Hindi · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 6 of 12
Public life
ख़बरों की भाषाkhabron kee bhaashaa
Report what public figures said in Hindi: full reported speech, verbs like announce, claim and deny, and the formal words of the news.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Report statements, questions and requests in full
- Use reporting verbs: announce, claim, promise, deny
- Recognise formal news words and their everyday partners
- Talk about local politics in neutral terms
Listen
In an Indore newsroom, editor Suresh Bhatt asks reporter Ayesha Siddiqui what the mayor said at a press conference about new electric buses. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Suresh
आयशा, महापौर की प्रेस कॉन्फ़्रेंस कैसी रही? क्या कहा उन्होंने?
Aayshaa, mahaapaur kee pres konfrens kaisee rahee? Kyaa kahaa unhonne?
Ayesha, how did the mayor's press conference go? What did he say?
Ayesha
सर, उन्होंने घोषणा की कि अगले साल से शहर में सौ नई इलेक्ट्रिक बसें चलेंगी। उन्होंने कहा कि इससे प्रदूषण कम होगा और लोगों को सस्ता सफ़र मिलेगा।
Sar, unhonne ghoshnaa kee ki agle saal se shahar men sau naee ilektrik basen chalengee. Unhonne kahaa ki isse pradooshan kam hogaa aur logon ko sastaa safar milegaa.
Sir, he announced that from next year a hundred new electric buses would run in the city. He said this would cut pollution and give people cheaper travel.
Suresh
और पैसा कहाँ से आएगा? किसी ने यह पूछा?
Aur paisaa kahaan se aayegaa? Kisee ne yah poochhaa?
And where's the money coming from? Did anyone ask that?
Ayesha
जी, मैंने ख़ुद पूछा कि क्या इसके लिए टैक्स बढ़ाया जाएगा। उनका कहना था कि ज़्यादातर पैसा केंद्र सरकार की एक योजना से आएगा, और टैक्स नहीं बढ़ेगा।
Jee, mainne khud poochhaa ki kyaa iske liye taiks badhaayaa jaayegaa. Unkaa kahnaa thaa ki zyaadaatar paisaa kendra sarkaar kee ek yojnaa se aayegaa, aur taiks naheen badhegaa.
Yes, I asked him myself whether taxes would be raised for it. According to him, most of the money will come from a central government scheme, and taxes won't go up.
Suresh
अच्छा। और विपक्ष ने क्या कहा?
Achchhaa. Aur vipaksh ne kyaa kahaa?
I see. And what did the opposition say?
Ayesha
विपक्ष के एक नेता ने दावा किया कि ऐसी योजना पिछले साल भी आई थी, लेकिन एक भी बस नहीं चली। उन्होंने महापौर से कहा कि वे पहले अपने पुराने वादे पूरे करें।
Vipaksh ke ek netaa ne daavaa kiyaa ki aisee yojnaa pichhle saal bhee aaee thee, lekin ek bhee bas naheen chalee. Unhonne mahaapaur se kahaa ki ve pahle apne puraane vaade poore karen.
One of the opposition leaders claimed that a similar scheme had been announced last year too, but not a single bus ran. He told the mayor to keep his old promises first.
Suresh
और महापौर ने इसका क्या जवाब दिया?
Aur mahaapaur ne iskaa kyaa javaab diyaa?
And how did the mayor answer that?
Ayesha
उन्होंने माना कि पिछली बार देर हुई थी, लेकिन इस बात से इनकार किया कि योजना फ़ेल हो गई है। उनका कहना है कि पहली बीस बसें मार्च तक आ जाएँगी।
Unhonne maanaa ki pichhlee baar der huee thee, lekin is baat se inkaar kiyaa ki yojnaa fel ho gaee hai. Unkaa kahnaa hai ki pahlee bees basen maarch tak aa jaayengee.
He admitted there had been a delay last time, but denied that the scheme had failed. He says the first twenty buses will arrive by March.
Suresh
ठीक है, तो ख़बर लिखो। लेकिन याद रखना, यह अख़बार की भाषा है। “मदद” की जगह “सहायता” लिखना, और “इस्तेमाल” की जगह “प्रयोग”।
Theek hai, to khabar likho. Lekin yaad rakhnaa, yah akhbaar kee bhaashaa hai. “Madad” kee jagah “sahaaytaa” likhnaa, aur “istemaal” kee jagah “prayog”.
All right, write the story. But remember, this is newspaper language. Write “sahaaytaa” instead of “madad” for help, and “prayog” instead of “istemaal” for use.
Ayesha
जी, सर। पहली लाइन ऐसे लिख रही हूँ: “महापौर ने घोषणा की है कि नागरिकों की सुविधा के लिए शहर में सौ इलेक्ट्रिक बसें चलाई जाएँगी।”
Jee, sar. Pahlee laain aise likh rahee hoon: “Mahaapaur ne ghoshnaa kee hai ki naagrikon kee suvidhaa ke liye shahar men sau ilektrik basen chalaaee jaayengee.”
Yes, sir. I'm writing the first line like this: “The mayor has announced that a hundred electric buses will be introduced in the city for the convenience of its citizens.”
Suresh
बहुत अच्छा। और विपक्ष का बयान भी पूरा डालना, ताकि दोनों तरफ़ की बात आए। हमारा काम सिर्फ़ ख़बर देना है, राय देना नहीं।
Bahut achchhaa. Aur vipaksh kaa bayaan bhee pooraa daalnaa, taaki donon taraf kee baat aaye. Hamaaraa kaam sirf khabar denaa hai, raay denaa naheen.
