Category: Verb Forms & Tenses
Past Simple
Learn the Past Simple tense for completed actions in the past.
Past Simple Tense
The Past Simple is used for completed actions in the past. The action started and finished at a specific time. In Hindi, this is like "गया/गई" or "किया/की".
Structure
Positive: Subject + Verb (past form / V2)
Negative: Subject + did + not + Verb (base form)
Question: Did + Subject + Verb (base form)?
Regular Verbs (add -ed):
- work → worked
- play → played
- study → studied
Irregular Verbs (change form):
- go → went
- eat → ate
- see → saw
Conjugation Table
| Subject | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | I worked | I didn't work | Did I work? |
| You | You worked | You didn't work | Did you work? |
| He/She/It | He worked | He didn't work | Did he work? |
| We | We worked | We didn't work | Did we work? |
| They | They worked | They didn't work | Did they work? |
Note: The verb form is the same for all subjects in Past Simple!
When to Use Past Simple
1. Completed Actions at a Specific Time
- I visited Delhi last year. (मैं पिछले साल दिल्ली गया।)
- She graduated in 2020. (वह 2020 में स्नातक हुई।)
2. Series of Completed Actions
- I woke up, brushed my teeth, and ate breakfast.
- She opened the door, entered the room, and sat down.
3. Past Habits (no longer true)
- When I was young, I played cricket every day. (जब मैं छोटा था, मैं हर दिन क्रिकेट खेलता था।)
- She lived in Mumbai for 5 years. (वह 5 साल मुंबई में रही।)
4. Past Facts or Generalizations
- Dinosaurs lived millions of years ago. (डायनासोर लाखों साल पहले रहते थे।)
Time Words Used with Past Simple
- yesterday - कल (I saw him yesterday.)
- last week/month/year - पिछले हफ्ते/महीने/साल
- ago - पहले (2 days ago)
- in 2010 - 2010 में
- when I was young - जब मैं छोटा था
Common Irregular Verbs
| Base | Past | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| be | was/were | होना |
| have | had | रखना |
| do | did | करना |
| say | said | कहना |
| get | got | पाना |
| make | made | बनाना |
| come | came | आना |
| think | thought | सोचना |