उतना (utnaa)
adjective/pronoun/adverb
The correlative demonstrative meaning 'that much/so much,' the natural partner of जितना (jitnaa, 'as much as'); it inflects for gender/number/case like an adjective and can also stand alone as a pronoun.
Sense
1
:
that much (quantity), correlative to जितना
adjective Forms the correlative pair जितना...उतना (jitnaa...utnaa, 'as much...that much') -- the जितना clause almost always comes first, with उतना (utnaa) picking it up in the main clause.
Synonyms: इतना (itnaa, 'this much' -- near-synonym for the near-deictic side)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the quantity-side of Hindi's correlative system, parallel to जैसा...वैसा (jaisaa...vaisaa) for manner and जहाँ...वहाँ (jahaan...vahaan) for place -- once a learner internalizes the जितना-उतना (jitnaa-utnaa) pattern, the whole correlative family starts to feel like one shape rather than separate rules.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often drop the जितना (jitnaa) half and use उतना (utnaa) alone where English just says 'that much' -- but in the correlative construction both halves are expected together, e.g. जितना समय है, उतना काम करो (jitnaa samay hai, utnaa kaam karo, 'do as much work as there is time for'). 2) The agreement with the noun it modifies (उतना/उतनी/उतने) is easy to forget under the pressure of building the correlative clause.
Sample Sentences:
जितना आटा तुमने माँगा था, उतना आटा मैंने रख दिया है।
I've set aside that much flour, as much as you asked for.
(jitnaa aataa tumne maangaa thaa, utnaa aataa mainne rakh diyaa hai।)
जितना पैसा उसके पास है, उतना पैसा मेरे पास नहीं है।
I don't have that much money, as much as he has.
(jitnaa paisaa uske paas hai, utnaa paisaa mere paas nahiin hai।)
जितना समय तुम्हें चाहिए, उतना समय मैं तुम्हें दूँगा।
I'll give you that much time, as much as you need.
(jitnaa samay tumhen chaahie, utnaa samay main tumhen doongaa।)
उतना नमक मत डालो जितना पिछली बार डाला था।
Don't put in that much salt, the amount you put in last time.
(utnaa namak mat daalo jitnaa pichhlii baar daalaa thaa।)
काश मेरे पास उतना धन होता जितना उसके पास है।
If only I had that much wealth, as much as he has.
(kaash mere paas utnaa dhan hotaa jitnaa uske paas hai।)
जितना काम तुमने आज किया, उतना काम कल भी करना।
Do that much work tomorrow too, as much as you did today.
(jitnaa kaam tumne aaj kiyaa, utnaa kaam kal bhii karnaa।)
अगर उतना दूध रोज़ मिल जाए जितना बच्चे को चाहिए, तो अच्छा हो।
It would be good if we could get that much milk daily, as much as the child needs.
(agar utnaa doodh roz mil jaae jitnaa bachche ko chaahie, to achchhaa ho।)
उतना चावल पकाया जाता है जितना मेहमानों के लिए ज़रूरी हो।
That much rice is cooked, as much as is necessary for the guests.
(utnaa chaaval pakaayaa jaataa hai jitnaa mehmaanon ke lie zaroorii ho।)
मैंने उतना ही सामान खरीदा जितना सूची में लिखा था।
I bought exactly that much stuff, as much as was written on the list.
(mainne utnaa hii saamaan khariidaa jitnaa soochii men likhaa thaa।)
जितनी मिठाई तुमने बनाई थी, उतनी मिठाई सब लोग खा गए।
Everyone finished off that much sweets, as much as you had made.
(jitnii mithaaii tumne banaaii thii, utnii mithaaii sab log khaa gae।)
उतने ही सवाल पूछो जितने ज़रूरी हों, वरना समय बर्बाद होगा।
Ask only that many questions, as many as are necessary, otherwise time will be wasted.
(utne hii savaal poochho jitne zaroorii hon, varnaa samay barbaad hogaa।)
Sense
2
:
that much (as a standalone quantity, not modifying a noun)
pronoun Used without a following noun when the quantity is already understood from context, e.g. बस उतना ही चाहिए (bas utnaa hii chaahie, 'that much alone is needed').
Synonyms: इतना (itnaa, 'this much')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Paired with ही (hii) as उतना ही (utnaa hii), it takes on the flavor of 'that much and no more/exactly that much' -- a very common way to set a limit politely, as when a shopkeeper or host says उतना ही ठीक है (utnaa hii thiik hai, 'that much is just fine').
Sample Sentences:
मुझे उतना ही चाहिए, ज्यादा नहीं।
I need just that much, no more.
(mujhe utnaa hii chaahie, jyaadaa nahiin।)
उतना ही ठीक है, बस डाल दो।
That much is just fine, just put it in.
