लिखना is the transitive verb “write.” Its lexical grammar includes more than a writer and a text: recipients usually take को, topics often take पर or के बारे में, languages and scripts take में, and surfaces take पर. These frames determine how an English sentence with “write” is naturally organized in Hindi.
Stem and principal forms
The stem is लिख-. Its aspirated final consonant remains audible before endings.
| Category | Forms |
|---|---|
| infinitive | लिखना |
| habitual | लिखता / लिखती / लिखते |
| progressive | लिख रहा / लिख रही / लिख रहे |
| perfective | लिखा / लिखी / लिखे / लिखीं |
| conjunctive | लिखकर |
| simultaneous participle | लिखते हुए |
| prospective | लिखने वाला / लिखने वाली / लिखने वाले |
रिया हर रात अपनी डायरी में कुछ लिखती है।
riyā har rāt apnī ḍāyarī meṃ kuch likhtī hai.
Riya writes something in her diary every night.
मैं ग्राहक को जवाब लिख रहा हूँ।
maĩ grāhak ko javāb likh rahā hū̃.
I'm writing a reply to the customer. (male speaker)
Nonperfective agreement follows the writer. The content may be a noun, an embedded quotation, or omitted when recoverable.
Recipient, topic, language, and surface
A recipient normally takes को: दोस्त को पत्र लिखना. A topic takes पर or के बारे में. The language, script, or medium takes में, and the physical surface takes पर.
उन्होंने स्थानीय इतिहास पर एक लंबा लेख लिखा।
unhoṃne sthānīya itihās par ek lambā lekh likhā.
They wrote a long article on local history. (honorific)
कृपया अपना नाम हिंदी में और इस लाइन पर लिखिए।
kripyā apnā nām hindī meṃ aur is lāin par likhie.
Please write your name in Hindi and on this line.
English can say “write me” without an overt preposition. Hindi normally says मुझे लिखना, where मुझे is the recipient, or names the message as well: मुझे संदेश लिखना.
Perfective transitivity and agreement
In a completed writing event, the writer takes ने. An unmarked direct object controls the perfective participle: चिट्ठी लिखी, लेख लिखा, कविताएँ लिखीं. A को-marked direct object blocks agreement and triggers default masculine singular लिखा.
नूर ने संपादक को दो चिट्ठियाँ लिखीं।
nūr ne sampādak ko do ciṭṭhiyā̃ likhīṃ.
Noor wrote two letters to the editor.
मैंने उस कठिन शब्द को ग़लत लिखा।
maĩne us kaṭhin śabd ko ġalat likhā.
I wrote that difficult word incorrectly.
In the first sentence, recipient संपादक को does not block agreement with unmarked चिट्ठियाँ. In the second, the written item itself bears को, so लिखा is default.
Future and subjunctive
| Person | Subjunctive | Future masculine | Future feminine |
|---|---|---|---|
| मैं | लिखूँ | लिखूँगा | लिखूँगी |
| तुम | लिखो | लिखोगे | लिखोगी |
| यह / वह | लिखे | लिखेगा | लिखेगी |
| हम / आप / ये / वे | लिखें | लिखेंगे | लिखेंगी |
मैं आज ही मकान-मालिक को लिखूँगी।
maĩ āj hī makān-mālik ko likhū̃gī.
I'll write to the landlord today, without fail. (female speaker)
अच्छा होगा कि आप शिकायत साफ़ शब्दों में लिखें।
acchā hogā ki āp śikāyat sāf śabdoṃ meṃ likheṃ.
It would be good to write the complaint in clear terms.
Imperatives and participles
The imperatives are intimate लिख, familiar लिखो, and respectful लिखिए. Common non-finite forms include लिखकर, लिखते हुए, लिखा हुआ, and oblique लिखने.
पता भूलने से पहले उसे कहीं लिख लो।
patā bhūlne se pahle use kahīṃ likh lo.
Write the address down somewhere before you forget it. (familiar)
यह नोट मेरे दादा का लिखा हुआ है।
yah noṭ mere dādā kā likhā huā hai.
