Learn some common Hindi idioms
Now Playing: Lesson Audio
Get a breakdown of the dialogue and translations instantly with the Premium line-by-line Audio. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Unlock Lesson Notes and Transcripts for every single lesson. Sign Up for a Free Lifetime Account and Get 7 Days of Premium Access.
Intro |
|---|
| Alisha: What are some common Hindi idioms? |
| Shakti: And how are they used? |
| Alisha: At HindiPod101.com, we hear these questions often. Consider the following scenario: Karen Lee hears an idiom she's not familiar with. She asks Jigna Jindal, |
| "What does 'You reap what you sow' mean?" |
| कैरन: "जैसी करनी वैसी भरनी" का मतलब क्या होता है? ("jaiSii karaNii vaiSii bharaNii" kaa maTaLab kyaa hoTaa hai?) |
| Dialogue |
| कैरन: "जैसी करनी वैसी भरनी" का मतलब क्या होता है? ("jaiSii karaNii vaiSii bharaNii" kaa maTaLab kyaa hoTaa hai?) |
| जिग्ना: इसका मतलब है कि व्यक्ति जैसा करता है उसे नतीजे भी वैसे ही मिलते हैं। (iSakaa maTaLaab hai ki vyakTi jaiSaa karaTaa hai uSe NaTiije bhii vaiSe hii miLaTe hain.) |
| Alisha: Once more with the English translation. |
| कैरन: "जैसी करनी वैसी भरनी" का मतलब क्या होता है? ("jaiSii karaNii vaiSii bharaNii" kaa maTaLab kyaa hoTaa hai?) |
| Alisha: "What does 'You reap what you sow' mean?" |
| जिग्ना: इसका मतलब है कि व्यक्ति जैसा करता है उसे नतीजे भी वैसे ही मिलते हैं। (iSakaa maTaLaab hai ki vyakTi jaiSaa karaTaa hai uSe NaTiije bhii vaiSe hii miLaTe hain.) |
| Alisha: "It means a person will get results equivalent to what he does." |
Lesson focus |
| Alisha: An idiom is a well-known phrase that is not meant to be taken literally, but it conveys a figurative meaning that creatively illustrates a message we want to give to the listener. A good example for this is the English 'a blessing in disguise', which refers to a good thing that seemed bad at first. All cultures around the world have their own idiomatic expressions, and Hindi is no exception. In fact, there are several idioms, or |
| Shakti: मुहावरे (muhaavare). |
| Alisha: which are used in daily conversation by native Hindi speakers—especially in friendly banter, news, and popular culture. Sometimes, no single word can adequately describe a particular sentiment as well as an idiom can, which is why they are so popular. Many of them are very useful for a Hindi learner to know, as you will no doubt encounter them often. So, to help you unravel the mysteries of Hindi culture and understand the everyday vernacular, let us learn a few idioms! |
| Recall |
| Alisha: Let's start with a closer look at the dialogue. Please feel free to repeat after Shakti! Do you remember how Karen Lee asks: |
| Karen Lee: कैरन: "जैसी करनी वैसी भरनी" का मतलब क्या होता है? |
| ("jaiSii karaNii vaiSii bharaNii" kaa maTaLab kyaa hoTaa hai?) |
| [PAUSE 5 SEC] |
| Alisha: And do you remember how Jigna Jindal answers: |
| Shakti as Jigna Jindal: जिग्ना: इसका मतलब है कि व्यक्ति जैसा करता है उसे नतीजे भी वैसे ही मिलते हैं। |
| (iSakaa maTaLaab hai ki vyakTi jaiSaa karaTaa hai uSe NaTiije bhii vaiSe hii miLaTe hain.) |
| [PAUSE 5 SEC] |
| Alisha: We started with this idiom because it is the same as one you already know in English. The expression 'you reap what you sow' means that, in life, you will eventually have to face up to the consequences of your actions. Have you ever thought of the literal meaning? To sow means to plant seeds in the earth, and to reap means to harvest the crop once the seeds have grown. Whatever you sowed, this is what you will eventually reap! We say this to remind people to think carefully about the choices they make. |
