यूनीवर्सिटी ऑफ़ मिशिगन
Attaching verb to verb:  review of complementizers.
(adapted from Chapter Three of  Hindi Structures, pp 15-7.)
      The term complementizer refers to the way in which a non-finite form verb may be attached to another verb.  In English this is usually done in one of two ways, by using the preposition to to make the "long" infinitive ('Jane wants to sing.') or by using the bare stem to make the "short" infinitive ('June can dance.')  In parallel fashion the Hindi-Urdu verb  चाह  'want' governs (or "takes") the long infinitive (V- ना ):
  1.  राम गाना चाहता है।         'Ram wants to sing.'     ( गाना  = V- ना )
while  सक  'can, be able' takes the short infinitive (V):
  2.  श्याम नाच सकता है।      'Shyam can dance.'     ( नाच  = V )
      Hindi-Urdu has yet other complementizers:  The verb  दे  'let, allow' takes the oblique form of the long infinitive V- ने :
  3.  उसे जाने दो।                 'Let him go.'     ( जाने  = V- ने )
while the verb  कह  governs the oblique infinitive plus  को :
  4.  उससे रुकने को कहो।        'Tell him to stop.'     ( रुकने को  = V- ने  +  को )
     Hindi-Urdu has in all 8 or 9 complementizers or ways of joining verb to verb, and careful attention must be paid to which way is proper for which governing verb.  Usually there are no rules for the choice.  (See, however, notes on V- ने पर  and V- ने से .)  Nor can the information be looked up in dictionaries.  It has to be learnt by heart, a few verbs at a time.  Some of these are listed here, grouped by complementizer:
Set A.   Verbs governing the long infinitive V- ना :

5.	चाह	तुम किसे लाना चाहते हो ?	'Who do you want to bring?'
6.	जान	वह पढ़ना जानती है।	'She knows how to read.'
7.	पड़	तुम्हें गाय लानी पड़ेगी।	'You'll have to bring the cow.'
8.	चाहिए	उनको रुकना चाहिये।	'They should stop.'
9.	शुरू कर	लिखना शुरू करो।	'Start writing!'
10.	बन्द कर	सिगरेट पीना बन्द करो।	'Stop smoking.'
11.	हो	मुझे अब चलना है।	'I have to go now.'
12.	सीख	नाचना सीखोगे ?	'Will you learn to dance?'
13.	आ	लिखना आता है।	'I know how to write.'
14.	छोड़	बकना छोड़ दे !	'Quit your jabbering!'

Set B.   Verbs governing the short infinitive V:

15.	सक	तुम यहवाला ले सकती हो।	'You can take this one.'
16.	चुक	वह मुझे बता चुका है।	'He's already told me.'
17.	पा	पुलिस उसे पकड़ नहीं पाई।	'The police couldn't catch him.'

Set C.   Verbs governing V- ने  (the long infinitive in the oblique):

18.	दे	उन्हें घर लौटने दो।	'Let them go back home.'
19.	लग	पानी बरसने लगा।	'It began to rain.'

Set D.   Verbs governing V- ने  plus  को :

20.	कह	दीदी से आने को कहो।	'Tell Didi to come.'
21.	तैयार हो	चलने को तैयार हूँ।	'I'm ready to go.'
22.	मिल	देखने को मिलेगा।	'You'll get to see it.'
23.	मन	चलने को मन है ?	'Want to come along?'

Exercise.
To index of grammatical notes.
To index of मल्हार.
Keyed in 16 & 18 Sept 2001. Posted 19 Sept 2001.