Hindi · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 11 of 12
Phone calls and messages
फ़ोन पर बातfon par baat
Make a phone call in Hindi: ask to speak to someone, leave a message, spell your name, and say what you were doing with रहा था.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Ask for someone on the phone and leave a message
- Spell your name and change an appointment
- Say “tell him”, “call her”, “talk to them”
- Say what you were doing with रहा था (rahaa thaa)
Listen
Rajiv phones a travel agency in Dehradun to speak to Mr Sharma. Later, Mr Sharma sends him a text. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Seema
नमस्ते, शर्मा ट्रैवल्स। मैं आपकी क्या मदद कर सकती हूँ?
Namaste, Sharmaa Traivals. Main aapkee kyaa madad kar saktee hoon?
Hello, Sharma Travels. How can I help you?
Rajiv
नमस्ते। मैं राजीव मल्होत्रा बोल रहा हूँ। क्या मेरी बात शर्मा जी से हो सकती है?
Namaste. Main Raajeev Malhotraa bol rahaa hoon. Kyaa meree baat Sharmaa jee se ho saktee hai?
Hello. This is Rajiv Malhotra. Could I speak to Mr Sharma?
Seema
माफ़ कीजिए, वे अभी एक क्लाइंट से बात कर रहे हैं। क्या आप कोई मैसेज छोड़ना चाहेंगे?
Maaf keejiye, ve abhee ek klaaint se baat kar rahe hain. Kyaa aap koee maisej chhornaa chaahenge?
I'm sorry, he's talking to a client right now. Would you like to leave a message?
Rajiv
जी हाँ। गुरुवार को हमारी मीटिंग है, लेकिन मैं नहीं आ सकता। क्या हम शुक्रवार को मिल सकते हैं?
Jee haan. Guruvaar ko hamaaree meeting hai, lekin main naheen aa saktaa. Kyaa ham shukravaar ko mil sakte hain?
Yes. We have a meeting on Thursday, but I can't come. Could we meet on Friday?
Seema
ठीक है, मैं उन्हें बता दूँगी। आपका नाम कैसे लिखते हैं?
Theek hai, main unhen bataa doongee. Aapkaa naam kaise likhte hain?
All right, I'll tell him. How do you spell your name?
Rajiv
आर-ए-जे-आई-वी, राजीव। मेरा नंबर उनके पास है।
Aar-e-je-aaee-vee, Raajeev. Meraa nambar unke paas hai.
R-A-J-I-V, Rajiv. He has my number.
Seema
ठीक है। मीटिंग के बाद वे आपको फ़ोन कर देंगे।
Theek hai. Meeting ke baad ve aapko fon kar denge.
Fine. He'll call you after the meeting.
Rajiv
बहुत धन्यवाद। नमस्ते।
Bahut dhanyavaad. Namaste.
Thank you very much. Goodbye.
Mr Sharma (text)
राजीव जी, माफ़ कीजिए, मैं एक क्लाइंट से बात कर रहा था। शुक्रवार को ग्यारह बजे ठीक रहेगा?
Raajeev jee, maaf keejiye, main ek klaaint se baat kar rahaa thaa. Shukravaar ko gyaarah baje theek rahegaa?
Rajiv, sorry, I was talking to a client. Would Friday at eleven be all right?
Rajiv (text)
जी, बिलकुल। शुक्रवार को मिलते हैं।
Jee, bilkul. Shukravaar ko milte hain.
Yes, absolutely. See you on Friday.
