Hindi · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 7 of 12
Clothes and shopping
कपड़ों की दुकान परkapron kee dukaan par
Exchange clothes in a shop in Hindi: sizes and colours, this and that before में (इस, उस), it and them, and ले लेना, दे देना.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Ask about sizes and colours and exchange something
- Say “in this one”, “in that colour” with इस (is) and उस (us)
- Say “it” and “them” as objects
- Use ले लेना (le lenaa) and दे देना (de denaa)
Listen
Rekha takes a kurta back to a clothes shop in Indore. It's too small for her son. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Rekha
भैया, मैंने कल यह कुर्ता यहाँ से ख़रीदा।
Bhaiyaa, mainne kal yah kurtaa yahaan se khareedaa.
Bhaiya, I bought this kurta here yesterday.
Shopkeeper
जी दीदी, क्या हुआ?
Jee deedee, kyaa huaa?
Yes, didi, what's the problem?
Rekha
यह मेरे बेटे के लिए छोटा है। क्या आप इसे बदल सकते हैं?
Yah mere bete ke liye chhotaa hai. Kyaa aap ise badal sakte hain?
It's too small for my son. Could you exchange it?
Shopkeeper
हाँ, ज़रूर। बिल है?
Haan, zaroor. Bil hai?
Yes, of course. Do you have the receipt?
Rekha
हाँ, यह लीजिए। इसका साइज़ मीडियम है। उसे लार्ज चाहिए।
Haan, yah leejiye. Iskaa saaiz meediyam hai. Use laarj chaahiye.
Yes, here you are. It's a medium. He needs a large.
Shopkeeper
इस रंग में लार्ज नहीं है। लेकिन ये नीले कुर्ते देखिए। इनमें लार्ज है।
Is rang men laarj naheen hai. Lekin ye neele kurte dekhiye. Inmen laarj hai.
We don't have a large in this colour. But have a look at these blue kurtas. They come in large.
Rekha
ये अच्छे हैं। और वह हरा कुर्ता?
Ye achchhe hain. Aur vah haraa kurtaa?
These are nice. And that green kurta?
Shopkeeper
उसमें भी लार्ज है, लेकिन वह थोड़ा महँगा है, चार सौ रुपये ज़्यादा।
Usmen bhee laarj hai, lekin vah thoraa mahangaa hai, chaar sau rupaye zyaadaa.
That comes in large too, but it's a bit expensive: four hundred rupees more.
Rekha
तो मैं नीला ले लेती हूँ।
To main neelaa le letee hoon.
Then I'll take the blue one.
Shopkeeper
ठीक है। पुराना कुर्ता मुझे दे दीजिए।
Theek hai. Puraanaa kurtaa mujhe de deejiye.
All right. Please give me the old kurta.
Rekha
यह लीजिए। धन्यवाद, भैया।
Yah leejiye. Dhanyavaad, bhaiyaa.
Here you are. Thank you, bhaiya.
Understand
This and that before a postposition: इस, उस
Before a postposition, (yah, this) becomes (is) and (vah, that) becomes (us). This happens when they stand alone, (ismen), in this one, and when a noun follows, (is rang men), in this colour. With pronouns, the postposition is written as one word.
In the plural, (ye, these) becomes (in) and (ve, those) becomes (un): (inmen), in these; (in kurton men), in these kurtas. (iskaa) means “its” or “of this one”: (iskaa saaiz), its size.
| Word | + (men) | + noun + (men) |
|---|---|---|
| (yah), this | (ismen) | (is rang men) |
| (vah), that | (usmen) | (us dukaan men) |
| (ye), these | (inmen) | (in kurton men) |
| (ve), those | (unmen) | (un kamron men) |
It and them: इसे, उसे, इन्हें, उन्हें
When “it” or “them” is the object of a verb, use (ise) or (use) for one thing, and (inhen) or (unhen) for several: (kyaa aap ise badal sakte hain?), Could you exchange it? The same words also mean “him” and “her”, and “to him”, “to her”: you know … (use … pasand hai). You'll also hear the longer forms (isko) and (usko).
Hindi often leaves “it” out when it's clear: (mujhe de deejiye), please give it to me. With things, the plain (yah) and (vah) are also used as objects, for “this” and “that”: (main yah le letee hoon), I'll take this.
- क्या आप इसे बदल सकते हैं?Kyaa aap ise badal sakte hain?Could you exchange it?
- ये कुर्ते अच्छे हैं। मैं इन्हें ले लेता हूँ।Ye kurte achchhe hain. Main inhen le letaa hoon.These kurtas are nice. I'll take them. (a man speaking)
- उसे लार्ज चाहिए।Use laarj chaahiye.He needs a large.
ले लेना, दे देना: finishing the action
Hindi often adds (lenaa) or (denaa) to the stem of a verb. The second verb loses its own meaning and makes the action sound complete and natural. is used when the action is for yourself, when it's for someone else: (main neelaa le letee hoon), I'll take the blue one; (mujhe de deejiye), please give it to me.
These pairs are called compound verbs. They're very common in requests and quick decisions: (ise badal deejiye), please change it (for me). In the negative, use the simple verb: (main yah naheen loongee), I won't take this.
- मैं यह कुर्ता ले लेती हूँ।Main yah kurtaa le letee hoon.I'll take this kurta. (a woman speaking)
- पुराना कुर्ता मुझे दे दीजिए।Puraanaa kurtaa mujhe de deejiye.Please give me the old kurta.
- इसे बदल दीजिए।Ise badal deejiye.Please change it for me.
More in the grammar: Postpositions and the oblique case · Pronouns and politeness · Commands and requests: आ, आओ, आइए · Compound verbs: ले लेना, दे देना, हो जाना
New words
- कुर्ताkurtaakurta, a long loose shirt · masculine; plural (kurte)
- के लिएke liyefor · (mere bete ke liye), for my son
- बदलनाbadalnaato change, to exchange
- बिलbilbill, receipt · masculine
- इसकाiskaaits, of this · Changes like (meraa): (iskaa saaiz), (iskee keemat, its price).
- साइज़saaizsize · masculine
- मीडियम / लार्जmeediyam / laarjmedium / large · Clothes sizes use the English words: small, medium, large.
- रंगrangcolour · masculine
- इनमेंinmenin these · (usmen), in that one
- थोड़ाthoraaa little, a bit · / / (thoraa / thoree / thore)
- ले लेनाle lenaato take (for yourself)
- पुरानाpuraanaaold (things) · / / (puraanaa / puraanee / puraane)
- दे देनाde denaato give (away, to someone)
- कपड़ेkapreclothes · masculine plural
Practise
1.How do you say “in this colour”?
2.Put the words in order to ask for an exchange, starting with (kyaa aap).
Tap the words below in the right order.Could you exchange it?
3.Match the Hindi with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.The shopkeeper says (inmen laarj hai). What does he mean?
5.Rekha decides to take the blue kurta. What does she say?
6.How do you say “Please give me the old kurta”?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
क्या आप इसे बदल सकते हैं?
Kyaa aap ise badal sakte hain?
Could you exchange it?
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.