Present progressive (~ing)

② Nepali grammar rules

1. The -दै form and auxiliary

Compare पढ्दै छु (I am reading) / गर्दै छु (I am doing it) / खाँदै छु (I am eating) / जाँदै छु (I am going).
A progressive combines the action form with a छ-family auxiliary.
Spelling and nasalization depend on the stem; learn actual shapes such as पढ्दै and खाँदै.

2. Agreement on the auxiliary

म पढ्दै छु (I am reading) / हामी पढ्दै छौं (we are reading) / उहाँ पढ्दै हुनुहुन्छ (he/she is reading, respectful) share पढ्दै.
The final auxiliary marks person/respect.
Do not invent a progressive by mixing pieces of a finite present form.

3. Comparing -रहेको

Both गर्दै छु (I am doing it) and गरिरहेको छु (I am doing it) can describe ongoing action.
The latter combines गरि + रहेको + छु.
Forms such as रहेकी/रहेका occur according to agreement; रहेको is not a universally invariant piece.

4. Negative and past progressive

पढ्दै छैनँ (I am not reading) denies reading in progress; पढ्दै थिएँ (I was reading) locates it in the past.
The auxiliary carries polarity/time while पढ्दै remains. पढ्दिनँ is instead a habitual/intentional negative.

5. Progressive noun modifiers

पढिरहेको मान्छे (the person who is reading) is a person reading; मान्छे पढिरहेको छ (the person is reading) is a complete clause.
Do not retain the finite छ inside the modifier before मान्छे.
See topic 29 for noun modification.

A reference table for comparing personal forms

Do not add ले merely because the action verb is transitive.