| In short, it means, if you do bad things, bad things will happen to you, and, if you do good things, good things will happen to you. |
| Alisha: Our next idiom is |
| Shakti: [NORMAL] आसमान से गिरा खजूर पर अटका (aaSamaaN Se giraa khajuur par atakaa). [SLOWLY] आसमान से गिरा खजूर पर अटका (aaSamaaN Se giraa khajuur par atakaa). |
| [PAUSE 4 SEC] |
| Alisha: Literally, this says 'fall from the sky, stuck in a date palm tree'. This is the same in meaning as the English idiom, 'out of the frying pan, into the fire'. The idiom means to escape from one problem and running into another, maybe worse, problem. |
| Let's listen to this fun idiom now: |
| Shakti: [NORMAL] गयी भैंस पानी में (gayii bhainS paaNii men) [SLOWLY] गयी भैंस पानी में (gayii bhainS paaNii men). |
| [PAUSE 4 SEC] |
| Alisha: 'There goes the buffalo into the water.' The idiomatic meaning here is 'a lost cause'. What has that got to do with buffaloes? Those who know buffaloes will know that, once a buffalo enters a body of water, bringing it back out is next to impossible. Whether it gets out or not depends on its own mood, and there is nothing you can do about it! You can say this when a situation has gotten out of control. |
| Now, here is one that would not make sense at first: |
| Shakti: [NORMAL] चूना लगाना (cuuNaa LagaaNaa). [SLOWLY] चूना लगाना (cuuNaa LagaaNaa). |
| [PAUSE 4 SEC] |
| Alisha: It means 'To put on lime', and it refers to masking one's true intentions, or to deceive. 'Putting on lime' is a reference to the alkaline lime paste applied onto betel leaves to prepare paan. Paan is a popular treat that people chew after meals, which aids digestion and adds fragrance to the mouth. It's made from a leaf filled with betel nuts and spices. When you add lime, it tastes nicer. |
| We will follow that with a Hindi idiom that is especially for all those heroes out there! |
| Shakti: [NORMAL] जान पर खेलना (jaaN par kheLaNaa). [SLOWLY] जान पर खेलना (jaaN par kheLaNaa). |
| [PAUSE 4 SEC] |
| Alisha: This means 'to play with one's life' or 'to risk one's life'. This is said when talking about someone who has put their own life in danger to save others. |
| Next, we have this idiom: |
| Shakti: [NORMAL] अपनी खिचड़ी अलग पकाना (apaNii khicadii aLag pakaaNaa). |
| [SLOWLY] अपनी खिचड़ी अलग पकाना (apaNii khicadii aLag pakaaNaa). |
| [PAUSE 4 SEC] |
| Alisha: Literally, this translates to 'cook my own polenta'. You can also say 'cook your own dish'. Instead of cooking what is expected of her, the subject in this idiom cooks whatever she pleases! This saying is used when somebody likes to be original and they do things their own way, no matter what the rest of the group is doing. Good for them! |
| Next up is this interesting expression: |
| Shakti: [NORMAL] फंदे से छूटना (phaNDe Se chuutaNaa) [SLOWLY] फंदे से छूटना (phaNDe Se chuutaNaa). |
| [PAUSE 4 SEC] |
| Alisha: 'To be released from the snare'. This one means to be freed from an unbearable situation where you feel trapped - especially where the individual trapping you is really conniving! |
| And now, here is something we have all experienced: |
| Shakti: [NORMAL] मुँह में पानी आना (munh men paaNii aaNaa). [SLOWLY] मुँह में पानी आना (munh men paaNii aaNaa). |
| [PAUSE 4 SEC] |
| Alisha: The idiom means 'mouth-watering' and, just like in English, when you say something is 'mouth-watering', it means you feel very tempted by it. You can use these words to describe all kinds of irresistible situations, but it is mostly used for delicious dishes! |
| Are you one for practical jokes? Then, this next one is for you: |
