Tension Mat Lo, Bas Past Tense Sikho Posted by Rachael on Jan 10, 2017
The title of this blog, “Tension Mat Lo, Bas Past Tense Sikho” (“टेंशन मत लो, बस Past Tense/पास्ट टेंस सीखो”), means in “standard” Hinglish (a popular combination of Hindi and English used especially in North Indian cities today): “Don’t get tensed, just learn the past tense.” As we move from one year to another and…
अभ्यास और प्रयोग Posted by Nitya on Jan 7, 2017
Abhyaas aur prayog. Review and application. Last year पिछले साल (pichle saal) we हमने (humne) learned many new बहुत नये (bahut naye) Hindi (shabd seekhe). Why don’t we क्यों ना हम (kyon na hum) begin this year इस साल का आरंभ (is saal ka aarumbh) with a small quiz एक छोटी सी परीक्षा से करें…
The Intoxication of Music (Sangeet ka Nashaa) Posted by Rachael on Jan 3, 2017
First of all, I’d like to wish everyone a Happy New Year/नया साल मुबारक हो (Nayaa Saal Mubaarak ho)! Over the past four months, it has been my pleasure to share with you my musings about Hindi language and culture, and I’m extremely grateful that you’ve joined me on this journey. I hope you’ve enjoyed…
नये वर्ष की शुभकामनाएँ। Posted by Nitya on Dec 30, 2016
Naye varsh ki shubh-kaamnaaen. Best wishes for the new year. Over the past 4 months, we have read of different situations in daily Indian life, heard conversations around them, and learned related words and vocabulary. We learned to introduce ourselves अपना परिचय देना (apna parichay dena) as well ask for directions, go to the doctor, or appreciate…
Christmas in Calcutta Posted by Rachael on Dec 26, 2016
One of the most unforgettable Christmases I’ve ever spent was in Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal. To my surprise, Kolkatans seemed more enthusiastic about the holiday than most people I’ve seen in the United States. While wandering the city for the day, I noticed countless young people wearing Santa hats to celebrate, especially in Millennium…
Daakiya Daak Laaya Posted by Nitya on Dec 23, 2016
December is upon us and another year साल (saal) draws to an end अंत (unth). This month महीना (maheena) usually sees a hubbub of activity हलचल (hul-chul) with people shopping खरीदी (khareedi) for the holidays छुट्टियॉं (chhuttiyaan) or others taking advantage फायदा (faayda) of the year-end discounts छूट (chhoot). At this time of the year, the postal service in the United States shifts into high gear and…
A Question of Caste Posted by Rachael on Dec 20, 2016
In a recent Hindi movie called NH10, two characters, one a highly educated advertising executive named Meera who is originally from Bangalore, and the other a rural policeman based in the largely agrarian North Indian state of Haryana, have a compelling exchange: Policeman (पोलिस वाला): चलो, आप अपनी caste बताओ । (Chalo, aap apni caste…