HINDI DRILL PATTERNS

Rupert Snell
HINDI URDU FLAGSHIP, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN

rupertsnell@mail.utexas.edu

These drill patterns follow the order of Beginners Hindi but can of course be used quite
independently of this book. They are designed to help you assimilate the essential structures
of Hindi. Practise them alone, or with other learners, or in a class with a teacher. Its best to
use them by speaking out loud.
Once you get used to the way each pattern works, you can extend it with new examples or
new vocabulary. You will find that your confidence in speaking grows very satisfyingly if you
have assimilated whole phrases and clauses, rather than just individual words and abstract
grammar rules. Even when you have gone quite far in the course, its worth going back to drill
the more basic constructions. This is the root of fluency.

UNIT 1

yh ya hE ?
yh iktab hE

yah ky hai?

vh ya hE ?
vh k&rsI hE

vah ky hai?

vh kOn hE ?
vh mnoj hE

vah kaun hai?

vh kOn hE ?
ska nam mnoj hE

vah kaun hai?

ap kOn hE# ?
mE# rajU hU

p kaun ha?

ya ap ej hE# ?
jI nhI#, mE# ej nhI# hU

ky p grez ha?

ya ap ih~dutanI hE# ?
jI ha, mE# ih~dutanI hU

ky p hindustn ha?

yah kitb hai.

vah kurs hai.

vah Manoj hai.

usk nm Manoj hai.

ma Rj h.

j nah, ma grez nah h.

j h, ma hindustn h.

ya ap QIk hE# ?
jI ha, xuiya, mE# QIk hU

ky p hk ha?

apka pUra nam ya hE ?

mera pUra nam rajk&mar xmaR hE

pk pr nm ky hai?

j h, ukriy, ma hk h.

mer pr nm Rjkumr arm hai.

UNIT 2

ap kOn hE# ?
ap kEse / kEsI hE# ?

p kaun ha?

tum kOn ho ?
tum kEse / kEsI ho ?

tum kaun ho?

vh kOn hE ?
vh kEsa/kEsI hE ?

vah kaun hai?

k l\ka, do l\kw
k kmra, do kmre
k l\kI, do l\ikya
k mej, do meje#

ek lak, do lake

p kaise / kais ha?

tum kaise / kais ho?

vah kais/kais hai?

ek kamr, do kamre
ek lak, do lakiy
ek mez, do mez

can be made up on the following pattern; use as

many permutations as possible.
PYRAMID EXPANSIONS DRILLS

iktab
b\I iktab
yh b\I iktab
yh b\I iktab merI hE

kitb
ba kitb
yah ba kitb
yah ba kitb mer hai.

can be made up using ikska kisk whose?. For the time

being, the answer-sentences should use only the following possessive pronouns:
OWNERSHIP DRILLS

mera
^ska
ska
hmara
tuhara
apka

mer
isk
usk
hamr
tumhr
pk

my, mine
his, her/hers, its (relating to yh yah, this one here)
his, her/hers, its (relating to vh vah, that one there)
our/ours
your/yours
your/yours

yh k&rsI ikskI hE ?
yh merI / ^skI / skI / hmarI / tuharI / apkI hE
2

yah kurs kisk hai?

yah mer / isk / usk / hamr / tumhr / pk hai.

yh rei\yo ikska hE ?
yh mera / ^ska / ska / hmara / tuhara / apka hE
yah reio kisk hai?
yah mer / isk / usk / hamr / tumhr / pk hai.

UNIT 3

yh kEsa kmra hE ? yh b\a kmra hE

yh kmra kEsa hE ? yh kmra b\a hE

yah kais kamr hai? yah ba kamr hai.

yah kamr kais hai? yah kamr ba hai.

Singular

kmra
b\a kmra

kmre me#
b\e kmre me#

kamr

kamre m

ba kamr

bae kamre m

kmro# me#
b\e kmro# me#

kamre

kamr m

bae kamre

bae kamr m

Plural

kmre
b\e kmre

b\e kmre me# ya hE ?

Coqe kmre me# ya hE ?

bae kamre m ky hai?

lMdn kha hE ?
idlI kha hE ?

landan kah hai?

ya ap idlI se hE# ?
ya apkw iptajI mub se hE# ?

ky p dill se ha?

choe kamre m ky hai?

dill kah hai?

ky pke pitj mumba se ha?

