Welcome! In this lesson, we’ll break down how to conjugate the verb “to go” (जानु – janu) in the continuous (progressive) tense. Whether you’re just starting your Nepali journey or brushing up on grammar basics, this lesson will guide you step-by-step through forming sentences like “I am going,” “she was going,” and “they will be going.” Understanding how to properly conjugate “to go” is essential for everyday Nepali conversations, from discussing travel plans to describing current activities. Watch, learn, and practice along to build your confidence in using “to go” correctly in all three continuous tenses!
Conjugation is the process of changing a verb to show different aspects like tense, person, number, mood, or voice. When we conjugate verbs, we’re modifying them to match the subject (who is doing the action) and to show when the action happens (present, past, or future). The verb “to go” (जानु) is one of the most important and frequently used verbs in Nepali. Understanding how to conjugate it across all continuous tenses will enable you to express movement and direction with precision and confidence. In this lesson, we’ll explore the verb root “जा” and how it transforms with the continuous marker “दै” and various tense markers.
Continuous Tense Structure for “To Go”:
Subject (pronoun) + verb root (जा) + दै (continuous marker) + auxiliary verb (छु/छ/थियो/हुनेछ)
What is Present Continuous? The present continuous tense describes an action that is happening right now, is in progress at this moment, or is happening currently. It’s perfect for expressing what someone is doing at this very second. The example below shows someone walking to the market right now.
Example: Right now, I’m walking to the market.
Structure: Subject (pronoun) + verb root (जा) + दै + छु/छ/छौ/छन्/हुनुहुन्छ
Key Point: The auxiliary verb (छु/छ/छन्) indicates present tense and agrees with the subject’s person and number.
| Pronoun | English | Romanized | Nepali Script |
|---|---|---|---|
| म | I am going | Ma jadai chu | म जाँदै छु। |
| ऊ | He/She is going | Uh jadai cha | ऊ जाँदै छ। |
| हामी | We are going | Hami jadai chau | हामी जाँदै छौं। |
| तपाईं | You (formal) are going | Tapai jadai hunuhuncha | तपाईं जाँदै हुनुहुन्छ। |
What is Past Continuous? The past continuous tense describes an action that was in progress at a specific moment in the past. It’s useful for setting a scene, showing what was happening when something else occurred, or describing interrupted actions. This tense helps you tell stories and explain situations that happened before now.
Example: “Yesterday, I was going to the market… but it rained!”
Structure: Subject (pronoun) + verb root (जा) + दै + थियो/थिए/थिन्/थियौं/हुनुहुन्थ्यो
Key Point: The auxiliary verb changes to reflect past tense and agrees with the subject’s person and number.
| Pronoun | English | Romanized | Nepali Script |
|---|---|---|---|
| म | I was going | Ma jadai thiye | म जाँदै थिएँ। |
| ऊ | He/She was going | Uh jadai thiyo/thin | ऊ जाँदै थियो। |
| हामी | We were going | Hami jadai thiyou | हामी जाँदै थियौं। |
| तपाईं | You (formal) were going | Tapai jadai hunuhun thiyo | तपाईं जाँदै हुनुहुन्थ्यो। |
What is Future Continuous? The future continuous tense describes an action that will be in progress at a specific point in the future. It’s perfect for discussing planned trips, travel itineraries, or activities you’ll be doing tomorrow, next week, or further ahead. This tense helps you talk about forthcoming journeys and movements.
Example: “Tomorrow, I will be going to Pokhara!”
Structure: Subject (pronoun) + verb root (जा) + दै + हुनेछु/हुनेछ/हुनेछन्/हुनेछौं/हुनुहुनेछ
Key Point: The auxiliary verb changes to reflect future tense and agrees with the subject’s person and number.
| Pronoun | English | Romanized | Nepali Script |
|---|---|---|---|
| म | I will be going | Ma jadai hunechu | म जाँदै हुनेछु। |
| ऊ | He/She will be going | Uh jadai hunecha | ऊ जाँदै हुनेछ। |
| हामी | We will be going | Hami jadai hunechau | हामी जाँदै हुनेछौं। |
| तपाईं | You (formal) will be going | Tapai jadai hunuhunecha | तपाईं जाँदै हुनुहुनेछ। |
You’ve now mastered one of the most essential verbs in Nepali—जानु (to go)—across all three continuous tenses! Remember that the verb “to go” is incredibly common in everyday Nepali, from discussing travel plans to explaining what you’re currently doing. The key pattern to remember is: the continuous form जाँदै (jadai) stays the same for each tense, while only the auxiliary verb changes (छु/छ for present, थियो/थिए for past, हुनेछ for future). These auxiliary verbs work together with the main verb form to show when the action happens. Whether you’re describing a journey happening right now, recounting a trip from yesterday, or planning where you’ll be going tomorrow, you now have the tools to express yourself accurately and naturally in Nepali!
जानु (to go) is one of the most frequently used verbs in Nepali, essential for discussing movement, travel, and directions.
The verb root जा remains the same with दै marker, while only the auxiliary verb changes to show tense.
Master these forms to naturally describe journeys, travel plans, and movements in authentic Nepali conversations.
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