एक एक करके (ek ek karke)
adverb
A fixed adverbial phrase meaning 'one by one, one at a time' -- built from एक (ek, 'one') repeated and करके (karke, the conjunctive-participle form of करना (karnaa, 'to do')).
Sense
1
:
one by one, sequentially
adverb Functions as an adverbial phrase modifying the main verb, describing the manner in which an action is carried out across multiple items or people in sequence.
Synonyms: एक-एक करके (ek-ek karke, variant form with hyphen), बारी-बारी से (baarii-baarii se, taking turns)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly in everyday instructions -- a mother telling kids एक एक करके अंदर आओ (ek ek karke andar aao, 'come inside one by one') at a crowded doorway, or a teacher calling students up one at a time. The repetition of एक (ek) itself does the work of expressing 'each individually,' a common Hindi pattern where doubling a word adds a distributive sense.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try to inflect or conjugate करके (karke) as if it were a full verb form -- it stays frozen in this participial shape regardless of the subject or tense of the main verb. 2) Do not confuse this with एक बार (ek baar, 'once'), which is about frequency, not sequence.
Sample Sentences:
बच्चों, एक एक करके अंदर आओ।
Children, come inside one by one.
(bachchon, ek ek karke andar aao।)
टीचर ने बच्चों को एक एक करके बुलाया।
The teacher called the children one by one.
(tiichar ne bachchon ko ek ek karke bulaayaa।)
मैं रोज़ सुबह सारे बर्तन एक एक करके धोता हूँ।
Every morning I wash all the dishes one by one.
(main roz subah saare bartan ek ek karke dhotaa hoon।)
वह सारी समस्याओं को एक एक करके सुलझा रहा है।
He is solving all the problems one by one.
(vah saarii samasyaaon ko ek ek karke suljhaa rahaa hai।)
सारे मेहमान एक एक करके चले गए।
All the guests left one by one.
(saare mehmaan ek ek karke chale gae।)
कृपया एक एक करके अपना नाम बताइए।
Please state your name one by one.
(kripyaa ek ek karke apnaa naam bataaie।)
अगर सब लोग एक एक करके अंदर जाएँ तो भीड़ नहीं होगी।
If everyone goes inside one by one, there won't be a crowd.
(agar sab log ek ek karke andar jaaen to bhiid nahiin hogii।)
सभी दस्तावेज़ एक एक करके जाँचे जाएँगे।
All the documents will be examined one by one.
(sabhii dastaavez ek ek karke jaanche jaaenge।)
काश वह सारी बातें एक एक करके समझाता, तो इतनी उलझन न होती।
If only he had explained everything one by one, there wouldn't have been so much confusion.
(kaash vah saarii baaten ek ek karke samjhaataa, to itnii uljhan n hotii।)
सैनिक एक एक करके मैदान में उतरे।
The soldiers descended onto the field one by one.
(sainik ek ek karke maidaan men utre।)
उसने अपनी सारी चिंताएँ एक एक करके दूर कर लीं।
She got rid of all her worries one by one.
(usne apnii saarii chintaaen ek ek karke door kar liin।)