Hindi · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 7 of 12
Education and learning
पढ़ाई और परीक्षाpadhaaee aur pareekshaa
Talk about exams and learning in Hindi: regrets with चाहिए था (should have), the more … the more (जितना … उतना) and the subjunctive after इससे पहले कि.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Talk about exams, subjects and ways of studying
- Express regrets: should have, could have, was supposed to
- Build longer sentences with जितना … उतना and जैसे ही
- Use the subjunctive after इससे पहले कि and ज़रूरी नहीं कि
Listen
In Kota, Harsh, 18, has just got the result of an engineering entrance exam. His aunt Smita has come to see him. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Smita
हर्ष, क्या हुआ? तुम्हारी मम्मी ने बताया कि तुम दो दिन से ठीक से खाना भी नहीं खा रहे।
Harsh, kyaa huaa? Tumhaaree mammee ne bataayaa ki tum do din se theek se khaanaa bhee naheen khaa rahe.
Harsh, what's the matter? Your mum told me you haven't even been eating properly for two days.
Harsh
बुआ, इंजीनियरिंग की परीक्षा का नतीजा आ गया है, और मेरा नाम लिस्ट में नहीं है। कोटा में दो साल कोचिंग की, और कुछ नहीं मिला।
Buaa, injeeniyaring kee pareekshaa kaa nateejaa aa gayaa hai, aur meraa naam list men naheen hai. Kotaa men do saal koching kee, aur kuchh naheen milaa.
Bua, the results of the engineering exam are out, and my name isn't on the list. Two years of coaching in Kota, and nothing to show for it.
Smita
अरे, इतने उदास मत हो। पहले यह बताओ, तुम्हें ख़ुद क्या लगता है, कमी कहाँ रह गई?
Are, itne udaas mat ho. Pahle yah bataao, tumhen khud kyaa lagtaa hai, kamee kahaan rah gaee?
Oh, don't be so down. First tell me this: what do you think yourself, where did you fall short?
Harsh
सच कहूँ तो मुझे पहले साल से ही ज़्यादा मेहनत करनी चाहिए थी। मैं दोस्तों के साथ घूमता रहा, और फ़िज़िक्स पर ठीक से ध्यान नहीं दिया। टेस्ट के बाद मुझे अपनी ग़लतियाँ भी देखनी चाहिए थीं।
Sach kahoon to mujhe pahle saal se hee zyaadaa mehnat karnee chaahiye thee. Main doston ke saath ghoomtaa rahaa, aur fiziks par theek se dhyaan naheen diyaa. Test ke baad mujhe apnee galtiyaan bhee dekhnee chaahiye theen.
To be honest, I should have worked harder right from the first year. I kept going out with friends, and I didn't pay proper attention to physics. And I should have gone through my mistakes after each test.
Smita
देखो, यह बहुत अच्छी बात है कि तुम अपनी ग़लती मान रहे हो। कई लोग तो सालों तक नहीं मानते कि ग़लती उनकी थी।
Dekho, yah bahut achchhee baat hai ki tum apnee galtee maan rahe ho. Kaee log to saalon tak naheen maante ki galtee unkee thee.
Look, it's a very good thing that you're admitting your mistake. Plenty of people refuse to admit for years that the mistake was theirs.
Harsh
लेकिन पापा को तो बहुत बुरा लगा होगा। उन्होंने कोचिंग के लिए इतने पैसे दिए थे।
Lekin paapaa ko to bahut buraa lagaa hogaa. Unhonne koching ke liye itne paise diye the.
But Papa must have been really upset. He paid so much for the coaching.
Smita
मैंने तुम्हारे पापा से बात की है। वे नाराज़ नहीं हैं, बस थोड़ी चिंता में हैं। और एक बात बताऊँ? बारहवीं में मैं भी फ़ेल होने वाली थी।
Mainne tumhaare paapaa se baat kee hai. Ve naaraaz naheen hain, bas thoree chintaa men hain. Aur ek baat bataaoon? Baarahveen men main bhee fel hone vaalee thee.
I've talked to your father. He isn't angry, just a bit worried. And shall I tell you something? I nearly failed Class 12 myself.
Harsh
आप? सच में? लेकिन आप तो कॉलेज में पढ़ाती हैं!
