एक (ek)

numeral/adjective/adverb Primarily the numeral 'one', but एक (ek) also works as an indefinite article ('a/an/a certain'), as an adjective meaning 'single/same', and inside several fixed phrases and conjunctive constructions. The senses below map these uses.

Sense 1 : the number one

numeral

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: This is the basic counting word every learner meets on day one, right alongside दो (do) and तीन (tiin) -- it is also the building block for compound numbers like इक्कीस (ikkiis, 'twenty-one'), so getting comfortable with it early pays off down the line.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often forget that एक (ek) itself never takes gender agreement -- it looks the same before masculine and feminine nouns (एक लड़का ek ladkaa, एक लड़की ek ladkii); any agreement happens on the noun/adjective, not on एक (ek) itself.

Sample Sentences:

मेरे पास सिर्फ़ एक रुपया है। I have only one rupee.

(mere paas sirf ek rupyaa hai।)

एक और एक दो होते हैं। One and one make two.

(ek aur ek do hote hain।)

उसने एक सेब खरीदा। He bought one apple.

(usne ek seb khariidaa।)

कृपया मुझे एक गिलास पानी दीजिए। Please give me one glass of water.

(kripyaa mujhe ek gilaas paanii diijie।)

अगर मेरे पास एक हज़ार रुपये होते, तो मैं यह किताब खरीद लेता। If I had one thousand rupees, I would have bought this book.

(agar mere paas ek hazaar rupye hote, to main yah kitaab khariid letaa।)

क्लास में हम इक्कीस बच्चे थे, यानी बीस और एक। There were twenty-one children in class, that is, twenty and one.

(klaas men ham ikkiis bachche the, yaanii biis aur ek।)

टीचर ने बोर्ड पर लिखा: एक, दो, तीन। The teacher wrote on the board: one, two, three.

(tiichar ne bord par likhaa: ek, do, tiin।)

इस टीम को कल एक अंक और चाहिए होगा। This team will need one more point tomorrow.

(is tiim ko kal ek ank aur chaahie hogaa।)

शायद उत्तर एक ही हो। Perhaps the answer might be one.

(shaayad uttar ek hii ho।)

फॉर्म में सिर्फ़ एक जगह खाली छोड़ी गई। Only one space was left blank on the form.

(phorm men sirf ek jagah khaalii chhodii gaii।)

पाँच में से एक घटाओ तो चार बचते हैं। Subtract one from five and four remain.

(paanch men se ek ghataao to chaar bachte hain।)

Sense 2 : a, a certain, some (indefinite article)

adjective Placed directly before the noun, much like English 'a': एक आदमी (ek aadmii, 'a man') or एक दिन (ek din, 'one day/a certain day').

Synonyms: कोई (koii, used for 'some/a certain' with more emphasis on unspecified identity)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: This is the sense behind classic story-openers like एक था राजा (ek thaa raajaa, 'once there was a king') -- एक (ek) here functions exactly like English 'a', framing an unspecified but particular person or thing.

Common Mistakes: 1) English speakers sometimes skip एक (ek) entirely because Hindi doesn't strictly require an article, but leaving it out can lose the 'a certain/some' nuance -- एक दिन (ek din, 'one day, once upon a time') feels noticeably different from just दिन (din, 'day').

Sample Sentences:

एक था राजा। Once there was a king.

(ek thaa raajaa।)

मुझे एक किताब चाहिए। I need a book.

(mujhe ek kitaab chaahie।)

कल एक आदमी मुझसे मिलने आया था। A man came to meet me yesterday.

(kal ek aadmii mujhse milne aayaa thaa।)

क्या यहाँ कोई एक अच्छा डॉक्टर है? Is there a good doctor here?

(kyaa yahaan koii ek achchhaa doktar hai?)

एक दिन हम ज़रूर मिलेंगे। One day we will surely meet.

(ek din ham zaroor milenge।)

अगर एक अच्छा मौका मिलता, तो मैं विदेश चला जाता। If I had gotten a good opportunity, I would have gone abroad.

(agar ek achchhaa maukaa miltaa, to main videsh chalaa jaataa।)

मुझे एक ऐसा दोस्त चाहिए जो हमेशा साथ दे। I need a friend who always stands by me.

(mujhe ek aisaa dost chaahie jo hameshaa saath de।)

एक बुज़ुर्ग महिला हर सुबह पार्क में टहलती है। An elderly woman walks in the park every morning.

(ek buzurg mahilaa har subah paark men tahaltii hai।)

प्रधानमंत्री ने आज एक महत्वपूर्ण घोषणा की। The Prime Minister made an important announcement today.

(pradhaanmantrii ne aaj ek mahatvpoorn ghoshnaa kii।)

इस मामले में एक जाँच शुरू की गई है। An investigation has been started into this matter.

(is maamle men ek jaanch shuroo kii gaii hai।)

एक अजनबी दरवाज़े पर खड़ा है। A stranger is standing at the door.

(ek ajanbii darvaaze par khadaa hai।)

Sense 3 : same, single, one and the same

adjective Used attributively to mean 'the same' -- एक बात (ek baat, 'the same/one thing') or हम एक हैं (ham ek hain, 'we are one/united').

Synonyms: समान (samaan, formal), एक जैसा (ek jaisaa, 'alike, similar')

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: You'll hear this sense in emotionally charged lines like हम एक हैं (ham ek hain, 'we are one'), where एक (ek) shifts from counting to expressing unity or sameness -- a natural extension a learner can feel intuitively, much like English 'we are one.'

Sample Sentences:

हम सब एक हैं। We are all one.

(ham sab ek hain।)

हम दोनों की सोच एक जैसी है। Both of us think the same way.

(ham donon kii soch ek jaisii hai।)

इन दोनों किताबों का मतलब एक ही है। Both these books mean the same thing.

(in donon kitaabon kaa matlab ek hii hai।)

काश हम सब एक होते। If only we were all united.

(kaash ham sab ek hote।)

अगर हम एक होते तो कोई हमें हरा नहीं पाता। If we were united, no one could have defeated us.

(agar ham ek hote to koii hamen haraa nahiin paataa।)

चलो, सब मिलकर एक हो जाएँ। Come on, let's all become one together.

(chalo, sab milkar ek ho jaaen।)

एक हो जाओ, तभी यह लड़ाई जीती जा सकती है। Become one, only then can this fight be won.

(ek ho jaao, tabhii yah ladaaii jiitii jaa saktii hai।)

उन दोनों भाइयों का दिल एक है, चाहे वे कहीं भी रहें। Those two brothers' hearts are as one, no matter where they live.

(un donon bhaaiyon kaa dil ek hai, chaahe ve kahiin bhii rahen।)

जब देश की जनता एक हो जाती है, तो कोई भी ताकत उसे रोक नहीं सकती। When a nation's people become one, no power can stop them.

(jab desh kii jantaa ek ho jaatii hai, to koii bhii taakat use rok nahiin saktii।)

इस मंदिर में हिंदू और मुसलमान दोनों एक भाव से पूजा करते हैं। In this temple, both Hindus and Muslims worship with one and the same devotion.

(is mandir men hindoo aur musalmaan donon ek bhaav se poojaa karte hain।)

Sense 4 : once, one time

adverb Often shortened from एक बार (ek baar) in casual speech, especially in requests: एक सुन लो (ek sun lo, 'just listen once').

Synonyms: एक बार (ek baar, more explicit and common phrase form), एक दफ़ा (ek dafaa, colloquial)

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: In everyday requests, Delhi speakers often drop बार (baar) and just say एक (ek) -- as in ज़रा एक देख लो (zaraa ek dekh lo, 'just take a look') -- giving the sentence a softer, more casual, cajoling tone.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners may not realize एक (ek) alone can substitute for एक बार (ek baar) in casual imperative requests -- ज़रा एक बोल दो (zaraa ek bol do, 'just say it once') sounds natural to native ears but can seem incomplete to a learner expecting बार (baar) every time.

Sample Sentences:

ज़रा एक देख लो, शायद बात बन जाए। Just take a look once, maybe it'll work out.

(zaraa ek dekh lo, shaayad baat ban jaae।)

एक बार कोशिश करके देखो, फिर पता चलेगा। Try it once, then you'll find out.

(ek baar koshish karke dekho, phir pataa chalegaa।)

मैं वहाँ सिर्फ़ एक बार गया था। I went there only once.

(main vahaan sirf ek baar gayaa thaa।)

क्या आप एक बार फिर से समझा सकते हैं? Could you explain it once more, please?

(kyaa aap ek baar phir se samjhaa sakte hain?)

अगर तुमने एक बार भी झूठ बोला, तो मैं भरोसा नहीं करूँगा। If you lie even once, I won't trust you.

(agar tumne ek baar bhii jhooth bolaa, to main bharosaa nahiin karoongaa।)

काश मैं उससे एक बार मिल पाता। I wish I could have met him just once.

(kaash main usse ek baar mil paataa।)

यह फ़िल्म मैंने एक बार देखी है, पर फिर देखना चाहती हूँ। I've seen this movie once, but I want to watch it again.

(yah film mainne ek baar dekhii hai, par phir dekhnaa chaahtii hoon।)

हर हफ़्ते एक बार वह अपने माता-पिता को फ़ोन करता है। Once a week, he calls his parents.

(har hafte ek baar vah apne maataa-pitaa ko fon kartaa hai।)

एक बार जो फ़ैसला हो जाए, उसे बदला नहीं जाता। Once a decision is made, it isn't changed.

(ek baar jo faislaa ho jaae, use badlaa nahiin jaataa।)

एक बार उधर से गुज़र कर देखिए, नज़ारा बहुत सुंदर है। Do pass through there once, the view is very beautiful.

(ek baar udhar se guzar kar dekhie, nazaaraa bahut sundar hai।)

Morphology

Adjective (invariant)

invariant: एक (ek)