अभी (abhii)
adverb
A core time-adverb meaning 'now, right now' or 'just now/a moment ago,' depending on context; also combines with other words to mean 'yet, still' in negative sentences.
Sense
1
:
right now, at this very moment
adverb
Synonyms: इस वक़्त (is vaqt), फ़िलहाल (filahaal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the word you'll hear shouted from a kitchen or a shop counter: अभी आया (abhii aayaa, 'coming right now') is the classic (if often not-so-immediate) response when someone's called for. Its flexibility -- covering 'now,' 'just now,' and 'in a moment' -- means Hindi speakers rely on tone and context rather than separate words the way English does.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for अभी (abhii) when they mean 'nowadays' -- for that ongoing, habitual sense आजकल (aajkal) is the natural choice, not अभी (abhii). 2) अभी (abhii) alone with a future-tense verb reads as 'right now, immediately,' e.g. अभी आता हूँ (abhii aataa hoon, 'I'm coming right now') -- learners sometimes add extra words to convey urgency that अभी (abhii) already carries.
Sample Sentences:
अभी आया!
Coming right now!
(abhii aayaa!)
मैं अभी खाना बना रही हूँ।
I am cooking food right now.
(main abhii khaanaa banaa rahii hoon।)
अभी दुकान बंद मत करो।
Don't close the shop right now.
(abhii dukaan band mat karo।)
अगर वह अभी निकलता तो समय पर पहुँच जाता।
If he had left right now, he would have reached on time.
(agar vah abhii nikaltaa to samay par pahunch jaataa।)
शायद वह अभी आ जाए।
Maybe he'll come right now.
(shaayad vah abhii aa jaae।)
यह काम अभी पूरा किया जा रहा है।
This work is being completed right now.
(yah kaam abhii pooraa kiyaa jaa rahaa hai।)
अभी के अभी घर से निकलो, वरना बस छूट जाएगी।
Leave the house this very moment, or you'll miss the bus.
(abhii ke abhii ghar se niklo, varnaa bas chhoot jaaegii।)
प्रधानमंत्री अभी राष्ट्र को संबोधित करेंगे।
The prime minister will address the nation right now.
(pradhaanmantrii abhii raashtr ko sambodhit karenge।)
क्या तुम अभी व्यस्त हो?
Are you busy right now?
(kyaa tum abhii vyast ho?)
अभी तो मैं ठीक हूँ, पर पता नहीं कल क्या होगा।
Right now I'm fine, but who knows what will happen tomorrow.
(abhii to main thiik hoon, par pataa nahiin kal kyaa hogaa।)
अभी के लिए इतना ही काफी है।
For right now, this much is enough.
(abhii ke lie itnaa hii kaaphii hai।)
Sense
2
:
just now, a moment ago
adverb Used with the past tense to mark an action completed only moments before speaking, e.g. वह अभी गया (vah abhii gayaa, 'he just left').
Synonyms: थोड़ी देर पहले (thodii der pahle)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: The same word that means 'right now' also means 'just now' -- the tense of the verb is what tells you which side of the present moment अभी (abhii) is pointing to.
Sample Sentences:
वह अभी गया है।
He just left.
(vah abhii gayaa hai।)
मैंने अभी खाना खाया।
I just ate.
(mainne abhii khaanaa khaayaa।)
अभी-अभी उसका फोन आया था।
His call had just come a moment ago.
(abhii-abhii uskaa phon aayaa thaa।)
अभी तो वह यहीं बैठी थी, फिर कहाँ चली गई?
She was sitting right here just now -- where did she go?
(abhii to vah yahiin baithii thii, phir kahaan chalii gaii?)
अभी जो खबर मिली, उससे सब हैरान रह गए।
Everyone was stunned by the news that just came in.
(abhii jo khabar milii, usse sab hairaan rah gae।)
अभी बताया था, फिर से भूल गए क्या?
I just told you a moment ago -- did you forget already?
(abhii bataayaa thaa, phir se bhool gae kyaa?)
साहब, अभी ही रिपोर्ट प्रस्तुत की गई है।
Sir, the report has just been submitted.
(saahab, abhii hii riport prastut kii gaii hai।)
अभी जो हुआ, वह मुझे समझ नहीं आया।
I didn't understand what just happened.
(abhii jo huaa, vah mujhe samajh nahiin aayaa।)
काश मैं अभी हुई बात पर ध्यान देता, तो यह गलती न होती।
If only I had paid attention to what had just happened, this mistake wouldn't have occurred.
(kaash main abhii huii baat par dhyaan detaa, to yah galtii n hotii।)
अभी-अभी जो शोर हुआ, वह किस बात का था?
That noise just now -- what was that about?
(abhii-abhii jo shor huaa, vah kis baat kaa thaa?)
Sense
3
:
yet, still (in negative constructions)
adverb Pairs with नहीं (nahiin) as अभी नहीं (abhii nahiin, 'not yet') to mean an expected action has not happened up to now.
Synonyms: अब तक (ab tak)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: अभी नहीं (abhii nahiin) is a soft, very common way to defer something -- a parent telling a child अभी नहीं, बाद में (abhii nahiin, baad men, 'not now, later') is a familiar household sound.
Common Mistakes: 1) अभी नहीं (abhii nahiin) means 'not yet' or 'not right now' depending on context -- learners sometimes confuse this with a flat refusal, when it usually just means 'later, not now.'
Sample Sentences:
अभी नहीं, बाद में।
Not yet, later.
(abhii nahiin, baad men।)
खाना अभी तक नहीं बना है।
The food hasn't been made yet.
(khaanaa abhii tak nahiin banaa hai।)
वह अभी तक नहीं आया।
He still hasn't come.
(vah abhii tak nahiin aayaa।)
मुझे अभी तक उसका जवाब नहीं मिला है।
I still haven't gotten his reply.
(mujhe abhii tak uskaa javaab nahiin milaa hai।)
अभी तक तो सब ठीक चल रहा है।
So far, everything is still going fine.
(abhii tak to sab thiik chal rahaa hai।)
अभी तक बारिश नहीं रुकी।
The rain still hasn't stopped.
(abhii tak baarish nahiin rukii।)
अगर अभी तक चिट्ठी नहीं पहुँची होती, तो हमें फोन करना चाहिए था।
If the letter still hadn't arrived, we should have called.
(agar abhii tak chitthii nahiin pahunchii hotii, to hamen phon karnaa chaahie thaa।)
कृपया प्रतीक्षा करें, रिपोर्ट अभी तक तैयार नहीं हुई है।
Please wait, the report has not been prepared yet.
(kripyaa pratiikshaa karen, riport abhii tak taiyaar nahiin huii hai।)
बच्चे अभी सोए नहीं हैं, ज़रा धीरे बोलो।
The kids aren't asleep yet, speak a little softer.
(bachche abhii soe nahiin hain, zaraa dhiire bolo।)
मैंने अभी तक उससे बात नहीं की, शायद कल करूँ।
I still haven't talked to him, maybe I'll do it tomorrow.
(mainne abhii tak usse baat nahiin kii, shaayad kal karoon।)