Hindi · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 2 of 12
Work in depth
ऑफ़िस की मीटिंगofis kee meeting
Talk shop in Hindi: say what is probably true with the presumptive (होगा), give and take feedback, and negotiate a deadline.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Say what is probably true with the presumptive (वे मीटिंग में होंगे)
- Tell “probably” from “possibly” with हो सकता है कि
- Give and react to feedback politely
- Negotiate with a condition and an offer in return
Listen
In a Mumbai advertising agency, team lead Rahul Mehra talks to designer Shalini Fernandes about a client who hasn't replied, her design and a deadline. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Rahul
शालिनी, एक मिनट बैठो। क्लाइंट का कोई जवाब आया?
Shaalinee, ek minat baitho. Klaaint kaa koee javaab aayaa?
Shalini, sit down a minute. Has the client replied?
Shalini
अभी तक नहीं, सर। मैंने शुक्रवार शाम को डिज़ाइन भेजा था। उन्होंने डिज़ाइन तो देख लिया होगा, लेकिन शायद अभी तक अपनी टीम से बात नहीं की होगी।
Abhee tak naheen, sar. Mainne shukravaar shaam ko dizaain bhejaa thaa. Unhonne dizaain to dekh liyaa hogaa, lekin shaayad abhee tak apnee teem se baat naheen kee hogee.
Not yet, sir. I sent the design on Friday evening. They'll have seen it, but they probably haven't talked to their team yet.
Rahul
हो सकता है कि वे आज दिन भर मीटिंग में हों। उनका ऑफ़िस दिल्ली में है, और सोमवार को वहाँ सब बहुत व्यस्त रहते होंगे।
Ho saktaa hai ki ve aaj din bhar meeting men hon. Unkaa ofis Dillee men hai, aur somvaar ko vahaan sab bahut vyast rahte honge.
They may be in meetings all day today. Their office is in Delhi, and everyone there is probably very busy on Mondays.
Shalini
जी। और क्या आपने डिज़ाइन देखा? आपका फ़ीडबैक मिल जाए, तो मैं आज ही बदलाव कर दूँ।
Jee. Aur kyaa aapne dizaain dekhaa? Aapkaa feedbaik mil jaaye, to main aaj hee badlaav kar doon.
Yes. And have you looked at the design? If I could have your feedback, I'd make the changes today.
Rahul
हाँ, देखा। कुल मिलाकर अच्छा है, ख़ासकर लोगो वाला हिस्सा। बस रंग थोड़े हल्के कर दो, और टेक्स्ट ज़रा छोटा। बेहतर होगा कि सबसे पहले प्रोडक्ट दिखे, टेक्स्ट नहीं।
Haan, dekhaa. Kul milaakar achchhaa hai, khaaskar logo vaalaa hissaa. Bas rang thore halke kar do, aur tekst zaraa chhotaa. Behtar hogaa ki sabse pahle prodakt dikhe, tekst naheen.
Yes, I have. On the whole it's good, especially the part with the logo. Just make the colours a bit lighter, and the text a little smaller. It would be better if people saw the product first, not the text.
Shalini
ठीक है, सर। लेकिन एक दिक़्क़त है। क्लाइंट को फ़ाइनल डिज़ाइन बुधवार तक चाहिए, और बदलावों में कम से कम दो दिन लगेंगे।
Theek hai, sar. Lekin ek dikkat hai. Klaaint ko faainal dizaain budhvaar tak chaahiye, aur badlaavon men kam se kam do din lagenge.
All right, sir. But there's one problem. The client needs the final design by Wednesday, and the changes will take at least two days.
Rahul
तो क्या तुम चाहती हो कि मैं उनसे एक-दो दिन और माँगूँ?
To kyaa tum chaahtee ho ki main unse ek-do din aur maangoon?
So do you want me to ask them for another day or two?
Shalini
अगर शुक्रवार तक का समय मिल जाए, तो बहुत अच्छा होगा। उसके बदले मैं उन्हें गुरुवार को एक ड्राफ़्ट भेज सकती हूँ, ताकि उन्हें इंतज़ार न करना पड़े।
Agar shukravaar tak kaa samay mil jaaye, to bahut achchhaa hogaa. Uske badle main unhen guruvaar ko ek draaft bhej saktee hoon, taaki unhen intazaar na karnaa pare.
If we could have until Friday, that would be great. In return I could send them a draft on Thursday, so they don't have to wait.
Rahul
यह ठीक रहेगा। वे मान जाएँगे, मुझे पूरा यक़ीन है। उनकी मैनेजर अभी लंच पर गई होंगी, मैं दो बजे उन्हें फ़ोन कर लूँगा।
Yah theek rahegaa. Ve maan jaayenge, mujhe pooraa yakeen hai. Unkee mainejar abhee lanch par gaee hongee, main do baje unhen fon kar loongaa.
That'll work. They'll agree, I'm quite sure. Their manager will be at lunch now; I'll call her at two.
Shalini
धन्यवाद, सर। और अगर वे न मानें, तो?
Dhanyavaad, sar. Aur agar ve na maanen, to?
Thank you, sir. And if they don't agree?
Rahul
तो हमें दो दिन में ही सब करना होगा। लेकिन चिंता मत करो, तुम्हारा काम हमेशा अच्छा होता है। और हाँ, मुझे हर बार “सर” कहने की ज़रूरत नहीं है, राहुल भी चलेगा।
To hamen do din men hee sab karnaa hogaa. Lekin chintaa mat karo, tumhaaraa kaam hameshaa achchhaa hotaa hai. Aur haan, mujhe har baar “sar” kahne kee zaroorat naheen hai, Raahul bhee chalegaa.
