Hindi · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 1 of 12
Discussing and debating
अपनी बात रखनाapnee baat rakhnaa
Argue your point in Hindi: concede with हालाँकि (although) and भले ही (even if), structure an argument and interrupt politely.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Concede a point with हालाँकि, माना कि and भले ही
- Structure an argument: firstly, besides, all in all
- Correct a negative with बल्कि (but rather)
- Interrupt politely and keep your turn
Listen
At a residents' meeting in a housing society in Noida, Nazia and Gurpreet disagree about turning part of the car park into a children's park. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Mr Verma
तो आज का मुद्दा यह है कि क्या पार्किंग के एक हिस्से में बच्चों के लिए पार्क बनाया जाए। नाज़िया जी, पहले आप अपनी बात रखिए।
To aaj kaa muddaa yah hai ki kyaa paarking ke ek hisse men bachchon ke liye paark banaayaa jaaye. Naaziyaa jee, pahle aap apnee baat rakhiye.
So, today's question is whether we should build a children's park on part of the car park. Nazia, please go first and make your case.
Nazia
धन्यवाद, वर्मा जी। पहली बात तो यह है कि हमारी सोसाइटी में लगभग सौ बच्चे हैं, लेकिन उनके खेलने के लिए एक भी जगह नहीं है। वे सड़क पर खेलते हैं, जो बिलकुल सुरक्षित नहीं है।
Dhanyavaad, Varmaa jee. Pahlee baat to yah hai ki hamaaree sosaaitee men lagbhag sau bachche hain, lekin unke khelne ke liye ek bhee jagah naheen hai. Ve sarak par khelte hain, jo bilkul surakshit naheen hai.
Thank you, Mr Verma. The first point is that there are about a hundred children in our housing society, but there isn't a single place for them to play. They play in the road, which isn't safe at all.
Gurpreet
माफ़ कीजिए, बीच में बोल रहा हूँ, लेकिन पार्किंग की जगह तो पहले ही कम है। लोग अपनी गाड़ियाँ कहाँ खड़ी करेंगे?
Maaf keejiye, beech men bol rahaa hoon, lekin paarking kee jagah to pahle hee kam hai. Log apnee gaariyaan kahaan kharee karenge?
Sorry to interrupt, but there's already too little parking space. Where will people park their cars?
Nazia
एक मिनट, गुरप्रीत जी, मेरी बात पूरी होने दीजिए। हालाँकि जगह कम है, फिर भी हम उस हिस्से में पार्क बना सकते हैं, जहाँ ज़्यादातर पुरानी, ख़राब गाड़ियाँ खड़ी रहती हैं।
Ek minat, Gurpreet jee, meree baat pooree hone deejiye. Haalaanki jagah kam hai, phir bhee ham us hisse men paark banaa sakte hain, jahaan zyaadaatar puraanee, kharaab gaariyaan kharee rahtee hain.
Just a moment, Gurpreet, let me finish. Although space is short, we can still build the park in the part where the cars are mostly old ones that don't run.
Gurpreet
माना कि वहाँ कुछ पुरानी गाड़ियाँ हैं, लेकिन वे भी तो किसी की हैं। हम उन्हें ऐसे कैसे हटा सकते हैं?
Maanaa ki vahaan kuchh puraanee gaariyaan hain, lekin ve bhee to kisee kee hain. Ham unhen aise kaise hataa sakte hain?
Granted, there are a few old cars there, but they do belong to someone. How can we just move them like that?
Mr Verma
गुरप्रीत जी की बात भी ठीक है। नाज़िया जी, इसका क्या हल है?
Gurpreet jee kee baat bhee theek hai. Naaziyaa jee, iskaa kyaa hal hai?
Gurpreet has a point too. Nazia, what's the solution to that?
