “please just tell me”; ले लीजिए, “do take it”. As with जाना, the negative usually returns to the simple verb: मैंने नहीं खाया.
A closer look
The helper decides about ने
In every compound the last verb rules. समझ जाना is intransitive (वह समझ गई); समझ लेना is transitive (उसने समझ लिया). Both mean “understood”; the first stresses that it dawned on her, the second that she made the effort.
A few intransitive main verbs combine with देना for a sudden outburst: वह हँस दी, “she burst out laughing”; बच्चा रो दिया. Here there is no ने, because laughing and crying have no object.
Worth knowing (1)
-
दे देना and ले लेना
देना and लेना can be their own helpers: पैसे दे दो, “hand over the money”; यह ले लो, “here, take this”. The doubled form is not a stutter but the normal way to make the giving or taking complete.
मुझे अपना पेन दे दो।Give me your pen.
How well do you know this topic?
This is filled in automatically after you practise. You can change it here at any time.
Next on the path: 70 · About to: जाने वाला हैBack to the learning path