| Shakti: [NORMAL] उल्लू बनाना (uLLuu baNaaNaa). [SLOWLY] उल्लू बनाना (uLLuu baNaaNaa). |
| [PAUSE 4 SEC] |
| Alisha: The literal translation says 'to make an owl of someone'. What it really means is to prank somebody! Why an owl, though? In India, the owl is considered a symbol of foolishness and it is very common to call a foolish person 'an owl'. |
| Okay, this next idiom is one you might hear from a person who is really hungry: |
| Shakti: [NORMAL] पेट में चूहे कूदना (pet men cuuhe kuuDaNaa). [SLOWLY] पेट में चूहे कूदना (pet men cuuhe kuuDaNaa). |
| [PAUSE 4 SEC] |
| Alisha: The literal translation is 'rats jumping in the stomach', and it means to feel very hungry. |
| In English, we get butterflies in our stomach when we are nervous, but, in India, you get rats jumping in your stomach when you are hungry! The same idiom is also said this way. |
| Shakti: पेट में चूहे दौड़ना (pet men cuuhe DaudaNaa). [SLOWLY] पेट में चूहे दौड़ना (pet men cuuhe DaudaNaa). |
| Alisha: It means the same thing, except that here the rats are running in the stomach! |
| If you're a lover of sarcasm, here is an idiom for you: |
| Shakti: [NORMAL] बन्दर क्या जाने अदरक का स्वाद (baNDar kyaa jaaNe aDarak kaa SvaaD). |
| [SLOWLY] बन्दर क्या जाने अदरक का स्वाद (baNDar kyaa jaaNe aDarak kaa SvaaD). |
| [PAUSE 4 SEC] |
| Alisha: 'What would a monkey know of the taste of ginger?' Ginger is a favorite flavor in India, and this is a derisive remark aimed at one who dares to criticize something you have either made or recommended! |
| Now, here is a Hindi idiom with a sweeter meaning: |
| Shakti: [NORMAL] आँखो का तारा (aankhon kaa Taara). [SLOWLY] आँखो का तारा (aankhon kaa Taara). |
| [PAUSE 4 SEC] |
| Alisha: This means to be 'the most beloved'. It is the equivalent of the English "apple of the eye." Who might say this? Perhaps a mother to her child, as in this sentence: |
| Shakti: वो अपनी माँ की आँखों का तारा है। (vo apaNii maan kii aankhon kaa Taaraa hai.) |
| Alisha: 'He is very dear to his mother.' I like that one! Let us end this lesson with another Hindi idiom that conveys a positive idea: |
| Shakti: [NORMAL] मुँह मीठा करना (munh miithaa karaNaa). [SLOWLY] मुँह मीठा करना (munh miithaa karaNaa). |
| [PAUSE 4 SEC] |
| Alisha: literally, 'to sweeten'; this one means to share happiness. Indians love to share good news, and this is a great idiomatic expression to use when you have something exciting to tell all of your friends and neighbors. |
| Cultural Insight |
| Alisha: During the long years of British rule in India, it was inevitable that we would borrow bits and pieces from each other's languages. Today, it is quite normal to hear Indians say things in English that do not appear to make sense to us. We should remember that although the idioms of India, with their racy oriental flavour, have not found a permanent place in British English, they have certainly enriched Indian English! |
| Alisha: One such Indian-English idiom is 'Don't eat my head!' This is a translation of a popular Hindi expression meaning to worry somebody beyond tolerance, and chances are you will hear it said in English. The Hindi version is |
| Shakti: [NORMAL] दिमाग़ खाना (Dimaag khaaNaa). [SLOWLY] दिमाग़ खाना (Dimaag khaaNaa). |
| [PAUSE 3 SEC] |
| Alisha: which means 'brain eating'! This amusing hyperbole is meant to illustrate how somebody is driving you crazy with their nagging - as though they were taking bites from your brain. |
Outro |
| Alisha: Do you have any more questions? We're here to answer them! |
| Shakti: फिर मिलेंगे! (phir miLenge!) |
| Alisha: See you soon! |
Comments
Hide