25A. The counter-to-fact
In Hindi if a speaker wishes to talk about actions
and events he knows not to have happened, he may use the
counter-to-fact (CTF):
Ag:r YakÙr z:ra Dy:an:
rK:t:a t:að us:ka raz: n: K:Øl:t:a.
'If the Thakur had been a little careful his
secret
would not have gotten out.'
Here the speaker knows that the Thakur was in fact not careful and that
his secret did in fact come out.
The counter-to-fact is formed by replacing the
ending that marks tense with the corresponding ending in -t:aH
t:Ø
g:O. Ag:r t:Øm:
j:at:ð&&&
(Simple
CTF)
'You
went.' 'Had
you gone...'
t:Øm: g:O
T:ð. Ag:r t:Øm: g:O
haðt:ð&&&
(Perfect
CTF)
'You had
gone.' 'Had
you gone...'
t:Øm: j:a rhð
T:ð. Ag:r t:Øm: j:a rhð
haðt:ð&&&
(Progressive
CTF)
'You were
going.' 'Had
you been
going...'
t:Øm: raðz: j:at:ð
T:ð. Ag:r t:Øm: raðz:
j:at:ð ( haðt:ð )&&& (Habitual
CTF)
'You went
daily.' 'Had
you gone
everyday...'
Note the absence of n:ð in the
simple CTF:
t:Øm:n:ð Vy:a
eky:a ? t:Øm: Vy:a krt:ð ?
'What did you do?' 'What
would you have done?'
The negative is usually n: (although n:hiø is also used):
m:òøn:ð kÙC n:hiø
kha. m:òø
kÙC n: kht:i.
'I said
nothing' 'I
would not have said anything.'
The simple CTF of stative T:a may
be haðt:a or simply T:a , especially in a "then" clause:
Ag:r Aap: eb:l:kÙl:
kÙS:l: s:ð haðt:iø t:að b:hØt: AcCa
haðt:a / T:a.
'It would be nice if you were in perfect
health.'
Of c:aehy:ð it
is c:aehy:ð T:a :
m:ðrð b:al:
kaXn:ð s:ð p:hl:ð t:Ømhðø qóùc:i
t:ðz: krn:i c:aehy:ð T:i.
'Before cutting my hair you should have
sharpepened
the scissors.'
Since the counter-to-fact refers to events whose
occurrence is excluded, we usually find it used in the past, since it is
in the past that we can be most positive that something has not occurred.
However, the CTF sometimes refers to the present and even to the
future:
div:an:c:nd Aaj: B:i S:ah
div:an:c:nd haðt:ð. ( py:ael:y:aú XÜXt:i hòø
H 73 )
'Divanchand would still be Lord Divanchand
today.'
Ag:r m:òø Aap:ki
j:g:h haðt:a t:að Ag:l:ð hFt:ð j:at:a.
'If I were you I would go next week.'
The counter-to-fact is frequently used in "if.....then...."
constructions:
Ag:r y:h qm:iz: rðS:m: ki
haðt:i t:að YNRð p:an:i m:ðø D:Øl:
j:at:i.
'If this shirt were made of silk it would come
clean in cold water.'
If such constructions refer to the past the simple CTF and the perfect CTF
can be used interchangeably. Compare:
y:ed t:Øm:n:ð
)ðm: S:bd ka )y:aðg: n: eky:a haðt:a t:að v:h
t:Ømhari b:at: z:-r m:an: l:ðt:a.
y:ed t:Øm: )ðm: S:bd
ka )y:aðg: n:
krt:iø t:að
us:n:ð z:-r t:Ømhari b:at: m:an: l:i haðt:i.
'If you had not used to word "love" then he
certainly
would have gone along with what you said.'
However, there are contexts where the
counter-to-fact acts as a kind of past subjunctive of desire (see 6A). In
these cases only the simple CTF may be used :
Aap:kað y:h c:aehy:ð
ek Q:ridn:ð s:ð p:hl:ð hi s:aðn:a t:aðl:
l:ðø.
'What you should do is weigh the gold before
buying
it.'
Aap:kað y:h c:aehy:ð
T:a ek Q:ridn:ð s:ð p:hl:ð s:aðn:a t:aðl:
l:ðt:ð.
'What you should have done was to weigh the gold
before buying it.'
Vy:a y:h z:-ri hò ek
t:Øm: eB:K:ari kað p:Üra Ok ,p:y:a dað.
'It is necessary for you to give the beggar a
whole
rupee ?'
Sometimes a difference in meaning (rather than a difference in tense)
determines the choice of subjunctive or counter-to-fact :
¡s*:y:aú c:aht:i
T:iø ek p:Ø,\: un:p:r z:Ølm: n: krðø.
'Women wanted men not to be cruel to
them.'