Nazia
हम उन गाड़ियों के मालिकों को एक महीने का समय दे सकते हैं। और भले ही कुछ लोगों को थोड़ी दिक़्क़त हो, बच्चों की सुरक्षा उससे ज़्यादा ज़रूरी है।
Ham un gaariyon ke maalikon ko ek maheene kaa samay de sakte hain. Aur bhale hee kuchh logon ko thoree dikkat ho, bachchon kee surakshaa usse zyaadaa zarooree hai.
We can give the owners of those cars a month. And even if it causes some people a bit of trouble, the children's safety matters more.
Gurpreet
देखिए, मैं पार्क के ख़िलाफ़ नहीं हूँ, बल्कि मैं ख़ुद चाहता हूँ कि मेरे बच्चे पार्क में खेलें। मेरा सवाल सिर्फ़ इतना है कि पैसे कहाँ से आएँगे।
Dekhiye, main paark ke khilaaf naheen hoon, balki main khud chaahtaa hoon ki mere bachche paark men khelen. Meraa savaal sirf itnaa hai ki paise kahaan se aayenge.
Look, I'm not against the park. In fact, I'd like my own children to play in one. My only question is where the money will come from.
Nazia
इसका भी हल है। अगर हर फ़्लैट पाँच सौ रुपये दे, तो पैसे जल्दी इकट्ठे हो जाएँगे।
Iskaa bhee hal hai. Agar har flait paanch sau rupaye de, to paise jaldee ikatthe ho jaayenge.
There's a solution to that too. If every flat pays five hundred rupees, we'll soon have the money together.
Gurpreet
चलिए, यह बात मैं मानता हूँ। लेकिन पुरानी गाड़ियों वाली बात पर मैं अब भी सहमत नहीं हूँ।
Chaliye, yah baat main maantaa hoon. Lekin puraanee gaariyon vaalee baat par main ab bhee sahmat naheen hoon.
All right, I'll grant you that. But on the question of the old cars, I still don't agree.
Mr Verma
ठीक है। कुल मिलाकर, दोनों तरफ़ की बातें सही हैं। तो क्यों न अगले रविवार को वोट हो जाए?
Theek hai. Kul milaakar, donon taraf kee baaten sahee hain. To kyon na agle ravivaar ko vot ho jaaye?
All right. All in all, both sides have a point. So why don't we put it to a vote next Sunday?
Nazia
मैं सहमत हूँ। और चाहे फ़ैसला कुछ भी हो, हम सब उसे मानेंगे।
Main sahmat hoon. Aur chaahe faislaa kuchh bhee ho, ham sab use maanenge.
I agree. And whatever the decision, we'll all accept it.
Understand
Although, granted, even if
In a discussion you often admit that the other side is partly right before you make your own point. (haalaanki), although, starts the first part, and the second part often begins with (phir bhee), still, even so: (haalaanki jagah kam hai, phir bhee ham paark banaa sakte hain), although space is short, we can still build a park. In speech, …, … (maanaa ki …, lekin …), granted that …, but …, does the same job.
(bhale hee), even if, and (chaahe), no matter, whatever, talk about something that may or may not be true, so they take the subjunctive: (bhale hee kuchh logon ko dikkat ho), even if some people have trouble; (chaahe faislaa kuchh bhee ho), whatever the decision is. With a known fact, can also take a normal tense and then means “even though”.
| Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| …, … (haalaanki …, phir bhee …) | although …, still … |
| …, … (maanaa ki …, lekin …) | granted that …, but … |
| …, … (yah sach hai ki …, lekin …) | it's true that …, but … |
| … (bhale hee …) + subjunctive | even if … |
| … (chaahe … kuchh bhee ho) | whatever … is, no matter what … |
| (phir bhee) | still, even so, nevertheless |
Making your case
A clear argument has an order. Start with … (pahlee baat to yah hai ki …), the first point is that …, and go on with … (doosree baat yah hai ki …), secondly. (iske alaavaa), besides, adds a point, and (kul milaakar), all in all, sums up.
