कहीं नहीं (kahiin nahiin)
adverb
A combination of कहीं (kahiin, 'somewhere/anywhere') and नहीं (nahiin, 'not') that means 'nowhere' -- the standard way to negate location in Hindi, since there is no single word for 'nowhere.'
Sense
1
:
nowhere, not anywhere
adverb Functions as a clausal negator of location: कहीं (kahiin) 'anywhere' is paired with नहीं (nahiin) 'not', mirroring how Hindi builds 'no one' (कोई नहीं, koii nahiin) and 'nothing' (कुछ नहीं, kuchh nahiin) from an indefinite plus नहीं (nahiin) rather than using a single dedicated word.
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This pairing pattern is worth internalizing as a family: कहीं नहीं (kahiin nahiin, 'nowhere'), कुछ नहीं (kuchh nahiin, 'nothing'), कोई नहीं (koii nahiin, 'no one'), and कभी नहीं (kabhii nahiin, 'never') all take an indefinite word and negate it with नहीं (nahiin) rather than relying on a single fused negative word the way English does. Once a learner sees this pattern, all four become easy to produce on the fly.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try to translate 'nowhere' word-for-word and search for a single Hindi word for it -- there isn't one; कहीं नहीं (kahiin nahiin) is always the two-word construction. 2) Word order is flexible: वह कहीं नहीं गया (vah kahiin nahiin gayaa, 'he did not go anywhere') and वह कहीं नहीं है (vah kahiin nahiin hai, 'he is nowhere [to be found]') both keep कहीं (kahiin) immediately before नहीं (nahiin) -- learners sometimes misplace नहीं (nahiin) elsewhere in the sentence out of habit from other negations.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे कहीं नहीं जाना है।
I don't want to go anywhere.
(mujhe kahiin nahiin jaanaa hai।)
वह किताब कहीं नहीं मिली।
That book wasn't found anywhere.
(vah kitaab kahiin nahiin milii।)
छुट्टियों में हम कहीं नहीं जाते।
We don't go anywhere during the holidays.
(chhuttiyon men ham kahiin nahiin jaate।)
कहीं नहीं जाना, यहीं बैठे रहो।
Don't go anywhere, just sit right here.
(kahiin nahiin jaanaa, yahiin baithe raho।)
अगर तुम कहीं नहीं जाते तो मुझे चिंता नहीं होती।
If you didn't go anywhere, I wouldn't worry.
(agar tum kahiin nahiin jaate to mujhe chintaa nahiin hotii।)
यह सामान कहीं नहीं रखा जाएगा, यह यहीं रहेगा।
This stuff won't be kept anywhere else, it'll stay right here.
(yah saamaan kahiin nahiin rakhaa jaaegaa, yah yahiin rahegaa।)
मेरा फोन कहीं नहीं जा रहा, बस मेरी जेब में है।
My phone isn't going anywhere, it's just in my pocket.
(meraa phon kahiin nahiin jaa rahaa, bas merii jeb men hai।)
उसका नाम कहीं नहीं लिखा था।
His name wasn't written anywhere.
(uskaa naam kahiin nahiin likhaa thaa।)
श्रीमान, यह फ़ाइल कहीं नहीं मिल रही है, कृपया थोड़ा इंतज़ार करें।
Sir, this file isn't being found anywhere, please wait a little.
(shriimaan, yah faail kahiin nahiin mil rahii hai, kripyaa thodaa intzaar karen।)
ऐसा सुकून मुझे कहीं नहीं मिलता जितना अपने घर में मिलता है।
I don't find such peace anywhere the way I find it at home.
(aisaa sukoon mujhe kahiin nahiin miltaa jitnaa apne ghar men miltaa hai।)
काश ऐसा प्यार कहीं नहीं खोता।
If only such love got lost nowhere -- if only it never faded away.
(kaash aisaa pyaar kahiin nahiin khotaa।)