3

في الفصل

Linking Thoughts and Reasons

القاعدة 4 من 5 في هذا الفصل
B2 conjunctions_connectors 3 دقيقة للقراءة

Using "या" to Connect

وضع علامة كمكتسب

Use `या` to connect alternatives, and upgrade to `या तो... या...` to strictly define 'either/or' scenarios.

The Rule in 30 Seconds

  • Used to offer choices between two or more options.
  • Equivalent to English 'or' in all contexts.
  • Combine with `तो` for 'Either... or...' (`या तो... या...`).
  • Don't confuse with `वरना` (otherwise) or `और` (and).

Quick Reference

Structure Usage Context Hindi Example English Translation
A + या + B Simple Choice चाय या कॉफी? Tea or coffee?
या तो A + या B Either/Or (Emphasis) या तो पढ़ो या सो जाओ। Either study or sleep.
चाहे A + या B Whether/Or चाहे तुम हंसो या रोओ। Whether you laugh or cry.
Verb + या + नहीं Confirmation उसने खाया या नहीं? Did he eat or not?
A, B, या C Multiple Options कल, आज या अभी? Tomorrow, today, or right now?
X + या + Y (Approx) Estimating दो या तीन दिन लगेंगे। It will take 2 or 3 days.

أمثلة رئيسية

3 من 9
1

Kyā āp chāy lenge yā kofī?

Will you have tea or coffee?

2

Hum bus se jāenge yā train se?

Will we go by bus or by train?

3

Yā to tum sach batāo, yā main police ko bulāūngā.

Either you tell the truth, or I will call the police.

💡

The Chin Nod

When asking a 'This or That' question in person, Hindi speakers often tilt their head slightly side-to-side on each option.

⚠️

Don't Be Greedy

Don't confuse `या` (Or) with `और` (And). Asking for 'Tea or Coffee' gets you one drink. Asking for 'Tea and Coffee' gets you a lot of caffeine.

The Rule in 30 Seconds

  • Used to offer choices between two or more options.
  • Equivalent to English 'or' in all contexts.
  • Combine with `तो` for 'Either... or...' (`या तो... या...`).
  • Don't confuse with `वरना` (otherwise) or `और` (and).

Overview

Meet या (yā). It’s your go-to word for offering choices. Think of it as the "fork in the road" for your sentences. Whether you're asking a friend to pick a movie or deciding between pizza and burgers (the eternal struggle), या is the bridge connecting your options. It's simple, short, and incredibly useful.

How This Grammar Works

At its core, या functions exactly like the English "or". It sits comfortably between two nouns, adjectives, verbs, or phrases to show an alternative. But at the B2 level, we kick it up a notch. We use it to express uncertainty, create "either...or" structures (या तो... या...), and even set conditions. It tells the listener: "Pick one, you can't have both!"

Formation Pattern

  1. 1Using या is straightforward. Just drop it between the alternatives.
  2. 2Noun + या + Noun: चाय या कॉफी? (Tea or coffee?)
  3. 3Adjective + या + Adjective: सस्ता या महँगा? (Cheap or expensive?)
  4. 4Verb + या + Verb: रुको या जाओ (Stay or go).
  5. 5Either... Or...: या तो [Option A] या [Option B].
  6. 6* या तो तुम बोलो या मैं बोलूँ। (Either you speak or I speak.)

When To Use It

  • Offering Choices: When you are a gracious host. "Do you want water या juice?"
  • Expressing Uncertainty: "I think he is 25 या 26 years old." You aren't sure, so you offer possibilities.
  • Ultimatums: Use the या तो... structure when you've had enough. "या तो study hard या fail the exam." (A classic parent line!)
  • Questions: "Is today Monday या Tuesday?"

When Not To Use It

  • Lists of compatible items: If you bought apples AND bananas, don't use या. Use और (aur). या implies exclusivity—one or the other.
  • Contrast: Don't use it to say "but". If you mean "I like it, BUT it's expensive," use लेकिन or पर, not या.

