Hindi instructions do not have a special “recipe tense.” A writer or speaker chooses among imperatives, infinitives, habitual or passive procedural descriptions, and aspectually layered predicates according to how each step is viewed. प्याज़ काटिए names the requested action; प्याज़ काट लीजिए foregrounds completing it for the next stage; प्याज़ काटते रहिए tells the addressee to sustain the activity.
This page focuses on those viewpoint choices, not on how individual imperative or participial forms are built. For the honorific forms themselves, see the imperative overview.
Instructions organize a future procedure without needing future tense
An imperative normally receives its time from the instructional setting. The action is to occur after the command, but no future auxiliary is necessary.
सबसे पहले टमाटर धोइए।
sabse pahle ṭamāṭar dhoie.
First, wash the tomatoes. (respectful)
फिर उन्हें छोटे टुकड़ों में काटिए।
phir unheṃ choṭe ṭukṛoṃ meṃ kāṭie.
Then cut them into small pieces. (respectful)
आख़िर में नमक मिलाकर चखिए।
āxir meṃ namak milākar cakhie.
Finally, mix in the salt and taste it. (respectful)
English instructions likewise use an imperative rather than will, but Hindi makes honorificity visible in the ending. -इए is respectful and common in public recipes, demonstrations, and customer-facing instructions. -ओ is natural with तुम among peers or in an informal family recipe. The social choice does not change the aspectual organization of the steps.
Simple imperative versus vector-marked completion
A simple imperative requests an action. Adding a vector can present the action as carried through to a useful endpoint.
प्याज़ बारीक काटिए।
pyāz bārīk kāṭie.
Chop the onion finely. (focus on the action)
प्याज़ बारीक काट लीजिए।
pyāz bārīk kāṭ lījie.
Go ahead and chop the onion finely. (get this step completed)
This minimal pair holds the ingredients and action constant. काटिए is neutral. काट लीजिए often presents completion as useful to the cook and prepares the transition to the next step. It does not literally mean “take the cutting.”
Other vectors highlight a different result:
ढक्कन खोल दीजिए ताकि भाप निकल सके।
ḍhakkan khol dījie tāki bhāp nikal sake.
Open the lid so that the steam can escape. (respectful)
थोड़ा आटा अलग रख लीजिए।
thoṛā āṭā alag rakh lījie.
Set a little flour aside for later. (respectful)
खोल दीजिए profiles the new access or release created by opening; रख लीजिए secures an amount for the cook's later use. These are tendencies, not interchangeable decorations. The lexical combination must be natural.
Sustained activity and monitored endpoints
Some instructions tell the addressee to remain inside an activity. Hindi then uses an iterative or continuative expression rather than pretending the event is already bounded.
मिश्रण को धीमी आँच पर चलाते रहिए।
miśraṇ ko dhīmī ā̃c par calāte rahie.
Keep stirring the mixture over low heat. (respectful)
जब तक चीनी घुल न जाए, मिश्रण चलाते रहें।
jab tak cīnī ghul na jāe, miśraṇ calāte raheṃ.
Keep stirring the mixture until the sugar dissolves. (formal/respectful instruction)
तेल गर्म हो रहा हो, तो उसके पास ही रहें।
tel garm ho rahā ho, to uske pās hī raheṃ.
If the oil is heating, stay close to it. (formal/respectful instruction)
चलाते रहिए/रहें sustains repeated stirring. The endpoint clause चीनी घुल न जाए uses a change-of-state compound in the subjunctive: dissolution has not yet occurred, but it will close the interval. Progressive गर्म हो रहा हो is justified only because the instruction concerns the process while it is unfolding.
Overusing the progressive changes the task. प्याज़ काट रहे हैं reports or asks about an activity in progress; it does not by itself direct anyone to start or finish chopping.
Bounded thresholds are often perfective without being past
Recipe conditions frequently use a perfective or change-of-state form for a future threshold. The form views the change as complete relative to the next step.
जब प्याज़ सुनहरी हो जाए, तब मसाले डालें।
jab pyāz sunahrī ho jāe, tab masāle ḍāleṃ.
When the onion turns golden, add the spices. (formal/respectful instruction)
दाल अच्छी तरह गल गई हो, तो गैस बंद कर दें।
dāl acchī tarah gal gaī ho, to gais band kar deṃ.
