Hindi grammar · Upper intermediate (B2)
Emphasis: ही, भी, तो
How the small words ही (only, exactly), भी (also, even) and तो (as for, though) add emphasis in Hindi, and why their position matters.
Position matters
Hindi stresses a word by putting a small particle right after it. Changing the particle, or moving it, changes the meaning, so these five sentences all say different things.
| Hindi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (main hee jaaoongee.) | I'll go, and nobody else. (a woman) |
| (main bhee jaaoongee.) | I'll go too. |
| (main to jaaoongee.) | I'll go, whatever the others do. |
| (main aaj hee jaaoongee.) | I'll go this very day. |
| (main aaj bhee jaaoongee.) | I'll go today as well. |
ही: only, exactly, the very
(hee) means “only, exactly, the very”: (hafte men ek baar hee), only once a week; (agle maheene se hee), as early as next month; (pahle hee), already. It joins onto some common words, and … (yahee vajah hai ki …), that's exactly why …, works like an English “it is … that” sentence.
| Word + | Result | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| + (yah + hee) | (yahee) | this very, just this |
| + (vah + hee) | (vahee) | that very, the same |
| + (us + hee) | (usee) | that very (before a postposition) |
| + (yahaan + hee) | (yaheen) | right here |
| + (vahaan + hee) | (vaheen) | right there |
| + (ab + hee) | (abhee) | right now |
भी: also, even, any-
(bhee) means “also, too”: (mujhe bhee), me too. With a negative or a small amount it means “even”: (ek kitaab bhee naheen), not even one book. After words like “someone” and “something”, and after (jo, who, which), it means “any-, -ever”: (koee bhee), anyone; (kuchh bhee), anything; (kabhee bhee), any time; (kaheen bhee), anywhere; (jo bhee), whoever, whatever.
- फ़िल्म में एक भी गाना नहीं था।Film men ek bhee gaanaa naheen thaa.There wasn't a single song in the film.
- आप कभी भी फ़ोन कर सकते हैं।Aap kabhee bhee fon kar sakte hain.You can call at any time.
तो: as for, though, then
(to) after a word makes it the topic or sets up a contrast: … (main to kahoongaa ki …), for my part, I'd say …; (bajat to bahut kam hai), the budget, though, is very small; (kitaaben to hain, padhne vaale naheen), there are books, but no readers. It can also admit something before a “but”: … (chaltaa to hai, lekin …), it does work, but …
Don't confuse it with (to), then, which starts the second part of an (agar) sentence, or with (to?), so?, at the start of a question.