The family of verbs where the person is not the subject
I can use the experiencer pattern for remembering, understanding and liking
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
I really liked this song.
I can't recall his name.
I didn't understand.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
A large family of Hindi verbs puts the person in the को form and makes the experience the subject:
| मुझे याद आया | I remembered (it came to me) |
| मुझे समझ में आया | I understood |
| मुझे पसंद आया | I liked it |
| मुझे मालूम है | I know |
| मुझे लगता है | I think |
| मुझे गुस्सा आया | I got angry |
The verb agrees with the thing, never with the person: मुझे यह फ़िल्म पसंद आई - aai, feminine, agreeing with the film.
The first has no agent at all; the second has one and takes ने.
Apply this grammar in B1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesMaking the person the subject, and using the deliberate member where the involuntary one is meant.
Person made the subject of an experiencer verb
mujhe pasand aaya, never main pasand aaya.
Verb not agreeing with the thing experienced
The verb follows the thing, not you: pasand aai for a feminine noun.
I really liked this song.
aaya agrees with gana, which is masculine.
I can't recall his name.
yaad aana is involuntary, like the Russian ne vspominaetsya.
I didn't understand.
Literally 'it did not come into my understanding'.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in B1 course exercises
Yamuna Kachru's reference grammar; the descriptive account relied on for aspect, valency and clause structure.
Kamta Prasad Guru's grammar, the standard prescriptive reference for Hindi morphology and syntax.