If the lentils have softened thoroughly, turn off the gas. (formal/respectful instruction)
सारी भाप निकल जाए तो ढक्कन हटाइए।
sārī bhāp nikal jāe to ḍhakkan haṭāie.
Once all the steam has escaped, remove the lid. (respectful)
Nothing here describes a past meal. हो जाए, गल गई हो, and निकल जाए locate a completed change before the following instruction. Hindi aspect supplies the event boundary; the procedural context supplies future relevance.
Infinitives and procedural descriptions change the voice of the text
Signs, checklists, and terse recipe notes often use an infinitive as an instruction. It sounds impersonal rather than directly addressed.
उपयोग से पहले बोतल हिलाना।
upyog se pahle botal hilānā.
Shake the bottle before use. (label/checklist style)
मसाला डालने के बाद पाँच मिनट पकाना।
masālā ḍālne ke bād pā̃c minaṭ pakānā.
After adding the spices, cook for five minutes. (recipe-note style)
This usage is neutral on packaging, handwritten notes, and compact directions, but a bare infinitive addressed abruptly to a particular stranger can sound peremptory. An honorific imperative is often better in direct interaction.
A demonstration can instead describe the standard procedure with habitual or passive morphology:
इस व्यंजन में दही सबसे अंत में मिलाया जाता है।
is vyañjan meṃ dahī sabse ant meṃ milāyā jātā hai.
In this dish, yogurt is added at the very end.
पहले मसाले भूने जाते हैं, फिर उनमें सब्ज़ियाँ डाली जाती हैं।
pahle masāle bhūne jāte haiṃ, phir unmeṃ sabziyā̃ ḍālī jātī haiṃ.
First the spices are roasted, then the vegetables are added to them.
These (formal/neutral expository) passives explain what is normally done; they do not command the listener. Habitual जाता है creates a recurring procedural template, while the participles agree with दही, मसाले, and सब्ज़ियाँ.
Compressed sequencing with non-finite clauses
A conjunctive participle in -कर presents one action as completed or established before the next finite instruction, without adding a second finite tense.
अदरक कद्दूकस करके दही में मिलाइए।
adrak kaddūkas karke dahī meṃ milāie.
Grate the ginger and mix it into the yogurt. (respectful)
आँच बंद करके बर्तन को पाँच मिनट ढककर रखिए।
ā̃c band karke bartan ko pā̃c minaṭ ḍhakkar rakhie.
Turn off the heat and keep the pot covered for five minutes. (respectful)
The first action is interpreted as a prerequisite because of world knowledge and clause order. The -कर form itself does not carry person, tense, or agreement; the final imperative does. Basic formation is covered under the conjunctive participle in -कर.
Negation: prohibit an action or block a result
Direct negative imperatives use मत. Subordinate endpoint clauses commonly use न.
तेल को बहुत तेज़ आँच पर मत गरम कीजिए।
tel ko bahut tez ā̃c par mat garam kījie.
Do not heat the oil over very high heat. (respectful)
ध्यान रखें कि चावल नीचे चिपक न जाएँ।
dhyān rakheṃ ki cāval nīce cipak na jāẽ.
Make sure that the rice does not stick to the bottom. (formal/respectful instruction)
The compound चिपक जाएँ profiles an unwanted attained result, so it remains natural under न. By contrast, neutral denial of an entire event often favors a simple verb. Negation does not ban vectors; it changes whether a result is available or contrastively at issue.
Recounting a completed procedure brings back ergativity
Commands have no overt ergative subject. When a cook reports completed transitive steps, ordinary perfective ने and object agreement return.
मैंने सब्ज़ियाँ काट लीं और मसाले पीस लिए।
maĩne sabziyā̃ kāṭ līṃ aur masāle pīs lie.
I finished chopping the vegetables and grinding the spices.
आपने दोनों चटनियाँ बना ली हों, तो उन्हें फ़्रिज में रख दीजिए।
āpne donoṃ caṭniyā̃ banā lī hoṃ, to unheṃ frij meṃ rakh dījie.
