कभी (kabhii)
adverb
One core word covering 'ever/at some time' and 'sometimes,' with a strong idiomatic life in the negated and doubled patterns कभी नहीं (kabhii nahiin) and कभी-कभी (kabhii-kabhii).
Sense
1
:
ever, at some (unspecified) time
adverb
Synonyms: किसी समय (kisii samay, at some point), कभी न कभी (kabhii n kabhii, sooner or later)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the word that turns a plain past-tense question into 'have you EVER...?' -- native speakers drop it in constantly when asking about life experience, travel, or trying something once.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for हमेशा (hameshaa) or कोई (koii) when they mean 'ever' -- कभी (kabhii) is the word for an unspecified point in time, not for 'always' or 'any.' 2) In questions like 'have you ever been to Delhi?', learners forget कभी (kabhii) entirely and just use the perfect tense, which sounds flat without it: क्या तुम कभी दिल्ली गए हो? (kyaa tum kabhii dillii gae ho?, 'have you ever been to Delhi?')
Sample Sentences:
क्या तुमने कभी ताजमहल देखा है?
Have you ever seen the Taj Mahal?
(kyaa tumne kabhii taajmahal dekhaa hai?)
क्या आपने कभी विदेश यात्रा की है?
Have you ever traveled abroad?
(kyaa aapne kabhii videsh yaatraa kii hai?)
अगर कभी मौका मिले तो मुझे बताना।
If you ever get a chance, let me know.
(agar kabhii maukaa mile to mujhe bataanaa।)
मैंने सोचा भी नहीं था कि कभी ऐसा होगा।
I never even thought that this would ever happen.
(mainne sochaa bhii nahiin thaa ki kabhii aisaa hogaa।)
अगर मैं कभी अमीर होता, तो पूरी दुनिया घूमता।
If I were ever rich, I would travel the whole world.
(agar main kabhii amiir hotaa, to poorii duniyaa ghoomtaa।)
क्या तुमने कभी झूठ बोला है?
Have you ever told a lie?
(kyaa tumne kabhii jhooth bolaa hai?)
कभी तुमने सोचा है कि यह सब कैसे शुरू हुआ?
Have you ever thought about how all this started?
(kabhii tumne sochaa hai ki yah sab kaise shuroo huaa?)
यह किताब कभी न कभी तुम्हें पढ़नी ही चाहिए।
You should read this book at some point or another.
(yah kitaab kabhii n kabhii tumhen padhnii hii chaahie।)
कभी वक्त मिले तो एक कप चाय पर मिलते हैं।
If you ever get time, let's meet over a cup of tea.
(kabhii vakt mile to ek kap chaay par milte hain।)
जो कभी हार नहीं मानता, वही अंत में जीतता है।
He who never accepts defeat is the one who wins in the end.
(jo kabhii haar nahiin maantaa, vahii ant men jiittaa hai।)
क्या कभी किसी ने इस पहाड़ की चोटी को छुआ है?
Has anyone ever touched the peak of this mountain?
(kyaa kabhii kisii ne is pahaad kii chotii ko chhuaa hai?)
Sense
2
:
sometimes, occasionally
adverb The doubled form कभी-कभी (kabhii-kabhii) is far more common in this sense than the bare single कभी (kabhii); a lone कभी usually leans toward the 'ever' sense unless context makes 'sometimes' clear.
Synonyms: कभी-कभी (kabhii-kabhii, doubled/more common form), कभी कभार (kabhii kabhaar, every now and then)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: The reduplication कभी-कभी (kabhii-kabhii) is a classic Hindi rhythm -- doubling a time word to soften it into 'now and then' rather than a fixed schedule.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners overuse the single कभी (kabhii) for 'sometimes' when native speakers default to the doubled कभी-कभी (kabhii-kabhii) -- e.g. कभी-कभी मैं चाय नहीं पीता (kabhii-kabhii main chaay nahiin piitaa, 'sometimes I don't drink tea').
Sample Sentences:
मैं कभी-कभी सुबह सैर पर जाता हूँ।
I sometimes go for a walk in the morning.
(main kabhii-kabhii subah sair par jaataa hoon।)
वह कभी-कभी बिना बताए घर से निकल जाती थी।
She would sometimes leave the house without telling anyone.
(vah kabhii-kabhii binaa bataae ghar se nikal jaatii thii।)
हम कभी-कभी छुट्टी के दिन फ़िल्म देखने चले जाएँगे।
We'll sometimes go watch a movie on days off.
(ham kabhii-kabhii chhuttii ke din film dekhne chale jaaenge।)
कभी-कभी वह अपने आप से बातें करता रहता है।
Sometimes he keeps talking to himself.
