A1 Sentence Structure 3 min de lecture

Existential construction: There is/are - [Noun] है/हैं

To say 'There is X', just say 'X is' (`X hai`); drop the word 'there' completely.

The Rule in 30 Seconds

  • No word for dummy 'There' needed.
  • Structure: [Location] + [Noun] + hai/hain.
  • Use 'hai' for singular/uncountable nouns.
  • Use 'hain' (nasal) for plural nouns.

Quick Reference

English Concept Hindi Structure Example (Hindi) Translation
There is (Singular) Noun + hai Ek seb hai There is an apple
There are (Plural) Noun + hain Do seb hain There are two apples
Location included Loc + Noun + hai Mez par kitab hai There is a book on the table
Negative Noun + nahi hai Dudh nahi hai There is no milk
Question Kya + Noun + hai? Kya rasta hai? Is there a way?
With 'Some' Kuch + Noun + hain Kuch log hain There are some people

Exemples clés

3 sur 9
1

एक समस्या है।

There is a problem.

2

कमरे में दो कुर्सियाँ हैं।

There are two chairs in the room.

3

क्या फ्रिज में पानी है?

Is there water in the fridge?

🎯

The 'Wahaan' Check

Before you say 'wahaan' for 'there', ask yourself: 'Am I pointing my finger at a specific spot?' If no, drop the 'wahaan'.

💬

Spoken Shortucts

In casual street Hindi, people often drop the 'hai' in questions. 'Chai hai?' might just become 'Chai?' with an inquisitive eyebrow raise.

The Rule in 30 Seconds

  • No word for dummy 'There' needed.
  • Structure: [Location] + [Noun] + hai/hain.
  • Use 'hai' for singular/uncountable nouns.
  • Use 'hain' (nasal) for plural nouns.

Overview

Ever wanted to say "There is a spider in the bathroom" or "There are cookies in the jar"? In Hindi, this is surprisingly simple. Unlike English, which uses a dummy subject "There" to hold the sentence together, Hindi cuts straight to the chase. You simply name the thing, say where it is (optional), and finish with "is" or "are". It's direct, efficient, and honestly, a relief compared to English sentence gymnastics. Think of it as pointing at something and nodding. It exists. End of story.

How This Grammar Works

The concept of "There" as a dummy subject doesn't really exist in Hindi. If you translate "There is a car" word-for-word, you might look for a Hindi word for "there" (like wahaan). Stop right there! Unless you are pointing at a specific location far away ("The car is *over there*"), you don't use wahaan. instead, the structure focuses entirely on the Noun and the Verb. You are literally saying "[Noun] is" or "[Location] at [Noun] is". It's like Yoda speak, but less confusing.

Formation Pattern

  1. 1Here is your blueprint for existence (deep, right?):
  2. 2Identify the Object: What exists? (e.g., paani - water).
  3. 3Identify the Location (Optional): Where is it? (e.g., bottle mein - in the bottle).
  4. 4Choose the Verb: Is it singular or uncountable? Use hai. Is it plural? Use hain (nasal sound).
  5. 5The Formula:
  6. 6(Location) + Noun + hai / hain
  7. 7* "There is water." → Paani hai.
  8. 8* "There are people." → Log hain.

When To Use It

Use this construction whenever you are introducing a new object into the conversation or stating that something exists in a particular place. It's your go-to for descriptions.

  • Describing a room: "There is a TV." (TV hai)
  • Checking availability: "Is there chai?" (Kya chai hai?)
  • Stating facts: "There are 7 days in a week." (Hafte mein 7 din hain)

When Not To Use It

Don't use this when talking about a *specific* known object. If you say "The car is in the garage," you are talking about a specific car. That's a different structure. The existential "There is/are" is usually for indefinite things ("A car", "Some water", "No hope"). Also, avoid using wahaan (there) unless you mean a physical location you can point to. If you say Wahaan ek billi hai, you are emphasizing the location heavily ("Over *there* is a cat").

Common Mistakes

  • The "Wahaan" Trap: Beginners love translating "There" as wahaan. "There is a problem" becomes Wahaan samasya hai. Native speakers will look around confused, looking for the physical spot where the problem is sitting. Just say Samasya hai.
  • Ignoring the Nasal: Forgetting the dot in hain for plurals. Do ladke hai (Two boys is) sounds just as wrong in Hindi as it does in English. It's hain.
  • Word Order: Putting hai at the start. Hindi verbs love the end of the sentence. They are the anchor. Don't pull them up front.

Contrast With Similar Patterns

  • Existential vs. Locative:
  • "There is a cat." (Existential) → Billi hai.
  • "The cat is there." (Locative) → Billi wahaan hai.

See the difference? One introduces the cat; the other tells you where the specific cat is hiding.

Quick FAQ

Q: Can I use this for people?

