Hindi · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 7 of 12
Culture and traditions
त्योहार और परंपराएँtyohaar aur paramparaayen
Talk about festivals and customs in Hindi: relative pairs like जो … वह and जहाँ … वहाँ, and “people say” with कहते हैं कि.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Explain how a festival is celebrated
- Join sentences with जो … वह, जब … तब, जहाँ … वहाँ, जैसे … वैसे
- Say “people say” and “it is done” without naming anyone
- Give festival greetings
Listen
Joseph, who is from Kerala, has just started working in Mathura. His colleague Meenakshi tells him about Holi. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Joseph
मीनाक्षी जी, सब कह रहे हैं कि अगले हफ़्ते होली है। होली कैसे मनाई जाती है?
Meenaakshee jee, sab kah rahe hain ki agle hafte Holee hai. Holee kaise manaaee jaatee hai?
Meenakshi, everyone's saying that Holi is next week. How is Holi celebrated?
Meenakshi
होली रंगों का त्योहार है। जो भी मिलता है, उसे रंग लगाते हैं और मिठाई खाते हैं।
Holee rangon kaa tyohaar hai. Jo bhee miltaa hai, use rang lagaate hain aur mithaaee khaate hain.
Holi is the festival of colours. People put colour on everyone they meet, and eat sweets.
Joseph
केरल में होली इतनी बड़ी नहीं होती। वहाँ ओणम सबसे बड़ा त्योहार है।
Keral men Holee itnee baree naheen hotee. Vahaan Onam sabse baraa tyohaar hai.
Holi isn't such a big thing in Kerala. There, Onam is the biggest festival.
Meenakshi
और मथुरा में तो होली बहुत ख़ास है, क्योंकि कहते हैं कि कृष्ण जी का जन्म यहीं हुआ था।
Aur Mathuraa men to Holee bahut khaas hai, kyonki kahte hain ki Krishn jee kaa janm yaheen huaa thaa.
And in Mathura Holi is very special, because they say Krishna was born right here.
Joseph
अच्छा! और होली से पहले की शाम को क्या होता है?
Achchhaa! Aur Holee se pahle kee shaam ko kyaa hotaa hai?
I see! And what happens on the evening before Holi?
Meenakshi
उस शाम होलिका दहन होता है। जहाँ आग जलाई जाती है, वहाँ सब लोग इकट्ठे होते हैं।
Us shaam Holikaa dahan hotaa hai. Jahaan aag jalaaee jaatee hai, vahaan sab log ikatthe hote hain.
That evening there's Holika Dahan. Everyone gathers where the bonfire is lit.
Joseph
और होली के दिन मुझे क्या पहनना चाहिए?
Aur Holee ke din mujhe kyaa pahannaa chaahiye?
And what should I wear on the day of Holi?
Meenakshi
पुराने कपड़े पहनिए, जिन्हें आप बाद में फेंक सकें।
Puraane kapre pahniye, jinhen aap baad men phenk saken.
Wear old clothes that you can throw away afterwards.
Joseph
और अगर कोई मुझे रंग लगाए, तो मैं क्या करूँ?
Aur agar koee mujhe rang lagaaye, to main kyaa karoon?
And if someone puts colour on me, what should I do?
Meenakshi
जैसे वे करते हैं, वैसे ही आप भी कीजिए। और बुरा मत मानिए। होली पर सब कहते हैं, “बुरा न मानो, होली है!”
Jaise ve karte hain, vaise hee aap bhee keejiye. Aur buraa mat maaniye. Holee par sab kahte hain, “Buraa na maano, Holee hai!”
Just do what they do. And don't take offence. At Holi everyone says, “Don't be offended, it's Holi!”
Joseph
ठीक है। जब मैं छोटा था, तब मैंने होली सिर्फ़ फ़िल्मों में देखी थी। इस बार मैं भी खेलूँगा।
Theek hai. Jab main chhotaa thaa, tab mainne Holee sirf filmon men dekhee thee. Is baar main bhee kheloongaa.
All right. When I was a child, I only ever saw Holi in films. This time I'll play too.
Meenakshi
बहुत अच्छा। तो होली के दिन हमारे घर आइए। जो गुझियाँ मेरी माँ बनाती हैं, वे आपको ज़रूर खानी चाहिए।
Bahut achchhaa. To Holee ke din hamaare ghar aaiye. Jo gujhiyaan meree maan banaatee hain, ve aapko zaroor khaanee chaahiye.
Great. Then come to our house on the day of Holi. You really must try the gujiyas my mother makes.
