Archive for February, 2010
Indian Funeral Rites Posted by kunthra on Feb 27, 2010
In most cultures, funerals are very sad occasions. In many ways, funerals are also an interesting way to learn more about the culture and the people who mourn their dead. In Hindu funeral rites, the deceased is bathed in purified water and dressed in new clothes. Generally speaking, if the deceased was a older male or…
Comparing Things Posted by kunthra on Feb 24, 2010
For today’s lesson, we will explore ways to make a comparison between people. Let’s start off with a comparative sentence: He is older than you : वह आप से बड़ा है वह = He. आप = you. से = than. बड़ा = tall. है = is. The से postposition is what makes this sentence a comparative sentence. You can also use the adverb अधिक…
King Shivaji Posted by kunthra on Feb 21, 2010
February 19th, 1630 is the birth date of शिवाजीराजे भोसले. King Shivaji was one of the greatest kings of medieval India. King Shivaji was known for his military exploits. One of the notable series of military conquests led by Shivaji were the attacks on the Mughals. On Shivaji’s 50th birthday, he was placed under house arrest by a Mughal leader…
Conditionals Posted by kunthra on Feb 18, 2010
In English, conditionals are “If…then” statements. Let’s take a look at a sentence with an “If…them” statement in Hindi: If it rains, then the crops will be good : अगर/यदि बारिश होगी फिर अच्छी फसल होगी In the sentence above, अगर/यदि are the “if” clauses. You can use either अगर or यदि to denote “if”. फिर is the “then” clause बारिश = rain…
The Imperative Posted by kunthra on Feb 17, 2010
In English, the polite imperative is formed by saying, “Please do this …”, “Please sit down” etc. In Hindi the polite imperative is formed by adding the suffix इए to the verb. Here are a couple of examples: Please go : जाइए Please eat : खाइए Please come : आइए With the phrases above, you’ve probably…
Hindu God of Love Posted by kunthra on Feb 14, 2010
The कामदेव is the Hindu god of love. In Hindu art he is depicted as a young man wielding a bow and arrow. The bow is made of sugarcane and attracts honeybees, while the arrows are decorated with flowers. The various symbols associated with कामदेव are the spring season, bees, parrots, and cuckoo birds. In…
The Interrogative Posted by kunthra on Feb 11, 2010
For today’s lesson we’ll learn how to form questions, but before we do, the following interrogative words may come in handy: who : कौन why : क्यों what : क्या when : कब where : कहाँ how : कैसे whom : किसको which : कौन सा how much : कितना how many : कितने how…