Hindi · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 2 of 12
Opinions and reasons
राय और कारणraay aur kaaran
Give your opinion in Hindi with मुझे लगता है कि (mujhe lagtaa hai ki), give reasons with क्योंकि and इसलिए, and agree or disagree politely.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Say what you think with मुझे लगता है कि (mujhe lagtaa hai ki)
- Give reasons with क्योंकि (kyonki) and इसलिए (isliye)
- Agree and disagree politely
- Say “maybe” with शायद (shaayad) and the subjunctive
Listen
Aditya and Fatima are in their last year at university in Patna. Over tea, they talk about what they'll do next. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Aditya
फ़ातिमा, पढ़ाई के बाद तुम क्या करोगी? पटना में रहोगी या दिल्ली जाओगी?
Faatimaa, padhaaee ke baad tum kyaa karogee? Patnaa men rahogee yaa Dillee jaaogee?
Fatima, what will you do after your studies? Will you stay in Patna or go to Delhi?
Fatima
मुझे लगता है कि मैं पटना में ही रहूँगी।
Mujhe lagtaa hai ki main Patnaa men hee rahoongee.
I think I'll stay here in Patna.
Aditya
सच में? क्यों? मेरे ख़याल से दिल्ली में नौकरियाँ ज़्यादा हैं।
Sach men? Kyon? Mere khayaal se Dillee men naukariyaan zyaadaa hain.
Really? Why? I think there are more jobs in Delhi.
Fatima
यह बात तो सही है, लेकिन वहाँ सब कुछ बहुत महँगा है। आधी तनख़्वाह तो किराए में ही चली जाती है।
Yah baat to sahee hai, lekin vahaan sab kuchh bahut mahangaa hai. Aadhee tankhvaah to kiraaye men hee chalee jaatee hai.
That's true, but everything is very expensive there. Half your salary goes on rent.
Aditya
हाँ, लेकिन वहाँ तनख़्वाह भी ज़्यादा होती है। और वहाँ बड़ी कंपनियाँ हैं, इसलिए सीखने के मौक़े भी ज़्यादा हैं।
Haan, lekin vahaan tankhvaah bhee zyaadaa hotee hai. Aur vahaan baree kampaniyaan hain, isliye seekhne ke mauke bhee zyaadaa hain.
Yes, but the salaries are higher there too. And there are big companies there, so there are more chances to learn.
Fatima
शायद तुम सही हो। लेकिन मैं यहीं रहना चाहती हूँ, क्योंकि मेरे अब्बू की तबीयत ठीक नहीं रहती।
Shaayad tum sahee ho. Lekin main yaheen rahnaa chaahtee hoon, kyonki mere abboo kee tabeeyat theek naheen rahtee.
Maybe you're right. But I want to stay here, because my dad's health isn't good.
Aditya
ओह, मुझे नहीं पता था। तब तो तुम्हारा फ़ैसला बिलकुल सही है।
Oh, mujhe naheen pataa thaa. Tab to tumhaaraa faislaa bilkul sahee hai.
Oh, I didn't know. Then your decision is absolutely right.
Fatima
और तुम? तुम्हें क्या लगता है, तुम कहाँ जाओगे?
Aur tum? Tumhen kyaa lagtaa hai, tum kahaan jaaoge?
And you? What do you think, where will you go?
Aditya
मैं बेंगलुरु जाना चाहता हूँ, क्योंकि वहाँ आईटी की अच्छी नौकरियाँ हैं। लेकिन मम्मी को यह आइडिया पसंद नहीं है।
Main Bengaluru jaanaa chaahtaa hoon, kyonki vahaan aaeetee kee achchhee naukariyaan hain. Lekin mammee ko yah aaidiyaa pasand naheen hai.
I want to go to Bengaluru, because there are good IT jobs there. But Mum doesn't like the idea.
Fatima
मुझे नहीं लगता कि वे मना करेंगी। शायद वे पहले थोड़ा परेशान हों, लेकिन आख़िर में वे हाँ कहेंगी।
Mujhe naheen lagtaa ki ve manaa karengee. Shaayad ve pahle thoraa pareshaan hon, lekin aakhir men ve haan kahengee.
I don't think she'll say no. She may be a bit upset at first, but in the end she'll say yes.
Aditya
हाँ, मुझे भी ऐसा ही लगता है। आज शाम मैं उनसे बात करूँगा।
Haan, mujhe bhee aisaa hee lagtaa hai. Aaj shaam main unse baat karoongaa.
Yes, I think so too. I'll talk to her this evening.
Fatima
ठीक है। कल मुझे सब बताओ।
Theek hai. Kal mujhe sab bataao.
OK. Tell me everything tomorrow.