(utnaa hii thiik hai, bas daal do।)
उसने उतना ही खाया जितना उसे भूख थी।
He ate just that much, as much as he was hungry.
(usne utnaa hii khaayaa jitnaa use bhookh thii।)
अगर उतना ही मिल जाए तो मैं खुश हूँ।
If I get just that much, I'll be happy.
(agar utnaa hii mil jaae to main khush hoon।)
काश मुझे भी उतना मिलता।
I wish I too got that much.
(kaash mujhe bhii utnaa miltaa।)
पैसे उतने ही रखे जाएँगे जितनी जरूरत होगी।
Only that much money will be kept, as much as is needed.
(paise utne hii rakhe jaaenge jitnii jaroorat hogii।)
उतना ही लेना, इससे ज्यादा मत माँगना।
Take just that much, don't ask for more than this.
(utnaa hii lenaa, isse jyaadaa mat maangnaa।)
मैंने उतना ही कहा था जितना जरूरी था।
I had said just that much, as much as was necessary.
(mainne utnaa hii kahaa thaa jitnaa jaroorii thaa।)
दुकानदार बोला, उतना ही काफी है।
The shopkeeper said, that much is enough.
(dukaandaar bolaa, utnaa hii kaaphii hai।)
क्या उतना ही पर्याप्त होगा, या और चाहिए?
Will that much alone be sufficient, or is more needed?
(kyaa utnaa hii paryaapt hogaa, yaa aur chaahie?)
Sense
3
:
to that extent, so (before an adjective/adverb, often correlative with जितना)
adverb Modifies an adjective or adverb to express degree, as in उतना अच्छा नहीं (utnaa achchhaa nahiin, 'not that good'); frequently appears with नहीं (nahiin) in comparisons.
Synonyms: इतना (itnaa, 'so, this much')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: A very natural way to soften a comparison in daily speech is वो उतना अच्छा नहीं है (vo utnaa achchhaa nahiin hai, 'it's not that good') -- this degree-adverb use of उतना (utnaa) is what makes such comparisons sound native rather than translated.
Common Mistakes: 1) In comparisons like 'not as good as X,' learners sometimes reach for a direct word-for-word translation of 'as' instead of the जितना...उतना (jitnaa...utnaa) or plain उतना...नहीं (utnaa...nahiin) frame that Hindi actually uses.
Sample Sentences:
वो उतना अच्छा नहीं है।
It's not that good.
(vo utnaa achchhaa nahiin hai।)
यह फ़िल्म उतनी बोरिंग नहीं थी जितना मैंने सोचा था।
This movie wasn't as boring as I thought it would be.
(yah film utnii boring nahiin thii jitnaa mainne sochaa thaa।)
मैं उतना तेज़ नहीं दौड़ सकता जितना वह दौड़ता है।
I can't run as fast as he does.
(main utnaa tez nahiin daud saktaa jitnaa vah daudtaa hai।)
काश मैं भी उतना समझदार होता।
I wish I were that wise too.
(kaash main bhii utnaa samajhdaar hotaa।)
अगर तुम उतना ध्यान से पढ़ते जितना खेलते हो, तो पास हो जाते।
If you had studied as attentively as you play, you would have passed.
(agar tum utnaa dhyaan se padhte jitnaa khelte ho, to paas ho jaate।)
इतना मत सोचो, बात उतनी बड़ी नहीं है।
Don't think so much, the matter isn't that big a deal.
(itnaa mat socho, baat utnii badii nahiin hai।)
उसका काम उतना मुश्किल नहीं होगा जितना लग रहा है।
His work probably won't be as difficult as it seems.
(uskaa kaam utnaa mushkil nahiin hogaa jitnaa lag rahaa hai।)
शायद हालात उतने खराब न हों जितना हम डर रहे हैं।
Maybe the situation isn't as bad as we're afraid it is.
(shaayad haalaat utne kharaab n hon jitnaa ham dar rahe hain।)
उस पुराने ज़माने में सफ़र इतना आसान नहीं था; रास्ते उतने सुरक्षित भी नहीं थे जितने आज हैं।
In those old times travel was not so easy; the roads were not as safe as they are today.
(us puraane zamaane men safar itnaa aasaan nahiin thaa; raaste utne surakshit bhii nahiin the jitne aaj hain।)
आपका सुझाव उतना प्रभावी सिद्ध नहीं हुआ जितनी हमें उम्मीद थी।
Your suggestion did not prove as effective as we had hoped.
(aapkaa sujhaav utnaa prabhaavii siddh nahiin huaa jitnii hamen ummiid thii।)
Morphology
Adjective (variable)
(sg.m):
उतना
(utnaa)
(pl.m):
उतने
(utne)
(sg.f):
उतनी
(utnii)
(pl.f):
उतनी
(utnii)