को (ko)
postposition
को (ko) is one of the workhorse postpositions of Hindi: it marks indirect objects ('to'), certain definite direct objects, the experiencer in dative-subject constructions (with words like लगना (lagnaa) and चाहिए (chaahie)), and points in time ('on/at').
Sense
1
:
to/for (indirect object marker)
postposition Marks the recipient or goal of verbs like देना (denaa, 'to give'), बताना (bataanaa, 'to tell'), and भेजना (bhejnaa, 'to send'): राम को किताब दो (raam ko kitaab do, 'give the book to Ram').
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the core 'goal' sense of को (ko) -- something moves, literally or figuratively, toward the person marked by it. The other senses of को (ko) (marking objects, experiencers, even points in time) all extend from this same idea of something being 'directed at' a target.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for के लिए (ke lie) here, but के लिए marks purpose or benefit ('for the sake of'), while को marks the actual recipient of the action -- राम को दो (raam ko do, 'give [it] to Ram') is different from राम के लिए लाओ (raam ke lie laao, 'bring [it] for Ram').
Sample Sentences:
मैंने उसे एक किताब दी।
I gave a book to him.
(mainne use ek kitaab dii।)
माँ बच्चे को दूध पिलाती है।
The mother feeds milk to the child.
(maan bachche ko doodh pilaatii hai।)
कृपया यह चिट्ठी राहुल को दे देना।
Please give this letter to Rahul.
(kripyaa yah chitthii raahul ko de denaa।)
वह हमेशा अपने दोस्तों को सलाह देता रहता है।
He always keeps giving advice to his friends.
(vah hameshaa apne doston ko salaah detaa rahtaa hai।)
यह पत्र प्रधानमंत्री को भेजा जाएगा।
This letter will be sent to the Prime Minister.
(yah patr pradhaanmantrii ko bhejaa jaaegaa।)
मैं चाहता हूँ कि यह उपहार तुम अपनी बहन को दो।
I want you to give this gift to your sister.
(main chaahtaa hoon ki yah upahaar tum apnii bahan ko do।)
अगर मुझे पता होता, तो मैं तुम्हें पहले ही बता देता।
If I had known, I would have told you earlier.
(agar mujhe pataa hotaa, to main tumhen pahle hii bataa detaa।)
उसने अपनी सारी दौलत गरीबों को दान कर दी।
He donated all his wealth to the poor.
(usne apnii saarii daulat gariibon ko daan kar dii।)
टीचर बच्चों को कहानी सुना रही है।
The teacher is telling a story to the children.
(tiichar bachchon ko kahaanii sunaa rahii hai।)
उसने जनता को संबोधित किया।
He addressed the public.
(usne jantaa ko sambodhit kiyaa।)
यह संदेश सभी कर्मचारियों को भेजा गया है।
This message has been sent to all the employees.
(yah sandesh sabhii karmchaariyon ko bhejaa gayaa hai।)
Sense
2
:
marks a specific/definite direct object
postposition Appears on a direct object, especially a specific person, when the speaker wants to single it out: राम को बुलाओ (raam ko bulaao, 'call Ram [specifically]') versus बच्चों को खाना दो (bachchon ko khaanaa do, 'give the children food').
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Hindi speakers use को (ko) here the way English uses stress or word order to flag 'this particular one' -- a bare direct object feels generic, but adding को (ko) picks out a definite, known individual, almost always when that object is a person or named animate being.
Common Mistakes: 1) Dropping को on a definite human object makes a sentence sound odd or incomplete to a native ear -- राम बुलाओ (raam bulaao) reads as clipped or unnatural next to the correct राम को बुलाओ (raam ko bulaao). 2) Conversely, adding को to an indefinite object is wrong: मुझे एक किताब चाहिए (mujhe ek kitaab chaahie, 'I need a book') never takes को before किताब (kitaab) because the book isn't a specific, known one.
Sample Sentences:
राम ने श्याम को बुलाया।
Ram called Shyam.
(raam ne shyaam ko bulaayaa।)
माँ बच्चे को रोज़ स्कूल भेजती है।
The mother sends the child to school every day.
(maan bachche ko roz skool bhejtii hai।)
पुलिस उस चोर को ढूँढ रही है।
The police are searching for that thief.
(pulis us chor ko dhoondh rahii hai।)
उस लड़की को घर तक पहुँचा दो।
Drop that girl off at home.
(us ladkii ko ghar tak pahunchaa do।)
मैंने अपने कुत्ते को नहलाया।
I bathed my dog.
(mainne apne kutte ko nahlaayaa।)
शायद वे नए मैनेजर को कल बुलाएँ।
Maybe they will call the new manager tomorrow.
(shaayad ve nae mainejar ko kal bulaaen।)
अगर मैं उस आदमी को पहचानता तो उसे रोक लेता।
If I had recognized that man, I would have stopped him.
(agar main us aadmii ko pahchaantaa to use rok letaa।)
उस मुजरिम को अदालत में पेश किया गया।
That criminal was produced in court.
(us mujrim ko adaalat men pesh kiyaa gayaa।)
कृपया अध्यक्ष महोदय को सूचित करें।
Please inform the honorable chairman.
(kripyaa adhyaksh mahoday ko soochit karen।)
मैं अपनी बेटी को हमेशा प्यार करूँगा।
I will always love my daughter.
