What is a tense?
A tense shows when an action happens. Marathi calls this काळ (kaal): वर्तमानकाळ (present), भूतकाळ (past) and भविष्यकाळ (future). Each time group has four forms: simple, continuous, perfect and perfect continuous.
The three forms of the verb used below are V1 (base form: go), V2 (past form: went) and V3 (past participle: gone).
Present tense group
Four present tense forms (वर्तमानकाळ)
| Tense | Structure | English example | Marathi meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Present साधा वर्तमानकाळ | Subject + V1 (add s/es for he, she, it) | She speaks English daily. | ती रोज इंग्रजी बोलते. |
| Present Continuous चालू वर्तमानकाळ | Subject + am/is/are + V-ing | I am speaking with my teacher. | मी माझ्या शिक्षकांशी बोलत आहे. |
| Present Perfect पूर्ण वर्तमानकाळ | Subject + has/have + V3 | They have finished the lesson. | त्यांनी धडा पूर्ण केला आहे. |
| Present Perfect Continuous पूर्ण चालू वर्तमानकाळ | Subject + has/have been + V-ing | He has been practising for one hour. | तो एक तासापासून सराव करत आहे. |
Use these tenses for:
- Simple Present: habits, facts, routines
- Present Continuous: actions happening now
- Present Perfect: finished actions with a result now
- Present Perfect Continuous: actions that began earlier and continue
Past tense group
Four past tense forms (भूतकाळ)
| Tense | Structure | English example | Marathi meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Past साधा भूतकाळ | Subject + V2 | I visited Pune yesterday. | मी काल पुण्याला गेलो होतो. |
| Past Continuous चालू भूतकाळ | Subject + was/were + V-ing | She was cooking when I called. | मी फोन केला तेव्हा ती स्वयंपाक करत होती. |
| Past Perfect पूर्ण भूतकाळ | Subject + had + V3 | The class had started before I reached. | मी पोहोचण्यापूर्वी वर्ग सुरू झाला होता. |
| Past Perfect Continuous पूर्ण चालू भूतकाळ | Subject + had been + V-ing | We had been waiting for two hours. | आम्ही दोन तासांपासून वाट पाहत होतो. |
Use these tenses for:
- Simple Past: finished actions at a known past time
- Past Continuous: an action in progress in the past
- Past Perfect: the earlier of two past actions
- Past Perfect Continuous: a long action before another past event
Future tense group
Four future tense forms (भविष्यकाळ)
| Tense | Structure | English example | Marathi meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Future साधा भविष्यकाळ | Subject + will + V1 | I will call you tomorrow. | मी उद्या तुम्हाला फोन करेन. |
| Future Continuous चालू भविष्यकाळ | Subject + will be + V-ing | At 6 pm, I will be teaching. | संध्याकाळी सहा वाजता मी शिकवत असेन. |
| Future Perfect पूर्ण भविष्यकाळ | Subject + will have + V3 | She will have completed the course by March. | मार्चपर्यंत तिने अभ्यासक्रम पूर्ण केलेला असेल. |
| Future Perfect Continuous पूर्ण चालू भविष्यकाळ | Subject + will have been + V-ing | By June, I will have been learning English for six months. | जूनपर्यंत मला इंग्रजी शिकून सहा महिने झाले असतील. |
Use these tenses for:
- Simple Future: decisions, promises, predictions
- Future Continuous: an action in progress at a future time
- Future Perfect: an action finished before a future time
- Future Perfect Continuous: duration up to a future time
Common tense mistakes and how to fix them
| Incorrect | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| He go to school. | He goes to school. | He/she/it takes s or es in the simple present. |
| I am knowing the answer. | I know the answer. | Verbs like know, like and want are not normally used in continuous form. |
| She didn't went. | She didn't go. | After did/didn't, use V1. |
| I have seen him yesterday. | I saw him yesterday. | With a finished time like yesterday, use the simple past. |
| I am living here since 2020. | I have been living here since 2020. | Use present perfect continuous with since/for. |
| I will call you when I will reach. | I will call you when I reach. | After when, if and as soon as, use the simple present for future meaning. |
लक्षात ठेवा: इंग्रजीत क्रियापदाचे रूप काळानुसार बदलते, म्हणून वाक्यात आधी काळ ठरवा आणि मग क्रियापद निवडा.
How do I choose the right tense?
- Decide when the action happens: now, before now or later.
- Decide whether it is a habit or fact, an action in progress, a finished action or a duration.
- Pick the matching form from the tables above.
- Check the verb form (V1, V2 or V3) and the helping verb.
To practise tenses in conversation, see our Intermediate Spoken English course, and read daily use English sentences with Marathi meaning for ready-to-use examples.