हिन्दी (hindii)
noun/adjective
The name of the Hindi language itself; also used as an adjective meaning 'Hindi-related' or 'in Hindi.' Also spelled हिंदी (hindii) with the anusvaar instead of the chandrabindu-plus-halant, that spelling is in fact more common in print today.
Sense
1
:
the Hindi language
noun, feminine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In Delhi you will constantly hear हिन्दी (hindii) and अंग्रेज़ी (angrezii) mentioned side by side, since so much daily speech mixes the two -- shopkeepers, teachers, and news anchors alike slide between them mid-sentence. Note also that हिन्दी (hindii) as a language name is grammatically feminine, which shows up when you modify it, as in शुद्ध हिन्दी (shuddh hindii, 'pure Hindi').
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes say मैं हिन्दी हूँ (main hindii hoon) trying to say 'I am Hindi' (nationality); that sentence actually claims you literally are the language. For nationality/identity, use भारतीय (bhaartiiy) or हिन्दुस्तानी (hindustaanii) instead. 2) The verb used with this word for 'to speak Hindi' is बोलना (bolnaa) -- हिन्दी बोलना (hindii bolnaa) -- not करना (karnaa).
Sample Sentences:
मैं हिन्दी बोलता हूँ।
I speak Hindi.
(main hindii boltaa hoon।)
क्या तुम्हें हिन्दी आती है?
Do you know Hindi?
(kyaa tumhen hindii aatii hai?)
वह हिन्दी और अंग्रेज़ी दोनों सीख रही है।
She is learning both Hindi and English.
(vah hindii aur angrezii donon siikh rahii hai।)
उसने कल हिन्दी में एक चिट्ठी लिखी।
He wrote a letter in Hindi yesterday.
(usne kal hindii men ek chitthii likhii।)
कृपया हिन्दी में बात करें।
Please speak in Hindi.
(kripyaa hindii men baat karen।)
यह किताब हिन्दी में लिखी गई है।
This book is written in Hindi.
(yah kitaab hindii men likhii gaii hai।)
अगर मुझे हिन्दी आती, तो मैं यह गाना समझ पाता।
If I knew Hindi, I would be able to understand this song.
(agar mujhe hindii aatii, to main yah gaanaa samajh paataa।)
बच्चों को शुद्ध हिन्दी सिखानी चाहिए।
Children should be taught pure Hindi.
(bachchon ko shuddh hindii sikhaanii chaahie।)
वह हिन्दी बोलते-बोलते बीच में अंग्रेज़ी के शब्द भी डाल देता है।
While speaking Hindi, he also throws in some English words in between.
(vah hindii bolte-bolte biich men angrezii ke shabd bhii daal detaa hai।)
अगली परीक्षा में हिन्दी का पर्चा सबसे कठिन होगा।
In the next exam, the Hindi paper will be the hardest.
(aglii pariikshaa men hindii kaa parchaa sabse kathin hogaa।)
हिन्दी भारत की सबसे अधिक बोली जाने वाली भाषाओं में से एक है।
Hindi is one of the most widely spoken languages in India.
(hindii bhaarat kii sabse adhik bolii jaane vaalii bhaashaaon men se ek hai।)
Sense
2
:
of or relating to Hindi
adjective
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will see this adjectival use everywhere in Delhi -- हिन्दी अख़बार (hindii akhbaar, 'Hindi newspaper'), हिन्दी फ़िल्म (hindii film, 'Hindi film'), हिन्दी माध्यम (hindii maadhyam, 'Hindi medium', referring to Hindi-medium schools as opposed to English-medium ones), a distinction that carries real social weight in how Indians talk about schooling and class.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे हिन्दी अख़बार पढ़ना पसंद है।
I like reading the Hindi newspaper.
(mujhe hindii akhbaar padhnaa pasand hai।)
यह हिन्दी फ़िल्म कल रिलीज़ हुई थी।
This Hindi film was released yesterday.
(yah hindii film kal riliiz huii thii।)
मेरी बेटी हिन्दी माध्यम के स्कूल में पढ़ती है।
My daughter studies in a Hindi-medium school.
(merii betii hindii maadhyam ke skool men padhtii hai।)
क्या तुमने कोई अच्छी हिन्दी किताब पढ़ी है?
Have you read any good Hindi book?
(kyaa tumne koii achchhii hindii kitaab padhii hai?)
अगर हिन्दी माध्यम से पढ़े होते, तो अंग्रेज़ी थोड़ी कमज़ोर रहती।
If he had studied in Hindi medium, his English would have been a bit weak.
(agar hindii maadhyam se padhe hote, to angrezii thodii kamzor rahtii।)
कृपया हिन्दी समाचार पत्र मुझे दे दीजिए।
Please give me the Hindi newspaper.
(kripyaa hindii samaachaar patr mujhe de diijie।)
हिन्दी सिनेमा का प्रभाव पूरे दक्षिण एशिया में फैला हुआ है।
The influence of Hindi cinema has spread across all of South Asia.
(hindii sinemaa kaa prabhaav poore dakshin eshiyaa men phailaa huaa hai।)
हिन्दी माध्यम के छात्रों को अक्सर कम आँका जाता है, जो ठीक नहीं है।
Hindi-medium students are often underestimated, which isn't right.
(hindii maadhyam ke chhaatron ko aksar kam aankaa jaataa hai, jo thiik nahiin hai।)
काश मैं भी किसी हिन्दी पत्रिका में लिख पाता।
I wish I could write for some Hindi magazine too.
(kaash main bhii kisii hindii patrikaa men likh paataa।)
अगली हिन्दी फ़िल्म कब आ रही है?
When is the next Hindi film coming out?
(aglii hindii film kab aa rahii hai?)
हिन्दी साहित्य सम्मेलन में देश भर के लेखक आमंत्रित किए जाएंगे।
Writers from across the country will be invited to the Hindi literature conference.
(hindii saahity sammelan men desh bhar ke lekhak aamantrit kie jaaenge।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
हिन्दी
(hindii)
(sg.f.oblique):
हिन्दी
(hindii)
(pl.f.direct):
हिन्दियाँ
(hindiyaan)
(pl.f.oblique):
हिन्दियों
(hindiyon)
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
हिन्दी
(hindii)