3.1.2 Habitual versus ongoing actions

Habitual versus ongoing actions

In Urdu, both habitual actions and ongoing actions often relate to the continuous markers رہا، رہی، رہے, which you met in the parent chapter. This chapter focuses only on the difference of meaning and usage between what happens as a habit or regularly, and what is happening right now or around now.

We will compare meanings, show the most common patterns, and give you many examples.

Habitual actions: what usually or regularly happens

A habitual action is something that happens again and again: every day, every week, usually, often, always.

In Urdu, you usually show habit with:

1. Present simple forms with ہوتا / ہوتے / ہوتی
2. Adverbs of frequency like ہمیشہ (always), اکثر (often), کبھی کبھی (sometimes), روزانہ (daily)

Using ہوتا / ہوتے / ہوتی

The verb ہونا “to be” has special habitual forms:

These forms attach to verb stems to show regular or typical action.

Pattern (statement, habitual):

• Subject + object + verb-stem + ہوتا / ہوتی / ہوتے + ہے / ہیں

Simple habitual examples

• میں صبح جلدی اٹھتا ہوں۔
  Main subah jaldi uthtā hūn.
  I get up early in the morning. (habitual)
• وہ رات کو دیر سے سوتی ہے۔
  Woh raat ko der se sotī hai.
  She sleeps late at night. (habitual)

These examples show habitual meaning without ہوتا. The simple present in Urdu often already has a habitual feel in the right context.

Now see examples with ہوتا:

• میں عام طور پر آٹھ بجے اٹھتا ہوں، لیکن کبھی کبھی نو بجے اٹھتا رہتا ہوں۔
  Main ʿaam taur par āṭh bajé uthtā hūn, lekin kabhī kabhī nau bajé uthtā rehtā hūn.
  I usually get up at eight, but sometimes I keep getting up at nine.
• وہ ہر روز دفتر جاتا ہے۔
  Woh har roz daftar jātā hai.
  He goes to the office every day. (habitual)
• بچے شام کو باہر کھیلتے ہیں۔
  Bachche shām ko bāhar khēlté hain.
  The children play outside in the evening. (habitual)

In these everyday sentences, the simple present already expresses habitual action.

Habitual with explicit adverbs

To make the habit very clear, Urdu uses adverbs:

Examples:

• میں ہمیشہ ناشتہ کرتا ہوں۔
  Main hamesha nāshta kartā hūn.
  I always have breakfast.
• وہ اکثر اُردو بولتی ہے۔
  Woh aksar Urdu boltī hai.
  She often speaks Urdu.
• ہم کبھی کبھی فلم دیکھنے جاتے ہیں۔
  Hum kabhī kabhī film dekhne jāté hain.
  We sometimes go to watch a movie.

These sentences describe patterns over time, not something happening exactly now.

Ongoing actions: what is happening now or around now

An ongoing action is something that is in progress, happening now, or happening around the current period.

You already know the basic continuous pattern with رہا / رہی / رہے. Here we only focus on its meaning as ongoing, not as habit.

Pattern (present continuous, ongoing):

• Subject + object + verb-stem + رہا / رہی / رہے + ہے / ہوں / ہیں

Simple ongoing examples

• میں اُردو پڑھ رہا ہوں۔
  Main Urdu paṛh rahā hūn.
  I am studying Urdu. (right now / these days)
• وہ کھانا بنا رہی ہے۔
  Woh khānā banā rahī hai.
  She is cooking food.
• بچے باہر کھیل رہے ہیں۔
  Bachche bāhar khēl rahé hain.
  The children are playing outside.

These describe actions in progress now.

Ongoing around now, not exactly at this second

Urdu present continuous can also mean something happening in this period, like “these days”.

• میں آج کل ایک نیا پروجیکٹ کر رہا ہوں۔
  Main āj kal ek nayā project kar rahā hūn.
  I am working on a new project these days.
• وہ آج کل فرانسیسی سیکھ رہی ہے۔
  Woh āj kal Farānsīsi sīkh rahī hai.
  She is learning French these days.
• ہم اس ہفتے لاہور جا رہے ہیں۔
  Hum is hafté Lahaur jā rahé hain.
  We are going to Lahore this week.