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing या with अथवा: अथवा also means "or", but it is extremely formal (like Sanskrit-level formal). Don't use अथवा when asking your buddy about lunch. Stick to या.
  • Dropping the तो: In "Either... or..." sentences, beginners often forget the तो. They say या मैं... या तुम. It works, but या तो मैं... या तुम sounds much more native and punchy.
  • Using it for "And": Sounds obvious, but when speaking fast, learners mix up या (or) and और (and). It changes the meaning entirely! "I want tea या coffee" implies you'll take whatever is available. "I want tea और coffee" implies you are very caffeinated.

Contrast With Similar Patterns

  • या vs. कि (ki): In rapid spoken Hindi, especially after verbs, you might hear कि functioning as "or". Example: तुम आ रहे हो कि नहीं? (Are you coming or not?). या works here too (...या नहीं?), but कि is very common in yes/no clause alternatives. या is better for nouns.
  • या vs. वरना (varnā): वरना means "otherwise" or "or else". Use वरना for consequences. "Run, या you will be late" is incorrect. It should be "Run, वरना (otherwise) you will be late."

Quick FAQ

Q. Is या formal or informal?

A. It's neutral. Use it with the Prime Minister or your little brother.

Q. Can I use या more than once in a list?

A. Yes! लाल, पीला या नीला? (Red, yellow, or blue?) works perfectly.

Reference Table

Structure Usage Context Hindi Example English Translation
A + या + B Simple Choice चाय या कॉफी? Tea or coffee?
या तो A + या B Either/Or (Emphasis) या तो पढ़ो या सो जाओ। Either study or sleep.
चाहे A + या B Whether/Or चाहे तुम हंसो या रोओ। Whether you laugh or cry.
Verb + या + नहीं Confirmation उसने खाया या नहीं? Did he eat or not?
A, B, या C Multiple Options कल, आज या अभी? Tomorrow, today, or right now?
X + या + Y (Approx) Estimating दो या तीन दिन लगेंगे। It will take 2 or 3 days.
💡

The Chin Nod

When asking a 'This or That' question in person, Hindi speakers often tilt their head slightly side-to-side on each option.

⚠️

Don't Be Greedy

Don't confuse `या` (Or) with `और` (And). Asking for 'Tea or Coffee' gets you one drink. Asking for 'Tea and Coffee' gets you a lot of caffeine.

🎯

Ya To... Ya

Want to sound authoritative? Start your sentence with `या तो` (Either...). It instantly makes you sound like you mean business.

💬

Ki vs Ya

In super fast street Hindi, you might hear 'Ki' used as 'Or' in questions (Aayega ki nahi?). It's informal but very common.

أمثلة

9
#1 क्या आप चाय लेंगे या कॉफी?

Kyā āp chāy lenge yā kofī?

Focus: या

Will you have tea or coffee?

Standard hospitality phrase.

#2 हम बस से जाएंगे या ट्रेन से?

Hum bus se jāenge yā train se?

Focus: या

Will we go by bus or by train?

Choice of means.

#3 या तो तुम सच बताओ, या मैं पुलिस को बुलाऊँगा।

Yā to tum sach batāo, yā main police ko bulāūngā.

Focus: या तो

Either you tell the truth, or I will call the police.

Ultimatum / Strong Condition.

#4 तुम्हें यह पसंद हो या न हो, हमें जाना पड़ेगा।

Tumhe yeh pasand ho yā na ho, humein jānā paḍegā.

Focus: या

Whether you like it or not, we have to go.

Indifference to choice.

#5 वह मेरा दोस्त है, दुश्मन नहीं।

Voh merā dost hai, dushman nahī.

Focus: dushman

He is my friend, not enemy.

Contrast, not choice. No 'ya' needed here.

#6 ✗ आप हिंदी बोलते हैं और अंग्रेज़ी? (Asking for choice)

Wrong: Āp hindī bolte hain aur angrezī?

Focus: या

Right: Āp hindī bolte hain yā angrezī?

