Kriya (Verb) — REET Hindi Grammar Notes
Kriya (verb) is the backbone of a Hindi sentence and an essential part of the REET Language-I/II syllabus under pad-parichay (noun, pronoun, adjective, verb, indeclinable). This page explains all the major types of verb — transitive, intransitive, causative, compound, conjunctive, and denominative — with examples, so you can quickly identify a verb's type in any sentence.
- 0 questions in REET 2024
- Class 4–8 level
- 10 min read
How REET asks this topic
Kriya is a core part of the REET Language-I/II syllabus under pad-parichay (noun, pronoun, adjective, verb, indeclinable). There was no direct question on verbs in REET 2024's paper, so this page is based on the syllabus and standard Hindi grammar rules. Generally, a question underlines a verb in a sentence and asks you to identify its type (transitive/intransitive/causative, etc.). Sometimes two forms of a verb (like पढ़ाना and पढ़वाना) may be given and you're asked to identify their correct types, so the difference between the first and second causative forms needs to be clear.
Definition of Kriya and Its Role in a Sentence
The word that expresses the doing or happening of some action is called a kriya (verb). In a Hindi sentence, the verb is the pada that links to the subject or the object and completes the sentence, and it is formed by adding suffixes to a root (dhatu) — for example, forms like 'पढ़ना', 'पढ़ता', 'पढ़ेगा' are formed from the root 'पढ़'.
In Hindi, verbs are mainly classified on two bases — first, based on whether an object is present (transitive/intransitive/ditransitive), and second, based on formation and usage (causative, compound, denominative, conjunctive, etc.). REET can build questions from both classifications, so understanding both together is important.
Types of Verb Based on the Presence of an Object
| Type | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Transitive verb (सकर्मक क्रिया) | A verb whose effect passes from the subject onto an object; asking 'what' gets an answer | राम ने पत्र लिखा (what did he write? — a letter) |
| Intransitive verb (अकर्मक क्रिया) | A verb whose effect is limited to the subject alone; there is no object | बच्चा सोता है |
| Ditransitive verb (द्विकर्मक क्रिया) | A verb that comes with two objects (main and secondary) | माँ ने बच्चे को दूध पिलाया |
| Incomplete intransitive verb (अपूर्ण अकर्मक क्रिया) | An intransitive verb whose meaning needs a complement to be complete | राम अध्यापक बना (here the meaning stays incomplete without 'अध्यापक') |
Other Major Types Based on Formation/Usage
| Type | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Causative verb (प्रेरणार्थक क्रिया) | Where the subject doesn't do the work itself, but has someone else do it | माँ ने बच्चे को पढ़ाया (first causative); माँ ने बच्चे को पढ़वाया (second causative) |
| Compound verb (संयुक्त क्रिया) | Two verbs combine to express a single verb-meaning (main verb + auxiliary verb) | वह पढ़ने लगा (begin), वह खा चुका (complete), वह चल सकता है (ability) |
| Denominative verb (नामधातु क्रिया) | A verb formed from a noun, pronoun, or adjective | शर्म से शरमाना, लाज से लजाना, हाथ से हथियाना |
| Conjunctive / perfective verb (पूर्वकालिक क्रिया) | When of two verbs by the same subject, the first is completed before the second; usually the '-कर/-करके' suffix | राम खाना खाकर सोया |
Auxiliary Verbs and Their Relation to Tense
Auxiliary verbs like होना, रहना, सकना, चुकना, पाना join the main verb to make tense, voice, and aspect clear — for example, in 'वह जा रहा है', the auxiliary 'रहा है' shows the continuity of the present tense.
An auxiliary verb doesn't give complete meaning on its own in a sentence — it always works joined to some main verb. A compound verb, in contrast, has both verbs combine to produce a new, special sense (like beginning, completion, ability, permission) — this is the core difference between the two. In the exam, tell them apart by checking whether the second verb is adding a new sense to the meaning of the main verb (compound verb) or is only clarifying tense/voice (auxiliary verb).