Understand
On the phone
Phone calls often start with (helo). To say who you are, use the present continuous: (main Raajeev bol rahaa hoon), literally “I, Rajiv, am speaking”. A woman says (bol rahee hoon). Names and email addresses are usually spelled with English letters.
| Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| … / (main … bol rahaa / rahee hoon.) | This is … speaking. |
| … (kyaa meree baat … se ho saktee hai?) | Could I speak to …? |
| (ve abhee meeting men hain.) | He / She is in a meeting right now. |
| (kyaa aap maisej chhornaa chaahenge?) | Would you like to leave a message? |
| (aapkaa naam kaise likhte hain?) | How do you spell your name? |
| (zaraa dheere boliye.) | Could you speak a bit more slowly, please? |
| / (main aapko baad men fon karoongaa / karoongee.) | I'll call you later. |
Tell him, talk to her: को or से
Many verbs take the person with (ko): (bataanaa, to tell), (denaa, to give), (fon karnaa, to call), (maisej karnaa, to text). With pronouns, use the short forms: (main unhen bataa doongee), I'll tell him; (ve aapko fon karenge), he'll call you.
Some verbs take (se) instead: (baat karnaa, to talk to), (kahnaa, to say to) and (poochhnaa, to ask): (unse baat keejiye), please talk to him. (bataa denaa) and (kar denaa) add (denaa) because the action is done for someone else, as in chapter 7.
| Pronoun | + (ko) | + (se) |
|---|---|---|
| (main) | (mujhe) | (mujhse) |
| (tum) | (tumhen) | (tumse) |
| (aap) | (aapko) | (aapse) |
| (vah) | (use) | (usse) |
| (ham) | (hamen) | (hamse) |
| (ve) | (unhen) | (unse) |
Was doing: रहा था
To say what was going on at some moment in the past, use the present continuous from chapter 2 with (thaa), (thee), (the) or (theen) instead of (hoon), (hai) or (hain): (main baat kar rahaa thaa), I was talking. This is the past continuous. It's a natural way to explain why you missed a call.
| Meaning | a man | a woman |
|---|---|---|
| I was talking | (main baat kar rahaa thaa) | (main baat kar rahee thee) |
| you were talking (polite) | (aap baat kar rahe the) | (aap baat kar rahee theen) |
| he / she was talking | (vah baat kar rahaa thaa) | (vah baat kar rahee thee) |
More in the grammar: Postpositions and the oblique case · Compound verbs: ले लेना, दे देना, हो जाना · The continuous tenses: रहा है and रहा था
New words
- क्या मेरी बात … से हो सकती है?Kyaa meree baat … se ho saktee hai?Could I speak to …? · Literally “can my talk happen with …?”
- क्लाइंटklaaintclient · masculine
- छोड़नाchhornaato leave · (maisej chhornaa), to leave a message
- चाहेंगेchaahengewould like (polite) · … (kyaa aap … chaahenge?), Would you like to …? From (chaahnaa), to want.
- हमाराhamaaraaour · You know it from A1: / / (hamaaraa / hamaaree / hamaare). (meeting) is feminine, so (hamaaree meeting).
- मीटिंगmeetingmeeting · feminine
- बतानाbataanaato tell · The person takes (ko): (main unhen bataa doongee), I'll tell him.
- लिखनाlikhnaato write · (naam kaise likhte hain?), How do you spell the name?
- उनके पासunke paashe / she has (with respect); they have · like (mere paas), I have
- फ़ोन करनाfon karnaato call, to phone · The person takes (ko): (aapko fon karenge), will call you.
- बात कर रहा थाbaat kar rahaa thaawas talking (a man) · A woman: (baat kar rahee thee).
- ठीक रहेगाtheek rahegaawill be fine, will suit
- बिलकुलbilkulabsolutely, of course
Practise
1.You phone an office. How do you say “This is Rajiv speaking”?
2.Seema is talking. Put the words in order, starting with (main).
Tap the words below in the right order.I'll tell him.
3.Match the Hindi with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.How do you say “Please talk to him”?
5.Mr Sharma explains why he didn't answer: “I was talking to a client.” What does he write?
0 of 5 exercises done.
Say it out loud
हेलो, मैं राजीव बोल रहा हूँ।
Helo, main Raajeev bol rahaa hoon.
Hello, this is Rajiv 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.