Hindi · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 10 of 12
Formal writing
शिकायत का पत्रshikaayat kaa patr
Write a formal letter or email in Hindi: the fixed parts (सेवा में, विषय, महोदय), formal requests and written connectors like अतः and किंतु.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Lay out a formal letter or email in Hindi
- Make a formal request: आपसे अनुरोध है कि, … करने का कष्ट करें
- Use written connectors: तथा, किंतु, अतः, यद्यपि
- Choose formal words for writing and everyday words for speech
Listen
In Gwalior, Farida helps her neighbour Mr Saxena, 72, write an email to the city's water department about the water supply in their lane. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Mr Saxena
फ़रीदा बेटा, ज़रा मदद करो। पंद्रह दिन से हमारी गली में पानी सिर्फ़ आधा घंटा आता है। मैं नगर निगम को शिकायत लिखना चाहता हूँ, लेकिन सरकारी हिंदी लिखना मुझसे नहीं होता।
Fareedaa betaa, zaraa madad karo. Pandrah din se hamaaree galee men paanee sirf aadhaa ghantaa aataa hai. Main nagar nigam ko shikaayat likhnaa chaahtaa hoon, lekin sarkaaree hindee likhnaa mujhse naheen hotaa.
Farida, dear, could you help me? For fifteen days we've only had water in our lane for half an hour a day. I want to write a complaint to the municipal corporation, but I just can't write official Hindi.
Farida
ज़रूर, अंकल। ईमेल कर देते हैं, जल्दी पहुँचेगा। सबसे पहले लिखते हैं: “सेवा में, जल विभाग, ग्वालियर नगर निगम।” फिर विषय।
Zaroor, ankal. Eemel kar dete hain, jaldee pahunchegaa. Sabse pahle likhte hain: “Sevaa men, jal vibhaag, Gvaaliyar nagar nigam.” Phir vishay.
Of course, uncle. Let's send an email; it'll get there faster. First we write: “To: the Water Department, Gwalior Municipal Corporation.” Then the subject.
Mr Saxena
विषय में क्या लिखें? “पानी नहीं आ रहा”?
Vishay men kyaa likhen? “Paanee naheen aa rahaa”?
What shall we put as the subject? “No water”?
Farida
थोड़ा औपचारिक लिखना होगा: “विषय: गली नंबर चार में पानी की सप्लाई की समस्या।” और फिर “महोदय”, क्योंकि हमें नहीं पता कि वहाँ अधिकारी कौन है।
Thoraa aupchaarik likhnaa hogaa: “Vishay: galee nambar chaar men paanee kee saplaaee kee samasyaa.” Aur phir “mahoday”, kyonki hamen naheen pataa ki vahaan adhikaaree kaun hai.
We'll have to be a bit more formal: “Subject: Problem with the water supply in Lane 4.” And then “Dear Sir”, because we don't know who the officer there is.
Mr Saxena
और अगर अधिकारी कोई मैडम हों, तो?
Aur agar adhikaaree koee maidam hon, to?
And what if the officer is a woman?
Farida
तो “महोदया”। कई लोग “महोदय / महोदया” दोनों लिख देते हैं। अब पहली लाइन: “सविनय निवेदन है कि पिछले पंद्रह दिनों से हमारे क्षेत्र में पानी की सप्लाई केवल आधे घंटे के लिए हो रही है।”
To “mahodayaa”. Kaee log “mahoday / mahodayaa” donon likh dete hain. Ab pahlee laain: “Savinay nivedan hai ki pichhle pandrah dinon se hamaare kshetr men paanee kee saplaaee keval aadhe ghante ke liye ho rahee hai.”
Then “Madam”. Many people just write both, “Sir / Madam”. Now the first line: “I respectfully wish to inform you that for the past fifteen days the water supply in our area has been available for only half an hour a day.”
Mr Saxena
वाह, यह तो बिलकुल सरकारी लगता है! यह भी लिखो कि मैं बूढ़ा आदमी हूँ और मुझे हर दिन नीचे से पानी भरकर लाना पड़ता है।
Vaah, yah to bilkul sarkaaree lagtaa hai! Yah bhee likho ki main boodhaa aadmee hoon aur mujhe har din neeche se paanee bharkar laanaa partaa hai.
Wow, that sounds really official! Also write that I'm an old man and have to fetch water from downstairs every day.
Farida
ज़रूर। “इस कारण बुज़ुर्ग नागरिकों को बहुत कठिनाई हो रही है।” और आख़िर में: “अतः आपसे अनुरोध है कि इस समस्या पर शीघ्र उचित कार्रवाई करने का कष्ट करें।”
Zaroor. “Is kaaran buzurg naagrikon ko bahut kathinaaee ho rahee hai.” Aur aakhir men: “Atah aapse anurodh hai ki is samasyaa par sheeghr uchit kaarravaaee karne kaa kasht karen.”
Of course. “As a result, elderly residents are facing great difficulty.” And at the end: “I therefore request you to kindly take appropriate action on this problem at the earliest.”
Mr Saxena
“शीघ्र”, “उचित”, “कार्रवाई”… बेटा, तुम तो पूरी सरकारी अफ़सर बन गई! पहले हम भी पत्र ऐसे ही लिखते थे।
“Sheeghr”, “uchit”, “kaarravaaee”… Betaa, tum to pooree sarkaaree afsar ban gaee! Pahle ham bhee patr aise hee likhte the.
“At the earliest”, “appropriate”, “action”… My dear, you've turned into a proper government officer! We used to write letters just like this in the old days.
