Wednesday, November 28, 2012

"WHAT IS THIS?" and "WHAT DOES IT MEAN?"


One of the most useful expressions that a Hindi student can learn are: “यह क्या है?” (Yah kyaa hai? – What is this?) or “मतलब?” (Matlab? – What does it mean? Or What do you mean?)

During my four years in India these have been the most used expressions by me. When living in a new culture, it is impossible to know the names of the things you’ve never seen before. Also people in every culture tend to use loads of idioms that need to be experienced in order to learn. That’s why it is a great idea to turn into a little child and keep asking the natives: “What is this?”, “Who is that?” and “What do you mean?”

In this post I’d like to introduce the main keywords that are mainly demonstrative pronouns (roughly introduced before), some question words and few very important nouns.  After that I am going to demonstrate the usage of these words in the examples. I would highly recommend learning these by heart in the first place when you are going to India. These are fun and they may become your invaluable tool when communicating in India, especially when you do not have a dictionary with you.

Our key vocabulary:

यह
yah
this
क्या
kyaa
what
मतलब
matlab
meaning
वह
vah
that
कौन
kaun
who
शब्द
shabd
word (Hindi)
ये
ye
these
लफ्ज़
lafz
word (Urdu)
वे
ve
those
चीज़
cheez
(thing; object)

Examples:

1. Asking what/who is this.

(For best results you might learn them by heart)

यह क्या है?
Yah kyaa hai?
What is this?

यह चीज़ क्या है?
Yah cheez kyaa hai?
What is this thing?

यह क्या चीज़ है?
Yah kyaa cheez hai?
What is this thing?

यह कौन है?
Yah kaun hai?
Who is this?

यह आदमी कौन है?
Yah aadmee kaun hai?
Who is this man?

यह औरत कौन है?
Yah aurat kaun hai?
Who is this woman?

यह महिला कौन है?
Yah mahilaa kaun hai?
Who is this lady?

वे लोग कौन है?
Ve log kaun hai?
Who are these people?

क्या मतलब है?
Kyaa matlab hai?
What does it mean?

मतलब क्या है?
Matlab kyaa hai?
What is the meaning?

इसका मतलब क्या है?
Iskaa matlab kyaa hai?
What is its meaning?

मतलब?
Matlab?
What do you mean? (lit. “Meaning?”)

इस शब्द का मतलब क्या है?
Is shabd kaa matlab kyaa hai?
What’s the meaning of this word?

इस लफ्ज़ का मतलब क्या है?
Is lafz kaa matlab kyaa hai?
What is the meaning of this word?

अर्थ क्या है?
Arth kyaa hai?
What is the meaning? (Another word for “meaning”)

More examples:

2. Asking whether it is what you thought it was.

क्या यह ताज महल है?
Kyaa yah Taaj Mahal hai?
Is this Taj Mahal?

क्या यह देवनागरी लिपि है?
Kyaa yah Devanagaree lipi hai?
Is this Devanagari script?

क्या यह आपका घर है?
Kyaa yah aapkaa ghar hai?
Is this your house?

क्या आज दीवाली है?
Kyaa aaj Deewaalee hai?
Is today Diwali?

3. A dialogue of an Englishman (or a foreigner) with an Indian friend. Asking about the names of Bollywood actors.

अँगरेज़: यह कौन है?
Angrez: Yah kaun hai?
Englishman: Who is this?

भारतवासी: यह आमिर खां है।
Bhaaratvaasee: Yah Aamir Khaan hai.
Indian: This is Aamir Khan.

अँगरेज़: और यह कौन है?
Angrez: Aur yah kaun hai?
Englishman : And who is this ?

भारतवासी: यह सलमान खां है।
Bhaaratvaasee: Yah Salmaan Khaan hai.
Indian: This is Salman Khan.

अँगरेज़: और यह कौन है? क्या यह ऋतिक रोशन है?
Angrez: Aur yah kaun hai? Kyaa yah Ritik Roshan hai?
Englishman: And who is this? Is this Ritik Roshan?

भारतवासी: नहीं, यह ऋतिक रोशन नहीं है. रणबीर कपूर है।
Bhaaratvaasee: Naheen, yah Ritik Roshan naheen hain. Ranbeer Kapoor hai.
Indian: No, this is not Ritik Roshan. It’s Ranbeer Kapoor.

अँगरेज़: अच्छा।
Angrez: Achchhaa.
Englishman: I see.

4. How to use the word “thing/object” in Hindi.

यह चीज़ क्या है?
Yah cheez kyaa hai?
What is this thing?

यह पायल है।
Yah paayal hai.
This is an anklet.

अच्छा।
Achchhaa.
I see.

5. How to use the word “meaning” and “word” in Hindi.

इस शब्द का मतलब क्या है?
Is shabd kaa matlab kyaa hai?
What is the meaning of this word?

इसका मतलब है "अच्छा"।
Iskaa matlab hai “achchhaa”.
Its meaning is “good”.

अच्छा।
Acchhaa.
I see. (lit. OK)

6. A dialogue where the word “meaning” is used.

लज़ीज़ का मतलब क्या है?
“Lazeez” kaa matlab kyaa hai?
What is the meaning of “lazeez”?

लज़ीज़ का मतलब "स्वादिष्ट" है।
“Lazeez” kaa matlab “svaadiShT” hai.
“Lazeez” means “delicious”.

अजीब बात है! दोनों शब्दों को एक जैसा अर्थ है।
Ajeeb baat hai! Donon shabdon ko ek jaisaa arth hai.
Strange! The both words have the same meaning!

