Hindi · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 2 of 12
Travel and hotels
होटल मेंhotal men
Check in at a hotel in Hindi, ask about breakfast, report a problem in your room and ask politely for what you need.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Check in and ask about breakfast
- Ask politely: Could I have…? May I…?
- Say what is happening right now with रहा है (rahaa hai)
- Use plural nouns before में, के साथ and other postpositions
Listen
Farhan Khan checks in at a hotel in Udaipur. Later he phones reception from his room. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Receptionist
नमस्ते सर। मैं आपकी क्या मदद कर सकती हूँ?
Namaste sar. Main aapkee kyaa madad kar saktee hoon?
Hello, sir. How can I help you?
Farhan
नमस्ते। मेरा नाम फ़रहान ख़ान है। मेरी दो रात की बुकिंग है।
Namaste. Meraa naam Farhaan Khaan hai. Meree do raat kee buking hai.
Hello. My name is Farhan Khan. I have a booking for two nights.
Receptionist
जी, दस और ग्यारह अप्रैल। क्या मैं आपका आधार कार्ड देख सकती हूँ?
Jee, das aur gyaarah aprail. Kyaa main aapkaa aadhaar kaard dekh saktee hoon?
Yes, the tenth and eleventh of April. May I see your Aadhaar card?
Farhan
हाँ, यह लीजिए। क्या नाश्ता भी मिलता है?
Haan, yah leejiye. Kyaa naashtaa bhee miltaa hai?
Yes, here you are. Is breakfast included?
Receptionist
जी हाँ, सुबह सात से दस बजे तक। आपका कमरा दो सौ चार है, दूसरी मंज़िल पर।
Jee haan, subah saat se das baje tak. Aapkaa kamraa do sau chaar hai, doosree manzil par.
Yes, from seven to ten in the morning. Your room is 204, on the second floor.
Farhan
हेलो, मैं दो सौ चार से बोल रहा हूँ। कमरे में एसी नहीं चल रहा है।
Helo, main do sau chaar se bol rahaa hoon. Kamre men esee naheen chal rahaa hai.
(later, on the phone) Hello, I'm calling from room 204. The AC in the room isn't working.
Receptionist
माफ़ कीजिए सर। दस मिनट में कोई आ रहा है।
Maaf keejiye sar. Das minat men koee aa rahaa hai.
I'm sorry, sir. Someone will be there in ten minutes.
Farhan
ठीक है। और क्या मुझे एक और तौलिया मिल सकता है?
Theek hai. Aur kyaa mujhe ek aur tauliyaa mil saktaa hai?
All right. And could I have another towel?
Receptionist
जी, ज़रूर। तौलिया भी आ रहा है।
Jee, zaroor. Tauliyaa bhee aa rahaa hai.
Yes, of course. A towel is on its way too.
Farhan
बहुत धन्यवाद।
Bahut dhanyavaad.
Thank you very much.
Understand
Could I…? May I…?
You know (saknaa, can) from A1. It also makes polite questions: … (kyaa main … dekh saktee hoon?), May I see …? and … (kyaa aap … sakte hain?), Could you …?
To ask for something, use (milnaa), to get, to be available: (kyaa mujhe ek aur tauliyaa mil saktaa hai?), Could I have another towel? Word for word it's “to me can another towel be got?”, so the verb agrees with the thing you ask for. (tauliyaa) is masculine: (mil saktaa hai). (chaay) is feminine: (mil saktee hai).
- क्या आप मेरी मदद कर सकते हैं?Kyaa aap meree madad kar sakte hain?Could you help me? (to a man)
- क्या मुझे एक कप चाय मिल सकती है?Kyaa mujhe ek kap chaay mil saktee hai?Could I have a cup of tea?
- क्या नाश्ता भी मिलता है?Kyaa naashtaa bhee miltaa hai?Is breakfast included? (Do you also get breakfast?)
Happening now: रहा है
To say what is happening right now, take the verb without -ना (-naa) and add (rahaa) for a man or a masculine thing, (rahee) for a woman or a feminine thing, and (rahe) for several men, a mixed group or a man you call (aap) or (tum); several women take (rahee) too. Then comes , , or (hoon, ho, hai, hain). This is the present continuous.
Farhan says … (main … bol rahaa hoon), I'm speaking. With machines, (chalnaa) means “to work”: (esee naheen chal rahaa hai), the AC isn't working. The same form is used for something already on its way: (koee aa rahaa hai), someone is coming.
| Meaning | a man, men | a woman, women |
|---|---|---|
| I'm speaking | (main bol rahaa hoon) | (main bol rahee hoon) |
| you're speaking (friendly) | (tum bol rahe ho) | (tum bol rahee ho) |
| you're speaking (polite) | (aap bol rahe hain) | (aap bol rahee hain) |
| he / she is speaking | (vah bol rahaa hai) | (vah bol rahee hai) |
| we're speaking | (ham bol rahe hain) | (ham bol rahee hain) |
| they're speaking | (ve bol rahe hain) | (ve bol rahee hain) |
With friends, in the rooms: plurals before a postposition
In A1 you saw (kamraa) become (kamre men), in the room. In the plural, every noun ends in -on before a postposition such as (men), (par), (se), / / (kaa / kee / ke), (ke saath, with) or (ke liye, for). Nouns ending in -ee take -iyon.
After a number, time words like (raat, night), (din, day) and (saal, year) often keep their plain form in everyday speech: (do raat kee buking), a booking for two nights. (do raaton kee buking) is also correct.
| Noun | Plural | Before a postposition |
|---|---|---|
| (dost), friend | (dost) | (doston ke saath), with friends |
| (kamraa), room | (kamre) | (kamron men), in the rooms |
| (hotal), hotel | (hotal) | (hotlon men), in hotels |
| (sabzee), vegetable | (sabziyaan) | (sabziyon ke daam), the prices of vegetables |
More in the grammar: Postpositions and the oblique case · The continuous tenses: रहा है and रहा था
New words
- मददmadadhelp · feminine; / (main aapkee kyaa madad kar saktaa / saktee hoon?), How can I help you?
- रातraatnight · feminine; plural (raaten)
- बुकिंगbukingbooking · feminine
- आधार कार्डaadhaar kaardAadhaar card · masculine; India's national ID card
- नाश्ताnaashtaabreakfast · masculine
- मिलनाmilnaato get, to be available · The thing is the subject: (naashtaa miltaa hai), breakfast is served. It also means “to meet”.
- से … तकse … takfrom … to, from … until · (saat se das baje tak), from seven to ten o'clock
- दूसरी मंज़िलdoosree manzilsecond floor · (manzil, floor) is feminine. / (doosraa / doosree), second
- बोलनाbolnaato speak · … / (… se bol rahaa / rahee hoon), I'm calling from …
- एसीeseeair conditioner, AC · masculine
- चलनाchalnaato run, to work (of machines) · It also means “to walk, to go”.
- कोईkoeesomeone · You know it as “any, some”: (koee aa rahaa hai), someone is coming.
- एक औरek auranother, one more
- तौलियाtauliyaatowel · masculine
Practise
1.You'd like a cup of tea in your room. What do you ask?
2.The receptionist is talking. Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.May I see your Aadhaar card?
3.Match the Hindi with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.The AC in your room isn't working. What do you tell reception?
5.How do you say “in the rooms”?
0 of 5 exercises done.
Say it out loud
क्या मुझे एक और तौलिया मिल सकता है?
Kyaa mujhe ek aur tauliyaa mil saktaa hai?
Could I have another towel?
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.