Hindi · Beginner (A1) · Chapter 11 of 12
Hobbies and free time
शौक़ और ख़ाली समयshauk aur khaalee samay
Talk about hobbies in Hindi, say what you can and can't do with सकना, say how often you do things, and invite a friend.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Talk about what you do in your free time
- Say what you can and can't do
- Say how often you do something
- Invite a friend and answer an invitation
Listen
Rohan and his friend Shruti talk about what they do in their free time. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Rohan
श्रुति, तुम ख़ाली समय में क्या करती हो?
Shruti, tum khaalee samay men kyaa kartee ho?
Shruti, what do you do in your free time?
Shruti
मैं गाना गाती हूँ और कभी-कभी तैरती हूँ।
Main gaanaa gaatee hoon aur kabhee-kabhee tairtee hoon.
I sing, and sometimes I go swimming.
Rohan
अच्छा? मैं तैर नहीं सकता।
Achchhaa? Main tair naheen saktaa.
Really? I can't swim.
Shruti
और तुम? तुम क्या करते हो?
Aur tum? Tum kyaa karte ho?
And you? What do you do?
Rohan
मैं हर रविवार क्रिकेट खेलता हूँ। क्या तुम रविवार को आ सकती हो?
Main har ravivaar kriket kheltaa hoon. Kyaa tum ravivaar ko aa saktee ho?
I play cricket every Sunday. Can you come on Sunday?
Shruti
हाँ, ज़रूर। लेकिन मैं क्रिकेट नहीं खेल सकती।
Haan, zaroor. Lekin main kriket naheen khel saktee.
Yes, sure. But I can't play cricket.
Rohan
कोई बात नहीं। तुम सीख सकती हो। यह आसान है।
Koee baat naheen. Tum seekh saktee ho. Yah aasaan hai.
No problem. You can learn. It's easy.
Shruti
ठीक है। कितने बजे?
Theek hai. Kitne baje?
OK. What time?
Rohan
सुबह आठ बजे, पार्क में।
Subah aath baje, paark men.
At eight in the morning, in the park.
Understand
Can: सकना
To say what you can do, take the verb without -ना (-naa) and add a form of (saknaa), to be able to. (saknaa) changes just like the verbs in chapter 7: -taa for a man, -tee for a woman, -te for (aap) and (tum) with a man.
For “can't”, put (naheen) before the main verb or just before (saknaa), and usually drop (hoon) / (hai): Rohan says (main tair naheen saktaa), Shruti says (main kriket naheen khel saktee).
| Meaning | a man | a woman |
|---|---|---|
| I can play | (main khel saktaa hoon) | (main khel saktee hoon) |
| you can play (friendly) | (tum khel sakte ho) | (tum khel saktee ho) |
| you can play (polite) | (aap khel sakte hain) | (aap khel saktee hain) |
| he / she can play | (vah khel saktaa hai) | (vah khel saktee hai) |
How often?
These words usually go near the start of the sentence, after the person. (har) means “every” and never changes.
| Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (har din) | every day |
| (har ravivaar) | every Sunday |
| (hafte men do baar) | twice a week |
| (aksar) | often |
| (kabhee-kabhee) | sometimes |
| (kabhee naheen) | never |
- मैं हर दिन चाय पीता हूँ।Main har din chaay peetaa hoon.I drink tea every day. (a man speaking)
- मैं कभी-कभी तैरती हूँ।Main kabhee-kabhee tairtee hoon.I sometimes go swimming. (a woman speaking)
- मैं कभी क्रिकेट नहीं खेलता।Main kabhee kriket naheen kheltaa.I never play cricket. (a man speaking)
Invitations
To invite a friend, ask “Can you come …?”: … (kyaa tum … aa sakte ho?) to a man, … (kyaa tum … aa saktee ho?) to a woman. With someone you call (aap), say (aa sakte hain) or (aa saktee hain). Say yes with (haan, zaroor), yes, sure. To say no politely: (maaf keejiye, main naheen aa saktaa) for a man or (main naheen aa saktee) for a woman.
- क्या आप शनिवार को आ सकते हैं?Kyaa aap shanivaar ko aa sakte hain?Can you come on Saturday? (to a man)
- माफ़ कीजिए, मैं नहीं आ सकती।Maaf keejiye, main naheen aa saktee.Sorry, I can't come. (a woman speaking)
More in the grammar: Negation: not, no and don't · The present habitual: I do, I usually do · Word order: the verb goes last
New words
- ख़ाली समयkhaalee samayfree time · masculine; (khaalee) means “free, empty”
- गानाgaanaasong; to sing · (gaanaa gaanaa), to sing a song, to sing
- कभी-कभीkabhee-kabheesometimes
- तैरनाtairnaato swim
- सकनाsaknaacan, to be able to · Always after another verb: (tair saktaa hoon), I can swim.
- हरharevery · never changes
- क्रिकेटkriketcricket · masculine
- खेलनाkhelnaato play (a game or sport)
- ज़रूरzaroorsure, of course
- सीखनाseekhnaato learn
- आसानaasaaneasy · never changes
- पार्कpaarkpark · masculine
- अक्सरaksaroften
- कभी नहींkabhee naheennever · Other words can come in between: (main kabhee kriket naheen kheltaa), I never play cricket.
Practise
1.Shruti wants to say “I can't play cricket.” Which sentence is correct?
2.Put the words in order to ask a male friend if he can swim.
Tap the words below in the right order.Can you swim?
3.Match the words for “how often”.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.A friend asks (kyaa tum shanivaar ko aa sakte ho?). You'd like to go. What do you say?
5.You invite Mr Kapoor, an older neighbour, to come on Sunday. What do you ask?
0 of 5 exercises done.
Say it out loud
मैं तैर सकता हूँ।
Main tair saktaa hoon.
I can swim. (a man speaking)
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.