Expressing Needs with चाहना — Hindi Grammar

To express desires, needs, and obligations, Hindi distinguishes between the active verb (cāhnāchahna) - to want and the impersonal form (cāhiechahie) - is needed/should. The choice depends on whether you are expressing a personal wish or an external necessity.

Expressing "Want" with चाहना (cāhnā)

When you want to perform an action or want a specific object, you use the verb (cāhnāchahna). This functions like a regular verb. It must be conjugated to match the subject's gender and number.

The sentence structure places the verb (cāhnāchahna) at the end of the sentence, usually following another verb in its infinitive form (ending in (-nā-na)).

For a masculine subject:

मैं यह किताब पढ़ना चाहता हूँ।
ma͠i yah kitāb paṛhnā cāhtā hū̃.main yah kitab parhna chahta hun.
I want to read this book.
राज क्रिकेट खेलना चाहता है।
rāj krikeṭ khelnā cāhtā hai.raj krikeṭ khelna chahta hai.
Raj wants to play cricket.

For a feminine subject:

मैं पानी पीना चाहती हूँ।
ma͠i pānī pīnā cāhtī hū̃.main pani pina chahti hun.
I want to drink water.
वह भारत जाना चाहती है।
vah bhārat jānā cāhtī hai.wah bharat jana chahti hai.
She wants to go to India.

Expressing "Need" with चाहिए (cāhie)

To express that something is needed, the structure changes significantly. You do not use the standard subject "I" ( (ma͠imain)). Instead, you use the oblique form "to me" ( (mujhe)) or attach the postposition (ko) to names.

In this construction, (cāhiechahie) is invariant; it does not change for the person needing the item. It literally translates to "is needed."

मुझे एक कलम चाहिए।
mujhe ek kalam cāhie.mujhe ek kalam chahie.
I need a pen. (lit. To me a pen is needed)
सीता को मदद चाहिए।
sītā ko madad cāhie.sita ko madad chahie.
Sita needs help.
हमें थोड़ा समय चाहिए।
hamẽ thoṛā samay cāhie.hamẽ thora samay chahie.
We need some time.

Expressing "Should" or Duty

The word (cāhiechahie) is also used to express advice, moral obligation, or duty, equivalent to the English "should" or "ought to."

This structure combines the "receiver" of the advice (using (ko / mujhe / tumhẽ)) with a verb in the infinitive form, followed by (cāhiechahie).

तुम्हें अब जाना चाहिए।
tumhẽ ab jānā cāhie.tumhẽ ab jana chahie.
You should go now.
हमें हिंदी बोलनी चाहिए।
hamẽ hiṃdī bolnī cāhie.hamẽ hiṃdi bolni chahie.
We should speak Hindi.
बच्चों को सोना चाहिए।
baccoṃ ko sonā cāhie.bachchoṃ ko sona chahie.
The children should sleep.

Summary of Differences

It is crucial to distinguish between the active desire and the passive need/obligation:

Subject + Verb + (cāhtā/cāhtī hū̃chahta/chahti hun): Active desire ("I want to do..."). The subject is in the nominative case (e.g., (ma͠imain)).
Subject + Object + (cāhiechahie): Requirement ("I need..."). The subject is in the dative case (e.g., (mujhe)).
Subject + Verb + (cāhiechahie): Advice ("I should do..."). The subject is in the dative case (e.g., (mujhe)).

Compare these two sentences:

मैं घर जाना चाहता हूँ।
ma͠i ghar jānā cāhtā hū̃.main ghar jana chahta hun.
I want to go home. (Desire)
मुझे घर जाना चाहिए।
mujhe ghar jānā cāhie.mujhe ghar jana chahie.
I should go home. (Obligation/Necessity)

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Hindi course

18 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 42. A few of them, with the words “Expressing Needs with चाहना” is about in bold:

मैं अब घर जाना चाहती हूँ।
ma͠i ab ghar jānā cāhtī hū̃.main ab ghar jana chahti hun.
I want to go home now.
Lesson 71
मैं यह पौधा ख़रीदना चाहता हूँ। यह मेरे कमरे में बहुत अच्छा लगेगा।
ma͠i yah paudhā xarīdnā cāhtā hū̃. yah mere kamre mẽ bahut acchā lagegā.main yah paudha kharidna chahta hun. yah mere kamre mẽ bahut achchha lagega.
I want to buy this plant. It will look great in my room.
Lesson 384

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