काम करना (kaam karnaa)

verb A compound built from काम (kaam, 'work') plus करना (karnaa, 'to do'); covers both the literal 'to work/do a job' and the extended 'to function, take effect' sense used for machines, medicines, and plans.
Sense 1 : to work, do a job
verb, intransitive
Synonyms: नौकरी करना (naukrii karnaa, 'to hold a job'), मेहनत करना (mehnat karnaa, emphasizes effort)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Ask someone तुम क्या काम करते हो? (tum kyaa kaam karte ho?, 'what work do you do?') and you're really asking about their profession -- this phrase is the everyday equivalent of 'what do you do for a living' all across Delhi-NCR offices and chai stalls alike.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often say मैं काम करता (main kaam kartaa) forgetting the है (hai) needed in habitual present -- the auxiliary cannot be dropped as it sometimes is in casual English. 2) Do not confuse with काम आना (kaam aanaa, 'to be useful'), which is a different expression with a different verb.
Sample Sentences:
तुम क्या काम करते हो? What work do you do?
(tum kyaa kaam karte ho?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मैं एक दफ्तर में काम करता हूँ। I work in an office.
(main ek daphtar men kaam kartaa hoon।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह कल रात भर काम करती रही। She kept working all night yesterday.
(vah kal raat bhar kaam kartii rahii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उसने पिछले साल एक बैंक में काम किया था। He had worked at a bank last year.
(usne pichhle saal ek baink men kaam kiyaa thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
कल तुम कहाँ काम करोगे? Where will you work tomorrow?
(kal tum kahaan kaam karoge?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
ज़रा मन लगाकर काम करो। Work with a little focus, will you.
(zaraa man lagaakar kaam karo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर उसे यह नौकरी मिल जाती, तो वह विदेश में काम करता। If he had gotten this job, he would have worked abroad.
(agar use yah naukrii mil jaatii, to vah videsh men kaam kartaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
मुझे लगता है कि उसे थोड़ा कम काम करना चाहिए। I think he should work a little less.
(mujhe lagtaa hai ki use thodaa kam kaam karnaa chaahie।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यह काम बड़ी मेहनत से किया गया था। This work was done with a great deal of effort.
(yah kaam badii mehnat se kiyaa gayaa thaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
वह सुबह से शाम तक खेतों में काम करता है। He works in the fields from morning till evening.
(vah subah se shaam tak kheton men kaam kartaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
आजकल वह किसी एनजीओ के लिए काम कर रही है। These days she is working for some NGO.
(aajkal vah kisii enjiio ke lie kaam kar rahii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : to function, take effect (of machines, medicine, plans)
verb, intransitive Subject is typically an inanimate thing (a machine, a medicine, a trick, a plan) rather than a person; this is the extended, metaphorical sibling of the 'to labor' sense above.
Synonyms: चलना (chalnaa, 'to run, operate'), असर करना (asar karnaa, 'to have an effect', used especially for medicine)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear this constantly about gadgets and jugaad fixes -- यह जुगाड़ काम कर गया (yah jugaad kaam kar gayaa, 'this makeshift fix worked') captures a very Delhi sensibility of improvised solutions actually paying off.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for चलना (chalnaa) in every context, but काम करना (kaam karnaa) is the natural choice when talking about whether a remedy, plan, or device is having its intended effect, e.g. यह दवा काम कर रही है (yah davaa kaam kar rahii hai, 'this medicine is working').
Sample Sentences:
यह पुरानी मशीन अब भी काम करती है। This old machine still works.
(yah puraanii mashiin ab bhii kaam kartii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मेरा फ़ोन कल से काम नहीं कर रहा है। My phone hasn't been working since yesterday.
(meraa fon kal se kaam nahiin kar rahaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यह जुगाड़ काम कर गया! This makeshift fix worked!
(yah jugaad kaam kar gayaa!)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यह दवा तुरंत काम करेगी। This medicine will take effect immediately.
(yah davaa turant kaam karegii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
अगर यह ट्रिक काम कर जाए तो मज़ा आ जाए। If this trick works, that would be great.
(agar yah trik kaam kar jaae to mazaa aa jaae।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
अगर उसकी योजना काम करती, तो हमें इतना नुकसान न होता। If his plan had worked, we wouldn't have suffered such a loss.
(agar uskii yojnaa kaam kartii, to hamen itnaa nuksaan n hotaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
यह उपाय हर बार काम करता है। This remedy works every time.
(yah upaay har baar kaam kartaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
एसी ठीक से काम नहीं कर रहा, मिस्त्री को बुलाओ। The AC isn't working properly, call the repairman.
(esii thiik se kaam nahiin kar rahaa, mistrii ko bulaao।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
शायद यह नुस्खा उसके लिए काम कर जाए। Maybe this remedy will work for him.
(shaayad yah nuskhaa uske lie kaam kar jaae।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
इस कंपनी की नई रणनीति काम कर चुकी है। This company's new strategy has already worked.
(is kampnii kii naii ranniiti kaam kar chukii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यह प्रणाली दक्षतापूर्वक काम करती है, यह अध्ययन में सिद्ध हुआ। This system functions efficiently, as was proven in the study.
(yah pranaalii dakshtaapoorvak kaam kartii hai, yah adhyyan men siddh huaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
Morphology
Verb (irregular)
infinitive: काम करना (kaam karnaa)
infinitive oblique: काम करने (kaam karne)
habitual/simple (sg.m): काम करता (kaam kartaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m): काम करते (kaam karte)
habitual/simple (sg.f): काम करती (kaam kartii)
habitual/simple (pl.f): काम करतीं (kaam kartiin)
continuous (sg.m): काम कर रहा (kaam kar rahaa)
continuous (pl.m): काम कर रहे (kaam kar rahe)
continuous (sg.f): काम कर रही (kaam kar rahii)
continuous (pl.f): काम कर रहीं (kaam kar rahiin)
perfective (sg.m): काम किया (kaam kiyaa)
perfective (pl.m): काम किए (kaam kie)
perfective (sg.f): काम की (kaam kii)
perfective (pl.f): काम कीं (kaam kiin)
imperative (informal): काम कर (kaam kar)
imperative (neutral): काम करो (kaam karo)
imperative (formal): काम कीजिए (kaam kiijie)
future (1sg.m): काम करूँगा (kaam karoongaa)
future (1sg.f): काम करूँगी (kaam karoongii)
future (1pl.m): काम करेंगे (kaam karenge)
future (1pl.f): काम करेंगी (kaam karengii)
future (2sg.m): काम करेगा (kaam karegaa)
future (2sg.f): काम करेगी (kaam karegii)
future (2pl.m): काम करोगे (kaam karoge)
future (2pl.f): काम करोगी (kaam karogii)
future (3sg.m): काम करेगा (kaam karegaa)
future (3sg.f): काम करेगी (kaam karegii)
future (3pl.m): काम करेंगे (kaam karenge)
future (3pl.f): काम करेंगी (kaam karengii)
subjunctive (1sg): काम करूँ (kaam karoon)
subjunctive (1pl): काम करें (kaam karen)
subjunctive (2sg): काम करे (kaam kare)
subjunctive (2pl): काम करो (kaam karo)
subjunctive (3sg): काम करे (kaam kare)
subjunctive (3pl): काम करें (kaam karen)