Here the action is ongoing in the current time frame, not a general habit.

Direct contrasts: habitual vs ongoing

Now we compare pairs of sentences that differ only in aspect. This will help you feel the meaning.

Example pair 1: work

• میں دفتر جاتا ہوں۔
  Main daftar jātā hūn.
  I go to the office. (generally, as a habit)
• میں دفتر جا رہا ہوں۔
  Main daftar jā rahā hūn.
  I am going to the office. (right now / on my way)

Example pair 2: study

• وہ ہر روز اُردو پڑھتی ہے۔
  Woh har roz Urdu paṛhtī hai.
  She studies Urdu every day. (habit)
• وہ اُردو پڑھ رہی ہے۔
  Woh Urdu paṛh rahī hai.
  She is studying Urdu. (at the moment / these days)

Example pair 3: live

• وہ کراچی میں رہتا ہے۔
  Woh Karāchī mein rehtā hai.
  He lives in Karachi. (permanent or usual residence)
• وہ کچھ مہینوں سے کراچی میں رہ رہا ہے۔
  Woh kuchh mahīnon se Karāchī mein reh rahā hai.
  He has been living in Karachi for a few months. (ongoing period)

Example pair 4: teach

• وہ سکول میں انگریزی پڑھاتا ہے۔
  Woh school mein Angrēzi paṛhātā hai.
  He teaches English at school. (as a job, habit)
• وہ اب انٹرنیٹ پر کلاس دے رہا ہے۔
  Woh ab internet par class dé rahā hai.
  He is giving a class on the internet now. (ongoing action)

Example pair 5: eat

• میں عام طور پر صبح نو بجے ناشتہ کرتا ہوں۔
  Main ʿaam taur par subah nau bajé nāshta kartā hūn.
  I usually have breakfast at nine in the morning. (habit)
• میں ابھی ناشتہ کر رہا ہوں۔
  Main abhi nāshta kar rahā hūn.
  I am having breakfast right now. (ongoing)

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Time expressions that signal habit vs ongoing

Certain words and phrases will often tell you which interpretation is more natural.

Habitual time expressions

These are usually paired with simple present (with or without ہوتا).

Examples:

• وہ عام طور پر گھر پر کھانا کھاتی ہے۔
  Woh ʿaam taur par ghar par khānā khātī hai.
  She usually eats at home.
• میں ہر ہفتے اپنے دوستوں سے ملتا ہوں۔
  Main har hafté apné doston se miltā hūn.
  I meet my friends every week.

Ongoing time expressions

These are very common with continuous aspect.

Examples:

• میں ابھی اُردو سن رہا ہوں۔
  Main abhi Urdu sun rahā hūn.
  I am listening to Urdu right now.
• وہ آج کل بہت ورزش کر رہی ہے۔
  Woh āj kal bahut warzish kar rahī hai.
  She is exercising a lot these days.
• ہم اِس دنوں امتحان کی تیاری کر رہے ہیں۔
  Hum is dinon imtiḥān kī tayyārī kar rahé hain.
  These days we are preparing for the exam.

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Combined meaning: regular but also ongoing

Sometimes both habitual and ongoing meanings are present. In that case, context is important.

Example: “He is working a lot these days”

• وہ آج کل بہت کام کرتا ہے۔
  Woh āj kal bahut kām kartā hai.
  These days he works a lot.
  Meaning: in this period, his general, repeated amount of work is high.
• وہ آج کل بہت کام کر رہا ہے۔
  Woh āj kal bahut kām kar rahā hai.
  These days he is doing a lot of work.
  Meaning: emphasizes ongoing, active work in this time frame.

Both are possible, and the difference is subtle. The first leans more to a changed habit, the second to visible ongoing activity.

Example: “I am studying Urdu these days”

• میں آج کل اُردو پڑھتا ہوں۔
  Main āj kal Urdu paṛhtā hūn.
  These days I study Urdu.
  Focus: new or current habit.
• میں آج کل اُردو پڑھ رہا ہوں۔
  Main āj kal Urdu paṛh rahā hūn.
  These days I am studying Urdu.
  Focus: engaged in the process of studying.

