Learning Hindi, like any other language, involves understanding how to express various degrees of comparison. In English, we often use forms like “as…as” for equality and “more…than” or “less…than” for inequality. Hindi, too, has its own structures to express these concepts. This article will guide you through the ways to express both equality and inequality in Hindi grammar, providing clear examples and rules to help you master these expressions.
Expressing Equality in Hindi
When you want to express that two things are equal in some way, Hindi employs specific structures. Here are the key ways to convey equality:
Using “जैसा” (jaisā) and “वैसा” (vaisā)
In Hindi, one common way to express equality is by using “जैसा” (jaisā) and “वैसा” (vaisā). These terms roughly translate to “as…as” in English.
**Structure:**
– Subject 1 + जैसा (jaisā) + adjective + है (hai) + Subject 2 + वैसा (vaisā) + adjective + है (hai)
**Example:**
– राम जैसा लंबा है, श्याम वैसा लंबा है। (Rām jaisā lambā hai, Śyām vaisā lambā hai.)
– Ram is as tall as Shyam.
Here, “जैसा” (jaisā) is used with Ram, and “वैसा” (vaisā) is used with Shyam to indicate that both have the same height.
Using “जैसे” (jaise) and “वैसे” (vaise)
Another pair of words, “जैसे” (jaise) and “वैसे” (vaise), can also be used to express equality. These are more flexible and can be used with various types of comparisons.
**Structure:**
– Subject 1 + जैसे (jaise) + verb/adjective + है (hai) + Subject 2 + वैसे (vaise) + verb/adjective + है (hai)
**Example:**
– वह जैसे गाता है, मैं वैसे ही गाता हूँ। (Vah jaise gātā hai, maiṁ vaise hī gātā hūṁ.)
– He sings as I sing.
In this sentence, “जैसे” (jaise) and “वैसे” (vaise) are used to show that the way he sings is the same as the way I sing.
Using “इतना” (itnā) and “उतना” (utnā)
For comparisons involving quantity or degree, “इतना” (itnā) and “उतना” (utnā) are used, which correspond to “as much…as” in English.
**Structure:**
– Subject 1 + इतना (itnā) + adjective/verb + है (hai) + Subject 2 + उतना (utnā) + adjective/verb + है (hai)
**Example:**
– वह इतना पढ़ता है, जितना मैं पढ़ता हूँ। (Vah itnā paṛhtā hai, jitnā maiṁ paṛhtā hūṁ.)
– He studies as much as I study.
In this example, “इतना” (itnā) and “उतना” (utnā) are used to indicate that the amount he studies is the same as the amount I study.
Expressing Inequality in Hindi
When it comes to expressing that one thing is more or less than another, Hindi uses different structures. Let’s look at how to convey inequality.
Using “से” (se) for Comparisons
The word “से” (se) is commonly used to make comparisons, similar to “than” in English.
**Structure:**
– Subject 1 + adjective/verb + है (hai) + Subject 2 + से (se)
**Example:**
– राम श्याम से लंबा है। (Rām Śyām se lambā hai.)
– Ram is taller than Shyam.
Here, “से” (se) is used to show that Ram’s height is more compared to Shyam’s height.
Using “अधिक” (adhik) and “कम” (kam)
To express “more” or “less” in Hindi, you can use “अधिक” (adhik) for more and “कम” (kam) for less.
**Structure for “more”:**
– Subject 1 + अधिक (adhik) + adjective/verb + है (hai) + Subject 2 + से (se)
**Example:**
– यह किताब उस किताब से अधिक रोचक है। (Yah kitāb us kitāb se adhik rochak hai.)
– This book is more interesting than that book.
**Structure for “less”:**
– Subject 1 + कम (kam) + adjective/verb + है (hai) + Subject 2 + से (se)
**Example:**
– यह किताब उस किताब से कम रोचक है। (Yah kitāb us kitāb se kam rochak hai.)
– This book is less interesting than that book.
In both examples, “से” (se) is used to compare the two subjects, while “अधिक” (adhik) and “कम” (kam) indicate the degree of comparison.
Using “ज्यादा” (jyādā) and “कम” (kam)
Another pair of words to express “more” and “less” are “ज्यादा” (jyādā) and “कम” (kam).
**Structure for “more”:**
– Subject 1 + ज्यादा (jyādā) + adjective/verb + है (hai) + Subject 2 + से (se)
**Example:**
– यह फिल्म उस फिल्म से ज्यादा लंबी है। (Yah film us film se jyādā lambī hai.)
– This movie is longer than that movie.
**Structure for “less”:**
– Subject 1 + कम (kam) + adjective/verb + है (hai) + Subject 2 + से (se)
**Example:**
– यह फिल्म उस फिल्म से कम लंबी है। (Yah film us film se kam lambī hai.)
– This movie is shorter than that movie.
Special Cases in Comparisons
While the above rules cover most cases, there are some special scenarios that you should be aware of.
Comparing Actions
When comparing actions, particularly in terms of frequency or intensity, you can use the structures mentioned above with verbs.
**Example for equality:**
– वह जितना दौड़ता है, मैं उतना नहीं दौड़ता। (Vah jitnā dauṛtā hai, maiṁ utnā nahīṁ dauṛtā.)
– He runs as much as I don’t run.
**Example for inequality:**
– वह मुझसे ज्यादा दौड़ता है। (Vah mujhse jyādā dauṛtā hai.)
– He runs more than I do.
Using “जैसा/जैसे” (jaisā/jaise) with Nouns
When comparing using nouns, “जैसा/जैसे” (jaisā/jaise) can also be used.
**Example:**
– वह मेरे जैसा छात्र है। (Vah mere jaisā chātr hai.)
– He is a student like me.
In this sentence, “जैसा” (jaisā) is used to compare the noun “छात्र” (chātr – student).
Idiomatic Expressions
Sometimes, idiomatic expressions are used to convey comparison in a more nuanced way.
**Example:**
– वह मुझसे चार हाथ आगे है। (Vah mujhse chār hāth āge hai.)
– He is four steps ahead of me.
Here, “चार हाथ आगे” (chār hāth āge) is an idiomatic expression meaning “four steps ahead,” indicating superiority or advancement.
Practice Exercises
To solidify your understanding, try translating the following sentences into Hindi:
1. She is as clever as her brother.
2. This car is more expensive than that one.
3. He works as hard as I do.
4. This room is less spacious than the other one.
5. She dances more gracefully than her sister.
**Answers:**
1. वह अपने भाई जैसी होशियार है। (Vah apne bhāī jaisī hośiyār hai.)
2. यह गाड़ी उस गाड़ी से अधिक महंगी है। (Yah gāṛī us gāṛī se adhik mahingī hai.)
3. वह जितनी मेहनत करता है, मैं भी उतनी करता हूँ। (Vah jitnī mehnat kartā hai, maiṁ bhī utnī kartā hūṁ.)
4. यह कमरा उस कमरे से कम खुला है। (Yah kamrā us kamre se kam khulā hai.)
5. वह अपनी बहन से ज्यादा सुंदर नाचती है। (Vah apnī bahan se jyādā sundar nāchtī hai.)
Conclusion
Mastering the expressions of equality and inequality in Hindi will significantly enhance your ability to communicate more nuanced ideas. By using structures like “जैसा/वैसा” (jaisā/vaisā), “जैसे/वैसे” (jaise/vaise), “इतना/उतना” (itnā/utnā), and “से” (se) with “अधिक/कम” (adhik/kam), you can compare qualities, quantities, and actions effectively. Remember to practice regularly and incorporate these structures into your daily conversations to become more fluent in Hindi.