Understand
I think: मुझे लगता है कि
The most common way to give an opinion is … (mujhe lagtaa hai ki …), literally “it seems to me that …”. You know (lagnaa) from (achchhaa lagtaa hai); the person takes (mujhe), (tumhen) or (aapko), and (lagtaa hai) stays the same whoever is thinking.
(ki) means “that” and joins the two parts. In English you can leave “that” out; in Hindi is usually kept. To ask for an opinion, say (tumhen kyaa lagtaa hai?), what do you think? For “I don't think”, put (naheen) in the first part, as in English: … (mujhe naheen lagtaa ki …).
| Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| … (mujhe lagtaa hai ki …) | I think (that) … |
| … (mujhe naheen lagtaa ki …) | I don't think (that) … |
| (aapko kyaa lagtaa hai?) | What do you think? |
| … (mere khayaal se …) | in my opinion … |
| … (meree raay men …) | in my opinion … (more formal) |
Because and so: क्योंकि, इसलिए
(kyonki), because, comes before the reason: (main yaheen rahnaa chaahtee hoon, kyonki mere abboo kee tabeeyat theek naheen rahtee), I want to stay here because my dad's health isn't good.
(isliye), so, that's why, comes before the result: (vahaan baree kampaniyaan hain, isliye mauke zyaadaa hain), there are big companies there, so there are more opportunities. In everyday speech, (to) often does the same job. Both parts keep normal word order, with the verb at the end.
- मैं आज नहीं आ सकता, क्योंकि मुझे बुख़ार है।Main aaj naheen aa saktaa, kyonki mujhe bukhaar hai.I can't come today because I have a fever. (a man speaking)
- दिल्ली में सब कुछ महँगा है, इसलिए मैं पटना में रहूँगी।Dillee men sab kuchh mahangaa hai, isliye main Patnaa men rahoongee.Everything is expensive in Delhi, so I'll stay in Patna. (a woman speaking)
Maybe, yes and no: शायद and polite replies
(shaayad), maybe, can go with the future, as you saw in A2. With the subjunctive, the -ए / -एँ (-e / -en) form you know from (chalen?), it sounds less sure: (shaayad ve pareshaan hon), she may be upset. The subjunctive of (honaa) is , , , (hoon, ho, ho, hon) for , , , / / (main, tum, vah, aap / ham / ve).
To disagree politely, Hindi speakers often agree with part of what was said first, then add (lekin), but.
| Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| / (tum sahee ho. / aap sahee hain.) | You're right. |
| (shaayad tum sahee ho.) | Maybe you're right. |
| (mujhe bhee aisaa hee lagtaa hai.) | I think so too. |
| (main aapse sahmat hoon.) | I agree with you. (formal) |
| … (yah baat to sahee hai, lekin …) | That's true, but … |
| (mujhe aisaa naheen lagtaa.) | I don't think so. |
More in the grammar: The subjunctive: करूँ, करे, करें · Linking ideas: although, because of, therefore
New words
- मुझे लगता है किmujhe lagtaa hai kiI think that · (ki), that, joins two parts of a sentence.
- सहीsaheeright, correct, true · never changes
- सब कुछsab kuchheverything
- तनख़्वाहtankhvaahsalary, pay · feminine; (sailaree) is also common
- इसलिएisliyeso, that's why
- मौक़ाmaukaachance, opportunity · masculine; plural (mauke). (seekhne ke mauke), chances to learn
- यहींyaheenright here · (yahaan) + (hee)
- क्योंकिkyonkibecause
- अब्बूabboodad · used in many Muslim families; mum is (ammee)
- तबीयतtabeeyathealth (how someone is feeling) · feminine; (unkee tabeeyat theek naheen hai), he isn't well
- फ़ैसलाfaislaadecision · masculine; (faislaa karnaa), to decide
- मना करनाmanaa karnaato say no, to refuse
- परेशानpareshaanworried, upset; bothered · never changes
- ऐसाaisaalike this, so · (mujhe aisaa naheen lagtaa), I don't think so
Practise
1.Which word fits? , ___ (main Patnaa men rahoongee, ___ mere abboo kee tabeeyat theek naheen hai.)
2.Which word fits? , ___ (Dillee men sab kuchh mahangaa hai, ___ main vahaan naheen jaaoongee.)
3.Aditya agrees with Fatima. Put the words in order, starting with (mujhe).
Tap the words below in the right order.I think so too.
4.Match the Hindi with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
5.You want to ask a friend “What do you think?”. What do you say?
0 of 5 exercises done.
Say it out loud
मुझे लगता है कि आप सही हैं।
Mujhe lagtaa hai ki aap sahee hain.
I think you're right.
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.