कई बार (kaii baar)
adverb
A fixed adverbial phrase meaning 'several times' or 'sometimes' -- built from कई (kaii, 'several') plus बार (baar, 'time/occasion').
Sense
1
:
sometimes, on occasion
adverb
Synonyms: कभी-कभी (kabhii-kabhii), कभी (kabhii)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly in casual conversation, e.g. someone explaining a habit: कई बार मैं ऐसा करता हूँ (kaii baar main aisaa kartaa hoon, 'I do this sometimes'). It sits comfortably alongside कभी-कभी (kabhii-kabhii) with almost the same everyday register -- Delhi speakers switch between the two freely.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for कभी-कभी (kabhii-kabhii) by default; कई बार (kaii baar) is just as common in speech and carries a slightly stronger sense of 'this has happened a number of times,' not just 'once in a while.' 2) It does not need कई (kaii) to agree with anything -- the phrase is frozen and invariant regardless of what follows.
Sample Sentences:
कई बार मैं ऐसा करता हूँ।
I do this sometimes.
(kaii baar main aisaa kartaa hoon।)
कई बार वह बिना बताए चली जाती है।
Sometimes she leaves without telling anyone.
(kaii baar vah binaa bataae chalii jaatii hai।)
कई बार हमें गलत फैसले लेने पड़े।
Sometimes we had to make wrong decisions.
(kaii baar hamen galat phaisle lene pade।)
कई बार मुझे लगता है कि मुझे नौकरी बदल लेनी चाहिए।
Sometimes I feel that I should change my job.
(kaii baar mujhe lagtaa hai ki mujhe naukrii badal lenii chaahie।)
कई बार रात को नींद नहीं आती।
Sometimes I can't sleep at night.
(kaii baar raat ko niind nahiin aatii।)
अगर कई बार चीज़ें मुश्किल हों, तो हार मत मानो।
If things are difficult sometimes, don't give up.
(agar kaii baar chiizen mushkil hon, to haar mat maano।)
कई बार सोचता हूँ कि काश मैं उस दिन वहाँ न गया होता।
Sometimes I think, if only I hadn't gone there that day.
(kaii baar sochtaa hoon ki kaash main us din vahaan n gayaa hotaa।)
कई बार सच बोलना भी मुश्किल हो जाता है।
Sometimes even telling the truth becomes difficult.
(kaii baar sach bolnaa bhii mushkil ho jaataa hai।)
कई बार, मेरे दोस्त, ज़िंदगी हमें वही सिखाती है जो हम सीखना नहीं चाहते।
Sometimes, my friend, life teaches us exactly what we don't want to learn.
(kaii baar, mere dost, zindgii hamen vahii sikhaatii hai jo ham siikhnaa nahiin chaahte।)
क्या कई बार आपको भी ऐसा महसूस होता है?
Do you also feel this way sometimes?
(kyaa kaii baar aapko bhii aisaa mahsoos hotaa hai?)
कई बार बड़े फैसले छोटी सी बात से लिए जाते हैं।
Sometimes big decisions are made because of a small matter.
(kaii baar bade phaisle chhotii sii baat se lie jaate hain।)
Sense
2
:
many times, repeatedly
adverb
Synonyms: बार-बार (baar-baar), अनेक बार (anek baar, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This sense leans into the literal meaning of कई (kaii, 'several/many') -- useful when someone is venting frustration, like कई बार कहा है (kaii baar kahaa hai, 'I've said it so many times'), a classic parental or exasperated-friend line in Delhi households.
Common Mistakes: 1) Context decides whether कई बार (kaii baar) means 'sometimes' or 'many times' -- there is no grammatical marker distinguishing the two, so learners should listen for whether the speaker is emphasizing frequency (this sense) or occasional occurrence (the other sense).
Sample Sentences:
मैंने तुमसे कई बार कहा है कि दरवाज़ा बंद रखो।
I've told you many times to keep the door closed.
(mainne tumse kaii baar kahaa hai ki darvaazaa band rakho।)
वह कई बार यही गलती करता है।
He makes this same mistake many times.
(vah kaii baar yahii galtii kartaa hai।)
मैंने कई बार फोन किया, पर उसने उठाया ही नहीं।
I called many times, but he just didn't pick up.
(mainne kaii baar phon kiyaa, par usne uthaayaa hii nahiin।)
कई बार समझाओ, तब भी वह नहीं सुनता।
Explain to him many times, even then he doesn't listen.
(kaii baar samjhaao, tab bhii vah nahiin suntaa।)
अगर मैं कई बार बोलता, तो शायद वह मान जाता।
If I had said it many times, maybe he would have agreed.
(agar main kaii baar boltaa, to shaayad vah maan jaataa।)
यह किताब मैं कई बार पढ़ चुका हूँ।
I have already read this book many times.
(yah kitaab main kaii baar padh chukaa hoon।)
यह गाना कई बार बजाया जा चुका है इस शादी में।
This song has already been played many times at this wedding.
(yah gaanaa kaii baar bajaayaa jaa chukaa hai is shaadii men।)
मुझे उम्मीद है कि मैं यह बात कई बार दोहराऊँ ताकि सब समझ जाएँ।
I hope I repeat this point many times so that everyone understands.
(mujhe ummiid hai ki main yah baat kaii baar dohraaoon taaki sab samajh jaaen।)
क्या आपने उन्हें कई बार चेतावनी दी थी?
Had you warned him many times?
(kyaa aapne unhen kaii baar chetaavnii dii thii?)
बच्चा कई बार गिरकर भी दौड़ता रहा।
The child kept running even after falling many times.
(bachchaa kaii baar girkar bhii daudtaa rahaa।)
मैंने कई बार सोचा था कि नौकरी छोड़ दूँ।
I had thought many times about quitting the job.
(mainne kaii baar sochaa thaa ki naukrii chhod doon।)