Don't use 'aur' (and) when asking for a preference.

#7 ✗ या तो वो आएगा अथवा नहीं।

Wrong: Yā to voh āegā athvā nahī.

Focus: या

Right: Yā to voh āegā yā nahī.

Don't mix 'yā' with formal 'athvā' in the same structure.

#8 शायद यह ५०० या ६०० रुपये का होगा।

Shāyad yeh 500 yā 600 rupaye kā hogā.

Focus: या

Maybe this is worth 500 or 600 rupees.

Approximation/Uncertainty.

#9 आप नकद देंगे या कार्ड से?

Āp nakad denge yā card se?

Focus: या

Will you pay cash or by card?

Everyday transaction.

اختبر نفسك

Choose the correct conjunction to complete the choice.

तुम्हें लाल रंग चाहिए ___ नीला?

✓ صحيح! ✗ ليس تمامًا. الإجابة الصحيحة: या

We are offering a choice between red and blue, so 'या' is correct. 'और' means and, 'लेकिन' means but.

Complete the 'Either... or' structure.

___ तो मेहनत करो, या घर जाओ।

✓ صحيح! ✗ ليس تمامًا. الإجابة الصحيحة: या

The structure is 'या तो... या...' (Either... or...). So we start with 'या'.

Select the correct word for an approximation.

वहाँ पहुँचने में १० ___ १५ मिनट लगेंगे।

✓ صحيح! ✗ ليس تمامًا. الإجابة الصحيحة: या

When estimating numbers (10 or 15 minutes), we use 'या'.

🎉 النتيجة: /3

وسائل تعلم بصرية

Or vs And vs Formal Or

या (Ya)
Choice Option A or B
और (Aur)
Addition A plus B
अथवा (Athva)
Formal Choice Docs/Speeches

Should I use Ya?

1

Are you offering a choice?

YES ↓
NO
Don't use या
2

Is it a warning (Or else...)?

YES ↓
NO
Use या
3

Use वरना (Varnā)

Common Usage Scenarios

☕

Food & Drink

  • • ठंडा या गरम?
  • • मीठा या तीखा?
✈️

Travel

  • • बस या ट्रेन?
  • • आज या कल?

الأسئلة الشائعة

20 أسئلة

या is used in everyday conversation. अथवा is extremely formal, found in literature, exams, or official announcements. Stick to या for speaking.

No. For 'otherwise' or 'or else', use वरना (varnā) or नहीं तो (nahī to). Example: जल्दी करो, वरना देर हो जाएगी (Hurry up, otherwise it will be late).

Use न तो... न... (na to... na...). Example: न तो चाय, न कॉफी (Neither tea nor coffee).

Rarely. It usually comes between the options. However, in casual questions like 'Are you coming or...?' (तुम आ रहे हो या...?), it can trail off.

Yes! हँसो या रोओ (Laugh or cry). Just conjugate both verbs normally.

Simply say: तुम्हें X चाहिए या Y? It's the standard format.

List them and put या before the last one. A, B, या C.

No, या is invariant. It never changes form.

Generally no, unless you are using the या तो... (Either...) structure.

या फिर adds a bit more weight, like 'or else' or 'or alternatively'. चाय लो, या फिर पानी (Have tea, or alternatively water).

In 'Hinglish' (mixed Hindi-English), yes. But या is so short and easy, you should just use it!

No, के means 'of'. Don't confuse it with ki or ya.

वह आया या नहीं? (Voh āyā yā nahī?).

No. In some dialects you might hear variations, but standard Hindi uses या.

Yes. मैं जाऊँगा या वह आएगा (I will go or he will come).

Urdu also uses या (یا). It is identical in usage.

Yes, for estimation. पाँच या छह (Five or six).

Usually, yes. It implies exclusivity.

People will still understand you, but it sounds less polished. या मैं या तुम is acceptable but या तो मैं या तुम is better.

No, चाहो comes from 'to want'. But you might hear चाहो तो... (If you want...) which introduces a choice.

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