सकना is a defective modal meaning “be able to, can, be possible.” It normally does not head an independent lexical event; it follows a bare verb stem: कर सकना, जा सकना, समझ सकना. The first verb supplies the action, while सकना carries aspect, tense, agreement, and the auxiliary.
Principal forms and the modal frame
| Category | Form with कर- | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| infinitive | कर सकना | to be able to do |
| habitual | कर सकता / सकती / सकते | can do |
| perfective | कर सका / सकी / सके / सकीं | managed / was able to do |
| conjunctive | कर सककर | having been able to do; rare/heavy |
The unmarked actor normally controls सकना. No ने appears in its modal perfective. The lexical stem remains unchanged.
अदिति बिना चश्मे के भी यह लिखावट पढ़ सकती है।
aditi binā caśme ke bhī yah likhāvaṭ paṛh saktī hai.
Aditi can read this handwriting even without glasses.
हम आज शाम आपसे मिल नहीं सकते।
ham āj śām āpse mil nahīṃ sakte.
We can't meet you this evening.
Habitual and progressive ability
| Actor | Habitual present | Progressive ability |
|---|---|---|
| masculine singular | कर सकता है | कर सक रहा है |
| feminine singular | कर सकती है | कर सक रही है |
| masculine/mixed plural | कर सकते हैं | कर सक रहे हैं |
| feminine plural | कर सकती हैं | कर सक रही हैं |
Traditional teaching paradigms often omit progressive सकना. Contemporary कर सक रहा है is nevertheless possible when an ability is currently emerging, being maintained, or demonstrably functioning, while simple कर सकता है remains neutral for general and present feasibility. For outcome-oriented ongoing success, कर पा रहा है is often more idiomatic.
ऑपरेशन के बाद वह अब धीरे-धीरे चल सक रही है।
opareśan ke bād vah ab dhīre-dhīre cal sak rahī hai.
After the operation, she is now able to walk little by little.
Perfective, future, and subjunctive
Perfective सका/सकी/सके/सकीं evaluates a bounded opportunity. Affirmative forms often imply actual success; negative forms report failure.
आख़िरी मिनट में हम टिकट खरीद सके।
āxirī minaṭ meṃ ham ṭikaṭ kharīd sake.
At the last minute, we were able to buy tickets.
इतने शोर में लीना सवाल सुन नहीं सकी।
itne śor meṃ līnā savāl sun nahīṃ sakī.
In all that noise, Leena couldn't hear the question.
| Person | Subjunctive | Future masculine | Future feminine |
|---|---|---|---|
| मैं | कर सकूँ | कर सकूँगा | कर सकूँगी |
| तुम | कर सको | कर सकोगे | कर सकोगी |
| वह / यह | कर सके | कर सकेगा | कर सकेगी |
| हम / आप / वे / ये | कर सकें | कर सकेंगे | कर सकेंगी |
उम्मीद है कि आप समय पर पहुँच सकें।
ummīd hai ki āp samay par pahũc sakeṃ.
I hope you can arrive on time.
अगले महीने मैं फिर गाड़ी चला सकूँगी।
agle mahīne maĩ phir gāṛī calā sakū̃gī.
Next month I'll be able to drive again. (female speaker)
Past habitual and hypothetical ability
The habitual participle combines with past था/थी/थे/थीं for a former general capacity: कर सकता था “could/used to be able to do.” This does not assert that one particular attempt succeeded. For a single successful attempt, use perfective कर सका; for an unrealized conditional capacity, use कर सकता with an appropriate condition.
कॉलेज के दिनों में राघव पूरी रात जाग सकता था।
kolej ke dinoṃ meṃ rāghav pūrī rāt jāg saktā thā.
In his college days, Raghav could stay awake all night.
थोड़ा और समय मिलता, तो हम बेहतर तैयारी कर सकते थे।
thoṛā aur samay miltā, to ham behtar taiyārī kar sakte the.
If we had had a little more time, we could have prepared better.
English “could” is therefore ambiguous. Choose सकता था for a standing past ability, सका for success on one bounded occasion, and a conditional habitual form such as सकता or सकते थे when the ability depended on a condition that was not met.
Ability, possibility, and permission
With an animate actor, सकना can express learned ability, physical capacity, or circumstantial feasibility. With an inanimate subject or passive, it expresses possibility. First-person questions can request permission.
क्या मैं यह कुर्सी यहाँ रख सकता हूँ?
kyā maĩ yah kursī yahā̃ rakh saktā hū̃?
May I put this chair here? (male speaker)
यह गलती आसानी से सुधारी जा सकती है।
yah galtī āsānī se sudhārī jā saktī hai.
This mistake can be corrected easily.
Context supplies the reading; there is no separate “permission conjugation.” See the ability and possibility page.
Defective imperative, causative, and idiom
Because ability is not normally commanded, सकना lacks an ordinary productive imperative paradigm comparable to कर/करो/कीजिए. Forms such as सको and सकें are subjunctive forms used in wishes, conditions, and purpose clauses, not direct orders “be able!”
Similarly, there is no productive causative meaning “make able” built from सकना. Hindi uses सक्षम बनाना, करने देना, or a lexical verb such as सिखाना, depending on whether the intended meaning is enable, permit, or teach.
The fixed expression जहाँ तक हो सके means “as far as possible.” The modal infinitive can also be nominalized: ऐसा कर सकना आसान नहीं है “Being able to do this is not easy.”
Common Mistakes
❌ मैं हिंदी बोलना सकता हूँ।
Incorrect — सकना follows a bare stem.
✅ मैं हिंदी बोल सकता हूँ।
maĩ hindī bol saktā hū̃.
I can speak Hindi. (male speaker)
❌ सीमा भारी डिब्बा उठा सकता है।
Incorrect — feminine सीमा controls सकती.
✅ सीमा भारी डिब्बा उठा सकती है।
sīmā bhārī ḍibbā uṭhā saktī hai.
Seema can lift the heavy box.
❌ मैंने काम पूरा कर सका।
Incorrect — modal सकना normally keeps the achiever unmarked.
✅ मैं काम पूरा कर सका।
maĩ kām pūrā kar sakā.
I was able to finish the work. (male speaker)
❌ मैं कल लौट सकता हूँगा।
Incorrect — future ability is marked on सकना itself.
✅ मैं कल लौट सकूँगा।
maĩ kal lauṭ sakū̃gā.
I'll be able to return tomorrow. (male speaker)
Key Takeaways
सकना is a defective modal built after a bare lexical stem. It bears agreement and TAM, usually controlled by the unmarked actor, and its perfective uses no ने. It can express ability, feasibility, or context-dependent permission, but it has no ordinary independent imperative or productive causative.
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
- सकना ability and possibilityA2 — Use सकना to express ability, practical possibility, and context-dependent permission while keeping its agreement and tense marking clear.
- पाना achieved abilityB1 — Use verbal पाना to present ability as an attained result: managing, succeeding, or getting the opportunity to complete an action.
- सकना versus पानाB1 — Choose सकना for capacity or feasibility and verb-stem plus पाना when actual attainment under the circumstances is at issue.
- Verb stem plus सकना पाना चुकनाC1 — Choose सकना for capacity, पाना for attained success, and चुकना for an action viewed as already completed.
- Ability-like passive negativesC2 — Use से-marked experiencers with negative passive predicates to express that someone cannot manage, tolerate, or bring themselves to perform an action.
- Control with चाहना सकना and कहनाB2 — Track the understood subject of Hindi non-finite complements with चाहना, सकना, and कहना, and know when a finite कि clause is required.