बजे (baje)
particle/verb
Used to tell time in Hindi -- 'o'clock' -- and also the past-tense form of the verb बजना (bajnaa, 'to ring/strike/sound') meaning something rang, struck, or played.
Sense
1
:
o'clock (time marker)
particle Follows a number to state clock time: पाँच बजे (paanch baje, 'at five o'clock'). With one o'clock, use एक बजे (ek baje) -- note this is still बजे (baje), not a singular form, despite एक (ek) being singular.
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Ask any Delhi auto driver 'कितने बजे मिलते हैं?' (kitne baje milte hain, 'what time shall we meet?') and बजे (baje) is doing all the work of 'o'clock.' It comes from the verb बजना (bajnaa) -- the idea being that a clock or bell 'sounds' the hour, so time in Hindi is quite literally described by the striking of a bell.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to make this agree with the number like an adjective, but बजे (baje) is fixed in this time-telling use except for the एक बजे (ek baje) vs दो बजे (do baje) contrast, which is about the noun बजा (bajaa)/बजे (baje) itself being singular or plural, not about agreement with the numeral in the usual adjective sense. 2) Learners forget को (ko) is optional but common when specifying 'at' a time in a full sentence: पाँच बजे (को) आना (paanch baje (ko) aanaa, 'to come at five o'clock').
Sample Sentences:
मेरी क्लास सुबह नौ बजे शुरू होती है।
My class starts at nine o'clock in the morning.
(merii klaas subah nau baje shuroo hotii hai।)
Listen: M85
हम कल शाम सात बजे मिलेंगे।
We will meet tomorrow evening at seven o'clock.
(ham kal shaam saat baje milenge।)
Listen: M85
जब मैं पहुँचा, तब दस बजे थे।
When I arrived, it was ten o'clock.
(jab main pahunchaa, tab das baje the।)
Listen: M85
कृपया ठीक आठ बजे पहुँचिए।
Please arrive at exactly eight o'clock.
(kripyaa thiik aath baje pahunchie।)
Listen: M85
अगर बारह बजे होते, तो हम खाना खा रहे होते।
If it were twelve o'clock, we would be eating.
(agar baarah baje hote, to ham khaanaa khaa rahe hote।)
Listen: M85
शायद अभी तीन बजे हों।
It might be three o'clock right now.
(shaayad abhii tiin baje hon।)
Listen: F85
दफ्तर में सबकुछ ठीक नौ बजे शुरू किया जाता है।
Everything at the office is started at exactly nine o'clock.
(daphtar men sabkuchh thiik nau baje shuroo kiyaa jaataa hai।)
Listen: F85
ट्रेन रात के ग्यारह बजे स्टेशन से रवाना हुई।
The train departed from the station at eleven o'clock at night.
(tren raat ke gyaarah baje steshan se ravaanaa huii।)
Listen: F85
मीटिंग साढ़े चार बजे रखी गई है।
The meeting has been scheduled for half past four.
(miiting saadhe chaar baje rakhii gaii hai।)
Listen: F85
Sense
2
:
rang, struck, sounded, played (past tense)
verb, intransitive This is the masculine plural/default past form of बजना (bajnaa); used for bells, clocks, alarms, and musical instruments 'sounding' on their own -- घंटी बजी (ghantii bajii, 'the bell rang'), घड़ी के बारह बजे (ghadii ke baarah baje, 'the clock struck twelve').
Synonyms: गूँजा (goonjaa, resonated/echoed)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This intransitive verb बजना (bajnaa) pairs with its transitive causative cousin बजाना (bajaanaa, 'to play/ring something', e.g. a tabla or a doorbell) -- a classic Hindi pattern where the thing 'sounds by itself' versus 'someone makes it sound.'
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for बजाया (bajaayaa) (from the transitive बजाना (bajaanaa), 'to play/sound something') when they mean the instrument or bell sounded by itself -- घंटी बज गई (ghantii baj gaii, 'the bell rang') not घंटी बजाई (ghantii bajaaii) unless someone deliberately rang it.
Sample Sentences:
दरवाजे की घंटी दो बार बजी।
The doorbell rang twice.
(darvaaje kii ghantii do baar bajii।)
Listen: F85
मंदिर की घंटियाँ सुबह-सुबह बज उठीं।
The temple bells suddenly rang out early in the morning.
(mandir kii ghantiyaan subah-subah baj uthiin।)
Listen: F85
जब तक हम पहुँचे, ढोल बज चुके थे।
By the time we arrived, the drums had already finished playing.
(jab tak ham pahunche, dhol baj chuke the।)
Listen: F85
स्कूल की छुट्टी की घंटी अभी-अभी बजी है।
The school's closing bell has just rung.
(skool kii chhuttii kii ghantii abhii-abhii bajii hai।)
Listen: F85
अगर तार सही से जुड़े होते, तो घंटी बजती।
If the wires had been connected properly, the bell would have rung.
(agar taar sahii se jude hote, to ghantii bajtii।)
Listen: F85
हर रोज़ सुबह पाँच बजे मंदिर में शंख बजता था।
Every morning at five o'clock, the conch used to sound at the temple.
(har roz subah paanch baje mandir men shankh bajtaa thaa।)
Listen: M85
क्या तुमने सुना, अभी फोन बजा था?
Did you hear, the phone rang just now?
(kyaa tumne sunaa, abhii phon bajaa thaa?)
Listen: M85
समारोह में तुरही बजाई गई और साथ ही घंटियाँ भी बजीं।
At the ceremony the trumpet was played, and the bells rang along with it.
(samaaroh men turahii bajaaii gaii aur saath hii ghantiyaan bhii bajiin।)
Listen: M85
युद्ध का बिगुल बज चुका था, अब पीछे हटने का कोई रास्ता न था।
The bugle of war had already sounded; now there was no way to retreat.
(yuddh kaa bigul baj chukaa thaa, ab piichhe hatne kaa koii raastaa n thaa।)
Listen: M85
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
बजे
(baje)
infinitive oblique:
बजने
(bajne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
बजता
(bajtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
बजते
(bajte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
बजती
(bajtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
बजतीं
(bajtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
बज रहा
(baj rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
बज रहे
(baj rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
बज रही
(baj rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
बज रहीं
(baj rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
बजा
(bajaa)
perfective (pl.m):
बजे
(baje)
perfective (sg.f):
बजी
(bajii)
perfective (pl.f):
बजीं
(bajiin)
imperative (informal):
बज
(baj)
imperative (neutral):
बजो
(bajo)
imperative (formal):
बजिए
(bajie)
future (1sg.m):
बजूँगा
(bajoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
बजूँगी
(bajoongii)
future (1pl.m):
बजेंगे
(bajenge)
future (1pl.f):
बजेंगी
(bajengii)
future (2sg.m):
बजेगा
(bajegaa)
future (2sg.f):
बजेगी
(bajegii)
future (2pl.m):
बजोगे
(bajoge)
future (2pl.f):
बजोगी
(bajogii)
future (3sg.m):
बजेगा
(bajegaa)
future (3sg.f):
बजेगी
(bajegii)
future (3pl.m):
बजेंगे
(bajenge)
future (3pl.f):
बजेंगी
(bajengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
बजूँ
(bajoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
बजें
(bajen)
subjunctive (2sg):
बजे
(baje)
subjunctive (2pl):
बजो
(bajo)
subjunctive (3sg):
बजे
(baje)
subjunctive (3pl):
बजें
(bajen)