Very good. And put in the opposition's statement in full, so that both sides are heard. Our job is to give the news, not opinions.
Ayesha
समझ गई। और सर, महापौर के ऑफ़िस ने कहा है कि वे कल शाम तक बसों के रूट की लिस्ट भेज देंगे। क्या उसके बाद मैं एक और ख़बर लिखूँ?
Samajh gaee. Aur sar, mahaapaur ke ofis ne kahaa hai ki ve kal shaam tak bason ke root kee list bhej denge. Kyaa uske baad main ek aur khabar likhoon?
Understood. And sir, the mayor's office has said they'll send the list of bus routes by tomorrow evening. Shall I write another story after that?
Understand
Reported speech in full
You know from B1 that Hindi keeps the tense of the original words after (ki): (unhonne kahaa ki basen chalengee), he said (that) the buses would run. In careful speech and in writing, the person changes as in English: the mayor says “” (main vaade poore karoongaa), and you write (unhonne kahaa ki ve vaade poore karenge). In casual speech, people often just quote the words after .
A yes/no question is reported with (ki kyaa): (mainne poochhaa ki kyaa taiks badhaayaa jaayegaa), I asked whether taxes would be raised. A reported request or order takes the subjunctive, and the person spoken to takes (se): (unhonne mahaapaur se kahaa ki ve vaade poore karen), he told the mayor to keep his promises.
| Someone says | You report |
|---|---|
| “” (main kal aaoongaa.) | (usne kahaa ki vah kal aayegaa.) |
| “” (kyaa taiks badhegaa?) | (mainne poochhaa ki kyaa taiks badhegaa.) |
| “” (basen kab aayengee?) | (mainne poochhaa ki basen kab aayengee.) |
| “” (apne vaade poore keejiye.) | (unhonne kahaa ki ve apne vaade poore karen.) |
Reporting verbs
News reports use more exact verbs than (kahnaa). Most are a noun + (karnaa), so in the past they take (ne) and the verb agrees with the noun: (mahaapaur ne ghoshnaa kee), the mayor announced, because is feminine; (netaa ne daavaa kiyaa), the leader claimed, because is masculine.
To give someone's view, you can also use … (unkaa kahnaa hai ki …), according to him, or (ke mutaabik), according to. (ke anusaar), which you saw in B1, means the same and is more formal.
| Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (ghoshnaa karnaa) | to announce |
| (daavaa karnaa) | to claim |
| (vaadaa karnaa) | to promise |
| (maannaa) | to admit, to accept |
| … (… se inkaar karnaa) | to deny … |
| … (unkaa kahnaa hai ki …) | according to him / her …, he / she says … |
| … , … (… ke mutaabik, … ke anusaar) | according to … |
Everyday and formal words
Hindi has two layers of vocabulary. Many everyday words came from Persian and Arabic, the words Hindi shares with Urdu: (madad), (istemaal), (zarooree). Newspapers, official notices and speeches often use words from Sanskrit instead: (sahaaytaa), (prayog), (aavashyak). Both are correct Hindi; the choice shows the register.
In conversation the formal words can sound stiff, and in a news report the everyday ones can sound too casual. Learn to recognise the formal words first; you will mostly need them for reading and writing.
| Everyday | Formal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| (madad) | (sahaaytaa) | help |
| (istemaal) | (prayog) | use |
| (zarooree) | (aavashyak) | necessary |
| (dikkat) | (samasyaa) | problem |
| (vajah) | (kaaran) | reason |
| (log) | (naagrik) | people; citizens |
| (meyar) | (mahaapaur) | mayor |
More in the grammar: Register: everyday and formal Hindi
New words
- भाषाbhaashaalanguage · feminine; (akhbaar kee bhaashaa), newspaper language
- महापौरmahaapaurmayor · masculine, also used for a woman; in everyday speech (meyar)
- घोषणाghoshnaaannouncement · feminine; (ghoshnaa karnaa), to announce
- योजनाyojnaaplan, scheme · feminine; the formal word for (plaan)
- केंद्र सरकारkendra sarkaarthe central government · feminine; (kendra), centre; each Indian state also has its own (raajya sarkaar)
- विपक्षvipakshthe opposition · masculine
- नेताnetaaleader, politician · masculine; plural (netaa)
- दावा करनाdaavaa karnaato claim · (daavaa), claim, is masculine
- वादाvaadaapromise · masculine; (vaadaa pooraa karnaa), to keep a promise
- इनकार करनाinkaar karnaato deny; to refuse · … (is baat se inkaar kiyaa ki …), denied that …
- की जगहkee jagahinstead of · (madad kee jagah sahaaytaa likho), write sahaaytaa instead of madad
- नागरिकnaagrikcitizen · masculine
- सुविधाsuvidhaaconvenience; facility · feminine; (naagrikon kee suvidhaa ke liye), for the convenience of citizens
- बयानbayaanstatement · masculine
Practise
1.The mayor said: “” (main puraane vaade poore karoongaa.) How do you report it in a news story?
2.Ayesha asked the mayor: “” (kyaa taiks badhegaa?) How does she report her question?
3.Ayesha reports the mayor's answer. Put the words in order, starting with (unhonne).
Tap the words below in the right order.He denied this.
4.Match the Hindi with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
5.Which word would a newspaper use for “help”?
6.Ayesha says (unkaa kahnaa thaa ki taiks naheen badhegaa). What does (unkaa kahnaa thaa ki) mean here?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
उन्होंने घोषणा की है कि …
Unhonne ghoshnaa kee hai ki …
He has announced that … / She has announced 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.