Aap? Sach men? Lekin aap to kolej men padhaatee hain!
You? Really? But you teach at a college!
Smita
हाँ, इसलिए तो कह रही हूँ। मैं इतिहास पढ़ना चाहती थी, लेकिन घरवाले चाहते थे कि मैं डॉक्टर बनूँ। जैसे ही मैंने अपनी पसंद का विषय पढ़ना शुरू किया, सब बदल गया।
Haan, isliye to kah rahee hoon. Main itihaas padhnaa chaahtee thee, lekin gharvaale chaahte the ki main doktar banoon. Jaise hee mainne apnee pasand kaa vishay padhnaa shuroo kiyaa, sab badal gayaa.
Yes, that's exactly why I'm telling you. I wanted to study history, but my family wanted me to become a doctor. As soon as I started studying a subject I had chosen myself, everything changed.
Harsh
तो क्या आप कह रही हैं कि मुझे इंजीनियरिंग छोड़ देनी चाहिए?
To kyaa aap kah rahee hain ki mujhe injeeniyaring chhor denee chaahiye?
So are you saying I should give up engineering?
Smita
नहीं, मैं यह नहीं कह रही। ज़रूरी नहीं कि जो रास्ता मेरे लिए सही था, वह तुम्हारे लिए भी सही हो। बस इससे पहले कि तुम फिर से तैयारी शुरू करो, एक बार ठीक से सोच लो कि तुम ख़ुद क्या चाहते हो।
Naheen, main yah naheen kah rahee. Zarooree naheen ki jo raastaa mere liye sahee thaa, vah tumhaare liye bhee sahee ho. Bas isse pahle ki tum phir se taiyaaree shuroo karo, ek baar theek se soch lo ki tum khud kyaa chaahte ho.
No, that's not what I'm saying. The path that was right for me isn't necessarily right for you. Just, before you start preparing again, think carefully about what you yourself want.
Harsh
ठीक है, बुआ। जितना ज़्यादा मैं इसके बारे में सोचता हूँ, उतना ही लगता है कि मुझे मशीनें सच में पसंद हैं। शायद मुझे बस पढ़ने का तरीक़ा बदलना होगा।
Theek hai, buaa. Jitnaa zyaadaa main iske baare men sochtaa hoon, utnaa hee lagtaa hai ki mujhe masheenen sach men pasand hain. Shaayad mujhe bas padhne kaa tareekaa badalnaa hogaa.
All right, Bua. The more I think about it, the more I feel that I really do love machines. Maybe I just need to change the way I study.
Understand
Should have, could have, was supposed to
To talk about regrets, put (thaa) after (chaahiye): (mujhe zyaadaa mehnat karnee chaahiye thee), I should have worked harder. As in A2, the -ना (-naa) form and agree with a feminine or plural object: (mujhe apnee galtiyaan dekhnee chaahiye theen), I should have looked at my mistakes. With no object, both stay masculine: (mujhe jaldee uthnaa chaahiye thaa), I should have got up early.
(saktaa thaa) is “could have”, a chance that was missed. -ना था (-naa thaa), the past of (mujhe jaanaa hai), means “was supposed to”. For something that nearly happened, use -ने वाला था (-ne vaalaa thaa) from chapter 3: (main fel hone vaalee thee), I nearly failed.
| Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (mujhe mehnat karnee chaahiye thee.) | I should have worked hard. |
| (tumhen mujhe bataanaa chaahiye thaa.) | You should have told me. |
| (mujhe aisaa naheen kahnaa chaahiye thaa.) | I shouldn't have said that. |
| (main paas ho saktaa thaa.) | I could have passed. (a man) |
| (mujhe kal aanaa thaa.) | I was supposed to come yesterday. |
| (main fel hone vaalee thee.) | I nearly failed. (a woman) |
The more …, the more: correlative pairs
In B1 you met … (jo … vah), … (jab … tab) and … (jahaan … vahaan). … (jitnaa … utnaa) compares amounts: … (jitnaa zyaadaa main sochtaa hoon, utnaa hee lagtaa hai ki …), the more I think about it, the more I feel that … Both words agree like adjectives with the word they go with: (jitnee jaldee, utnaa achchhaa), the sooner the better, where (jitnee) goes with the feminine (jaldee).
