इतना (itnaa)

adjective/adverb/pronoun A demonstrative quantifier meaning 'this much/so much', inflecting for gender/number (itnii, itne); it also does duty as an intensifier ('so') before adjectives and adverbs. Pairs naturally with जितना (jitnaa, 'as much as') in correlative constructions.

Sense 1 : this much, so much (quantity)

adjective Agrees in gender/number with the noun it quantifies: इतना पैसा (itnaa paisaa, 'this much money'), इतनी चीज़ें (itnii chiizen, 'this many things').

Synonyms: इस कदर (is kadar, more literary/emphatic)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly in the kitchen or market: इतना नमक मत डालो (itnaa namak mat daalo, 'don't put in so much salt') or इतने पैसे नहीं हैं (itne paise nahiin hain, 'I don't have this much money'). It is the everyday partner of जितना (jitnaa) in the classic 'as much as this much' correlative frame that Hindi uses constantly where English restructures the sentence entirely.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners forget to inflect इतना (itnaa) for gender/number with the noun it modifies, leaving it stuck in the masculine singular form even before feminine or plural nouns. 2) इतना (itnaa) is often paired with जितना (jitnaa) in 'as much as' comparisons (जितना...इतना...), and learners sometimes use सिर्फ (sirph) or दूसरा (doosraa) constructions instead of this natural correlative pattern.

Sample Sentences:

इतना नमक मत डालो, सब्ज़ी खराब हो जाएगी। Don't put in so much salt, the vegetables will get spoiled.

(itnaa namak mat daalo, sabzii kharaab ho jaaegii।)

मेरे पास इतने पैसे नहीं हैं कि नई गाड़ी खरीद सकूँ। I don't have this much money that I could buy a new car.

(mere paas itne paise nahiin hain ki naii gaadii khariid sakoon।)

जितना काम तुमने किया, उतना ही मैंने भी किया, फिर इतना फ़र्क क्यों? I did as much work as you did, so why is there this much difference?

(jitnaa kaam tumne kiyaa, utnaa hii mainne bhii kiyaa, phir itnaa fark kyon?)

इतने लोग इस छोटे से कमरे में कैसे बैठेंगे? How will this many people sit in this small room?

(itne log is chhote se kamre men kaise baithenge?)

अगर इतना आटा होता, तो मैं और रोटियाँ बना देती। If I had this much flour, I would have made more rotis.

(agar itnaa aataa hotaa, to main aur rotiyaan banaa detii।)

इतना सामान एक ही ट्रक में नहीं रखा जा सकता। This much luggage cannot be put in just one truck.

(itnaa saamaan ek hii trak men nahiin rakhaa jaa saktaa।)

इतनी चीनी डालने से चाय बहुत मीठी हो जाएगी। Putting in this much sugar will make the tea very sweet.

(itnii chiinii daalne se chaay bahut miithii ho jaaegii।)

कृपया इतनी जल्दी में कोई फैसला न करें, कागज़ात पूरे देख लें। Please don't take a decision in this much haste; review all the documents.

(kripyaa itnii jaldii men koii phaislaa n karen, kaagzaat poore dekh len।)

इतनी भीड़ में शायद हमें टिकट न मिले। In this much of a crowd, we might not get tickets.

(itnii bhiid men shaayad hamen tikat n mile।)

बचपन में हमारे पास इतनी सुविधाएँ नहीं होती थीं। In childhood, we did not use to have this many facilities.

(bachpan men hamaare paas itnii suvidhaaen nahiin hotii thiin।)

उसने इतनी मिठाई खा ली कि उसका पेट दर्द करने लगा। He ate so much sweets that his stomach started to ache.

(usne itnii mithaaii khaa lii ki uskaa pet dard karne lagaa।)

Sense 2 : so, to this extent (intensifier before adjectives/adverbs)

adverb Invariant in this use, placed directly before the adjective or adverb it intensifies: इतना अच्छा (itnaa achchhaa, 'so good'), इतना जल्दी (itnaa jaldii, 'so quickly').

Synonyms: इस कदर (is kadar, literary/emphatic), इतना ज़्यादा (itnaa zyaadaa, emphatic variant)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: This is the word behind exasperated lines like तुम इतना क्यों बोलते हो? (tum itnaa kyon bolte ho?, 'why do you talk so much?') -- a very Delhi-household kind of complaint, usually from a mother to a chatty child.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes mistakenly inflect इतना (itnaa) here as if it were agreeing with the following adjective, but as an intensifying adverb before an adjective it stays invariant while the adjective itself takes the agreement, e.g. इतनी अच्छी लड़की (itnii achchhii ladkii, 'such a good girl') -- here इतनी (itnii) agrees with लड़की (ladkii), not the reverse.

