पौन (paun)
numeral
A number word meaning 'three-quarters' or 'minus one-quarter,' used mainly to talk about time and quantities, e.g. पौन घंटा (paun ghantaa, 'three-quarters of an hour').
Sense
1
:
three-quarters (of a unit)
numeral Used before a unit noun (hour, kilogram, dozen, etc.) to mean 'that unit minus a quarter' -- पौन किलो (paun kilo, 'three-quarters of a kilogram') -- much like how सवा (savaa) means 'plus a quarter' and साढ़े (saadhe) means 'plus a half.'
Synonyms: तीन चौथाई (tiin chauthaaii, more literal/explicit)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: पौन (paun) belongs to a small family of quantity-words -- सवा (savaa, 'plus a quarter'), साढ़े (saadhe, 'plus a half'), and पौन (paun, 'minus a quarter') -- that Hindi speakers use constantly for clock time and market weights, so mastering all three together pays off fast. You'll hear it most in phrases like पौन घंटा (paun ghantaa, 'forty-five minutes') or पौने दस बजे (paune das baje, 'at a quarter to ten') -- note the changed form पौने (paune) before बजे (baje), which the morphology table will cover.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for तीन चौथाई (tiin chauthaaii) by default since it mirrors the English calculation, but पौन (paun) is what people actually say in daily speech, especially with time and weight. 2) पौन (paun) is always used as a modifier directly before the noun, not as a standalone fraction the way you might say 'three-quarters' alone in English.
Sample Sentences:
अभी पौन घंटा और लगेगा।
It will take another forty-five minutes now.
(abhii paun ghantaa aur lagegaa।)
मीटिंग पौने दस बजे शुरू होगी।
The meeting will start at a quarter to ten.
(miiting paune das baje shuroo hogii।)
उसने पौन किलो आटा खरीदा।
He bought three-quarters of a kilo of flour.
(usne paun kilo aataa khariidaa।)
पौने घंटे में सारा काम खत्म हो जाता है।
All the work gets finished in forty-five minutes.
(paune ghante men saaraa kaam khatm ho jaataa hai।)
कृपया पौने पाँच बजे तक दफ्तर पहुँच जाइए।
Please arrive at the office by a quarter to five.
(kripyaa paune paanch baje tak daphtar pahunch jaaie।)
अगर पौना किलो चीनी और होती, तो मिठाई बन जाती।
If there had been another three-quarters of a kilo of sugar, the sweets would have been made.
(agar paunaa kilo chiinii aur hotii, to mithaaii ban jaatii।)
गाड़ी पौने बारह बजे स्टेशन से निकल चुकी थी।
The train had already left the station at a quarter to twelve.
(gaadii paune baarah baje steshan se nikal chukii thii।)
क्या पौन घंटे में यह रिपोर्ट तैयार हो सकती है?
Can this report be ready in forty-five minutes?
(kyaa paun ghante men yah riport taiyaar ho saktii hai?)
पौने दो बजे तक बारिश रुक गई थी।
By a quarter to two, the rain had stopped.
(paune do baje tak baarish ruk gaii thii।)
पौन हिस्सा काम अभी बाकी है।
Three-quarters of the work is still left now.
(paun hissaa kaam abhii baakii hai।)
पौने आठ बजे से पहले चाय बना लो।
Make the tea before a quarter to eight.
(paune aath baje se pahle chaay banaa lo।)