(kabhii-kabhii vah apne aap se baaten kartaa rahtaa hai।)
अगर तुम कभी-कभी मुझे याद कर लो, तो अच्छा लगेगा।
If you remember me now and then, it would feel nice.
(agar tum kabhii-kabhii mujhe yaad kar lo, to achchhaa lagegaa।)
काश वह कभी-कभी अपनी तबीयत का भी ख़याल रखता।
If only he took care of his health once in a while.
(kaash vah kabhii-kabhii apnii tabiiyat kaa bhii khayaal rakhtaa।)
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि मरीज़ को कभी-कभी हल्की सैर करा दी जाए।
The doctor said the patient should occasionally be taken for a light walk.
(doktar ne kahaa ki mariiz ko kabhii-kabhii halkii sair karaa dii jaae।)
इस मंदिर में कभी-कभी बड़ा भंडारा आयोजित किया जाता है।
A big communal feast is occasionally organized at this temple.
(is mandir men kabhii-kabhii badaa bhandaaraa aayojit kiyaa jaataa hai।)
कभी-कभी तो चुप ही रह जाओ, हर बात का जवाब देना ज़रूरी नहीं।
Sometimes just stay quiet, you don't have to answer everything.
(kabhii-kabhii to chup hii rah jaao, har baat kaa javaab denaa zaroorii nahiin।)
जीवन में कभी-कभी सुख भी मिलता है, कभी-कभी दुःख भी।
In life, sometimes there's happiness, and sometimes there's sorrow.
(jiivan men kabhii-kabhii sukh bhii miltaa hai, kabhii-kabhii duhkh bhii।)
पहले वह कभी-कभी चिट्ठी लिख भेजता था, अब फ़ोन ही करता है।
Earlier he used to write and send letters now and then, now he just calls.
(pahle vah kabhii-kabhii chitthii likh bhejtaa thaa, ab fon hii kartaa hai।)
Sense
3
:
never (in the fixed negative frame)
adverb This sense exists only inside the frame कभी...नहीं (kabhii...nahiin); कभी (kabhii) itself never means 'never' in isolation -- the negation must be spoken or written alongside it.
Synonyms: कभी नहीं (kabhii nahiin, fixed frame), कभी भी नहीं (kabhii bhii nahiin, emphatic variant)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: मैं कभी नहीं जाऊँगा (main kabhii nahiin jaaoongaa, 'I will never go') is the classic dramatic declaration you hear in arguments and vows alike -- the pairing of कभी (kabhii) with नहीं (nahiin) is what carries the force, much like English stresses 'never' itself.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes drop the नहीं (nahiin) thinking कभी (kabhii) alone can carry 'never' -- it cannot; without the negator it reverts to 'ever/sometimes.' 2) For extra emphasis native speakers insert भी (bhii): कभी भी नहीं (kabhii bhii nahiin, 'never, ever') -- learners often forget this intensifier exists.
Sample Sentences:
मैं कभी नहीं जाऊँगा।
I will never go.
(main kabhii nahiin jaaoongaa।)
उसने कभी सच नहीं बोला।
He never told the truth.
(usne kabhii sach nahiin bolaa।)
मैं कभी झूठ नहीं बोलता।
I never tell lies.
(main kabhii jhooth nahiin boltaa।)
वह कभी अपनी गलती नहीं मानती।
She never admits her mistake.
(vah kabhii apnii galtii nahiin maantii।)
यह राज़ कभी किसी को नहीं बताया जाएगा।
This secret will never be told to anyone.
(yah raaz kabhii kisii ko nahiin bataayaa jaaegaa।)
काश वह कभी इतना गुस्सा न करता।
If only he never got so angry.
(kaash vah kabhii itnaa gussaa n kartaa।)
अगर तुम मुझसे सच कहते, तो मैं कभी नाराज़ न होता।
If you had told me the truth, I would never have gotten angry.
(agar tum mujhse sach kahte, to main kabhii naaraaz n hotaa।)
कभी हार मत मानो।
Never give up.
(kabhii haar mat maano।)
मुझे यकीन है कि वह कभी वापस नहीं आएगा।
I am certain that he will never come back.
(mujhe yakiin hai ki vah kabhii vaapas nahiin aaegaa।)
इतिहास इस दिन को कभी नहीं भूलेगा।
History will never forget this day.
(itihaas is din ko kabhii nahiin bhoolegaa।)
इस मंदिर के दरवाज़े कभी बंद नहीं होते।
The doors of this temple are never closed.
(is mandir ke darvaaze kabhii band nahiin hote।)