Both options are natural, and context decides which feels better.

Typical learner mistakes and how to avoid them

1. Using present continuous for permanent facts

English often uses present continuous for temporary situations:
“I am living in Lahore these days.”

Urdu allows this, but you must be careful not to use continuous for clear general truths.

Incorrect or odd:

• ✗ پانی اُبال رہا ہے سو ڈگری پر۔
  Pānī ubāl rahā hai sau degree par.
  This sounds strange as a general fact.

Better habitual / general truth:

• ✓ پانی سو ڈگری پر اُبلتا ہے۔
  Pānī sau degree par ubaltā hai.
  Water boils at 100 degrees.

2. Using habitual forms for one-time events

If something is happening only now, do not use a habitual pattern.

Incorrect:

• ✗ میں اب کھانا کھاتا ہوں۔
  Main ab khānā khātā hūn.
  This sounds like “I eat now (as a habit).”

Correct:

• ✓ میں اب کھانا کھا رہا ہوں۔
  Main ab khānā khā rahā hūn.
  I am eating now.

3. Forgetting gender and number agreement

Both habitual and continuous forms must agree with gender and number.

Habitual examples:

• وہ کھاتا ہے۔
  Woh khātā hai.
  He eats.
• وہ کھاتی ہے۔
  Woh khātī hai.
  She eats.

Continuous examples:

• وہ کھا رہا ہے۔
  Woh khā rahā hai.
  He is eating.
• وہ کھا رہی ہے۔
  Woh khā rahī hai.
  She is eating.

Plural:

• وہ لوگ کھاتے ہیں۔
  Woh log khāté hain.
  They eat.
• وہ لوگ کھا رہے ہیں۔
  Woh log khā rahé hain.
  They are eating.

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Signal words in context: mini dialogues

Here are short dialogues showing habit versus ongoing usage.

Dialogue 1: Daily routine

A: آپ کیا کرتے ہیں؟
Aap kyā karté hain?
What do you do? (as a job)

B: میں ایک سکول میں پڑھاتا ہوں۔
Main ek school mein paṛhātā hūn.
I teach at a school. (habit, profession)

A: اور آج کل کیا کر رہے ہیں؟
Aur āj kal kyā kar rahé hain?
And what are you doing these days?

B: میں آج کل ایک نیا کورس بھی پڑھا رہا ہوں۔
Main āj kal ek nayā course bhī paṛhā rahā hūn.
These days I am also teaching a new course. (ongoing project)

Dialogue 2: Exercise

A: کیا آپ ورزش کرتے ہیں؟
Kyā aap warzish karté hain?
Do you exercise?

B: جی، میں روزانہ ورزش کرتا ہوں۔
Jī, main rozāna warzish kartā hūn.
Yes, I exercise daily. (habit)

A: ابھی کیا کر رہے ہیں؟
Abhī kyā kar rahé hain?
What are you doing right now?

B: میں ابھی جم میں دوڑ رہا ہوں۔
Main abhī gym mein dauṛ rahā hūn.
I am running in the gym right now. (ongoing)

Dialogue 3: Reading habits

A: کیا آپ کتابیں پڑھتے ہیں؟
Kyā aap kitābé paṛhté hain?
Do you read books?

B: جی ہاں، میں اکثر کتابیں پڑھتی ہوں۔
Jī hān, main aksar kitābé paṛhtī hūn.
Yes, I often read books. (habit)

A: اس وقت کیا پڑھ رہی ہیں؟
Is waqt kyā paṛh rahī hain?
What are you reading at the moment?

B: میں اس وقت ایک اُردو ناول پڑھ رہی ہوں۔
Main is waqt ek Urdu nāwal paṛh rahī hūn.
I am reading an Urdu novel right now. (ongoing activity)

Summary of key differences

Vocabulary list for this chapter

This chapter has focused on meaning differences between habitual and ongoing actions. The detailed grammar of forms like رہا / رہی / رہے belongs to the parent chapter and other grammar references.