Then we'll have to do it all in two days. But don't worry, your work is always good. Oh, and you don't need to call me “sir” every time: Rahul is fine.
Shalini
जी, राहुल… सर। आदत पड़ने में थोड़ा समय लगेगा।
Jee, Raahul… sar. Aadat parne men thoraa samay lagegaa.
OK, Rahul… sir. It'll take me a while to get used to it.
Understand
Probably: the presumptive
To say what you think is probably true, Hindi puts the future of (honaa) after the verb or the noun. This is called the presumptive: (ve meeting men honge), they'll be in a meeting, I expect. It also works with the habitual, continuous and perfect forms you know: (vahaan sab vyast rahte honge), everyone there is probably busy; (unhonne dizaain dekh liyaa hogaa), they'll have seen the design.
It looks like a future, but it is about now or the past; the situation makes it clear. (hogaa) agrees like any verb: (unkee mainejar lanch par gaee hongee), their manager has probably gone to lunch (a woman, with respect). With (ne), it agrees with the object: (baat naheen kee hogee), they probably haven't talked.
| Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (vah ghar par hogaa.) | He's probably at home. |
| (ve vyast rahte honge.) | They're probably busy (as a rule). |
| (vah khaanaa banaa rahee hogee.) | She's probably cooking (right now). |
| (ve aa rahe honge.) | They must be on their way. |
| (unhonne dekh liyaa hogaa.) | They'll have seen it. |
| (vah lanch par gaee hogee.) | She has probably gone to lunch. |
How sure are you?
… (ho saktaa hai ki …), it may be that, is more careful than the presumptive. Like (shaayad) in B1, it takes the subjunctive: (ho saktaa hai ki ve meeting men hon), they may be in a meeting. The table goes from sure to less sure.
| Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (ve meeting men hain.) | They're in a meeting. (you know it) |
| (ve meeting men honge.) | They must be in a meeting. (you're fairly sure) |
| (shaayad ve meeting men hon.) | Maybe they're in a meeting. |
| (ho saktaa hai ki ve meeting men hon.) | They may be in a meeting. (it's possible) |
Feedback and negotiating
Hindi speakers soften feedback. Praise first, then make the change sound small with (bas), (thoraa) and (zaraa): (kul milaakar achchhaa hai, bas rang thore halke kar do), on the whole it's good, just make the colours a bit lighter. … (behtar hogaa ki …) + subjunctive, it would be better if …, is a polite way to suggest.
To negotiate, put a condition in the subjunctive, often without (agar): … (aapkaa feedbaik mil jaaye, to …), if I could have your feedback, … (uske badle), in return, offers something back. (karnaa hogaa), will have to, is the future of (karnaa hai) from A2.
In many offices a senior calls a younger colleague (tum), while the junior answers with (aap) and (sar) or (maidam). Office Hindi is also full of English words: , , (dizaain, feedbaik, draaft).
| Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| … (kul milaakar achchhaa hai, bas …) | On the whole it's good, just … |
| … (behtar hogaa ki aap … karen.) | It would be better if you … |
| … … (agar … mil jaaye, to …) | If we could have …, then … |
| … (uske badle main … kar saktee hoon.) | In return, I could … (a woman speaking) |
| (yah theek rahegaa.) | That'll work. |
| … (hamen … karnaa hogaa.) | We'll have to … |
More in the grammar: Probably: the presumptive (होगा) · Register: everyday and formal Hindi
New words
- अभी तकabhee takyet, so far; still · (abhee tak naheen), not yet
- देख लिया होगाdekh liyaa hogaawill (probably) have seen · the presumptive: the simple past + (hogaa)
- हो सकता है किho saktaa hai kiit may be that, maybe · followed by the subjunctive: (ho saktaa hai ki ve vyast hon)
- दिन भरdin bharall day, the whole day · (bhar) after a time word means “the whole”: (raat bhar), all night
- व्यस्तvyastbusy · never changes
- बदलावbadlaavchange · masculine; (badlaav karnaa), to make changes
- ख़ासकरkhaaskarespecially · from (khaas), special
- हल्काhalkaalight (in colour or weight) · / / (halkaa / halkee / halke); the opposite is (gahraa), dark, deep
- बेहतरbehtarbetter · never changes; … (behtar hogaa ki …), it would be better if …
- एक-दोek-doone or two, a couple of · (ek-do din aur), another day or two
- उसके बदलेuske badlein return, instead · (ke badle), in exchange for
- मान जानाmaan jaanaato agree, to come round · (ve maan jaayenge), they'll agree; no (ne)
- चलेगाchalegaawill do, is fine · informal: (Raahul bhee chalegaa), Rahul is fine too
- आदत पड़नाaadat parnaato get used to, to get into the habit · (aadat parne men samay lagegaa), it'll take time to get used to
Practise
1.Rahul isn't sure, but thinks the client is in a meeting. How does he say “They're probably in a meeting”?
2.Which word fits? ___ (ho saktaa hai ki ve aaj vyast ___)
3.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.They must be on their way.
4.Match the Hindi with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
5.The client wants your work by Wednesday; you'd like until Friday. Which is the most natural way to ask?
6.What does (unhonne dekh liyaa hogaa) mean?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
वे मीटिंग में होंगे।
Ve meeting men honge.
They must be in a meeting.
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.