UNIT 4
[Use the boxed feature in section 4.1 of Beginners Hindi to drill commands.]

mE# idlI me# rhta hU

mE# Bart me# rhta hU

ma dill m raht h.

vh dtr me# kam krta hE

vh ptal me# kam krta hE

vah daftar m km kart hai.

hm log got nhI# Kate

hm log xrab nhI# pIte

ham log got nah khte.

ma bhrat m raht h.

vah aspatl m km kart hai.

ham log arb nah pte.

UNIT 5

ap ko ya caih ?
ram ko ya caih ?

p ko ky chie?

muJ ko cay caih

ram ko BI cay caih

mujh ko cy chie.

muJ ko ih~dutanI Kana psMd hE

muJ ko Pl psMd hE

mujh ko hindustn khn pasand hai.

Rm ko ky chie?

Rm ko bh cy chie.

mujh ko phal pasand hai.

UNIT 6
Translate:
the boys dog
the girls dog
the childrens dog
the boys cat
the girls cat
the childrens cat
etc. (matrixes in section 6.1 of Beginners Hindi can be used here)
I can go/think/see/come/work/play/drink/eat.
He/we/they can go.....etc.....
Let me go/think/see/come/work/play/drink/eat.
Let him/us/them.....etc.....

yh l\ka Kelta hE
yh l\kI KeltI hE
ye l\ikya KeltI h#E
ye l\kw Kelte hE#

yah lak khelt hai.

yh admI kam krta hE

ye admI kam krte hE#
yh Ort kam krtI hE
ye Orte# kam krtI hE#

yah adm km kart hai.

yah lak khelt hai.

ye lakiy khelt ha.
ye lake khelte ha.

ye dm km karte ha.
yah aurat km kart hai.
ye aurat km kart ha.
etc.

UNIT 7

mE# CI ih~dI bolta hU

hm log agre me# rhte hE#
tum ya kam krte ho ?
ve log ya socte hE# ?

>
>
>
>

mE# CI ih~dI bolta Ta

hm log agre me# rhte Te
tum ya kam krte Te ?
ve log ya socte Te ?
etc.

mE# ih~dI bolta hU

mE# hI ih~dI bolta hU
mE# ih~dI hI bolta hU
mE# ih~dI bolta hI hU
mE# cay pIta hU

etc.

muJko k&C nhI# caih

tumko. . .
^sko. . .
sko. . .
hmko. . .
^nko. . .
nko. . .

>

muJe k&C nhI# caih

UNIT 8

yh l\ka s l\kw se yada lMba hE

This girl is fatter than that girl.
I am taller than you.
I am taller than her.
You are taller than me.
You are taller than him.
Hindi is easier than English.
English is more difficult (muikl) than Hindi.

mE# cay bna rha hU

mE# ih~dI sIK rha hU
mE# Kt ilK rha hU
mE# iktab p| rha hU
mE# iPm deK rha hU

>

ap cay bna rhe hE#;

tum / vh / ve / hm

mE# pna Kana Ka rha Ta

>
mE# pnI iktab p| rha Ta
mE# pne doto# se bat kr rha Ta
mE# pna Kana iksI ko de rha Ta
mE# pnI bihn kI avaj sun rha Ta

ap pna Kana Ka rhe Te; tum / vh / ve / hm

UNIT 9

aj hm isnema ja rhe hE#

>
aj hm Gr pr rh rhe hE#
aj hm Kana bna rhe hE#
aj hm kuC doto# se iml rhe hE#
aj hm apkw yha age

kl hm isnema jage

>
>

kl mE# isnema jagI

kl vh isnema jagI

aj mEE# isnema ja rhI hU

aj vh isnema ja rhI hE

etc.

mE# cahta hU ik ap ...

( Gr pr rhna )
... Gr pr rhe#
( Kana bnana )
( mere saT clna )
( Gr jana )
( iksI ko Pon krna )
( ih~dI bolna )

mE# cahta hU ik vh ...

mE# cahta hU ik tum ...

( Gr pr rhna )
( Gr pr rhna )

> ... Gr pr rhe

> ... Gr pr rho

UNIT 10

1 aj mE#ne k n iktab KrIdI

2 aj sne k icI ilKI

some new clothes

a new car
a house
some new shoes
a bicycle
cigarettes
nothing

two letters
one letter (using Kt m.)
some letters (using Kt m.)
a book
two stories (story khanI f.)
nothing
only twenty words

etc.