(balki) corrects a negative: “not X, but rather Y”. … (main paark ke khilaaf naheen hoon, balki main khud chaahtaa hoon ki …), I'm not against the park; in fact, I want … myself. Use (lekin) for a plain “but”, and only after a “not”.
| Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| … (pahlee baat to yah hai ki …) | the first point is that … |
| … (doosree baat yah hai ki …) | secondly, the second point is that … |
| … (iske alaavaa …) | besides, apart from that … |
| …, … (ek taraf …, doosree taraf …) | on the one hand …, on the other hand … |
| … (asal men …) | actually, in fact … |
| … (kul milaakar …) | all in all, overall … |
| … , … (… naheen, balki …) | not …, but rather … |
Interrupting politely
People do interrupt in a Hindi discussion, but they apologise first: … (maaf keejiye, beech men bol rahaa hoon, lekin …), sorry to interrupt, but … A woman says (bol rahee hoon). To keep your turn, use -ने देना (-ne denaa) from B1: (meree baat pooree hone deejiye), let me finish.
(maannaa), which you know from (buraa maannaa), also means “to accept, to grant”: (yah baat main maantaa hoon), I grant you that.
| Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| / , … (maaf keejiye, beech men bol rahaa / rahee hoon, …) | Sorry to interrupt, … |
| (ek minat, meree baat pooree hone deejiye.) | Just a moment, let me finish. |
| (aap apnee baat pooree kar leejiye.) | Please finish what you were saying. |
| / … (main bas itnaa kahnaa chaahtaa / chaahtee hoon ki …) | I'd just like to say that … |
| (aapkee baat men dam hai.) | You have a point. |
| / (yah baat main maantaa / maantee hoon.) | I grant you that. |
More in the grammar: Emphasis: ही, भी, तो · Linking ideas: although, because of, therefore
New words
- मुद्दाmuddaaissue, question (under discussion) · masculine; (aaj kaa muddaa), today's topic
- हिस्साhissaapart; share · masculine; (ek hisse men), in one part
- अपनी बात रखनाapnee baat rakhnaato make your case, to give your view · (apnee baat rakhiye), please give your view
- लगभगlagbhagabout, nearly · (lagbhag sau bachche), about a hundred children
- जगहjagahplace; space, room · feminine; (khelne kee jagah), a place to play
- सुरक्षितsurakshitsafe · never changes; (surakshaa), safety, is feminine
- बीच मेंbeech menin between, in the middle · (beech men bolnaa), to interrupt
- गाड़ी खड़ी करनाgaaree kharee karnaato park (a car) · / (kharaa / kharee) means “standing”: the car is made to stand
- ज़्यादातरzyaadaatarmostly; most · (zyaadaatar log), most people
- हटानाhataanaato remove, to move (something) away
- ख़िलाफ़khilaafagainst · (ke khilaaf): (main iske khilaaf hoon), I'm against it
- ख़ुदkhudmyself, yourself, himself, herself (for emphasis) · never changes; (main khud chaahtaa hoon), I want it myself
- सवालsavaalquestion · masculine; (savaal poochhnaa), to ask a question
- तरफ़tarafside; direction · feminine; (donon taraf), both sides
Practise
1.Which word fits? ___ (___ jagah kam hai, phir bhee ham paark banaa sakte hain.)
2.Nazia wants to finish what she is saying. Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.Just a moment, let me finish.
3.Match the Hindi with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.A man is speaking and wants to say “I'm not against it; in fact, I want it myself.” Which sentence is correct?
5.You're a woman and want to interrupt a colleague politely. What do you say?
6.Which sentence means “Even if it rains, the meeting will take place”?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
माफ़ कीजिए, बीच में बोल रहा हूँ, लेकिन …
Maaf keejiye, beech men bol rahaa hoon, lekin …
Sorry to interrupt, but … (a man speaking)
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.