Test for Identifying Transitive vs. Intransitive
- Question Test
- Ask 'what' or 'whom' with the verb — if you get an answer, it's transitive; if not, it's intransitive
- Example Pair
- 'वह सोता है' (intransitive) versus 'वह किताब पढ़ता है' (transitive, what does he read? — a book)
- Watch for Exceptions
- Some verbs (like 'सोना') are usually intransitive but can also behave like transitive verbs with a cognate object — as in 'वह गहरी नींद सोया'
Examples of Verb Forms Built from a Root
| Root Verb (Dhatu) | Simple Verb | Causative Form |
|---|---|---|
| पढ़ | पढ़ना | पढ़ाना / पढ़वाना |
| लिख | लिखना | लिखाना / लिखवाना |
| सो | सोना | सुलाना / सुलवाना |
| उठ | उठना | उठाना / उठवाना |
The first causative form is usually made with the '-आना' suffix, and the second causative form with the '-वाना' suffix.
How to Teach This to Children
Classroom Activity
Have children build sentences about classroom activities (writing, running, laughing) and then ask 'what?' — sentences that get an answer are transitive, and those that don't are intransitive; making this a small daily activity makes the identification feel natural.
Teaching Aids
Show a picture-card (like a child reading a book) and have students identify the verb and make a sentence, then also have them say the same verb in its causative form (like 'मैंने उसे किताब पढ़वाई').
Common Misconception
Students often mistake a causative verb for a transitive verb; in a causative verb, the subject doesn't do the work itself but has someone else do it — clarify this difference with examples, not just by having them memorise the definition.
Assessment Idea
Pick 10 verb-forms from a textbook story and have students classify them as transitive/intransitive, and also ask what test they used.
Trick to Remember
Identify by asking 'what/whom' — if asking 'what' with the verb gets a clear answer (an object), it's transitive, otherwise intransitive; to identify causative, check whether the subject is doing the work itself or having it done. If you spot the '-वाना' suffix, take it as second causative, and the '-आना' suffix as first causative — this small identification saves time in the exam.
Practice Questions
Question 1
In the sentence 'बच्चा हँसता है', the type of verb is—
- Aसकर्मक
- Bअकर्मक
- Cद्विकर्मक
- Dप्रेरणार्थक
Explanation
The effect of the verb 'हँसता है' stays limited to the subject alone, with no object, so it is an intransitive verb.
Question 2
In the sentence 'राधा गीत गाती है', the type of verb is—
- Aअकर्मक
- Bसकर्मक
- Cप्रेरणार्थक
- Dपूर्वकालिक
Explanation
Asking 'क्या गाती है?' gets the answer 'गीत', so this is a transitive verb.
Question 3
In the sentence 'मास्टर जी ने छात्र से निबंध लिखवाया', the verb is—
- Aप्रथम प्रेरणार्थक
- Bद्वितीय प्रेरणार्थक
- Cसंयुक्त क्रिया
- Dनामधातु क्रिया
Explanation
The '-वाना/-वाया' suffix identifies a second causative verb, in which the subject has the work done through a medium/third person.
Question 4
In the sentence 'वह स्कूल जाकर पढ़ने लगा', the type of the verb 'जाकर' is—
- Aपूर्वकालिक क्रिया
- Bसंयुक्त क्रिया
- Cनामधातु क्रिया
- Dद्विकर्मक क्रिया
Explanation
A verb carrying the '-कर' suffix, which is completed before the same subject's next action, is called a conjunctive (purvakalik) verb.
Question 5
'लाज से लजाना' is an example of which type of verb?
- Aप्रेरणार्थक क्रिया
- Bनामधातु क्रिया
- Cसंयुक्त क्रिया
- Dद्विकर्मक क्रिया
Explanation
'लजाना', formed from the noun 'लाज', is a denominative verb — an example of a verb built from a noun/adjective.