(jaise hee), as soon as, starts a full clause: (jaise hee mainne itihaas padhnaa shuroo kiyaa, sab badal gayaa). It means the same as -ते ही (-te hee) from B1. … …, … (jab tak … naheen …, tab tak …) means “until”: (jab tak nateejaa naheen aataa, tab tak aaraam karo), rest until the results come out.
| Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| …, () … (jitnaa …, utnaa (hee) …) | the more …, the more … |
| (jitnee jaldee, utnaa achchhaa.) | The sooner, the better. |
| …, … (jaise hee …, …) | as soon as …, … |
| …, … (jo bhee …, vah …) | whatever, whoever … |
| …, … (jisne bhee …, use …) | whoever (did) …, … |
| … …, … (jab tak … naheen …, tab tak …) | until … |
Before, not necessarily: more subjunctive
Some linking phrases always take the subjunctive, because they are about something that hasn't happened yet or may not be true. … (isse pahle ki …), before …: , … (isse pahle ki tum phir se taiyaaree shuroo karo, …), before you start preparing again, … … (zarooree naheen ki …), it doesn't follow that …, not necessarily: (zarooree naheen ki vah tumhaare liye bhee sahee ho), it isn't necessarily right for you too.
When both parts have the same subject, the infinitive + (se pahle) from B1 is simpler: (taiyaaree shuroo karne se pahle soch lo), think before you start preparing.
- इससे पहले कि बारिश शुरू हो, घर चलो।Isse pahle ki baarish shuroo ho, ghar chalo.Let's go home before the rain starts.
- ज़रूरी नहीं कि महँगी कोचिंग सबसे अच्छी हो।Zarooree naheen ki mahangee koching sabse achchhee ho.Expensive coaching isn't necessarily the best.
- मैं नहीं चाहती कि तुम परेशान रहो।Main naheen chaahtee ki tum pareshaan raho.I don't want you to be upset. (a woman speaking)
More in the grammar: Should and have to: चाहिए, है, पड़ना · Relative clauses: जो … वह, जब … तब, जहाँ … वहाँ · Probably: the presumptive (होगा)
New words
- परीक्षाpareekshaaexam, examination · feminine; students also say (egzaam) or (pepar)
- नतीजाnateejaaresult · masculine; (nateejaa aa gayaa), the results are out
- कमीkameeshortcoming, lack · feminine; (kamee kahaan rah gaee?), where did it fall short?
- मेहनतmehnathard work · feminine; (mehnat karnaa), to work hard
- करनी चाहिए थीkarnee chaahiye theeshould have done · agrees with a feminine object, here (mehnat)
- ग़लतीgalteemistake · feminine; plural (galtiyaan); (galtee maannaa), to admit a mistake
- बारहवींbaarahveenClass 12, the last year of school · feminine; literally “the twelfth”; (dasveen) is Class 10
- घरवालेgharvaalefamily, the people at home · masculine plural
- इतिहासitihaashistory · masculine
- विषयvishaysubject, topic · masculine; (apnee pasand kaa vishay), a subject of your own choice
- शुरू करनाshuroo karnaato start, to begin · (shuroo) never changes; (shuroo honaa), to begin (by itself)
- जैसे हीjaise heeas soon as · starts a full clause: , … (jaise hee main pahunchaa, …), as soon as I arrived, …
- तैयारीtaiyaareepreparation · feminine; (pareekshaa kee taiyaaree), preparing for an exam
- तरीक़ाtareekaaway, method · masculine; (padhne kaa tareekaa), the way you study
Practise
1.Harsh regrets not studying harder. Which sentence means “I should have worked harder”?
2.Which word fits? ___ (___ zyaadaa main sochtaa hoon, utnaa hee lagtaa hai ki mujhe masheenen pasand hain.)
3.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.The sooner, the better.
4.Match the Hindi with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
5.Smita says (baarahveen men main bhee fel hone vaalee thee). What does she mean?
6.How do you say “Let's go home before the rain starts”?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
मुझे तुम्हें पहले ही बता देना चाहिए था।
Mujhe tumhen pahle hee bataa denaa chaahiye thaa.
I should have told you earlier.
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.