ठग ने पैसा लिया।

The swindler took the money.

Breakdown of ठग ने पैसा लिया।

• पैसा: money
• लेना: to take
• ठग: swindler

Questions & Answers about ठग ने पैसा लिया।

What does ने mean here?

ने is the ergative marker in Hindi. It is commonly used with the subject of a transitive verb in the perfective past.

So in ठग ने पैसा लिया, ठग ने means the swindler as the doer of the completed action.

A very useful pattern to remember is:

[subject] + ने + [object] + [perfective verb]

For example:

• राम ने खाना खाया। — Ram ate food.
• सीमा ने किताब पढ़ी। — Seema read a book.

So here, ने does not mean by exactly, but it often feels a bit like marking the agent of a completed action.

Why is the verb लिया and not something else like लिया था or लेता है?

लिया is the perfective form of लेना (to take). It shows that the action was completed: took.

So:

• लेना — to take
• लिया — took / has taken, depending on context

Other forms would change the meaning:

• लेता है — takes / is in the habit of taking
• लिया था — had taken
• ले रहा है — is taking

In this sentence, लिया is the simple completed action, so it matches took very well.

Why is the verb लिया masculine singular?