This note was written by my grandfather.
The genitive phrase मेरे दादा का identifies the author inside a resultative participial construction. It is not an ergative finite clause.
लिख देना and लिख लेना
लिख देना profiles decisive completion, transfer to a recipient, or readiness to do the small service “write it down.” लिख remains bare and देना carries inflection. लिख लेना often means note down for one's own use or successfully record.
मुझे संदेश में अपना फ़ोन नंबर लिख देना।
mujhe sandeś meṃ apnā fon nambar likh denā.
Send me your phone number in a message. (familiar request)
मैंने सारी तारीख़ें कैलेंडर में लिख लीं।
maĩne sārī tārīxeṃ kailendar meṃ likh līṃ.
I noted all the dates in the calendar.
Feminine plural तारीख़ें controls लीं. The vector distinction is pragmatic rather than a different dictionary sense: देना directs or releases the completed result outward; लेना associates the completed record with the actor's purpose. See देना as an outward-directed vector.
Causative and idiomatic extensions
लिखवाना means have or get something written, filled out, or recorded. The arranger takes ने in a perfective, the intermediary can take से, and the unmarked written product may control agreement.
मैंने सहायक से पूरी सूची दोबारा लिखवाई।
maĩne sahāyak se pūrī sūcī dobārā likhvāī.
I had the assistant rewrite the entire list.
Forms with लिखाना occur in some usage, especially for dictation, but लिखवाना is the broadly useful standard form for arranging that someone write. There is no need to invent a mechanically longer form.
Idiomatic लिखकर देना can mean give something in writing or strongly guarantee it: मैं लिखकर दे सकता हूँ “I can guarantee it.” The literal and emphatic readings depend on context.
Common Mistakes
❌ मीरा ने तीन कविताएँ लिखा।
Incorrect — unmarked feminine plural कविताएँ requires लिखीं.
✅ मीरा ने तीन कविताएँ लिखीं।
mīrā ne tīn kavitāẽ likhīṃ.
Meera wrote three poems.
❌ मैंने अपने दोस्त पत्र लिखा।
Incorrect — the recipient needs को.
✅ मैंने अपने दोस्त को पत्र लिखा।
maĩne apne dost ko patr likhā.
I wrote a letter to my friend.
❌ वह काग़ज़ में नाम लिख रही है।
Incorrect for a surface — write on paper with पर.
✅ वह काग़ज़ पर नाम लिख रही है।
vah kāġaz par nām likh rahī hai.
She is writing a name on the paper.
❌ आप यहाँ लिखो।
Incorrect — आप requires the respectful imperative लिखिए, not familiar लिखो.
✅ आप यहाँ लिखिए।
āp yahā̃ likhie.
Please write here.
Key Takeaways
लिखना is canonically transitive: perfective writers take ने, and eligible unmarked written objects control agreement. Its complement frames distinguish recipient, topic, language, and surface. लिख देना and लिख लेना profile different completed outcomes, while लिखवाना introduces an arranger and possible intermediary.
Now practice Hindi
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Hindi →Related Topics
- पढ़ना paṛhnā: to read and studyA2 — Reference पढ़ना across reading and studying, its aspirated retroflex flap, transitive perfective agreement, causatives, and पढ़ लेना.
- Transitive perfective with नेA2 — Mark the actor with ने in canonical transitive perfectives and choose verb agreement from the eligible object rather than the semantic doer.
- Perfective object agreementA2 — Make a transitive perfective agree with an eligible unmarked direct object after ने, including gender-number and auxiliary-bearing forms.
- देना as outward or other-directed vectorA2 — Use vector देना to present a result as released, made available, directed outward, or decisively brought about.
- Perfective participles attributivelyB1 — Use Hindi perfective participles before nouns to identify completed events, attained states, and their affected participants.
- Causative argument markingC1 — Assign ने, को, and से to the causer, affected participant, intermediary, and patient in Hindi causative clauses.