3 aj hmne ih~dutanI Kana Kaya

4 aj ~ho#ne k mi~dr deKa

some dogs
some cats
an old film
your brother
a beautiful garden
their (own) old house
your pictures

fresh fruit
vegetables
daal (dal f.)
meat
some good samosas
only one chapati
some mangoes

5 aj iksI ne tuharI cIje# lI#

6 apne kuC bnaya

my clothes
that book
some money
all the luggage (use sara)
her sari
my friends shoes
someones dog

food
tea
a film
a big house
a new friend
some interesting (idlcp) things
two pictures

Expand any of the sentences above with the following phrases, where appropriate:

haT Dokr
bhut mehnt krkw
pne doto# se imlkr

Gr jakr
bahr jakr
Gr me# akr

iptajI se kuC pEse lekr

pne kmre me# bEQkr
pna kam Km krkw

UNIT 11

1 Kana bnaya jata hE

2 k icI ilKI jagI

tea
a new house
something
a new road
new shoes
what?
nothing

two letters
one letter (using Kt m.)
some letters (using Kt m.)
a book
two stories (story khanI f.)
nothing
only twenty words

3 Kana bnaya ja rha hE

4 sarI cIjo# ko lmarI me# rKa jata hE

tea
new houses
something
a new road
your new shoes
a new plan ( yojna f.)
nothing

the tablets
the bottle
these books
your clothes
the money
these cigarettes
my radio

Use the same lists for the following patterns in compulsion expressions:

1 tumko Kana bnana caih

3 hmko Kana bnana p\ega

2
4

muJe k icI ilKnI hE

apko sarI cIjo# ko lmarI me# rKna p\ega
8

UNIT 12

k admI bahr K\a hE

>

vh apse imlna cahta hE

jo admI bahr K\a hE vh apse imlna cahta hE

k mMidr idKa de rha hE
k ga\I a rhI hE
k l\kI kl se bImar hE
k bqua mej pr p\a hE
k icI a hE
k Pon aya Ta

mE# Bart jagI

>

vh hnuman ka mMidr hE
vh ivm kI hogI
vh bhut kmjor hE
vh ikska hE ?
spr ko iqkq nhI# TI
vh tuhare il Ta

tum ya krogI ?

jb mE# Bart jagI tb [ or to ] tum ya krogI ?

dUsre log age
kp\e gMde ho jate hE#
dUD nhI# imlta
saman BarI hE
rata bhut lMba hE
mOsm QM\a hE

hm nse Kana bnvage

hm ~he# DobI se Dulvate hE#
hm cay nhI# bna skte
irxa clana muikl ho jata hE
hm ga\I se jate hE#, pEdl nhI#
hm grm kp\e phnte hE#

jha mE# rhta hU vha mkan bhut mhge hote hE#

where we work many people speak Hindi
where you go I will go too
where theres no bus, you can take a rickshaw
where there are no jobs, people are poor
where we were living there was no clean water (use imlna )

hm Kana bnate hE#

>

hm Kana bnvate hE#

mE# nya kurta sI rha hU

vh kmre ko saP krega
hmne \aqr ko bulaya hE
QIk sat bje hm biya jlage
tuhe# nya Gr bnana caih
se pne kp\o# ko Dona caih

Compound verbs

jana
svairya qEsI se trtI hE#

>

svairya qEsI se tr jatI hE#

bce ds bje sote hE#

motI mera Kana Kata hE
ya ska Kt aya hE ?
ha Kt imla
hm kl tk age
bEQo
lena
mE#ne tuhara Kt p|a

>

mE#ne tuhara Kt p| ilya

hmne cay bna

~ho#ne Kana Kaya
yh pEsa lo
To\I dal lIij
hm qEsI bulage
mE# To\I ih~dI boltI hU
dena
mE#ne puils ko sb kuC btaya

> mE#ne puils ko sb kuC bta idya

mE#ne ga\I kI cabI a^vr ko dI

sne muJe sarI khanI suna
pna nam iliK
pna saman Dr riK
mE# apko ye cIje# BI dUga
merI bihn apko btagI
cukna
hmne Kana Kaya hE

> hm Kana Ka cukw hE#

mEne kam Km ikya hE

hmne tumko ska nam btaya hE
skw il mE#ne tohPa KrIda hE
bce kUl g hE#
\ak a hE
mE#ne vh icI p|I hE
10