"लज़ीज़" एक उर्दू लफ्ज़ है और "स्वादिष्ट" - एक हिंदी शब्द.
"Lazeez" ek Urdoo lafz hai aur "svaadiShT" - ek Hindi shabd.
"Lazeez" is an Urdu word and "svaadiShT" - a Hindi word.

अच्छा।
Accchhaa.
I see.

7. Asking the meaning of Hindi idioms.

भारतवासी: सलमान खां बहुत बड़े आदमी हैं. वे छोटे-मोटे आदमी से बात नहीं करते हैं।
Bhaaratvaasee: Salmaan Khaan bahut baDe aadmee hain. Ve chhoTe-moTe aadmee se baat naheen karte hain.
Indian: Salman Khaan is a very big man. He doesn’t speak to “small and fat” people.

अँगरेज़: जी,  वे जिम जाते हैं।
Angrez: Jee, ve gim jaate hain.
Englishman: Yes, he goes to a gym.

भारतवासी: नहीं. मेरा मतलब है वे बहुत मशहूर और आमिर आदमी है इसीलिए उसको "बड़ा" कहते है।
Bhaaratvaasee: Naheen. Meraa matlab hai ve bahut mashoor aur aamir aadmee hai iseeliye usko “baDaa” kahte hai.
No, I mean he is very famous and rich, that’s why they call him: “big man”.

अँगरेज़: अच्छा. और छोटे-मोटे आदमी कौन होते हैं?
Angrez: Achchhaa. Aur chhoTe-moTe aadmee kaun hote hain?
Englishman: I see. And who are “small and fat” people?

भारतवासी: छोटे-मोटे आदमी आम लोग होते हैं। मतलब मशहूर और आमिर नहीं होते हैं।
Bhaaratvaasee: ChhoTe-moTe aadmee aam log hote hain. Matlab mashoor aur aamir naheen hote hain.
Indian; “Small-fat” people are common people. I mean they are not famous and rich.

अँगरेज़: अच्छा. बहुत दिलचस्प बात है यह!
Angrez: Achchhaa. Bahut dilchasp baat hai yah!
Englishman: I see. This a very interesting thing!

Madhubani style primitive-tribal inspired painting of animals.
                                                    

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Saturday, November 10, 2012

BODY PARTS

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बांह
baanh
arm
(m)
पीठ
peeTh
back
(f)
रक्त
rakt
blood
(m)
खून
khoon
blood
(m)
रुधिर-वर्ग
rudhir-varg
blood group
(m)
रक्तचाप
raktchaap
blood pressure
शरीर
shareer
body
(m)
हड़्डी
haDDee
bone
(f)
हड्डियाँ
hadDDiyaan
bones
(f, pl)
मस्तिष्क
mastiShk
brain
(m)
स्तन
stan
breast
(m)
सांस
saans
breath
(f)
गाल
gaal
cheek
(m)
छाती
chhaatee
chest
(f)
ज़ुकाम
zukaam
cold
(m)
पाचन
paachan
digestion
(m)
कान
kaan
ear
(m)
कान
kaan
ears
(m)
कोहनी
kohnee
elbow
(f)
आँख
aankh
eye
(f)
भौं
bhaun
eyebrow
पलक
palk
eyelash
(f)
आंखें
aankhen
eyes
(f)
वसा
vasaa
fat
बुखार
bukhaar
fever
(m)
उंगली
unglee
finger
(f)
पैर
pair
foot
(m)
बाल
baal
hair
(m)
हाथ
haath
hand
(m)
सिर
sir
head
(m)
स्वास्थ्य
svasthya
health
(m)
तबियत
tabiyat
health
(f)
दिल
dil
heart
(m)
हृदय
hriday
heart
(m)
दिल की धड़कन
hridday kee dhaDhkan
heart beat
(m)
एड़ी
eDee
heel
(f)
ऊंचाई
unchaaee
height
(f)
नितंब
nitanb
hip
(m)
नितंब
nitanb
hips
(m)
बीमारी
beemaaree
illness
(f)
चोट
choT
injury
(m)
उनींदापन
aneendaapan
insomnia
जोड़
joD
joint
(m)
गुर्दा
gurdaa
kidney
(m)
घुटना
ghuTnaa
knee
(m)
टाँग
Taang
leg
(f)
होंठ
honTh
lip
(m)
होंठ
honTh
lips
(m)
कलेजा
kalejaa
liver
(m)
मन
man
mind
(m)
मुंह
moonh
mouth
(m)
मांसपेशी
maanspeshee
muscle
(f)
नाखून
naakhun
nail
(m)
गरदन
gardan
neck
अंग
ang
limb
(m)
कंधा
kandhaa
shoulder
(m)
कंधे
kandhe
shoulders
(m)
त्वचा
tvachaa
skin
(f)
नींद
neend
sleep
(f)
आत्मा
aatmaa
soul
(f)
रीढ़
reeDh
spine
(f)
पेट
peT
stomach
(m)
दांत
daant
teeth
(m)
जांघ
jaangh
thigh
(f)
गला
galaa
throat
(m)
पैर उँगली
pair oonglee
toe
(f)
जीभ
jeebh
tongue
(f)
दांत
daant
tooth
(m)
कमर
kamar
waist
(f)
कमज़ोरी
kamzoree
weakness
(f)
वजन
vajan
weight
(m)

Traditonal Rajasthani painting fragment (natural dye on starched cloth, illustrating  a wedding, bought from an art fair in NCR).