कि (ki)
conjunction
कि (ki) is one of Hindi's workhorse conjunctions: mainly the complementizer 'that' introducing reported speech or a following clause, but also heard colloquially as 'or' in quick alternative questions, and inside a fixed frame that marks a sudden interruption ('was just... when').
Sense
1
:
complementizer 'that' introducing a subordinate clause
conjunction Links a main clause (often with कहना (kahnaa), सोचना (sochnaa), पता (pataa), मालूम (maaloom)) to the clause it introduces; unlike English 'that', it is almost never dropped in speech.
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the कि (ki) you will hear constantly in news reports, gossip, and storytelling -- किसी ने बताया कि... (kisii ne bataayaa ki, 'someone told [me] that...') is practically a stock opener for passing on information in Delhi conversation.
Common Mistakes: 1) Confusing कि (ki) with की (kii, possessive 'of') -- they sound close but are grammatically unrelated. 2) Trying to drop it the way English drops 'that' ('he said he'd come'); in Hindi उसने कहा कि वह आएगा (usne kahaa ki vah aaegaa, 'he said that he would come') normally keeps कि (ki). 3) Placing the कि-clause before the main clause -- word order stays fixed with कि (ki) after the reporting verb.
Sample Sentences:
किसी ने बताया कि आज बारिश होगी।
Someone told me that it will rain today.
(kisii ne bataayaa ki aaj baarish hogii।)
मुझे लगता है कि वह सही कह रहा है।
I think that he is speaking the truth.
(mujhe lagtaa hai ki vah sahii kah rahaa hai।)
पता चला कि वह पहले ही जा चुका था।
It turned out that he had already left.
(pataa chalaa ki vah pahle hii jaa chukaa thaa।)
क्या तुम्हें यकीन है कि वह यहाँ आएगी?
Are you sure that she will come here?
(kyaa tumhen yakiin hai ki vah yahaan aaegii?)
अखबार में लिखा है कि पेट्रोल के दाम फिर बढ़ेंगे।
It is written in the newspaper that petrol prices will rise again.
(akhbaar men likhaa hai ki petrol ke daam phir badhenge।)
अगर वह जानता कि सच क्या है, तो वह कभी न आता।
If he had known what the truth was, he would never have come.
(agar vah jaantaa ki sach kyaa hai, to vah kabhii n aataa।)
मुझे डर है कि कहीं देर न हो जाए।
I am afraid that it might get late.
(mujhe dar hai ki kahiin der n ho jaae।)
यह ध्यान रखें कि दरवाज़ा बंद हो।
Please make sure that the door is closed.
(yah dhyaan rakhen ki darvaazaa band ho।)
यह कहा जाता है कि इस मंदिर की उम्र सौ साल से ज़्यादा है।
It is said that this temple is more than a hundred years old.
(yah kahaa jaataa hai ki is mandir kii umr sau saal se zyaadaa hai।)
उसने कसम खाई कि वह फिर कभी झूठ नहीं बोलेगा।
He swore that he would never lie again.
(usne kasam khaaii ki vah phir kabhii jhooth nahiin bolegaa।)
कहते हैं कि जहाँ चाह, वहाँ राह।
They say that where there's a will, there's a way.
(kahte hain ki jahaan chaah, vahaan raah।)
Sense
2
:
'or' in short alternative questions
conjunction Used informally in place of या (yaa) inside brisk either-or questions, especially about immediate choices: चाय कि कॉफ़ी? (chaay ki kofii, 'tea or coffee?').
Synonyms: या (yaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear a shopkeeper or friend toss out चलना है कि नहीं? (chalnaa hai ki nahiin, 'are we going or not?') -- this quick, clipped कि (ki) has a different flavor from the more formal-sounding या (yaa).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners default to या (yaa) everywhere and miss that कि (ki) sounds natural and snappier in casual back-and-forth choices, like at a chai stall or when ordering food.
Sample Sentences:
चलना है कि नहीं?
Are we going or not?
(chalnaa hai ki nahiin?)
तुझे आना है कि नहीं, बता दे।
Just tell me if you're coming or not.
(tujhe aanaa hai ki nahiin, bataa de।)
यह सही है कि गलत?
Is this right or wrong?
(yah sahii hai ki galat?)
चाय पिएगा कि कॉफी?
Will you have tea or coffee?
(chaay piegaa ki kophii?)
उसने बताया कि आएगा कि नहीं?
Did he say whether he's coming or not?
(usne bataayaa ki aaegaa ki nahiin?)
काम हो गया कि नहीं?
Is the work done or not?
(kaam ho gayaa ki nahiin?)
यह सामान भेजा जाएगा कि नहीं?
Will this stuff be sent or not?
(yah saamaan bhejaa jaaegaa ki nahiin?)
अगर वह मान जाए कि न माने, हमें तो चलना ही है।
Whether he agrees or not, we still have to go.
(agar vah maan jaae ki n maane, hamen to chalnaa hii hai।)
Sense
3
:
'when suddenly' -- marks an abrupt interruption after 'just'
conjunction Appears in a fixed frame with अभी (abhii) or जैसे ही (jaise hii) plus the perfective + ही (hii): अभी बैठा ही था कि फोन बज उठा (abhii baithaa hii thaa ki phon baj uthaa, 'I had just sat down when the phone suddenly rang').
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This dramatic 'no sooner had... than' कि (ki) is a favorite in storytelling for building suspense -- it mimics the way a good story-teller pauses mid-sentence before the twist.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners reach for जब (jab) here, but plain जब (jab) reads as neutral 'when', while this कि (ki) frame specifically signals surprise or interruption -- something happening right in the middle of something else.
Sample Sentences:
मैं अभी घर से निकला ही था कि बारिश शुरू हो गई।
I had just stepped out of the house when it suddenly started raining.
(main abhii ghar se niklaa hii thaa ki baarish shuroo ho gaii।)
वह सो ही रही थी कि फोन की घंटी बज उठी।
She was just falling asleep when the phone suddenly rang.
(vah so hii rahii thii ki phon kii ghantii baj uthii।)
हम खाना खाने ही बैठे थे कि बिजली चली गई।
We had just sat down to eat when the power suddenly went out.
(ham khaanaa khaane hii baithe the ki bijlii chalii gaii।)
गाड़ी स्टेशन से रवाना ही हुई थी कि इंजन में धुआँ भरने लगा।
The train had just left the station when smoke suddenly began filling the engine.
(gaadii steshan se ravaanaa hii huii thii ki injan men dhuaan bharne lagaa।)
राजकुमार ने दरवाज़ा खोला ही था कि सामने एक साया खड़ा दिखा।
The prince had just opened the door when suddenly a shadow appeared standing before him.
(raajkumaar ne darvaazaa kholaa hii thaa ki saamne ek saayaa khadaa dikhaa।)
बच्चा अभी चुप हुआ ही था कि फिर रोने लगा।
The child had just quieted down when he suddenly started crying again.
(bachchaa abhii chup huaa hii thaa ki phir rone lagaa।)
मैंने अभी चाय का पहला घूँट लिया ही था कि दरवाज़े पर दस्तक हुई।
I had just taken the first sip of my tea when there was suddenly a knock at the door.
(mainne abhii chaay kaa pahlaa ghoont liyaa hii thaa ki darvaaze par dastak huii।)
वे मुश्किल से दो कदम चले ही थे कि पीछे से आवाज़ आई।
They had barely taken two steps when suddenly a voice called out from behind.
(ve mushkil se do kadam chale hii the ki piichhe se aavaaz aaii।)