It is quite usual for an beginner in the learning process of any language to make mistake here and there. However, the mistakes could be avoided if a learner knows the pitfalls.

Today, I will cover some of the common mistakes that a beginner could make and detail about it so you can avoid it.

Some of the common mistakes are:

1. Grammatical Gender

For example, the the sentence: Brother or Sister will come.

Incorrect: भाई या बहन आएगा।

When “या” (or) is used the grammatical gender of the verb agree to the last noun. In our example sentence, it is बहन ( Sister) which is feminine so it should be आएगी (she will come) instead आएगा (he will come)

Correct: भाई या बहन आएगी।

Similarly, if a pronoun is used then it agree to the following noun as in the following sentence.

Incorrect: मेरी बेटा और बेटी आज दिल्ली गए हैं।

बेटा (Son) is masculine and hence, the pronoun must be मेरा (mine – masculine) instead मेरी (mine – masculine)

Correct: मेरा बेटा और बेटी आज दिल्ली गए हैं।

In case of the interrogative sentences, we use masculine for verb declination.

Incorrect: देखो कौन आई है?

Here, “कौन” (who) is used masculine and hence, the use of feminine verb ending, आई (came – feminine) is wrong. It must be आया (came – masculine).

Correct: देखो कौन आया है?

2. Grammatical Case

In the following sentence, the case is incorrect. Because of this, the verb add the end is wrong as well.

Incorrect: प्राधानाचार्य अध्यापक को बुलाए।

This can be corrected by adding “ने” to the sentence.

Correct: प्राधानाचार्य ने अध्यापक को बुलाया।

3. Grammatical Voice

Some of the mistakes can come up because of incorrect grammatical voice used. In the following sentence, we are not sure if it is in active voice or passive voice.

Incorrect: पुलिस ने चौर का पीछा किया गया।

Here,”ने” must be replaced with “के द्वारा” (through)

Correct: पुलिस के द्वारा चौर कर पीछा किया गया।

4. Use of Unnecessary Words

Sometime, a sentence may be meaningful but may use unnecessary words. This is shown in the following sentence:

Incorrect: मैं रविवार के दिन को यहाँ पहुंच जाऊंगा। (I will reach here on the day of Sunday)

रविवार के दिन (Ravivar ka din – day of Sunday) is wrong as “रविवार” (Ravivar – Sunday) alone is sufficient so repeating assertion with के दिन must be avoided.

Correct: मैं रविवार को यहाँ पहुंच जाऊंगा। (I will reach here on Sunday)

5. Use of Incorrect Words

The following sentence could be tricky as you might find it write but in Hindi, the usage of words is specific to a situation.

वह मेरे शब्दों पर ध्यान नहीं देता। (Literally: He doesn’t pay attention to my words)

In Hindi, “बात पर ध्यान देना” is a acceptable and valid usage. The usage of “शब्दों पर ध्यान देना” is never used. Hence, the sentence should be,

वह मेरी बात पर ध्यान नहीं देता। (Literally: He doesn’t pay attention to my saying/thought/suggestion etc)

Roots are important in Hindi. Most of the words could be guessed if you know the roots. Today, I will show you some of the important roots and words made from them.

The formed words are given in following pattern with their romanized spellings and respective meanings.

1. अति (Ati) means अधिक (Adhik – Extra)
अतिरिक्त (Atirikt), अत्यंत (Atyant), अत्याचार (Ayachaar), अतिक्रमण (Atikaraman)
Additional, Extreme or Profound, Oppression, Encroachment

2. अधि (Adhi) means ऊपर/श्रेष्ठ (Uppar/Shestha)
अधिकार (Adhikaar), अध्यक्ष (Adhyaksh), अधिकरण (Adhikaran), अधिकृत (Adhikrit), अधिनायक (Adhinaayak)
Right, President, Tribunal, Authorized, Leader

3. अनु (Anu) means पीछे/समान (Piche/Samaan – Behind/Equal)
अनुभव, अनुकूल, अनुशासन, अनुरोध, अनुराग
Experience, friendly, discipline, requests, Affection

4. अप (Ap) means बुरा/हीन (Bura/Hin – Bad/Poor)
अपयश (Apyash), अपमान (Apmaan), अपकार (Apkaar), अपशब्द (Apshabd), अपराध (Apraadh), अपवाद (Apvaad)
Defamation, Insult, Disservice, Abuse, Crime, Except

5. अभि (Abhi) means सामने/ओर/अत्यधिक (Saamane/Aur/Atyadhik – Infront of, Toward, Too much)
अभिमान (Abhimaan), अभिशाप (Abhishaap), अभियोग (Abhiyog), अभिनव (Abhinav), अभिनय (Abhinay), अभ्यास (Abhiyaas), अभिलाषा (Abhilaasha)
Pride, Curse, Prosecuting, Innovative, Act, Practice, Passion or Desire

