Hindi · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 8 of 12
Plans and invitations
प्लान बनानाplaan banaanaa
Make plans with a friend in Hindi: suggest with “shall we…?” (चलें?), say what you have to do, and accept, decline or change a plan.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Suggest doing something together: Shall we…?
- Say what you have to do with मुझे … है (mujhe … hai)
- Accept, decline and change a plan
- Say “my own” with अपना (apnaa)
Listen
Aman and his friend Zoya, who both live in Lucknow, try to find a time to go to the cinema. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Aman
ज़ोया, आज शाम क्या कर रही हो?
Zoyaa, aaj shaam kyaa kar rahee ho?
Zoya, what are you doing this evening?
Zoya
अभी कुछ पता नहीं। क्यों?
Abhee kuchh pataa naheen. Kyon?
I don't know yet. Why?
Aman
चलो, कोई फ़िल्म देखें? सात बजे का शो है।
Chalo, koee film dekhen? Saat baje kaa sho hai.
Shall we go and see a film? There's a seven o'clock show.
Zoya
आज नहीं। मुझे कल सुबह जल्दी ऑफ़िस जाना है।
Aaj naheen. Mujhe kal subah jaldee ofis jaanaa hai.
Not today. I have to go to the office early tomorrow morning.
Aman
ठीक है। तो शनिवार को चलें?
Theek hai. To shanivaar ko chalen?
OK. Then shall we go on Saturday?
Zoya
शनिवार को मैं अपनी नानी के घर जाऊँगी। लेकिन रविवार को मैं ख़ाली हूँ।
Shanivaar ko main apnee naanee ke ghar jaaoongee. Lekin ravivaar ko main khaalee hoon.
On Saturday I'm going to my grandmother's. But I'm free on Sunday.
Aman
रविवार ठीक है। शाम को छह बजे?
Ravivaar theek hai. Shaam ko chhah baje?
Sunday's fine. At six in the evening?
Zoya
हाँ। फ़िल्म से पहले कुछ खाएँ?
Haan. Film se pahle kuchh khaayen?
Yes. Shall we eat something before the film?
Aman
अच्छा आइडिया। मैं टिकट बुक करूँगा और तुम्हें मैसेज करूँगा।
Achchhaa aaidiyaa. Main tikat buk karoongaa aur tumhen maisej karoongaa.
Good idea. I'll book the tickets and send you a message.
Zoya
ठीक है। रविवार को मिलते हैं।
Theek hai. Ravivaar ko milte hain.
OK. See you on Sunday.
Understand
Shall we…? चलें, देखें, खाएँ
To suggest doing something together, Hindi uses a verb form ending in -एँ (-en): (chalen?), shall we go?; (dekhen?), shall we watch?; (khaayen?), shall we eat? It's the future without the -गे (-ge) ending: (dekhenge), we'll watch → (dekhen). Grammar books call it the subjunctive.
(chalo), from (chalnaa), means “come on, let's go” and often starts a suggestion; with (aap) it's (chaliye). To offer to do something yourself, use the -ऊँ (-oon) form: (main tikat buk karoon?), Shall I book the tickets?
| Verb | We will… | Shall we…? |
|---|---|---|
| (dekhnaa), to watch | (dekhenge) | (dekhen?) |
| (chalnaa), to go | (chalenge) | (chalen?) |
| (khaanaa), to eat | (khaayenge) | (khaayen?) |
| (karnaa), to do | (karenge) | (karen?) |
| (milnaa), to meet | (milenge) | (milen?) |
I have to: मुझे … जाना है
To say you have to do something, use the pattern you know from (chaahiye): the person takes (mujhe), (tumhen) or (aapko), then comes the verb in -ना (-naa), then (hai). (mujhe ofis jaanaa hai), I have to go to the office. It's used for plans and things you need to do.
Ask (aapko kab jaanaa hai?), When do you have to go? Be careful with the negative: (mujhe naheen jaanaa hai) often means “I don't want to go”.
- मुझे कल सुबह जल्दी उठना है।Mujhe kal subah jaldee uthnaa hai.I have to get up early tomorrow morning.
- तुम्हें कितने बजे जाना है?Tumhen kitne baje jaanaa hai?What time do you have to go?
- आज मुझे खाना बनाना है।Aaj mujhe khaanaa banaanaa hai.I have to cook today.
Yes, no, and another time
Here are useful phrases for plans with friends. (milte hain), literally “we meet”, is the everyday way to say “see you”. (maaf karnaa) is the friendly form of (maaf keejiye), sorry.
| Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (haan, zaroor.) | Yes, sure. |
| (achchhaa aaidiyaa.) | Good idea. |
| (aaj naheen.) | Not today. |
| (maaf karnaa, main naheen aa saktee.) | Sorry, I can't come. (a woman speaking) |
| (to shanivaar ko chalen?) | Then shall we go on Saturday? |
| (ravivaar ko main khaalee hoon.) | I'm free on Sunday. |
| (ravivaar ko milte hain.) | See you on Sunday. |
My own: अपना
When “my”, “your”, “his” or “her” refers back to the subject of the same sentence, Hindi uses (apnaa), “one's own”, instead of (meraa), (tumhaaraa) or (uskaa). So Zoya, the subject, says (main apnee naanee ke ghar jaaoongee), I'm going to my grandmother's. changes like : , , (apnaa, apnee, apne).
With (vah) this makes a real difference: (vah apne ghar gayaa) means he went to his own home, but (vah uske ghar gayaa) means he went to someone else's home. When the thing owned is itself the subject, use as usual: (meraa ghar baraa hai).
- मैं अपनी नानी के घर जाऊँगी।Main apnee naanee ke ghar jaaoongee.I'm going to my grandmother's. (a woman speaking)
- तुम अपना फ़ोन लाओ।Tum apnaa fon laao.Bring your phone.
- वह अपने दोस्तों के साथ क्रिकेट खेलता है।Vah apne doston ke saath kriket kheltaa hai.He plays cricket with his friends.
More in the grammar: Possession: my, your and “to have” · Pronouns and politeness · Should and have to: चाहिए, है, पड़ना · The future and suggestions: करूँगा, चलें · The subjunctive: करूँ, करे, करें
New words
- आज शामaaj shaamthis evening
- पता नहींpataa naheenI don't know
- क्यों?Kyon?Why?
- चलोchalocome on, let's go · With (aap): (chaliye).
- शोshoshow (in a cinema) · masculine
- जल्दीjaldeeearly; quickly
- जाना हैjaanaa haihave to go · (mujhe jaanaa hai), I have to go
- नानीnaaneegrandmother (your mother's mother) · feminine; (apnee naanee ke ghar), to my grandmother's house
- से पहलेse pahlebefore · (film se pahle), before the film
- आइडियाaaidiyaaidea · masculine
- टिकटtikatticket · masculine for some speakers, feminine for others: both are correct
- बुक करनाbuk karnaato book
- मैसेज करनाmaisej karnaato send a message, to text · The person takes (ko): (tumhen maisej karoongaa), I'll text you.
- मिलते हैं।Milte hain.See you. · Literally “we meet”.
Practise
1.You want to suggest watching a film together. What do you say?
2.Zoya makes a suggestion. Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.Shall we eat something before the film?
3.Match the Hindi with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.Zoya says she has to go to the office. Which sentence is correct?
5.A friend invites you, but you can't go. What do you say? (a man speaking)
6.Aman says he's going to his brother's on Saturday. Which sentence is correct?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
चलो, फ़िल्म देखें?
Chalo, film dekhen?
Shall we go and see a film?
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.