Absolutely. Kamre mein ek aadmi hai (There is a man in the room).

Q: What about questions?

Just add Kya (what) at the start or change your tone. Kya paani hai? (Is there water?)

Q: How do I say "There was"?

Change hai to tha (masc) or thi (fem). But let's master the present tense first!

Reference Table

English Concept Hindi Structure Example (Hindi) Translation
There is (Singular) Noun + hai Ek seb hai There is an apple
There are (Plural) Noun + hain Do seb hain There are two apples
Location included Loc + Noun + hai Mez par kitab hai There is a book on the table
Negative Noun + nahi hai Dudh nahi hai There is no milk
Question Kya + Noun + hai? Kya rasta hai? Is there a way?
With 'Some' Kuch + Noun + hain Kuch log hain There are some people
🎯

The 'Wahaan' Check

Before you say 'wahaan' for 'there', ask yourself: 'Am I pointing my finger at a specific spot?' If no, drop the 'wahaan'.

💬

Spoken Shortucts

In casual street Hindi, people often drop the 'hai' in questions. 'Chai hai?' might just become 'Chai?' with an inquisitive eyebrow raise.

⚠️

The Money Trap

In English, 'money' is singular (Where is the money?). In Hindi, 'paise' is plural. So it's 'Paise hain', not 'Paise hai'.

💡

Word Order Anchor

Think of 'hai/hain' as the period at the end of your sentence. It almost always comes last. Start with the place, then the thing, then the verb.

Exemples

9
#1 Ek samasya hai.

एक समस्या है।

Focus: hai

There is a problem.

Simple existence. No 'wahaan' needed.

#2 Kamre mein do kursiyaan hain.

कमरे में दो कुर्सियाँ हैं।

Focus: hain

There are two chairs in the room.

Plural noun requires 'hain' (nasal sound).

#3 Kya fridge mein paani hai?

क्या फ्रिज में पानी है?

Focus: Kya

Is there water in the fridge?

Question form starts with 'Kya'.

#4 Koi umeed nahi hai.

कोई उम्मीद नहीं है।

Focus: nahi hai

There is no hope.

Abstract noun usage. 'Koi' adds emphasis to 'any/no'.

#5 Jeb mein paise nahi hain.

जेब में पैसे नहीं हैं।

Focus: paise

There is no money in the pocket.

Money (paise) is plural in Hindi, hence 'hain'.

#6 ✗ Wahaan ek billi hai.

वहाँ एक बिल्ली है।

Focus: Wahaan

That specific place has a cat.

Correction: 'Ek billi hai' (There is a cat). Use 'wahaan' only for pointing.

#7 ✗ Bahut log hai.

बहुत लोग है।

Focus: hain

There is many people.

Correction: 'Bahut log HAIN'. 'Log' (people) is always plural.

#8 Ghar mein shanti hai.

घर में शांति है।

Focus: shanti

There is peace in the house.

Uncountable abstract noun takes singular 'hai'.

#9 Table par kuch kaghaz hain.

टेबल पर कुछ कागज़ हैं।

Focus: kuch

There are some papers on the table.

Note usage of English word 'Table' is common in spoken Hindi.

Teste-toi

Choose the correct verb form for 'There are books'.

Mez par kitabein ___ | (There are books on the table).

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : hain

'Kitabein' (books) is plural, so we must use the nasalized plural verb 'hain'.

Translate 'There is tea'.

Chai ___ | (There is tea).

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : hai

'Chai' (tea) is singular/uncountable, so we use 'hai'. We do not translate 'There'.

Complete the negative sentence: 'There is no time'.

Waqt nahi ___ | (There is no time).

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : hai

'Waqt' (time) is treated as singular, so 'hai' is correct.

🎉 Score : /3

Aides visuelles

To Nasalize or Not?

Singular (Hai)
Ek ladka hai There is a boy
Paani hai There is water
Plural (Hain)
Do ladke hain There are 2 boys
Log hain There are people

Which Verb Do I Choose?

1

Is the noun just one thing?

YES ↓
NO
Go to Plural
2

Is it uncountable (water, love)?

YES ↓
NO
Check Count

Common Contexts

🏠

Home

  • • Khana hai (There is food)
  • • Jagah hai (There is space)
🛒

Shop

  • • Chawal hai? (Is there rice?)
  • • Change hai? (Is there change?)

Questions fréquentes

20 questions

Because in English, 'There' is a dummy placeholder to keep the grammar happy. Hindi grammar doesn't need a placeholder; it's comfortable starting with the noun or location directly.

This structure is for indefinite things. For a specific person like 'him', you would say Woh wahaan hai (He is there).

You would say Kya andar koi hai?. Here koi means 'someone' or 'anyone'.

Yes! Mez par kitab hai and Kitab mez par hai are both fine. The first emphasizes 'