तीन (tiin)
numeral
The number three (tiin) -- a basic cardinal numeral used constantly in counting, quantities, time, and prices.
Sense
1
:
the number three
numeral
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: तीन (tiin) shows up everywhere in daily Delhi life -- from तीन मूर्ति (tiin moorti, a well-known Delhi landmark) to the common phrase तीन-चार (tiin-chaar, 'three or four') used when giving an approximate quantity, much like English speakers say 'a few.' It also appears in the idiom तीन-तेरह होना (tiin-terah honaa, 'to scatter/disperse in confusion'), a nice example of how numbers get pressed into idiomatic service in Hindi.
Common Mistakes: 1) तीन (tiin) does not change form before masculine or feminine nouns -- unlike एक (ek) or दो (do) in some contexts, it stays invariant: तीन लड़के (tiin ladke, 'three boys'), तीन लड़कियाँ (tiin ladkiyaan, 'three girls'). 2) Learners sometimes confuse तीन (tiin, 'three') with तीस (tiis, 'thirty') because of the similar spelling and sound -- listen carefully for the long ी versus the स ending.
Sample Sentences:
मेरे पास तीन किताबें हैं।
I have three books.
(mere paas tiin kitaaben hain।)
वह तीन-चार दिन में लौट आएगा।
He will be back in three or four days.
(vah tiin-chaar din men laut aaegaa।)
हमने तीन घंटे इंतज़ार किया।
We waited for three hours.
(hamne tiin ghante intzaar kiyaa।)
क्या तुम तीन बजे तक तैयार हो सकते हो?
Can you be ready by three o'clock?
(kyaa tum tiin baje tak taiyaar ho sakte ho?)
कृपया तीन कप चाय बना दो।
Please make three cups of tea.
(kripyaa tiin kap chaay banaa do।)
तीन मूर्ति दिल्ली की एक मशहूर जगह है।
Teen Murti is a famous place in Delhi.
(tiin moorti dillii kii ek mashahoor jagah hai।)
अगर तीन लोग और आ जाते, तो काम जल्दी हो जाता।
If three more people had come, the work would have finished quickly.
(agar tiin log aur aa jaate, to kaam jaldii ho jaataa।)
पुलिस के आते ही सारी भीड़ तीन-तेरह हो गई।
As soon as the police arrived, the whole crowd scattered in confusion.
(pulis ke aate hii saarii bhiid tiin-terah ho gaii।)
शायद तीन आदमी काफी हों इस काम के लिए।
Perhaps three men will be enough for this job.
(shaayad tiin aadmii kaaphii hon is kaam ke lie।)
यह इमारत तीन साल में बनाई गई थी।
This building was constructed in three years.
(yah imaarat tiin saal men banaaii gaii thii।)
बचपन में हम तीन भाई-बहन एक साथ खेलते थे।
In childhood, the three of us siblings used to play together.
(bachpan men ham tiin bhaaii-bahan ek saath khelte the।)