यूनिवर्सिटी ऑफ़ मिशिगन
Review of Passive
The passive voice in both Hindi and English allows
us to talk about actions and events when we do not know who is the agent
("Jimmy Hoffa was murdered."), when we do not wish to reveal the identity
of the agent ("The numbers will be delivered in a brown paper bag."), or
when the agent's identity is too obvious or unimportant to mention
("Dillinger has been arrested."). It is formed in Hindi, as you know, with
the auxiliary verb जा which governs the
past participle of the main verb. Or the passive can be thought of as
being expressed by the sequence -आ
जा (after vowels -या जा -)
which is attached to the stem of the main verb:
1a. पूछ
=> पूछा
जा
'ask' => 'be asked'
1b. खा
=> खाया जा
'eat' => 'be eaten'
1c. कर
=> किया
जा
'do' => 'be done'
1d. ले जा
=> ले जाया
जा 'take away' =>
'be taken away'
The passive agrees in gender, in number, and, where possible, in person
with whatever was the direct object in the corresponding active:
2a. ऊर्मिला कबाब
खाएगी।
'Urmila will eat the kababs.'
2b. कबाब खाए
जाएँगे।
'The kababs will be eaten.'
3a. मैं सवाल
पूछ रही हूँ।
'I am asking a question.'
3b. सवाल पूछा जा रहा
है।
'A question is being asked.'
As you know, direct objects, especially animate ones, are often marked by
को. In the corresponding passive
sentence such a को may be retained or
dropped. If retained, the verb must assume the masculine singular
"default" form:
4a. माँ दीदी को
ख़ूब मारती है।
'Mom beats sis a lot.'
4b. दीदी को ख़ूब मारा
जाता है।
'Sis gets beaten a lot.'
5a. वह बोली, " वे मुझे फ़ौरन पहचान
लेंगे। "
'She said, "They'll recognize me right
away."'
5b. वह
बोली, " मुझे
फ़ौरन पहचान लिया जाएगा। "
'She said, "I'll be recognized right
away."'
If को is dropped, then there is
agreement:
5c. वह बोली,
" मैं फ़ौरन
पहचान ली जाऊँगी। "
However, if such a को expresses indirect
object it cannot be dropped, even in a passive sentence:
6. भैया को इतना
बढ़िया सितार क्यों दिया जा रहा है ?
'Why is brother being given such a fine
sitar?'
This applies as well to the को in derived transitive को -expressions. In the passive
such a को cannot be dropped:
7. उनको याद दिलाया जाए
कि आज रानी की वर्षगाँठ है।
'May they be reminded that today is the Queen's
birthday.'
Modal verbs सक and चुक are separated from the main verb in
the passive by -या जा-:
8a. वह यह गाड़ी चला सकता
है।
'He can drive this car.'
8b. यह गाड़ी चलाई जा सकती
है।
'This car can be driven.'
Compound verbs, however, act as a unit with both parts coming to the left
of -या जा-:
9a. क्या मैं मेज़
हटा दूँ ?
'Shall I move the table away?'
9b. क्या मेज़ हटा दी
जाए ?
'Shall the table be moved away?'
Only these compund verbs whose auxiliary element is itself a transitive
verb can be put in the passive when the main verb is transitive. Thus,
समझ ले is passivizable; समझ जा is not:
10a. सुल्ताना
समझ
गई।
मेरे शब्दों का मतलब
10b. सुल्ताना
ने
समझ लिया।
'Sultana understood the meaning of my
words.'
10b'. मेरे
शब्दों का मतलब समझ लिया गया।
'The meaning of my words was
understood.'
चाह, चाहिये, हो, लग and दे permit a dependent infinitive to be in
the passive:
11. हम वहाँ ले जाए
नहीं चाहते।
'We don't want to be taken there.'
12. गाएँ मोटी रस्सी
से बाँध दी जानी चाहिये।
'Cows should be tied with a thick
rope.'
13. दिल्ली की सड़कें अब
सुधारी जाने लगी हैं।
'The streets of Delhi have now begun to be
improved.'
14. साहब इतना माल हज़म किया
जाने नहीं देगा।
'The boss won't allow so much stuff to be
diverted.'
पड़ना , however, seldom allows a passive
dependent infinitive:
15a. गन्ना अब काटना
पड़ेगा।
'The cane has to be cut now.'
15b. ?? गन्ना अब काटा जाना
पड़ेगा।
पा also does not occur with a passive.
Except in expressions of incapacity the agent of a passive is very rarely
expressed. But in formal or journalistic Hindi it is sometimes found
followed by the postposition के
द्ववारा :
16. यह कविता राधेश्याम
के द्ववारा लिखी गई है।
'This poem was written by Radheshyman.'
Exercise.
English to Hindi translation exercise.
To index of grammatical notes.
To index of मल्हार.
Keyed in by विवेक अगरवाल 2-3 May
2002. Posted 8 May 2002. Reformatted 23 May 2002.