In learning any language, understanding the use of question words is crucial as they help you to inquire about specific details. Hindi, like many other languages, has a variety of question words. In this article, we’ll focus on two fundamental question words: “क्या” (kya) and “कब” (kab). These words help in asking “What?” and “When?” respectively. Let’s delve deeper into their usage with examples to enhance your Hindi learning journey.
Understanding “क्या” (Kya)
“क्या” is one of the most versatile question words in Hindi and is generally used to ask “What?” However, it can also be used to turn a statement into a yes/no question.
1. When used to ask about the object or a detail in a sentence, “क्या” usually appears at the beginning of the question:
Example: क्या तुमने खाना खाया?
(What did you eat?)
2. To form a yes/no question, “क्या” is placed at the beginning of the sentence:
Example: क्या तुम स्कूल जा रहे हो?
(Are you going to school?)
It’s important to note that while translating yes/no questions back to English, the word “क्या” is often omitted as there is no direct English equivalent used in the translation.
Understanding “कब” (Kab)
“कब” specifically addresses the time aspect of a question. It is exclusively used to ask “When?” in Hindi.
Example: कब तुम घर जाओगे?
(When will you go home?)
The placement of “कब” can vary slightly depending on what exactly you want to emphasize in your question, but it generally precedes the verb or main action of the sentence.
Combining “क्या” and “कब”
In some cases, you might need to combine both “क्या” and “कब” in a sentence to form a more detailed question. This usually happens in a scenario where you need information about an event or action and the specific time it relates to.
Example: क्या तुम बता सकते हो कि कब मूवी शुरू होगी?
(Can you tell me when the movie will start?)
Here, “क्या” is used to turn the sentence into a question (i.e., “Can you tell”), and “कब” is used to inquire about the time (“when the movie will start”).
Practice Sentences
To further enhance your understanding, here are some practice sentences using “क्या” and “कब”:
1. क्या आप कल मेरे साथ फिल्म देखने जाएंगे?
(Will you go to see a movie with me tomorrow?)
2. कब हम मिलेंगे?
(When will we meet?)
3. क्या तुम्हें पता है कि कब ट्रेन आती है?
(Do you know when the train comes?)
Understanding and practicing the use of “क्या” and “कब” will significantly improve your ability to ask questions in Hindi. Remember, the key to mastering any language is consistent practice and usage. So, keep practicing these question words in different contexts to build your fluency in Hindi.