6. अव (Av) means बुरा/हीन (Bura/Hin – Bad/Poor)
अवगुण (Avgun), अवसर (Avsar), अवनति (Avnati), अवतार (Avatar), अवतरण (Avataran), अवशेष (Avshesh), अवज्ञा (Avgya)
Delinquency, Opportunity, Decadent, Incarnated, Incarnation, Remains, Defiance

7. उप (Up with u as in upper) means निकट/छोटा (Nikat/Chota – Near/Small)
उपचार (Upchaar), उपदेश (Updesh), उपक्रम (Upkram), उपग्रह (Upgrah), उपनाम (Upnaam)
Treatment, Teaching, Undertaking, Satellite, Nickname

8. नि (Ni) means नीचे/निषेध (Niche/Nishedh – Below/Forbidden)
निबंध (Nibandh), नियम (Niyam), निवारण (Nivaaran), निवास (Nivaas), निरोध (Nirod), निपात (Nipat), निषेध (Nishedh), नियोग (Niyog)
Essay, Rule, Prevention, Residence, Detention, Collapse, Inhibition, Mission

9. प्र (Pra) means अधिक/आगे (Adhik/Aage – Extra/Ahead)
प्रबल (Prabal), प्रसिद्ध (Prashidh), प्रयत्न (Prayatna), प्रगति (Pragati), प्रचार (Prachaar), प्राचार्य (Praachaarya)
Strong, well-known, effort, progress, promotion, Principal

10. प्रति (Prati) means विरुद्ध (Virud – Against)
प्रतिकूल (Pratikul), प्रतिनिधि (Pratinidhi), प्रतिकार (Pratikaar), प्रतिगामी (Pratigaami), प्रतिष्ठा (Prathishtha)
Adverse, Representatives, Resistance, Regressive, Reputation

11. वि (Vi) means विशेष (Vishesh – Special)
वियोग (Viyog), विदेश (Videsh), विनय (Vinay), विजय (Vijay), विनाश (Vinash), विज्ञानं (Vigyan), विपक्ष (Vipaksh), विकास (Vikash), विवाद (Vivad)
Separation, Foreign Affairs, Discipline, Conquest, Destruction, Science, Opposition, Development, Conflict

12. सु (Su) means अच्छा (Achcha – Well, Good, Fine)
सुगम (Sugam), सुर्लभ (Surlabh), सुबोध (Subodh), स्वच्छ (Svachh), सुपुत्र (Suputr), सुवास (Suvaas), स्वागत (Svaagat)
Easy, Accessible, Comprehensible, Clean, Son, Fragrance, Welcome

Do you know that the majority of Indian still uses some traditional medicines for variety of ailments? India has a very long tradition of treatment of ailments using alternative medicines.

The whole tradition is very ancient and systematic. It dates back to more around 4000 years, when the Vedas (र्वेद – ancient books of Indian knowledge, wisdom and culture) where supposedly written. The traditional medicines comes under one of four Vedas called Atharvaveda. Under Atharvaveda comes Ayurveda (आयुर्वेद) means the knowledge for long life. The account of traditional medicines are found in Sanskrit works such as Suśruta Saṃhitā and the Charaka Saṃhitā. These two works laid the foundation of Ayurveda. Since then, diagnosis of new diseases and healing methods were added.

In the early works, Ayurveda had considered that Universe including Human body is made of five elements. The five elements are Pṛthvī (पृथ्वी – earth), Jala (जल – water), Agni (अग्नि – fire), Vāyu (वायु – air) and Ākāśa (आकाश – Sky). It stresses a balance of three elemental energies such as Vāyu Vāta (वायु वत – air & space – “wind”), Pitta (पित्त – fire & water – “bile”) and Kapha (कफ – water & earth – “phlegm”).

Ayurveda is considered as the science of following eight components.

1.Internal medicine (काय चिकित्सा – Kāya-cikitsā)
2. Paediatrics (Kaumārabhṛtyam)
3. Surgery (Śalya-cikitsā)
4. Eye and ENT (Śālākya tantra)
5. Bhūta vidyā or in modern terms, Psychiatry.
6. Toxicology (Agadatantram)
7. Prevention of diseases and improving immunity and rejuvenation (Rasayana)
8. Aphrodisiacs and improving health of progeny (Vajikaranam)

It is well known that people in ancient India were well versed with highly systematic systems of the alternative medicines and surgery. Many disease such as fever, cough, consumption, diarrhea, dropsy, abscesses, seizures, tumours, and skin diseases (including leprosy) etc. were classified. Treatment of complex ailments, including angina pectoris, diabetes, hypertension, and stones were also found and documented. Early works of Ayurveda such as Charaka Samhita, is dedicated to Charakas. Plastic surgery is documented as well in these ancient Indian texts. Plastic surgery of nose, ear lobes, lips for restruction of nose, ears, lips etc were given by an ayurvedic physician called Sushruta, who is now considered the father of rhinoplasty.

The works of Ayurveda were later become known to Chinese and Arabs through trade and pilgrim from these regions. Further, Arabs subsequently transmitted the ayurvedic knowledge to Europe. The knowledge of Ayurveda might be known by some another name outside India but we can imagine how it has shaped the understanding and use of alternative medicines across the world.