Dative subject verbs: मुझे भूख लगी, मुझे पसन्द है
Can express physical sensations, preferences, and knowledge using dative-subject constructions
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
मुझे भूख लगी है।
I am hungry.
मुझे यह फ़िल्म पसन्द है।
I like this film.
उसे ठंड लग रही है।
He/she feels cold.
तुम्हें हिन्दी आती है?
Do you know Hindi?
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Some Hindi verbs take a dative subject (marked with को/मुझे). The experiencer is NOT the grammatical subject — the thing experienced is!
| Pattern | Meaning | Literal |
|---|---|---|
| मुझे भूख लगी है | I am hungry | 'To-me hunger has struck' |
| मुझे पसन्द है | I like (it) | 'To-me (it) is pleasing' |
| मुझे मालूम है | I know | 'To-me (it) is known' |
| मुझे डर लगता है | I am afraid | 'To-me fear strikes' |
| मुझे ठंड लग रही है | I feel cold | 'To-me cold is striking' |
Key: The verb agrees with the stimulus (भूख F → लगी; चाय F → पसन्द है), NOT with the experiencer. मुझे/तुम्हें/उसे = oblique + को.
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice Exercisesमुझे भूख लगी है।
I am hungry.
मुझे = to me (dative). भूख (F) → लगी (F). The hunger 'strikes' me.
मुझे यह फ़िल्म पसन्द है।
I like this film.
Like German 'mir gefällt' — the film pleases me, not 'I like'.
उसे ठंड लग रही है।
He/she feels cold.
उसे = to him/her. ठंड (F) → लग रही (F progressive). Dative subject pattern.
तुम्हें हिन्दी आती है?
Do you know Hindi?
तुम्हें = to you. हिन्दी (F) → आती (F) है. Lit. 'Hindi comes to you?'
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises