Posts under "Hindi Language"

Short Stories in Hindi – Crow’s Struggle

Posted by Nitin Kumar No Comments
Feb 9 2012

Let me share a quite popular short motivational story in Hindi. This story is being taught in elementary school in India. It talk about a crow and his struggle to save his live.

Read it and try to comprehend it. I have provided a literal translation at the end of story so maybe it can help you to figure out the context.

एक बार की बात है. एक जंगल में एक कौआ रहता था. एक बहुत गरम दिन उसे बहुत जोर से प्यास लगी. पानी की खोज में वह बहुत इधर-उधर उड़ा परन्तु बहुत खोजने पर भी उसे कही पानी नहीं मिला. जब वो बहुत तक गया तब उससे एक घड़ा दिखा. उस घड़े में बहुत कम पानी था. कौवे ने उस घड़े से पानी पीने का प्रयास किया मगर उसकी चोंच पानी तक ना पहुंच पाई.  कौआ बहुत उदास हो गया. अचानक उसे एक उपाय सुझा. वो इधर – उधर से एक-एक कर बहुत से कंकड़ – पत्थर इकट्टे करने लगा. फिर वो कंकड़ – पत्थर एक-एक कर अपनी चोंच से उस घड़े में डालने लगा. कुछ देर बाद ही घड़े का पानी, डाले गए पत्थरों से उप्पर आ गया और कौवे ने पानी से अपनी प्यास बुझाई.

एक तरह से कौवे ने अपनी चतुराई, मेहनत और धैर्य से अपनी प्यास बुझा कर अपना जीवन बचाया !

 

Once upon a time, there lived a crow in a jungle. On a hot day, he got very thirsty. To search water, he flew her but he couldn’t see water anywhere. When he got very tired, he saw a water pot. Water pot had some water but the water level was low. Crow had tried to drink water from the pot but his beak could not reach to the water level. He got very sad. Suddenly, he stuck with an idea. From everywhere, he collected  many stones. Then he poured each of the stone, one after another with the help of his beak.  After some time, the water level raised and crow can drink the water from the pot.

And that’s how, a clever, hardworking and patient crow quenched his thirst and saved his life.

 

 

Sabzi – Indian Cooked Vegetables

Posted by Nitin Kumar No Comments
Jan 30 2012

When you imagine, you might imagine that north Indian cuisine is limited to Curry based dishes that you might have seen on TV or in an Indian restaurant. But this is a myth, we love to cook many vegetables dry than with the curry.

सब्जी (Cooked Vegetables) is that every Indian cook in their home everyday. Let me show you some of the common vegetables. Little grammar info, “की” (Ki) is indicator of possessive case i.e. Potato’s Vegetable.

1. आलू की सब्जी (Aloo Ki Sabzi – Potato Based Cooked Vegetables)

Aloo ki Sabzi

Aloo ki Sabzi

Potatoes are harvested and available in abundant and are also inexpensive. Potato based dishes could be with curry or without it. You just need few species, edible oil, potatoes, tomatoes etc in frying pan to fry them. Then just add some water and boil them till water evaporate and you can taste the delicious आलू की सब्जी.

2. पालक आलू की सब्जी (Palak Aloo Ki Sabzi – Spinach and Potato Based Cooked Vegetables)

Palak Aloo ki Sabzi

Palak Aloo ki Sabzi

पालक (Spinach) is green and healthy and we understand it as well. This dish is quite simple to make once you have separated the spinach and boiled it. To the boiled spinach, just add some edible oil, species, red or green chilly and boiled potatoes and you are done.

3.भिन्डी की सब्जी (Bhindi Ki Sabzi – Ladyfinger’s Based Cooked Vegetables)

Bhindi ki Sabzi

Bhindi ki Sabzi

भिन्डी की सब्जी (ladyfinger’s based cooked vegetable) is very famous but seasonal. It is also one of my favorite. Not very hard to cook. You would need to wash and cut them in small slices and fry them with edible oil, onions, green chillies, spice, little water and some tomatoes.

4. फूलगोभी की सब्जी (Phul Gobhi ki Sabzi  – Cauliflower Based Cooked Vegetables)

Gobhi Aloo ki Sabzi

Gobhi Aloo ki Sabzi

फूलगोभी  (Cauliflower) can be cooked with potatoes and I must tell you, it tastes delicious. You just need some edible oil, species, potatoes, cauliflower, water and pot or frying pan. Just make sure, you have hand picked flowers from the cauliflower (through root) . Then slice them and put in the pan or pot along with above mentioned ingredient. Best cooked on low flame.

Word Pairs – II

Posted by Nitin Kumar 1 Comment
Jan 29 2012

As discussed a year ago, there are words in Hindi that go in pair. These word pairs can be from a same word, two different words, opposite words, meaningful & meaningless and two meaningless words. We love to use these pair words in daily conversation and do it now and then.

So, lets revise the topic by learning some new word pairs.

1 ) Pair from the same word

Word Pair Romanized English Meaning
चलते – चलते chalte – chalte while walking or running
धीरे – धीरे dheere – dheere slowly
आगे – आगे aage – aage ahead
अपना – अपना apna – apna ours
क्या – क्या kya – kya what not


2) Pair from two different words

Word Pair Romanized English Meaning
साधू – संत sadhu – sant sages (plural)
भाग – दौड़ bhag – daud very busy
हरा – भरा hara – bhara green, fresh
खाता – पीता khata – pita prosperous, well earning
रहन – सहन rehan – sehan living

3) Pair from two opposite words

Word Pair Romanized English Meaning
हानि – लाभ haani – laabh profit loss
नया – पुराना naya – purana anything
सवाल – जवाब saval – javab question and answers
छोटा – बड़ा chota – bada from all social status
कहना – सुनना kehna – sunnaa to talk, converse

4) Pair from the meaningful and meaningless words

Word Pair Romanized English Meaning
चटक – मटक chatak – matak show off
हिसाब – किताब hisaab – kitaab to account, calculate
छिन्न – भिन्न cheen – bhin varied kinds
जात – पात jaat – paat social status
लूट – पाट loot – paat to raid things, money, to loot

5) Pair from two meaningless words

Word Pair Romanized English Meaning
ताबड़ – तोड़ tabad – tod in hurry
उबड़ – खाबड़ ubad – khaabad uneven
खाना – वाना khaana – vaana food
रोना -  धोना rona – vona to cry, weep
चुप – चाप chup – chap silently


Example Sentence :

चुप – चाप (Chup – Chap) (Silently)
वह चुप – चाप चला गया – Veh chup – chap chala gaya  – He has gone silently.

खाता – पीता (Khate – Pite) (Prosperous / Well earning)
वह खाते- पीते घर का है – Veh khate – pite ghar ka hai – He is from a prosperous/well earning family.

 

 

Poems in Hindi – Father’s Affection

Posted by Nitin Kumar 1 Comment
Jan 28 2012

Let me present you a very lovely poem in Hindi. I think, poems are very powerful tool to express one’s feeling, be it’s sweet or bitter. Fortunately, in Hindi literature, we have so many great poets who had and still influencing the masses.

I have translated this poem for you to read, understand and know, how Hindi poems look like and how to read and comprehend them.

गुलाबी चूड़ियाँ  (Gulabi Chodiyan – Red Bangles) by Nagarjun

प्राइवेट बस का ड्राइवर है तो क्या हुआ,
सात साल की बच्ची का पिता तो है!

He is driver in private bus company, so what?
He is a father of 7 year old girl!

सामने गियर से उपर
हुक से लटका रक्खी हैं

In front, just above the gears,
(he) have them (hanged)

काँच की चार चूड़ियाँ गुलाबी
बस की रफ़्तार के मुताबिक

Four red glass bangles
as per the speed of bus

हिलती रहती हैं…
झुककर मैंने पूछ लिया

(they) keep moving…
I’ve leaned and asked

खा गया मानो झटका
अधेड़ उम्र का मुच्छड़ रोबीला चेहरा

like (he) got shocked
beard adorned fearful face of a middle aged (man)

आहिस्ते से बोला: हाँ साहब
लाख कहता हूँ नहीं मानती मुनिया

(he) said silently : Yes, sir
I have said a thousand times but my girl doesn’t listen

टाँगे हुए है कई दिनों से
अपनी अमानत

Hanging (these) since many days
Her deposit

यहाँ अब्बा की नज़रों के सामने
मैं भी सोचता हूँ

Here, in front of her father’s view
I (driver) also think

क्या बिगाड़ती हैं चूड़ियाँ
किस ज़ुर्म पे हटा दूँ इनको यहाँ से?

Do these bangles any harm
On what crime, I must remove them from here?

और ड्राइवर ने एक नज़र मुझे देखा
और मैंने एक नज़र उसे देखा

And, the driver looked at me once.
and, I looked at him back.

छलक रहा था दूधिया वात्सल्य बड़ी-बड़ी आँखों में
तरलता हावी थी सीधे-साधे प्रश्न पर

Spilling the (his) affection in his big eyes
Fluidity (teary eyes) was heavy on such a simple question

और अब वे निगाहें फिर से हो गईं सड़क की ओर
और मैंने झुककर कहा –

And, those eyes (his) went back to the road
And, I leaned and said,

हाँ भाई, मैं भी पिता हूँ
वो तो बस यूँ ही पूछ लिया आपसे

Yes brother/mister, I am also a father
I have just asked you (just in curiosity)

वर्ना किसे नहीं भाएँगी?
नन्हीं कलाइयों की गुलाबी चूड़ियाँ!

Otherwise, who won’t like them?
these little red bangles! (from the little wrists)

Homonyms in Hindi – II

Posted by Nitin Kumar No Comments
Jan 27 2012

We have seen some of the Homonyms (समश्रुति भिन्नार्थक शब्द) in Hindi in our first post. Lets revise the topic once again with some more Homonyms.

Pay attention variation in vowels and consonants  in the given Homonyms words (समश्रुति भिन्नार्थक शब्द). Romanized spelling are provided in first brackets and English meanings in second.

Common Homonyms or Pair of Similar Distinguished Words in Hindi

First Word
 Second Word
अवलंब (Avlamb)(Support) अविलंब (Avilamb)(Immediate)
कुल (Kul)(Family) कूल (Kul)(Shore)
काठ (Kath)(Wood) काट (Kaat)(to cut)
प्रमाण (Prmaan)(Proof) प्रणाम (Prnaam)(Salutation)
अवसान (Avsaan)(Climax) आसान (Aasaan)(Easy)
कुटी (Kuti)(House) कूट (Kut)(False)
वदन (Vadan)(Face) बदन (Badan) (Body)
पानी (Paani)(Water) पाणि (Paadni)(Hand)
भवन (Bhavan)(Building) भुवन (Bhuvan) (World)
मद (Mad)(Passion) मद्य (Mady)(Alcohol)
मात्र (Maatr)(Only) मातृ (Maatr)(Mother)
लक्ष (Laksh)(ten thousand) लक्ष्य (Laksy)(Aim)
दशा (Dasha)(Condition) दिशा (Disha)(Direction)
प्रसाद (Prasaad)(Kindness) प्रासाद (Praasaad)(Palace)
प्रकार (Prakaar)(Type) प्राकर (Praakar)(Fort)
क्रम (Kram)(Sequence) कर्म (Karm)(Action)
तरंग (Tarang)(Wave) तुरंग (Turang)(Horse)
निर्वाण (Nirvaarn)(Death) निर्माण (Nirmaan)(Construction)
पक्का (Pakka)(Strong) पका (Pakaa)(Ripe)
द्रव (Drav)(Liquid) द्रव्य (Dravy)(Money)
प्रणय (Prany)(Love) परिणय (Pariny)(Marriage)
खान (Khaan)(Mine) खां (Khan)(Pathan)
कड़ाई (Kadhai)(Strictness) कढाई (Kadhai)(Embroidery)
तारीफ (Taarif)(Praise) तरफ (Taraf)(Toward)
सोना (Sona)(to sleep) सोना (Sona)(Gold)
काम (Kaam)(Work) काम (Kaam)(Sex)
वर्ण (Varn)(Complexion) वन (Van)(Forest)
धान (Dhaan)(Paddy) धन (Dhan)(Money)
वहन (Vahan)(to afford) वहान (Vahaan)(Vehicle)
कांति (Kaanti)(Water) क्रांति (Kraanti)(Revolution)
राग (Raag)(Passion) रंग  (Raang)(Color)
आदर (Aadar)(Respect) अंदर (Andar)(Inside)
Back to the Top