क्या (kyaa)
pronoun/particle/adverb
The core interrogative word for 'what', which also does double duty as a yes/no question marker and as an intensifier in exclamations; the senses split along those three lines.
Sense
1
:
what (interrogative pronoun)
pronoun Used to ask about the identity or content of a thing, as the object or subject of a verb: क्या हुआ (kyaa huaa, 'what happened'), क्या चाहिए (kyaa chaahie, 'what do you need').
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is one of the first words every learner picks up, right alongside नमस्ते (namaste) -- you will hear क्या हुआ (kyaa huaa, 'what happened') and क्या बात है (kyaa baat hai, 'what's up/what's the matter') constantly in daily banter among friends and family.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse क्या (kyaa, 'what') with कौन (kaun, 'who') when asking about people versus things -- क्या (kyaa) is strictly for things, ideas, and actions, never for people. 2) In a sentence like आपका नाम क्या है (aapkaa naam kyaa hai, 'what is your name'), learners sometimes try to front क्या (kyaa) the way English fronts 'what', but Hindi word order keeps it in its natural slot before है (hai).
Sample Sentences:
आज क्या बात है, तुम इतने खुश क्यों हो?
What's the matter today, why are you so happy?
(aaj kyaa baat hai, tum itne khush kyon ho?)
Listen: M85
तुम क्या कर रहे थे जब मैंने फ़ोन किया?
What were you doing when I called?
(tum kyaa kar rahe the jab mainne fon kiyaa?)
Listen: F85
कल शाम को तुम क्या करोगे?
What will you do tomorrow evening?
(kal shaam ko tum kyaa karoge?)
Listen: M85
अगर वह न आता, तो हम क्या करते?
If he hadn't come, what would we have done?
(agar vah n aataa, to ham kyaa karte?)
Listen: F85
मुझे नहीं पता कि उसने क्या कहा।
I don't know what he said.
(mujhe nahiin pataa ki usne kyaa kahaa।)
Listen: M85
आप क्या लेना चाहेंगे, चाय या कॉफ़ी?
What would you like to have, tea or coffee?
(aap kyaa lenaa chaahenge, chaay yaa kofii?)
Listen: F85
इस समस्या का हल क्या हो सकता है?
What could be the solution to this problem?
(is samasyaa kaa hal kyaa ho saktaa hai?)
Listen: F85
यह किताब क्यों लिखी गई, इसका कारण क्या था?
Why was this book written, what was the reason for it?
(yah kitaab kyon likhii gaii, iskaa kaaran kyaa thaa?)
Listen: M85
जीवन का उद्देश्य क्या है, यह प्रश्न सदियों से पूछा जाता रहा है।
What is the purpose of life -- this question has been asked for centuries.
(jiivan kaa uddeshy kyaa hai, yah prashn sadiyon se poochhaa jaataa rahaa hai।)
Listen: F85
Sense
2
:
yes/no question marker
particle Placed at the start of a sentence to turn a statement into a yes/no question without changing word order: तुम आ रहे हो (tum aa rahe ho, 'you are coming') becomes क्या तुम आ रहे हो (kyaa tum aa rahe ho, 'are you coming?').
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is a wonderfully economical trick in Hindi: no need to invert subject and verb like English 'are you...' -- just drop क्या (kyaa) on the front of any statement and it becomes a question. Very handy once it clicks.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often skip this क्या (kyaa) entirely and rely only on rising intonation, which is fine in casual speech but sounds incomplete in careful or written Hindi. 2) It's easy to confuse this particle with the interrogative pronoun sense (question word 'what') -- here it carries no meaning of its own and simply flags that a yes/no answer is expected.
Sample Sentences:
क्या यह पत्र आपको भेजा गया था?
Was this letter sent to you?
(kyaa yah patr aapko bhejaa gayaa thaa?)
Listen: M85
क्या अगर बारिश हो तो हम फिर भी चलें?
If it rains, should we still go?
(kyaa agar baarish ho to ham phir bhii chalen?)
Listen: M85
क्या अगर तुम पहले बता देते तो मैं तैयार होता?
If you had told me earlier, would I have been ready?
(kyaa agar tum pahle bataa dete to main taiyaar hotaa?)
Listen: F85
क्या यहाँ धूम्रपान करना मना है?
Is smoking prohibited here?
(kyaa yahaan dhoomrpaan karnaa manaa hai?)
Listen: F85
क्या यह मार्ग सत्य की ओर ले जाता है?
Does this path lead toward truth?
(kyaa yah maarg saty kii or le jaataa hai?)
Listen: F85
क्या आप कल तक यह काम पूरा कर लेंगे?
Will you have finished this work by tomorrow?
(kyaa aap kal tak yah kaam pooraa kar lenge?)
Listen: M85
Sense
3
:
what a...! / how...! (exclamatory intensifier)
adverb Introduces an exclamation about a quality or scene: क्या मज़ा है (kyaa mazaa hai, 'what fun!'), क्या बात है (kyaa baat hai, 'what a thing! / how wonderful!').
Synonyms: कितना (kitnaa, overlaps in exclamatory 'how much/how' use)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: क्या बात है (kyaa baat hai) is a classic all-purpose exclamation -- it can mean 'how wonderful!' with a big smile, or 'what's going on?' with a raised eyebrow, entirely depending on tone. Delhi friends toss this around constantly, so tuning your ear to the emotional pitch matters more than the words themselves.
Common Mistakes: 1) This exclamatory क्या (kyaa) is easy to mistake for the question marker if you only listen for the word itself -- tone and context (an exuberant, admiring delivery) are what signal the exclamation here, not word order.
Sample Sentences:
क्या शानदार खाना बनाया है तुमने!
What a fantastic meal you've made!
(kyaa shaandaar khaanaa banaayaa hai tumne!)
Listen: F85
अगर वो आ जाता तो क्या मज़ा आता!
If he had come, what fun it would have been!
(agar vo aa jaataa to kyaa mazaa aataa!)
Listen: M85
क्या ही अच्छा हो अगर तुम कल आ सको।
How wonderful it would be if you could come tomorrow.
(kyaa hii achchhaa ho agar tum kal aa sako।)
Listen: M85
क्या हिम्मत है उसकी!
What courage he has! (or: what nerve he has!)
(kyaa himmat hai uskii!)
Listen: F85