Sample Sentences:

यह कमरा इतना गंदा क्यों है? Why is this room so dirty?

(yah kamraa itnaa gandaa kyon hai?)

तुम इतना क्यों बोलते हो? Why do you talk so much?

(tum itnaa kyon bolte ho?)

आज मौसम इतना सुहावना था कि हम पार्क में घूमने चले गए। The weather was so pleasant today that we went out for a walk in the park.

(aaj mausam itnaa suhaavnaa thaa ki ham paark men ghoomne chale gae।)

वह इतनी तेज़ दौड़ रही है कि कोई उसे पकड़ नहीं पाएगा। She is running so fast that no one will be able to catch her.

(vah itnii tez daud rahii hai ki koii use pakad nahiin paaegaa।)

इतना ज़ोर से मत चिल्लाओ, बच्चा सो रहा है। Don't shout so loudly, the baby is sleeping.

(itnaa zor se mat chillaao, bachchaa so rahaa hai।)

अगर तुम इतना धीरे काम करते, तो नौकरी कभी नहीं मिलती। If you had worked this slowly, you would never have gotten the job.

(agar tum itnaa dhiire kaam karte, to naukrii kabhii nahiin miltii।)

मुझे नहीं लगता कि यह प्रश्न इतना कठिन हो कि कोई हल न कर सके। I do not think this question is so difficult that no one could solve it.

(mujhe nahiin lagtaa ki yah prashn itnaa kathin ho ki koii hal n kar sake।)

यह समस्या इतनी जटिल समझी जाती है कि लोग इसे छूते भी नहीं। This problem is considered so complex that people don't even touch it.

(yah samasyaa itnii jatil samjhii jaatii hai ki log ise chhoote bhii nahiin।)

उसका दुख इतना गहरा था कि शब्द उसे बयान नहीं कर सकते थे। His sorrow was so deep that words could not describe it.

(uskaa dukh itnaa gahraa thaa ki shabd use bayaan nahiin kar sakte the।)

प्रभु की कृपा इतनी अपार है कि कोई उसका मोल नहीं आँक सकता। The Lord's grace is so boundless that no one can measure its worth.

(prabhu kii kripaa itnii apaar hai ki koii uskaa mol nahiin aank saktaa।)

कृपया इतनी जल्दी न कीजिए, अभी समय है। Please don't be in such a hurry, there is still time.

(kripyaa itnii jaldii n kiijie, abhii samay hai।)

Sense 3 : this much (standing alone for a quantity)

pronoun Used without a following noun when the quantity is understood from context: इतना काफ़ी है (itnaa kaafii hai, 'this much is enough').

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: You'll hear a shopkeeper or host say बस, इतना ही (bas, itnaa hii, 'that's all, just this much') as a natural way to close off a transaction or offer -- a compact, very common phrase pattern.

Sample Sentences:

बस, इतना ही चाहिए मुझे। That's all, I just need this much.

(bas, itnaa hii chaahie mujhe।)

दुकानदार ने कहा, "बस, इतना ही।" The shopkeeper said, "That's all, just this much."

(dukaandaar ne kahaa, "bas, itnaa hii।")

इतना काफी है, ज्यादा मत डालो। This much is enough, don't add more.

(itnaa kaaphii hai, jyaadaa mat daalo।)

इतने से क्या होगा? What will happen with just this much?

(itne se kyaa hogaa?)

अगर इतना ही चाहिए था, तो पहले बता देते। If this much was all you needed, you should have said so earlier.

(agar itnaa hii chaahie thaa, to pahle bataa dete।)

क्या इतना ही मिलेगा हमें? Will we get only this much?

(kyaa itnaa hii milegaa hamen?)

उसने इतना ही खाया और उठ गया। He ate only this much and got up.

(usne itnaa hii khaayaa aur uth gayaa।)

इतना ही लीजिए, बाकी फिर कभी। Please take just this much, the rest some other time.

(itnaa hii liijie, baakii phir kabhii।)

शायद इतना ही उसकी किस्मत में लिखा हो। Maybe this much alone was written in his fate.

(shaayad itnaa hii uskii kismat men likhaa ho।)

Morphology

Adjective (variable)

(sg.m): इतना (itnaa)

(pl.m): इतने (itne)

(sg.f): इतनी (itnii)

(pl.f): इतनी (itnii)