Hindi · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 3 of 12
News and current events
आज की ख़बरेंaaj kee khabren
Understand simple news in Hindi: the passive (बनाया जा रहा है, खोला जाएगा) and reporting what someone said with कि (ki).
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Understand short news items and notices
- Recognise and use the passive: किया जाता है, किया जाएगा
- Report what someone said or asked with कि (ki)
Listen
At breakfast in Bhopal, Rashmi reads the newspaper and tells her husband Sunil the news. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Sunil
आज अख़बार में क्या ख़बर है?
Aaj akhbaar men kyaa khabar hai?
What's in the paper today?
Rashmi
लिखा है कि रविवार को शहर में मैराथन है, इसलिए सुबह कई सड़कें बंद रहेंगी।
Likhaa hai ki ravivaar ko shahar men mairaathan hai, isliye subah kaee sarken band rahengee.
It says there's a marathon in the city on Sunday, so several roads will be closed in the morning.
Sunil
कौन-सी सड़कें?
Kaun-see sarken?
Which roads?
Rashmi
पुराने शहर की सड़कें, सुबह छह से ग्यारह बजे तक। पुलिस ने कहा है कि लोग दूसरे रास्तों से जाएँ।
Puraane shahar kee sarken, subah chhah se gyaarah baje tak. Pulis ne kahaa hai ki log doosre raaston se jaayen.
The roads in the old city, from six to eleven in the morning. The police have asked people to take other routes.
Sunil
अच्छा। और कोई ख़ास ख़बर?
Achchhaa. Aur koee khaas khabar?
I see. Any other important news?
Rashmi
हाँ, यहाँ पास में एक नया अस्पताल बनाया जा रहा है। वह अगले साल खोला जाएगा।
Haan, yahaan paas men ek nayaa aspataal banaayaa jaa rahaa hai. Vah agle saal kholaa jaayegaa.
Yes, a new hospital is being built near here. It will be opened next year.
Sunil
यह तो अच्छी ख़बर है। और मौसम के बारे में क्या लिखा है?
Yah to achchhee khabar hai. Aur mausam ke baare men kyaa likhaa hai?
That's good news. And what does it say about the weather?
Rashmi
कल से तेज़ बारिश हो सकती है। कहा गया है कि स्कूल दो दिन बंद रहेंगे।
Kal se tez baarish ho saktee hai. Kahaa gayaa hai ki skool do din band rahenge.
There may be heavy rain from tomorrow. It's been announced that schools will be closed for two days.
Sunil
अरे! लेकिन अंजू ने तो कहा था कि कल उसका टेस्ट है।
Are! Lekin Anjoo ne to kahaa thaa ki kal uskaa test hai.
Oh! But Anju said she had a test tomorrow.
Rashmi
तो टेस्ट शायद बाद में हो। मैं उसकी टीचर को मैसेज करके पूछती हूँ कि टेस्ट कब होगा।
To test shaayad baad men ho. Main uskee teechar ko maisej karke poochhtee hoon ki test kab hogaa.
Then maybe the test will be later. I'll text her teacher and ask when the test will be.
Sunil
ठीक है। फिर मुझे भी बताओ कि उन्होंने क्या कहा।
Theek hai. Phir mujhe bhee bataao ki unhonne kyaa kahaa.
All right. Then tell me what she said too.
Rashmi
हाँ, बताऊँगी। अब नाश्ता करो, साढ़े आठ बज गए हैं।
Haan, bataaoongee. Ab naashtaa karo, saadhe aath baj gaye hain.
Yes, I will. Now have your breakfast, it's already half past eight.
Understand
It is being built: the passive
In the passive, the thing that something happens to becomes the subject: “the hospital is being built”. In Hindi, take the simple past form of the verb (, banaayaa; , kholaa) and add (jaanaa) in the tense you need: (aspataal banaayaa jaa rahaa hai), the hospital is being built; (vah kholaa jaayegaa), it will be opened.