Question 6
In the sentence 'शिक्षक ने विद्यार्थी को पुस्तक दी', the type of verb is—
- Aसकर्मक (एककर्मक)
- Bद्विकर्मक
- Cअकर्मक
- Dप्रेरणार्थक
Explanation
This sentence has two objects — the main object 'पुस्तक' and the secondary object 'विद्यार्थी को' — so this is a ditransitive verb.
Question 7
In the sentence 'वह खाना खा चुका है', 'चुका है' is a sanyukt kriya (compound verb) of which sense?
- Aआरंभबोधक
- Bसमाप्तिबोधक
- Cशक्तिबोधक
- Dनित्यताबोधक
Explanation
The auxiliary verb 'चुकना' shows the completion of an action (the work being finished), so this is a completion-sense compound verb.
Question 8
Which criterion should a teacher teach students in class for identifying sakarmak-akarmak (transitive-intransitive) verbs?
- Aक्रिया के साथ 'क्या/किसे' पूछकर देखें कि उत्तर (कर्म) मिलता है या नहीं
- Bक्रिया का काल पहचानें
- Cवाक्य में विशेषण खोजें
- Dक्रिया की वर्तनी जाँचें
Explanation
The 'क्या/किसे' question-test is the simplest and most reliable method, letting students identify transitive-intransitive verbs without confusion.
Question 9
About the verb 'पिलाया' in the sentence 'माँ ने बच्चे को दूध पिलाया', the correct statement is—
- Aयह प्रेरणार्थक भी है और सकर्मक भी, क्योंकि 'पीना' धातु से बनी है और इसका कर्म 'दूध' भी है
- Bयह केवल अकर्मक क्रिया है
- Cयह केवल नामधातु क्रिया है
- Dयह केवल पूर्वकालिक क्रिया है
Explanation
'पिलाना' is a causative verb formed from the root 'पीना', and since it also has an object ('दूध'), it is transitive as well.
Question 10
In the sentence 'वह उठते ही भागा', the underlined verb 'उठते ही' is of which type?
- Aपूर्वकालिक क्रिया
- Bसंयुक्त क्रिया
- Cसहायक क्रिया
- Dद्विकर्मक क्रिया
Explanation
Here 'उठते ही' is an action completed just before the subject's next action 'भागा', so it is a form of the conjunctive (purvakalik) verb.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is verb asked about in the REET exam?+
Usually by asking you to identify the type of an underlined verb in a sentence (transitive/intransitive/causative, etc.) or to choose the correct type from given options.
What's the main difference between transitive and intransitive verbs?+
A transitive verb's effect falls on an object (a thing/person) and answering 'what' gives an answer, while an intransitive verb's effect stays limited to the subject and there's no object.
How many forms does a causative verb have?+
Two — the first causative (the subject has someone directly do the work, like पढ़ाना) and the second causative (the subject has the work done through a third person, like पढ़वाना).
What's the difference between a compound verb and an auxiliary verb?+
An auxiliary verb joins the main verb to show only tense/voice (like 'जा रहा है'), while a compound verb, through the combination of two verbs, gives a new special sense (beginning, completion, ability) (like 'पढ़ने लगा').
How do you identify a ditransitive verb?+
A sentence in which the verb has two objects — a main object (a thing) and a secondary object (a person) — has a ditransitive verb, as in 'माँ ने बच्चे को दूध पिलाया', where 'दूध' is the main object and 'बच्चे को' is the secondary object.
Read Next
Visheshan (Adjective)
Types and identification of adjectives — the previous topic in REET Hindi grammar
Avyay (Indeclinable)
Types of indeclinables — the next topic in REET Hindi grammar
REET Syllabus
The complete official REET Level 1 and Level 2 syllabus in one place
REET 2024 Solved Paper
All solved REET 2024 questions, organised by subject
Change Log
- 17 September 2026 — English page published — mirrors the fact-checked Hindi page, independently bilingual-accuracy checked