Tag Archives: Hindi words and phrases
The City of Dreams Posted by Rachael on Mar 6, 2017
The city of Bombay (बॉम्बे/Bombay or बंर्बइ/Bambai) officially renamed to “Mumbai” (मुंबई/Mumbai) in 1995, has loomed large in India’s popular imagination since its beginnings (शुरुआत/shuruaat, fem. noun). In the modern age, it is commonly associated with North India’s biggest film (फ़िल्म/film, fem. noun) industry, often known as “Bollywood.” Thus, it is the place where aspiring…
Family Stories (Parivaar ki Kahaaniya) Posted by Rachael on Feb 20, 2017
Most people enjoy listening to stories (कहानियाँ/kahaaniyaan, fem. plural noun. Singular noun: कहानी/kahaani) about their family (परिवार/parivaar, masc. noun), and I am certainly one of those people. I especially enjoy listening to my parents’ stories of when they were younger and, when my grandmother was still with us, I loved hearing her stories of growing…
Many Pasts Posted by Rachael on Feb 14, 2017
नमस्ते सब लोग/Namaste sab log (Hello everyone)! I described in a previous post how to form the “simple past tense” (referring to actions completed at one time); this time, I’ll describe how to form the habitual past tense and the past perfect tense (the tense that refers to an even more distant past than the…
I am Human, Just Like You (Main Insaan Hun, Tumhaari Tarah) Posted by Rachael on Jan 29, 2017
Following the events of this week, I thought it would be relevant to share a song that celebrates unity and peace. This song, entitled “जानेवालो ज़रा, मुड़के देखो मुझे/Jaanevalo Zara Mudke Dekho Mujhe” (Passersby, Just Turn and Look at Me) is from the 1964 movie, दोस्ती/Dosti (fem. noun, friendship). The film centers on the close…
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…
Two Americans in India Posted by Rachael on Dec 12, 2016
While talking to my mom on the phone the other day, she and I began reminiscing about our hilarious and, at times, perilous adventures in India. She came to visit me for two weeks in the Spring of 2013 while I was living in Jaipur studying Hindi. As an American, traveling to India for the…
The Strange One Posted by Rachael on Dec 6, 2016
Following on last week’s blog about the famous Hindi writer Mahadevi Varma (महादेवी वर्मा), I’d like to discuss another important Hindi literary figure this week: Nirala (निराला) (1896/99-1961). This writer, whose date of birth is not definitively known, was born Suraj Kumar Tevari (सूरज कुमार तिवारी) (later known as Suryakant Tripathi, सूर्यकान्त त्रिपाठी) into a…