Understand
Who, where, when: relative pairs
In A2 you met (jo), who, which. Hindi builds these sentences in pairs: the first part starts with a ज- (j-) word, and the second part answers with a matching word: (jahaan aag jalaaee jaatee hai, vahaan sab log ikatthe hote hain), literally “where the fire is lit, there everyone gathers”. English usually needs just one word; Hindi keeps both.
Before a postposition, (jo) becomes (jis) in the singular and (jin) in the plural, just like → (vah → us). With (ko) you get (jise) and (jinhen): (puraane kapre pahniye, jinhen aap phenk saken), wear old clothes that you can throw away.
| Pair | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| … (jo … vah) | … (jo gujhiyaan maan banaatee hain, ve …) | the gujiyas that Mum makes … |
| … (jab … tab) | … (jab main chhotaa thaa, tab …) | when I was a child, … |
| … (jahaan … vahaan) | … (jahaan aag jalaaee jaatee hai, vahaan …) | where the fire is lit, … |
| … (jaise … vaise) | (jaise ve karte hain, vaise hee keejiye.) | do it the way they do |
| … (jis … us) | … (jis din Holee hai, us din …) | on the day that Holi falls, … |
People say, it is done
To talk about customs without naming anyone, Hindi has two easy ways. You can leave out the subject and use the plural: … (kahte hain ki …), they say that …, people say that …; (rang lagaate hain), people put colour on each other. Or you can use the passive from chapter 3: (Holee kaise manaaee jaatee hai?), how is Holi celebrated?
(Holee) is feminine, so it's (manaaee jaatee hai). With a masculine word it's (manaayaa jaataa hai): (yah tyohaar poore Bhaarat men manaayaa jaataa hai), this festival is celebrated all over India. Note that you “play” Holi in Hindi: (Holee khelnaa).
- कहते हैं कि यह मंदिर बहुत पुराना है।Kahte hain ki yah mandir bahut puraanaa hai.They say this temple is very old.
- दिवाली पर दीये जलाए जाते हैं।Divaalee par deeye jalaaye jaate hain.At Diwali, oil lamps are lit.
- ईद पर सेवइयाँ बनाई जाती हैं।Eed par sevaiyaan banaaee jaatee hain.At Eid, sweet vermicelli is made.
Festival greetings
At festivals people greet each other with (mubaarak) or (shubhkaamnaayen), both meaning “congratulations, best wishes”. sounds more formal; with friends, English (haippee) is very common too.
| Occasion | Greeting |
|---|---|
| (Holee), in February or March | (Holee mubaarak!), (haippee Holee!) |
| (Divaalee), in October or November | (Divaalee kee shubhkaamnaayen!) |
| (Eed) | (Eed mubaarak!) |
| (Krismas) | (meree Krismas!) |
| (janmdin) | (janmdin mubaarak!) |
More in the grammar: Relative clauses: जो … वह, जब … तब, जहाँ … वहाँ · The passive: किया जाता है
New words
- मनानाmanaanaato celebrate (a festival) · (Holee manaaee jaatee hai), Holi is celebrated
- त्योहारtyohaarfestival · masculine
- जो भीjo bheewhoever, whatever · … (jo bhee miltaa hai, use …), to whoever you meet …
- रंग लगानाrang lagaanaato put colour on (someone) · (lagaanaa), to put on, to apply
- मिठाईmithaaeesweets; a sweet · feminine; (meethaa) is anything sweet, (mithaaee) the sweets you buy or make for guests and festivals
- जन्मjanmbirth · masculine; (unkaa janm yaheen huaa thaa), he was born right here
- होलिका दहनHolikaa dahanthe Holi bonfire · masculine; lit on the evening before Holi
- आगaagfire · feminine
- जलानाjalaanaato light, to burn · (aag jalaaee jaatee hai), a fire is lit
- इकट्ठा होनाikatthaa honaato gather, to get together · (sab log ikatthe hote hain), everyone gathers
- फेंकनाphenknaato throw, to throw away
- बुरा माननाburaa maannaato take offence, to mind · (buraa mat maaniye), don't be offended
- होली खेलनाHolee khelnaato celebrate Holi (with colours) · literally “to play Holi”
- गुझियाgujhiyaagujiya, a sweet filled pastry · feminine; plural (gujhiyaan); made for Holi
Practise
1.Which word fits? , ___ (jahaan aag jalaaee jaatee hai, ___ sab log ikatthe hote hain.)
2.Which word fits? ___ (___ main chhotaa thaa, tab mainne Holee sirf filmon men dekhee thee.)
3.Joseph asks about Holi. Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.How is Holi celebrated?
4.Match the Hindi with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
5. (Divaalee) is feminine. How do you ask “How is Diwali celebrated?”
0 of 5 exercises done.
Say it out loud
होली मुबारक!
Holee mubaarak!
Happy Holi!
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.