(main apnii betii ko hameshaa pyaar karoongaa।)
उन्होंने अपने पुराने नौकर को नौकरी से निकाल दिया।
They fired their old servant from the job.
(unhonne apne puraane naukar ko naukrii se nikaal diyaa।)
Sense
3
:
marks the experiencer in dative-subject constructions
postposition Used with verbs and constructions of feeling, necessity, or perception -- लगना (lagnaa), पसंद आना (pasand aanaa), चाहिए (chaahie), दर्द होना (dard honaa) -- where the person affected is marked with को (ko) rather than behaving as a grammatical subject: मुझको ठंड लगती है (mujhko thand lagtii hai, 'I feel cold').
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Hindi treats feelings, needs, and sensations as things that happen *to* a person rather than things a person actively does -- so 'I like it' becomes मुझे पसंद है (mujhe pasand hai, literally 'to me it is pleasing'). This को-as-experiencer (ko) pattern is one of the biggest conceptual shifts for an English speaker learning Hindi.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners who know को (ko) mainly as 'to' sometimes drop it here and treat the experiencer like an English subject: मैं पानी चाहिए (main paanii chaahie) instead of the correct मुझे पानी चाहिए (mujhe paanii chaahie, 'I need water').
Sample Sentences:
मुझे बहुत ज़ोर से भूख लगी है।
I am very hungry.
(mujhe bahut zor se bhookh lagii hai।)
उसे कल रात अच्छी नींद नहीं आई।
She didn't sleep well last night.
(use kal raat achchhii niind nahiin aaii।)
बच्चों को अंधेरे से डर लगता है।
Children are scared of the dark.
(bachchon ko andhere se dar lagtaa hai।)
अगर उन्हें बुखार होता, तो वे आज ऑफ़िस नहीं आते।
If he had a fever, he wouldn't have come to office today.
(agar unhen bukhaar hotaa, to ve aaj ofis nahiin aate।)
क्या तुम्हें यह गाना पसंद है?
Do you like this song?
(kyaa tumhen yah gaanaa pasand hai?)
मुझे लगता है कि बारिश होने वाली है।
I feel like it's going to rain.
(mujhe lagtaa hai ki baarish hone vaalii hai।)
उन्हें अगले हफ़्ते तक यह काम पूरा करना होगा, इसलिए उन्हें अभी से चिंता हो रही है।
He has to finish this work by next week, so he's already getting anxious.
(unhen agle hafte tak yah kaam pooraa karnaa hogaa, islie unhen abhii se chintaa ho rahii hai।)
यात्रियों को समुद्र में उल्टी होने लगी।
The passengers started feeling seasick.
(yaatriyon ko samudr men ultii hone lagii।)
महोदय, आपको किसी वस्तु की आवश्यकता तो नहीं है?
Sir, do you need anything?
(mahoday, aapko kisii vastu kii aavashyaktaa to nahiin hai?)
काश मुझे भी वैसा ही सुकून मिलता।
I wish I got that same peace of mind too.
(kaash mujhe bhii vaisaa hii sukoon miltaa।)
उसे शायद यह बात याद न रहे।
He might not remember this.
(use shaayad yah baat yaad n rahe।)
मुझे तो कुछ समझ में ही नहीं आया।
I didn't understand anything at all.
(mujhe to kuchh samajh men hii nahiin aayaa।)
Sense
4
:
on/at (marks a point in time)
postposition Attaches to days of the week and specific time expressions: सोमवार को (somvaar ko, 'on Monday'), सुबह को (subah ko, 'in the morning').
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: The same 'pointing at a target' logic behind को (ko) as 'to' also lets it single out a point in time, much like English 'on' before a day -- 'on Monday' and सोमवार को (somvaar ko) both aim the sentence at one specific slot.
Common Mistakes: 1) को (ko) is used with days of the week and general time-of-day words but tends to drop out with more elaborate calendar dates, which can confuse learners about when it's required versus optional.
Sample Sentences:
मीटिंग सोमवार को है।
The meeting is on Monday.
(miiting somvaar ko hai।)
हमारी शादी पंद्रह तारीख़ को हुई थी।
Our wedding happened on the fifteenth.
(hamaarii shaadii pandrah taariikh ko huii thii।)
वह हर शुक्रवार को मंदिर जाती है।
She goes to the temple every Friday.
(vah har shukrvaar ko mandir jaatii hai।)
परीक्षा किस तारीख़ को होगी?
On which date will the exam be held?
(pariikshaa kis taariikh ko hogii?)
कृपया गुरुवार को दफ़्तर ज़रूर आना।
Please do come to the office on Thursday.
(kripyaa guruvaar ko daftar zaroor aanaa।)
अगर पार्टी शनिवार को होती, तो मैं ज़रूर आता।
If the party were on Saturday, I would definitely come.
(agar paartii shanivaar ko hotii, to main zaroor aataa।)
उसका जन्म दस जनवरी को हुआ था।
He was born on the tenth of January.
(uskaa janm das janavrii ko huaa thaa।)
मुमकिन है कि नतीजे बुधवार को आएँ।
It's possible that the results will come on Wednesday.
(mumkin hai ki natiije budhvaar ko aaen।)
यह फ़ैसला पिछली बैठक को ही ले लिया गया था।
This decision was already made at the last meeting.
(yah faislaa pichhlii baithak ko hii le liyaa gayaa thaa।)