Completed Action with चुकना — Hindi Grammar

The verb (cuknāchukna) functions as a specialized auxiliary verb used to indicate that an action has been fully completed, finished, or "already done." It adds a sense of finality to the sentence, emphasizing that the event is over.

Forming the Structure

To use this construction, you combine the root (stem) of the main verb with the conjugated form of (cuknāchukna).

1. Take the infinitive of the main verb (e.g., (khānākhana) - to eat).

2. Remove the (nāna) ending to get the root (e.g., (khākha)).

3. Add the appropriate form of (cuknāchukna) followed by the auxiliary "to be" ( (honāhona)) if required by the tense.

मैं खा चुका हूँ।
maiṃ khā cukā hū̃.maiṃ kha chuka hun.
I have already eaten.
हम काम कर चुके हैं।
ham kām kar cuke haiṃ.ham kam kar chuke haiṃ.
We have finished working.

Gender and Number Agreement

The verb (cuknāchukna) changes its form to match the subject of the sentence in gender and number. This happens because (cuknāchukna) behaves grammatically like an intransitive verb, even if the main action is transitive.

Masculine Singular: (cukāchuka)
Masculine Plural: (cukechuke)
Feminine Singular: (cukīchuki)
Feminine Plural: (cukīṃchukiṃ) (often written as (cukīchuki) followed by a plural auxiliary)

लड़का जा चुका है।
laḍkā jā cukā hai.laḍka ja chuka hai.
The boy has already gone.
लड़की जा चुकी है।
laḍkī jā cukī hai.laḍki ja chuki hai.
The girl has already gone.
वे घर आ चुके हैं।
ve ghar ā cuke haiṃ.we ghar a chuke haiṃ.
They have come home.

Usage in Different Tenses

You can use this structure in the present, past, and future to indicate when the completion occurred.

Present Perfect (Has/Have finished)

Use (cuknāchukna) + present tense of (honāhona).

वह सो चुकी है।
vah so cukī hai.wah so chuki hai.
She has fallen asleep (she is already asleep).

Past Perfect (Had finished)

Use (cuknāchukna) + past tense of (honāhona) ( (thātha), (the), (thīthi)). This indicates an action was completed before another past event.

ट्रेन जा चुकी थी।
ṭren jā cukī thī.ṭren ja chuki thi.
The train had already left.
मैं यह किताब पढ़ चुका था।
maiṃ yah kitāb paḍh cukā thā.maiṃ yah kitab paḍh chuka tha.
I had already read this book.

Future Perfect (Will have finished)

Use (cuknāchukna) + future tense of (honāhona) ( (hogāhoga), (hoṅgehonge), (hogīhogi)). This expresses that an action will be completed by a specific time in the future.

शाम तक हम पहुँच चुके होंगे।
śām tak ham pahũc cuke hoṅge.sham tak ham pahũch chuke honge.
We will have arrived by evening.

No Ergative Case (No 'Ne')

A crucial rule for learners is that sentences with (cuknāchukna) never use the ergative particle (ne).

In standard Hindi past tense, transitive verbs (like "to eat" or "to do") require the subject to take (ne) (e.g., (maiṃne khāyāmaiṃne khaya)). However, because (cuknāchukna) acts as the primary grammatical verb and is intransitive, the subject remains in the nominative (basic) case.

राज ने खाना खाया।
rāj ne khānā khāyā.raj ne khana khaya.
Raj ate. (Standard Past)
राज खाना खा चुका है।
rāj khānā khā cukā hai.raj khana kha chuka hai.
Raj has finished eating. (Completed Action with चुकना (cuknāchukna))

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Hindi course

One of the course's 500 sentences uses this, the first in lesson 208. A few of them, with the words “Completed Action with चुकना” is about in bold:

ओह, मुझे फ्रांस पता है। मैं पहले फ्रांस जा चुका हूँ।
oh, mujhe phrāns patā hai. ma͠i pahle phrāns jā cukā hū̃.oh, mujhe phrans pata hai. main pahle phrans ja chuka hun.
Oh, I know France. I have been to France before.
Lesson 208

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