If you have made both chutneys, put them in the refrigerator. (respectful)
Feminine plural सब्ज़ियाँ controls standalone लीं. Masculine plural मसाले controls लिए. In the layered condition, feminine plural चटनियाँ controls बना ली, while honorific/plural subjunctive हों closes the possible-completion layer. Instructional discourse does not cancel perfective alignment.
A short procedure: aspect opens and closes stages
पहले चावल धोकर बीस मिनट भिगो दें।
pahle cāval dhokar bīs minaṭ bhigo deṃ.
First wash the rice and leave it to soak for twenty minutes. (formal/respectful instruction)
जब पानी उबलने लगे, तब भीगे हुए चावल डालें और धीरे-धीरे चलाते रहें।
jab pānī ubalne lage, tab bhīge hue cāval ḍāleṃ aur dhīre-dhīre calāte raheṃ.
When the water begins to boil, add the soaked rice and keep stirring gently.
चावल पक जाएँ तो आँच बंद करके उन्हें दस मिनट ढका रहने दें।
cāval pak jāẽ to ā̃c band karke unheṃ das minaṭ ḍhakā rahne deṃ.
Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and let it remain covered for ten minutes.
The sequence moves through a caused state (भिगो दें), an onset (उबलने लगे), an ongoing interval (चलाते रहें), and an attained endpoint (पक जाएँ). These aspectual choices make the timing recoverable even without future auxiliaries.
Common Mistakes
❌ पहले प्याज़ काट रहे हैं।
Incorrect as a standalone instruction — the progressive reports an ongoing action instead of directing the reader to begin it.
✅ पहले प्याज़ बारीक काटिए।
pahle pyāz bārīk kāṭie.
First, chop the onion finely. (respectful)
❌ प्याज़ सुनहरी हो रही हो, तो तुरंत मसाले डालें।
Wrong for the intended completion threshold — हो रही हो views the change while it is still unfolding.
✅ प्याज़ सुनहरी हो जाए, तो तुरंत मसाले डालें।
pyāz sunahrī ho jāe, to turant masāle ḍāleṃ.
Once the onion turns golden, add the spices immediately.
❌ आप अब नमक मिलाएँगे।
Wrong as a direct recipe command — the future predicts the addressee's action rather than requesting it.
✅ अब नमक मिला दीजिए।
ab namak milā dījie.
Now mix in the salt. (respectful)
❌ तेल बहुत तेज़ आँच पर मत गरम करेंगे।
Incorrect — direct prohibition मत requires an imperative form here, not future करेंगे.
✅ तेल बहुत तेज़ आँच पर मत गरम कीजिए।
tel bahut tez ā̃c par mat garam kījie.
Do not heat the oil over very high heat. (respectful)
❌ मैंने सारी सब्ज़ियाँ काट लिया।
Incorrect in a completed report — unmarked feminine plural सब्ज़ियाँ controls the vector.
✅ मैंने सारी सब्ज़ियाँ काट लीं।
maĩne sārī sabziyā̃ kāṭ līṃ.
I finished chopping all the vegetables.
Key Takeaways
Instructional time usually comes from sequence and situation, not a future auxiliary. Simple imperatives request actions; vectors profile useful or consequential endpoints; continuatives keep an activity open; perfective and change-of-state forms establish thresholds for the next step. Infinitives suit labels and terse notes, while habitual passives explain a standard procedure. Once completed steps are reported rather than commanded, ordinary ergativity and object agreement apply again.
Related Topics
- Imperative overview by honorific levelB1 — Choose Hindi command forms for intimate तू, familiar तुम, and respectful or plural आप while keeping polarity and predicate layers aligned.
- Negative imperatives with मतB1 — Form direct Hindi prohibitions with मत while preserving the command form appropriate to तू, तुम, or आप.
- Infinitive as instruction or labelB1 — Use the Hindi -ना infinitive for impersonal labels, checklist steps, recipe notes, and familiar future-oriented reminders.
- Conjunctive participle in -karB1 — Use invariant Hindi -कर converbs to connect a shared-subject event with a following finite event as sequence, means, cause, or manner.
- Compound verbs and event completionB1 — Understand how Hindi vector verbs package an event as completed, consequential, forceful, or participant-oriented without merely adding past tense.
- Original instructions: a simple recipeB1 — Read an original poha recipe through polite imperatives, omitted objects, sequencing, light verbs, and the information structure of practical instructions.