Farida
अब अंत में “भवदीय”, फिर आपका नाम, पता और फ़ोन नंबर। और हाँ, पानी के बिल की फ़ोटो भी संलग्न कर देते हैं।
Ab ant men “bhavdeey”, phir aapkaa naam, pataa aur fon nambar. Aur haan, paanee ke bil kee foto bhee sanlagn kar dete hain.
Now at the end, “Yours faithfully”, then your name, address and phone number. Oh, and let's attach a photo of the water bill too.
Mr Saxena
बहुत बढ़िया। अगर इसके बाद भी कुछ नहीं हुआ, तो मैं ख़ुद नगर निगम के ऑफ़िस जाऊँगा।
Bahut badhiyaa. Agar iske baad bhee kuchh naheen huaa, to main khud nagar nigam ke ofis jaaoongaa.
Excellent. If nothing happens even after this, I'll go to the corporation's office myself.
Farida
उसकी ज़रूरत नहीं पड़ेगी, अंकल। ईमेल चला गया, और शिकायत नंबर भी आ गया है। मैं आपको मैसेज कर देती हूँ।
Uskee zaroorat naheen paregee, ankal. Eemel chalaa gayaa, aur shikaayat nambar bhee aa gayaa hai. Main aapko maisej kar detee hoon.
You won't need to, uncle. The email's gone, and we've already got a complaint number. I'll text it to you.
Understand
The parts of a formal letter
Formal letters and emails to offices, companies and officials follow a fixed pattern, and their language is much more Sanskrit-based than speech. The table shows the parts in order.
In emails to a company or a bank, (aadarneey), respected, before a name, and (saadar), with respect, before your name at the end, are also common and a little less stiff. A woman signs (bhavdeeyaa).
| Part | Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| address | , … (sevaa men, …) | To: … |
| subject | : … (vishay: …) | Subject: … |
| greeting | / , (mahoday / mahodayaa,) | Dear Sir / Madam, |
| opening | … (savinay nivedan hai ki …) | I respectfully wish to inform you that … |
| request | … (atah aapse anurodh hai ki …) | I therefore request you to … |
| thanks | (dhanyavaad sahit) | With thanks |
| closing | / (bhavdeey / bhavdeeyaa) | Yours faithfully (a man / a woman) |
Formal requests
Written requests use the -एँ (-en) form you know from announcements such as (kripyaa dhyaan den), not the spoken -इए (-iye). The politest pattern is the -ने (-ne) form + (kaa kasht karen), literally “take the trouble of …”: (kaarravaaee karne kaa kasht karen), kindly take action. … (aapse anurodh hai ki …), I request you to …, is followed by the subjunctive.
| Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| … (kripyaa … karen.) | Please … |
| … (… karne kaa kasht karen.) | Kindly … (very formal) |
| … (aapse anurodh hai ki aap … karen.) | I request you to … |
| (sheeghr uchit kaarravaaee) | appropriate action at the earliest |
| … (… sanlagn hai.) | … is attached. |
| (aapke uttar kee prateekshaa rahegee.) | I look forward to your reply. |
Connectors and words for writing
Written Hindi prefers formal connectors and formal words. In a letter, use the middle column; in conversation, the first one sounds natural. It is the same split between everyday and formal words that you met in chapter 6, such as / (madad / sahaayataa).
| Everyday | Formal writing | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| (aur) | , (tathaa, evam) | and |
| (lekin) | , (kintu, parantu) | but |
| (isliye) | (atah) | therefore |
| (haalaanki) | (yadyapi) | although |
| (iske alaavaa) | (iske atirikt) | in addition |
| (sirf) | (keval) | only |
| (jaldee) | (sheeghr) | soon, quickly |
| (theek) | (uchit) | proper, appropriate |
| (dikkat) | (kathinaaee) | difficulty |
| (afsar) | (adhikaaree) | officer, official |
| (paanee) | (jal) | water |
More in the grammar: Linking ideas: although, because of, therefore · Register: everyday and formal Hindi
New words
- पत्रpatrletter · masculine; the formal word for (chitthee)
- गलीgaleelane, narrow street · feminine
- नगर निगमnagar nigammunicipal corporation, city council · masculine
- सरकारीsarkaareegovernment, official · never changes; from (sarkaar)
- सेवा मेंsevaa menTo: (at the top of a formal letter) · literally “in the service of”
- विभागvibhaagdepartment · masculine; (jal vibhaag), the water department
- औपचारिकaupchaarikformal · never changes
- महोदयmahodaySir (in a letter) · (mahodayaa), Madam
- अधिकारीadhikaareeofficer, official · masculine, also used for women; everyday (afsar)
- सविनय निवेदन है किsavinay nivedan hai kiI respectfully wish to inform you that · a fixed opening for formal letters
- क्षेत्रkshetrarea, region · masculine
- बुज़ुर्गbuzurgelderly; an elderly person · a respectful word for old people
- अनुरोधanurodhrequest · masculine; … (aapse anurodh hai ki …), I request you to …
- कार्रवाईkaarravaaeeaction (by an office or the police) · feminine; (kaarravaaee karnaa), to take action
Practise
1.How does a formal letter to an office begin, before the address?
2.Which is the most formal way to write “kindly take action”?
3.Put the words of this fixed opening in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.I respectfully wish to inform you that …
4.Match the formal words with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
5.Which is the formal word for (lekin), but?
6.Farida is writing to an officer whose name she doesn't know. How does she greet him or her?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
सविनय निवेदन है कि …
Savinay nivedan hai ki …
I respectfully wish to inform you that …
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.