Present Tense of 'Hovu' (To Be)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The verb 'Hovu' (to be) is the foundation of Gujarati; it changes based on the subject (I, you, he/she/it).
- Use 'chu' for 'I am' (Hu chu).
- Use 'che' for 'He/She/It is' (Te che).
- Use 'cho' for 'You are' (Tame cho).
Hovu Present Tense Conjugation
| Pronoun | Gujarati | English |
|---|---|---|
|
Hu
|
chu
|
I am
|
|
Tame
|
cho
|
You are
|
|
Te
|
che
|
He/She/It is
|
|
Ame
|
chiye
|
We are
|
|
Teo
|
che
|
They are
|
Meanings
The verb 'Hovu' expresses existence, identity, or state of being.
Identity
Stating who or what someone is.
“Hu Amit chu.”
“Te mari mata che.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subject + Object + Verb
|
Hu vidhyarthi chu.
|
|
Negative
|
Subject + Object + nathi
|
Hu vidhyarthi nathi.
|
|
Question
|
Shu + Subject + Object + Verb?
|
Shu tame vidhyarthi cho?
|
|
Short Answer
|
Yes/No
|
Ha, hu chu.
|
طيف الرسمية
Hu vidhyarthi chu. (Introduction)
Hu vidhyarthi chu. (Introduction)
Hu vidhyarthi chu. (Introduction)
Hu student chu. (Introduction)
Hovu Usage Map
Identity
- Hu chu I am
Location
- Te che He is
أمثلة حسب المستوى
Hu khush chu.
I am happy.
Te shikshak che.
He is a teacher.
Tame kon cho?
Who are you?
Ame mitro chiye.
We are friends.
Hu tya nathi.
I am not there.
Shu tame doctor cho?
Are you a doctor?
Teo ghare che.
They are at home.
Hu vyast chu.
I am busy.
Aa pustak maru che.
This book is mine.
Tame kyare free cho?
When are you free?
Ame office ma chiye.
We are in the office.
Teo khub dayalu che.
They are very kind.
Jya sudhi hu chu, tya sudhi chinta nathi.
As long as I am here, there is no worry.
Teo jem che tem rahe che.
They remain as they are.
Tame je cho te satya che.
What you are is the truth.
Ame jya chiye tya khush chiye.
We are happy where we are.
Hovu ke na hovu, ae prashna che.
To be or not to be, that is the question.
Teo jeva che teva j rahe.
Let them remain as they are.
Hu chu tyare tame kyam cho?
When I am here, where are you?
Ame jya chiye te sthan uttam che.
The place where we are is excellent.
Astitva nu hovu ae param satya che.
The existence of being is the ultimate truth.
Teo je chhe te chhe.
They are what they are.
Hu chu ane rahis.
I am and shall remain.
Ame chiye tyare koi bhay nathi.
When we are present, there is no fear.
سهل الخلط
Both can mean 'to be' in some contexts.
أخطاء شائعة
Hu chu vidhyarthi.
Hu vidhyarthi chu.
Hu che vidhyarthi.
Hu chu vidhyarthi.
Tame chu vidhyarthi.
Tame cho vidhyarthi.
Teo chiye vidhyarthi.
Teo che vidhyarthi.
Hu nathi chu.
Hu chu nathi.
Shu hu chu?
Shu hu chu?
Teo che nathi.
Teo nathi.
Hu che tya.
Hu tya chu.
Ame che mitro.
Ame mitro chiye.
Teo cho ghare.
Teo ghare che.
Hovu che saru.
Hovu saru che.
Te che jya.
Te jya che.
Hu chu jya.
Hu jya chu.
أنماط الجُمل
Hu ___ chu.
Real World Usage
Hu Rahul chu.
Verb Placement
Smart Tips
Focus on the end of the sentence.
النطق
Chu
Pronounced like 'choo' in 'choose'.
Question
Tame kon cho? ↑
Rising intonation for questions.
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
Chu for me, Cho for you, Che for he/she/it.
ربط بصري
Imagine a 'Chu' (mouse) saying 'I am here'. Imagine a 'Cho' (chopping) motion when pointing at 'you'.
Rhyme
Hu chu, Tame cho, Te che, Ame chiye, Teo che.
Story
I am (Hu chu) a traveler. You are (Tame cho) my guide. He is (Te che) the driver. We are (Ame chiye) a team.
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Write 5 sentences about your family using Hovu.
ملاحظات ثقافية
Respect is shown by using 'Tame' instead of 'Tu'.
Derived from Sanskrit 'bhu' (to be).
بدايات محادثة
Tame kon cho?
مواضيع للكتابة اليومية
أخطاء شائعة
Test Yourself
Hu vidhyarthi ___.
Score: /1
تمارين تطبيقية
1 exercisesHu vidhyarthi ___.
Score: /1
الأسئلة الشائعة (1)
No, it does not.
Scaffolded Practice
1
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Ser/Estar
Gujarati does not distinguish between permanent and temporary states.
Être
Gujarati is simpler in conjugation.
Sein
Gujarati word order is strictly SOV.
Desu
Japanese particles are different.
Ana
Gujarati requires the copula.
Shi
Gujarati conjugates for person.
