Gerund vs Infinitive: The Choice That Changes Meaning
Gerunds और infinitives कब use करना है — कौन-से verbs कौन-सा form लेते हैं, दोनों possible हों तो meaning कैसे बदलता है — examples और practice के साथ।
कुछ verbs gerund (-ing) और infinitive (to + verb) दोनों ले सकते हैं। यह choice free नहीं है — इससे meaning बदल जाता है।
I stopped smoking. (मैंने छोड़ दिया।)
I stopped to smoke. (मैंने smoke करने के लिए रुका।)
Verb stop दोनों forms लेता है, लेकिन meaning पूरी तरह अलग है। यह article आपको सिखाता है कि कौन-से verbs कौन-सा form लेते हैं, और दोनों possible हों तो क्या होता है।
Related reading के लिए Error Spotting Tricks for Tenses और Fill in the Blanks Using Grammar Clues देखें।
एक gerund (-ing form जो noun की तरह use होता है) और एक infinitive (to + base verb) दोनों verbs के बाद आ सकते हैं, लेकिन pattern specific verb पर depend करता है।
- कुछ verbs सिर्फ gerunds लेते हैं: enjoy, avoid, mind, finish, practise, consider।
- कुछ verbs सिर्फ infinitives लेते हैं: decide, plan, hope, want, refuse, manage, promise।
- कुछ verbs दोनों लेते हैं, लेकिन meaning बदलता है: stop, remember, forget, try, regret, go on।
Rule box: Key verbs के बाद patterns याद करें। जब दोनों possible हों, meaning से choose करें।
I enjoy reading. (not “enjoy to read”)
She avoided meeting him.
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| Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| enjoy | I enjoy swimming. |
| avoid | He avoided answering. |
| mind | Do you mind waiting? |
| finish | She finished cooking. |
| practise | We practised speaking. |
| consider | They considered moving. |
| suggest | I suggest leaving early. |
| deny | He denied cheating. |
She decided to leave. (not “decided leaving”)
He planned to visit Delhi.
They hope to win.
| Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| decide | She decided to stay. |
| plan | We plan to travel. |
| hope | I hope to pass. |
| want | He wants to learn. |
| refuse | She refused to go. |
| manage | They managed to escape. |
| promise | He promised to help. |
| afford | We cannot afford to wait. |
ये सबसे important हैं सीखने के लिए क्योंकि gerund/infinitive choice sentence का meaning बदल देती है।
Stop:
I stopped smoking. (मैंने छोड़ दिया।)
I stopped to smoke. (मैंने smoke करने के लिए रुका।)
Remember:
I remember locking the door. (मुझे याद है मैंने lock किया था।)
I remember to lock the door. (मैं भूलता नहीं कि lock करना है।)
Forget:
I’ll never forget meeting her. (मैंने मिला; याद बनी रहेगी।)
I forgot to meet her. (मैं नहीं गया; भूल गया।)
Try:
I tried opening the window. (मैंने यह action experiment की।)
I tried to open the window. (मैंने try किया; success uncertain।)
Regret:
I regret telling him. (मैंने बताया; अब मुझे regret है।)
I regret to tell you. (मुझे inform करते हुए regret है।)
Go on:
She went on talking for an hour. (वह वही action continue करती रही।)
She went on to become a doctor. (कुछ और के बाद, उसने यह achieve किया।)
- Main verb identify करें। क्या gerund verb है, infinitive verb, या dual-meaning verb?
- अगर gerund-only: -ing use करें।
- अगर infinitive-only: to + base verb use करें।
- अगर dual-meaning: intended meaning check करें।
- Past action की memory → gerund
- Duty या future action → infinitive
- Purpose → infinitive
- Cessation → gerund
- Completed sentence पढ़ें। क्या meaning match करता है?
I enjoy to read.
Enjoy सिर्फ gerund लेता है।
I enjoy reading.
She decided going.
Decide सिर्फ infinitive लेता है।
She decided to go.
I stopped to smoke.
इसका मतलब “मैंने smoke करने के लिए रुका।” अगर आपका मतलब “मैंने छोड़ दिया”:
I stopped smoking.
- I enjoy reading novels. (gerund only)
- She decided to leave. (infinitive only)
- I stopped smoking. (quit the habit)
- I stopped to smoke. (paused for smoking)
- I remember locking the door. (past memory)
- Remember to lock the door. (don’t forget)
- I forgot to call her. (I didn’t call.)
- I’ll never forget visiting Paris. (memory of the trip)
- She tried to open the jar. (attempted)
- She tried adding salt. (experimented)
Wrong: I enjoy to read.
Right: I enjoy reading.
Enjoy हमेशा gerund लेता है।
Wrong: She decided going.
Right: She decided to go.
Decide हमेशा infinitive लेता है।
I stopped smoking. (मैंने छोड़ दिया।)
I stopped to smoke. (मैंने smoke करने के लिए रुका।)
Meaning opposite है। Difference सीखें।
I remember meeting her. (मुझे याद है।)
I remembered to meet her. (मैं भूला नहीं।)
Gerund = past memory। Infinitive = duty not forgotten।
ये verbs दोनों forms ले सकते हैं, meaning में बहुत कम फर्क।
I like swimming. = I like to swim.
हालाँकि specific occasions के लिए infinitive more common है:
I’d like to go now. (not “I’d like going now”)
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| I enjoy to read. | I enjoy reading. | Enjoy + gerund. |
| She decided going. | She decided to go. | Decide + infinitive. |
| I stopped to smoke. (meaning quit) | I stopped smoking. | Stop + gerund = quit. |
| I forgot meeting her. (meaning didn’t go) | I forgot to meet her. | Forget + infinitive = failed to remember. |
Correct option चुनें।
- I enjoy ___ in the morning.
a) to run b) running - She decided ___ the course.
a) joining b) to join - I stopped ___ last year. (quit)
a) to smoke b) smoking - Remember ___ the door. (don’t forget)
a) locking b) to lock - Error spotting: I enjoy to watch movies.
- Error spotting: He decided going home early.
- Error spotting: I stopped to rest. (meaning: I paused for rest — is this correct?)
- Fill in the blank: I forgot ___ her. (call / to call) — meaning: I didn’t call.
- Rewrite correctly: She enjoys to cook.
- Choose: I remember ___ the window. (closing / to close) — meaning: I have the memory.
- running — enjoy + gerund.
- to join — decide + infinitive.
- smoking — stop + gerund = quit.
- to lock — remember + infinitive = don’t forget.
- I enjoy watching movies.
- He decided to go home early.
- Correct — stop + infinitive = pause for purpose.
- to call — forget + infinitive = failed to remember.
- She enjoys cooking.
- closing — remember + gerund = past memory.
Rule: कुछ verbs gerunds लेते हैं, कुछ infinitives, और कुछ form से meaning बदलते हैं। Key patterns याद करें।
Memory trick: Gerund = क्या हुआ। Infinitive = क्या करना है।
ये revise करें:
- I enjoy reading.
- She decided to leave.
- I stopped smoking. (quit)
- Remember to lock the door. (don’t forget)