Introduction
Modal verbs (रूपात्मक क्रियाएँ) are special helping verbs that express ability, permission, necessity, and possibility. Unlike regular verbs, they don’t change form and are always followed by a base verb (बिना ‘to’ के मूल क्रिया).
This guide covers:
✔ All active modal verbs with examples
✔ Hindi translations for better understanding
✔ Common mistakes and how to fix them
✔ Practice exercises to test your knowledge
1. Basic Modal Verbs (मूल रूपात्मक क्रियाएँ)
Modal Verb | Meaning | Example (English) | Example (Hindi) |
---|---|---|---|
Can | सकना (क्षमता) | She can swim. | वह तैर सकती है। |
Could | सकना (भूतकाल/नम्रता) | He could run fast. | वह तेज़ दौड़ सकता था। |
May | सकना (अनुमति/संभावना) | May I come in? | क्या मैं अंदर आ सकता हूँ? |
Might | शायद (कम संभावना) | It might rain. | शायद बारिश हो। |
Shall | गा/गे/गी (भविष्य/सुझाव) | Shall we go? | क्या हम चलें? |
Should | चाहिए (सलाह) | You should study. | तुम्हें पढ़ना चाहिए। |
Will | गा/गे/गी (भविष्य) | I will help you. | मैं तुम्हारी मदद करूँगा। |
Would | ता/ते/ती (भूतकाल/नम्रता) | Would you like tea? | क्या आप चाय पियेंगे? |
Must | ही होगा (अनिवार्यता) | You must obey. | तुम्हें मानना ही होगा। |
Ought to | चाहिए (moral duty) | We ought to help. | हमें मदद करनी चाहिए। |
2. Semi-Modals & Expanded Forms (अर्ध-रूपात्मक क्रियाएँ)
Modal | Meaning | Example | Hindi Meaning |
---|---|---|---|
Need to | आवश्यकता | I need to go. | मुझे जाना ज़रूरी है। |
Dare to | हिम्मत करना | She dared to protest. | उसने विरोध करने की हिम्मत की। |
Used to | अतीत की आदत | He used to smoke. | वह धूम्रपान करता था। |
Have to | मजबूरी | We have to leave. | हमें जाना पड़ेगा। |
Be able to | सक्षम होना | She is able to sing. | वह गा पाती है। |
3. Past Probability (भूतकाल की संभावना)
Modal | Usage | Example | Hindi Meaning |
---|---|---|---|
Could have | संभावना थी (पर नहीं हुआ) | You could have won. | तुम जीत सकते थे। |
Would have | कल्पना (असंभव past) | I would have called. | मैं ज़रूर फोन करता। |
Should have | करना चाहिए था (पर नहीं किया) | You should have apologized. | तुम्हें माफ़ी माँगनी चाहिए थी। |
Might have | शायद हुआ हो | She might have left. | शायद वह चली गई हो। |
Must have | निश्चित हुआ हो | He must have forgotten. | उसे भूल गया होगा। |
4. Negative Modals (नकारात्मक रूप)
Modal | Example | Hindi Meaning |
---|---|---|
Can’t have | He can’t have lied. | वह झूठ नहीं बोल सकता। |
Shouldn’t have | You shouldn’t have gone. | तुम्हें नहीं जाना चाहिए था। |
Mustn’t | You mustn’t smoke here. | यहाँ धूम्रपान मत करो। |
Needn’t have | You needn’t have worried. | तुम्हें चिंता करने की ज़रूरत नहीं थी। |
5. Advanced Modals (उन्नत प्रयोग)
Modal | Meaning | Example |
---|---|---|
Be supposed to | अपेक्षा होना | You’re supposed to arrive early. |
Had better | बेहतर होगा | You had better hurry. |
Be going to | निश्चित योजना | It’s going to rain. |
Be likely to | संभावना | She’s likely to agree. |
6. Common Mistakes (सामान्य ग़लतियाँ)
❌ Wrong: She can to swim.
✅ Correct: She can swim. (Modal के बाद ‘to’ नहीं आता)
❌ Wrong: He must finishes his work.
✅ Correct: He must finish his work. (Modal के बाद base verb आता है)
❌ Wrong: They should to come.
✅ Correct: They should come.
7. Practice Exercises (अभ्यास)
A. Translate to Hindi:
- You must be careful. →
- She might call tomorrow. →
- We ought to respect elders. →
B. Fill in the Blanks:
- You _____ (should/must) apologize.
- She _____ (can/may) speak French.
- They _____ (mustn’t/needn’t) make noise.
Answers:
A.
- आपको सावधान रहना चाहिए।
- वह कल फोन कर सकती है।
- हमें बड़ों का सम्मान करना चाहिए।
B.
- should
- can
- mustn’t
Conclusion
Active modal verbs help express ability, necessity, permission, and probability clearly. Remember:
✔ No ‘to’ after modals (except ought to).
✔ Use base verb (e.g., go, eat, write).
✔ Negative forms change meaning (e.g., mustn’t vs. needn’t).
अभ्यास करते रहें! (Keep practicing!) 🚀
Got questions? Ask in the comments!