¡s*:y:aú c:aht:i
T:iø ek p:Ø,\: un:p:r z:Ølm: n: krt:ð.
'Women wished that men were not cruel to
them.'
m:òø Ab: B:i
us:ð v:h Aadm:i n:hiø s:m:J:t:i ej:s:kñ s:aT:
m:òø p:Üri ez:ndg:i kaX
s:kÝû / s:kt:i.
'I still dont consider him to be the man with whom
I could get / have gotten through a whole lifetime.'
The CTF is often found with kaS: ek&&& 'If
only...' :
kaS: ek m:òø y:h
B:aøp: j:at:a !
'If only I had guessed this!'
Drill 25A. The counter-to-fact.
For each of the following, find the corresponding
if-then sentence in the counter-to-fact. Examples :
us:ð Ap:n:ð m:n: ki
(ak n:hiø em:l:i. Es:el:y:ð us:ka m:ÜR Q:rab:
T:a.
Ag:r us:ð Ap:n:ð m:n:
ki (ak em:l: j:at:i t:að m:ÜR Q:rab: n:
haðt:a.
hm:ari p:rix:a Ag:l:ð
hFt:ð l:i j:a rhi hò. Y:h AcCa n:hiø hò.
hm:ari p:rix:a y:ed Ag:l:ð
hFt:ð n: l:i j:a rhi haðt:i t:að AcCa haðt:a.
1 Aas:m:an:
m:ðø s:Ürj: hò. Es:el:y:ð hm: D:rt:i p:r
hòø.
2 g:ØNRð
n:ð G:að_ð kað Xaøg: m:ari. Es:el:y:ð
t:aøg:ðv:al:a g:Øss:a hØAa.
3 Aaj: s:v:ðrð
s:ð D:Üp: en:kl:i n:hiø hò. Es:el:y:ð hm:
t:Ømharð s:aT: n:hiø c:l:ðøg:ð.
4 t:Øm: l:_n:a
p:s:nd krt:ð hað. Es:el:y:ð t:Øm: ep:Xð.
5 b:ðXð,
t:Ü Ap:n:ð Aap: p:r eRp:ðøR
n:hiø krt:a. y:h AcCa n:hiø.
6 v:h hm:arð p:et:
ka daðst: T:a. Es:el:y:ð hm:ðø Et:n:a Afs:aðs:
hØAa.
7 v:h Et:n:i s:Øst:
hò ek us:n:ð Ab: t:k Ap:n:i T:ies:s: p:Üri n:hiø
ki.
8 b:nda Q:rg:aðS:
j:òs:ð B:ag: g:y:a. t:B:i hm:ara p:iCa CÜX p:ay:a.
9 dz:iü n:ð
s:it:ð s:m:y: z:ra B:i Dy:an: n:hiø edy:a. Es:el:y:ð
p:òøX eb:n:a b:Xn:aðø kñ b:n: g:I.
10 B:Vt: l:aðg: B:g:v:an:
p:r As:l:i ev:Sv:as: n:hiø krt:ð T:ð. t:B:i un:p:r
s:økX ki y:h G:_i AaI.
11 t:Ü c:aúd p:r
T:Ük rha T:a. t:B:i t:ðrð m:Øúh p:r p:_a.
12 Es: Aadm:i kað s:iD:i
l:kir Q:iøc:n:i n:hiø Aat:i. Es:i s:ð Ap:n:ð kað
Eøj:ien:y:r khl:v:an:ð ka hq n:hiø
rK:t:a ?
13 Cb:n: kñ
Aøg:ÜYð m:ðø c:aðX l:g:i. v:h Ap:n:ð
Aap: qóùc:i t:ðz: krn:ð p:r t:Øl: g:y:a T:a.
14 s:al:a hm:s:ð
em:l:n:ð s:ð Vy:aðø kt:ra
g:y:a ? Es:el:y:ð ek
us:n:ð hm:ara p:òs:a hz:m: kr el:y:a.
15 Es: dØen:y:a
m:ðø hrðk Ezz:t: s:ð rh n:hiø s:kt:a. y:h ekt:n:i
b:Øri b:at: hò !
Drill 25A. Key.
1 Ag:r Aas:m:an:
m:ðø s:Ürj: n: haðt:a t:að hm: D:rt:i p:r n:
haðt:ð.
2 Ag:r / g:ØNRa
G:að_ð kað Xaøg: n: m:art:a // g:ØNRð n:ð G:að_ð kað
Xaøg: n: m:ari haðt:i / t:að t:aøg:ðv:al:a g:Øss:a
n: ( hØAa ) haðt:a.
3 Ag:r Aaj:
s:v:ðrð s:ð D:Üp: en:kl:i haðt:i t:að hm:
t:Ømharð s:aT: c:l:t:ð.
