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Absolute Beginner S1
Telling the Time in
Hindi—Part 1
 Hindi
!"#$ %&#' () *?

+$,-$ .& (/$ 01

!"#$ 23$!$ 4"," &$5673 %&#' () 89: 2;#$ 0?

+$,-$ <$=> #"- ()1

Romanization
Reetaa Kitne baje hain?
Bhaavanaa Ek baja hai.
Reetaa Hamaara teewee kaaryakram kitne baje shuru hotaa hai?
Bhaavanaa Saarhe teen baje.

English
Rita What time is it?
Bhawana It's one o'clock.
Rita What time does our TV program start?
Bhawana Half past three.

Vocabulary
Hindi Romanization English
%&#' kitne how much/how many

() baje time/ o'clock

(/$ bajaa time/ o'clock

23$!$ hamaara our

4"," &$5673 tii vii kaaryakram TV program

 89: shuru start

<$=> saarhe half

#"- teen three

Vocabulary Sample Sentences

#9?2$@ %&#' +$A *? How many brothers do you have?
%&#' B;C *? How many people are there?
<$# () *1 It is seven o'clock.
#"- () *1 It's three o'clock.
D+" .& (/$ 01 It's one o'clock now.
23$@ &EF> &2$G *1 Where are our dogs.
<(H B;&%I5 +$!#"5 4"," &$5673 J%!,$! -$4& Most popular Indian TV programs are based
J! KL$%!# 2;M *1 on family drama.

DNO>P" +$Q$ R 4"," &$5673 DST 2;M *1 English TV programs are good.
&$3 89: &!-$1 Start your work.
D+" <$=> -U () *1 It's half past nine right now.
23 #"- () /$.VW1 We'll go at three o'clock.

Vocabulary Phrase Usage

1. %&#' (kiTnae), which means "how many," is used for asking the number of plural masculine nouns.

%&#-$ (kiTnaa) is used for asking the number of singular masculine nouns.

%&#-" (kiTnee) is used for asking the number of both singular and plural feminine nouns.

2. () (baje), which means "time"/"o'clock," is used for plural nouns, or to be more specific, for all other
times except for one o'clock.
For Example:

1. "five o'clock" is J$GX () (paanch baje).

3. (/$ (bajaa), which means "time"/"o'clock," is used for singular nouns, or to be more specific, only for
one o'clock. So, "It is one o'clock" in Hindi is .& (/$ 01(Ek bajaa hai).

Grammar Points
The Focus of This Lesson is "What time is it?" and "It is ___ o'clock"
!"#$ %& '?
Kitne baje hain?
"What time is it?"

%&#' (kitne) means "how much" or "how many."

() (baje) means "time" or "o'clock" which comes from the verb (/-$ (bajnaa) which means "to ring."

* (hain) is a infinitive-to be verb "are."

Therefore, %&#' () *? (Kitne baje hain?) in Hindi means "What time is it?" It literally means, "How
many rings are?" Unlike in English where we use the singular form "is," in Hindi we use the plural
"are." And since Hindi is a verb final language, the verb * (hain) comes at the end of the sentence.

Answering the Question !"#$ %& '? Kitne baje hain? ("What time is it?")

It is very easy and straightforward to tell time in Hindi, i.e., as long as you know the numbers.

1. .& (/$ 0 (ek bajaa hai) is "It is one o'clock." Here,

.& (ek) is "one."

(/$ (bajaa) is almost the same as "o'clock" in its singular form since it's one o'clock.

0 (hai) is the infinitive to-be verb "is." We use "is" since its one o'clock.
2. Y; () * (do baje hain) is "It is two o'clock." Here,

Y; (do) is "two."

() (baje) is "o'clock" in its plural form since its two o'clock.

* (hain) is the infinitive to-be verb "are." We use "are" since its two o'clock.

So, the rule is

.& (/$ 01, Ek baja hai ("It is one o'clock")

____ () *1, ________ baje hain ("It is ______ o'clock") for any other time except for one.

Examples from This Lesson

1. Kitne baje hain?

2. Ek bajaa hai.
3. Saarhe do baje shuru hota hai.

Examples from This Dialogue

1. %&#' () *?
Kitne baje hain?
"What time is it?"
2. <$=> Y; ()1
Saarhe do baje shuru hota hai.
"Half past two."

Sample Sentences
 1. X$! () *1
Chaar baje hain.
"It is four o'clock."
2. KZ () *1
Aath baje hain.
"It is eight o'clock."

Language Tip

Some more ways of telling times.

"half past" is <$=> (saarhe)

For Example:

1. <$=> #"- () *1
Saarhe teen baje hain.
"It is half past three".
2. <$=> J$GX () *1
Saarhe paanch baje hain.
"It is half past five".

This way of telling time, "It is half past _____" works for all except for half past one and half past two.

For Example:

1. [>= (/$ 01
Derh bajaa hai.
"It is half past one."
2. \$A () *1
Dhaee baje hain.
"It is half past two."

Cultural Insight
Daytime Television
Indian movies and TV programs are very popular and an important part of Indian culture, especially TV
series on family dramas, which are a big hit among housewives. They are usually shown in the
afternoons, about half an hour long, so that the housewives can indulge in the different but similar
programs for a couple of hours every day. They are mostly centered around the drama of joint families
and the relationship between the newly wed wife and her in-laws.