वहीं (vahiin)
adverb
An emphatic form of वहाँ (vahaan, 'there'), built with the emphatic ही (hii); mainly used as a place adverb meaning 'right there / that very place,' with a related discourse use meaning 'at that very point.'
Sense
1
:
right there, that very place
adverb
Synonyms: उसी जगह (usii jagah), उसी स्थान पर (usii sthaan par, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: If someone asks मेरा फ़ोन कहाँ है? (meraa fon kahaan hai?, 'where is my phone?') and you saw it on the kitchen counter, you'd say वहीं है (vahiin hai, 'it's right there') pointing at the exact spot -- the ही (hii) does the pointing work that English does with 'right' or 'exactly'.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use वहाँ (vahaan) when they actually mean to add emphasis ('that exact spot'), missing the extra force that वहीं (vahiin) carries. 2) Don't confuse with यहीं (yahiin, 'right here') -- the initial vowel carries the near/far distinction just like वहाँ (vahaan) vs. यहाँ (yahaan).
Sample Sentences:
मेरा फ़ोन वहीं है, मेज़ पर।
My phone is right there, on the table.
(meraa fon vahiin hai, mez par।)
तुम वहीं रुको, मैं आती हूँ।
You stay right there, I'm coming.
(tum vahiin ruko, main aatii hoon।)
किताब वहीं रखी थी जहाँ मैंने छोड़ी थी।
The book was placed right there where I had left it.
(kitaab vahiin rakhii thii jahaan mainne chhodii thii।)
अगर तुमने बैग वहीं छोड़ा होता, तो अब तक मिल जाता।
If you had left the bag right there, it would have been found by now.
(agar tumne baig vahiin chhodaa hotaa, to ab tak mil jaataa।)
हम बचपन में वहीं खेलते थे।
We used to play right there when we were kids.
(ham bachpan men vahiin khelte the।)
गाड़ी वहीं खड़ी है, जहाँ तुमने उसे पार्क किया था।
The car is standing right there, where you had parked it.
(gaadii vahiin khadii hai, jahaan tumne use paark kiyaa thaa।)
कृपया सामान वहीं रख दीजिए, आगे मत ले जाइए।
Please put the luggage right there, don't take it any further.
(kripyaa saamaan vahiin rakh diijie, aage mat le jaaie।)
शायद उसने चाबी वहीं रख दी हो।
Maybe he left the key right there.
(shaayad usne chaabii vahiin rakh dii ho।)
वह वहीं बैठा है, दरवाज़े के पास।
He is sitting right there, near the door.
(vah vahiin baithaa hai, darvaaze ke paas।)
दस्तावेज़ वहीं रखे जाएँगे, जहाँ सब फ़ाइलें रहती हैं।
The documents will be kept right there, where all the files are kept.
(dastaavez vahiin rakhe jaaenge, jahaan sab faailen rahtii hain।)
मैं वहीं खड़ी थी जब बारिश शुरू हुई।
I was standing right there when the rain started.
(main vahiin khadii thii jab baarish shuroo huii।)
Sense
2
:
at that very point/moment (temporal/discourse use)
adverb Used in narrative to anchor an action to a moment or point already established in the discourse, often continuing a story rather than marking physical location.
Synonyms: उसी वक्त (usii vakt), तभी (tabhii)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: In storytelling, वहीं (vahiin) often glues one clause to the next: वह रुका, और वहीं उसे आवाज़ सुनाई दी (vah rukaa, aur vahiin use aavaaz sunaaii dii, 'he stopped, and right then/there he heard a voice') -- the word blurs place and moment together, which is very natural in Hindi narration but can feel ambiguous to an English speaker used to separating 'there' from 'then'.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for तभी (tabhii) exclusively for 'right then,' not realizing वहीं (vahiin) can do the same job when the sentence is also carrying a spatial flavor tied to what was just described.
Sample Sentences:
वह बोल ही रहा था कि वहीं उसे एक अजीब सी आवाज़ सुनाई दी।
He was just speaking when right then he heard a strange sound.
(vah bol hii rahaa thaa ki vahiin use ek ajiib sii aavaaz sunaaii dii।)
वह रुका, और वहीं उसे आवाज़ सुनाई दी।
He stopped, and right then he heard a voice.
(vah rukaa, aur vahiin use aavaaz sunaaii dii।)
जैसे ही उसने दरवाज़ा खोला, वहीं बिजली चली गई।
As soon as he opened the door, right at that moment the power went out.
(jaise hii usne darvaazaa kholaa, vahiin bijlii chalii gaii।)
वह अपनी बात कह रहा था, वहीं दूसरी तरफ़ से किसी ने टोक दिया।
He was making his point when, at that very moment, someone from the other side interrupted.
(vah apnii baat kah rahaa thaa, vahiin doosrii taraf se kisii ne tok diyaa।)
जब भी वह झूठ बोलता है, वहीं उसकी आवाज़ काँप जाती है।
Whenever he lies, right at that very point his voice starts trembling.
(jab bhii vah jhooth boltaa hai, vahiin uskii aavaaz kaamp jaatii hai।)
अगर वह चुप रह जाता, तो वहीं सब कुछ सुलझ जाता।
If he had stayed quiet, everything would have been resolved right then.
(agar vah chup rah jaataa, to vahiin sab kuchh sulajh jaataa।)
कहानी यहीं मत छोड़ो, आगे बताओ कि वहीं क्या हुआ।
Don't leave the story here, go on and tell me what happened right at that point.
(kahaanii yahiin mat chhodo, aage bataao ki vahiin kyaa huaa।)
उसने अपनी बात पूरी नहीं की थी कि वहीं फ़ोन कट गया।
He hadn't even finished speaking when, right at that moment, the call got disconnected.
(usne apnii baat poorii nahiin kii thii ki vahiin fon kat gayaa।)
मुमकिन है कि वह मुझे देखते ही वहीं रुक जाए।
It's possible that the moment he sees me, he'll stop right then.
(mumkin hai ki vah mujhe dekhte hii vahiin ruk jaae।)
राजा ने आदेश दिया और वहीं उसकी सज़ा तय कर दी गई।
The king gave the order, and right then his punishment was decided.
(raajaa ne aadesh diyaa aur vahiin uskii sazaa tay kar dii gaii।)