4 Ag:r t:Øm: l:_n:a
p:s:ød n: krt:ð ( haðt:ð ) t:að t:Øm: n: ep:Xt:ð.
5 b:ðXð,
Ag:r t:Ü Ap:n:ð Aap: p:r
eRp:ðøR krt:a t:að AcCa haðt:a.
6 Ag:r v:h hm:arð
p:et: ka daðst: n: haðt:a t:að hm:ðø Et:n:a
Afs:aðs: n: ( hØAa ) haðt:a.
7 Ag:r v:h Et:n:i
s:Øst: n: haðt:i t:að v:h Ab: t:k Ap:n:i T:ies:s:
p:Üri kr l:ðt:i. (or &&&us:n:p Ab: t:k Ap:n:i T:ies:s: p:Üri kr l:i
haðt:i. )
8 b:nda Ag:r
Q:rg:aðS: j:òs:ð n: B:ag:t:a t:að hm:ara p:iCa n:
CÜX p:at:a.
9 s:it:ð s:m:y: Ag:r
dz:iü z:ra B:i Dy:an: dðt:a t:að p:òøX eb:n:a
b:Xn:aðø kñ n: b:n:t:i.
10 B:Vt: l:aðg: y:ed
B:g:v:an: p:r As:l:i ev:Sv:as: krt:ð ( haðt:ð ) t:að un:p:r s:økX ki y:h G:_i n:
Aat:i ( or AaI
haðt:i ).
11 t:Ü Ag:r c:aúd p:r
n: T:Ük rha haðt:a t:að t:ðrð m:Øúh p:r
n: p:_t:a.
12 Ag:r Es: Aadm:i kað
s:iD:i l:kir K:iøc:n:i Aat:i haðt:i t:að Es:is:ð
Ap:n:ð kað Eøj:ien:y:r khl:v:an:ð ka hq
rK:t:a ?
13 Ag:r Cb:n: Ap:n:ð Aap:
qóc:i t:ðz: krn:ð p:r n: t:Øl:t:a t:að us:kñ
Aøg:ÜYð m:ðø c:aðX
n: / l:g:t:i // l:g:i haðt:i / .
14 s:al:a hm:ara p:òs:a
hz:m: n: krt:a t:að hm:s:ð em:l:n:ð s:ð
Vy:aðø kt:rat:a ?
15 Es: dØen:y:a
m:ðø hrðk Ezz:t: s:ð rh s:kt:a t:að ekt:n:i AcCi
b:at: haðt:i !
Exercise 25A. The counter-to-fact.
Translate into Hindi.
1. It would be good if there were more sweetness in
the Marathi ( m:raYi ) language.
2. The government should have paid more attention
to the question of land.
3. Who would have chased you away? Who was there
who would have recognized you?
4. I wish ( j:i
c:ahn:a ) that I had a daughter.
5. By the time the cane would have gotten ripe the
elephants would have pulled up all the plants, so I didn't put
( l:g:an:a ) any in.
6. My neice didn't think the Sardarji was a man
whom
she could have trusted for a whole ( B:r ) lifetime ( j:nm: ).
7. Was it so ( Oðs:a
Vy:a ) necessary that you celebrate my birthday before I got
back?
Key.
1 Ag:r m:raYi z:b:an:
m:ðø zy:ada em:Yas: haðt:i t:að AcCa haðt:a.
2 z:m:in: kñ s:v:al:
p:r s:rkar ( Aaòr ) zy:ada Dy:an:
dðn:a c:aehy:ð T:a.
s:rkar kað
c:aehy:ð T:a ek v:h z:m:in: kñ s:v:al: p:r zy:ada Dy:an:
dðt:i.
3 kaòn:
t:Ømhðø B:g:a dðt:a ? v:haú kaòn: T:a j:að t:Ømhðø
p:hc:an: l:ðt:a ?
4 j:i c:aht:a hò
ek ( or qaS:
ek ) m:ðrð l:_ki
haðt:i.
5 / g:nn:ð
kñ
p:kn:ð s:ð p:hl:ð hi // j:b: t:k g:nn:a p:kt:a / haT:i s:arð p:aòD:ð uK:a_ dðt:ð
Es:el:y:ð m:òøn:ð ( kaðI p:aòD:a ) n:hiø l:g:ay:a.
6 m:ðri B:t:ij:i
n:hiø s:aðc:t:i T:i ek s:rdarj:i Oðs:ð Aadm:i T:ð
ej:n:p:r ( ek ) v:h j:nm: B:r kñ el:y:ð B:raðs:a kr
s:kt:i.
7 Oðs:a Vy:a z:-ri
T:a ek t:Øm: / m:ðri
v:\:üg:aøY // m:ðra
j:n:m: edn: / m:ðrð
v:ap:s: / Aan:ð // l:aòXn:ð / s:ð p:hl:ð m:n:a l:ðt:ð ?