Both parts agree with the subject, and there is never (ne): (sarak banaaee jaayegee), the road will be built. The passive is common in news, notices and instructions, when it doesn't matter who does the action. In conversation, people more often say (ve) or (log): (ve aspataal banaa rahe hain), they're building a hospital.
| Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (yahaan hindee bolee jaatee hai.) | Hindi is spoken here. |
| (aspataal banaayaa jaa rahaa hai.) | The hospital is being built. |
| (aspataal banaayaa gayaa.) | The hospital was built. |
| (aspataal kholaa jaayegaa.) | The hospital will be opened. |
| … (kahaa gayaa hai ki …) | It has been announced that … |
She said that…: reporting with कि
To report what someone said, use (kahnaa, to say), (bataanaa, to tell) or (poochhnaa, to ask) with (ki). After , Hindi usually keeps the tense of the original words; only words like “I” and “my” change, as in English. Anju said “” (kal meraa test hai), I have a test tomorrow, so Sunil says (Anjoo ne kahaa thaa ki kal uskaa test hai), Anju said she had a test tomorrow. English changes “have” to “had”; Hindi keeps (hai).
A reported question keeps its question word: (main poochhtee hoon ki test kab hogaa), I'll ask when the test will be. A reported request uses the subjunctive: (pulis ne kahaa hai ki log doosre raaston se jaayen), the police have asked people to take other routes. Remember: and take the person with (se), with (ko).
You also hear the present perfect a lot in the news, for something that has happened and still matters now: the simple past + / (hai / hain). (pulis ne kahaa hai), the police have said; (saadhe aath baj gaye hain), it's already half past eight.
- उसने कहा कि वह कल आएगा।Usne kahaa ki vah kal aayegaa.He said he would come tomorrow.
- मैंने उनसे पूछा कि बस कब चलेगी।Mainne unse poochhaa ki bas kab chalegee.I asked him when the bus would leave.
- डॉक्टर ने कहा कि मैं आराम करूँ।Doktar ne kahaa ki main aaraam karoon.The doctor told me to rest.
Words for the news
News in Hindi is a little more formal than everyday speech. These words and phrases come up all the time.
| Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (khabar), feminine | news, a news item |
| … (likhaa hai ki …) | it says (in writing) that … |
| … (… ke anusaar) | according to … |
| (sarkaar), feminine | the government |
| … (… ke baare men) | about … |
| … (bataayaa gayaa hai ki …) | it has been reported that … |
More in the grammar: The passive: किया जाता है · The subjunctive: करूँ, करे, करें
New words
- ख़बरkhabarnews, a piece of news · feminine; plural (khabren)
- लिखा है किlikhaa hai kiit says (that) · literally “it is written that”, for newspapers, signs and messages
- कईkaeeseveral, many · (kaee sarken), several roads
- पुलिसpulisthe police · feminine; (pulis ne kahaa), the police said
- ख़ासkhaasspecial, important · never changes
- अस्पतालaspataalhospital · masculine
- बनाया जा रहा हैbanaayaa jaa rahaa haiis being built · the passive of (banaanaa), to make, to build
- खोलनाkholnaato open · (kholaa jaayegaa), will be opened
- के बारे मेंke baare menabout · (mausam ke baare men), about the weather; (uske baare men), about him, about her
- तेज़tezheavy, strong; fast · never changes; (tez baarish), heavy rain
- कहा गया है किkahaa gayaa hai kiit has been announced that, it is said that · the passive of (kahnaa), to say
- टेस्टtesttest · masculine
Practise
1.How do you say “The hospital will be opened next year”?
2. (sarak, road) is feminine. How do you say “A new road is being built”?
3.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.A new hospital is being built.
4.Match the Hindi with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
5.Anju told her father “” (kal meraa test hai): “I have a test tomorrow.” How does he report it the same day?
0 of 5 exercises done.
Say it out loud
आज की ख़ास ख़बर क्या है?
Aaj kee khaas khabar kyaa hai?
What's the main news today?
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.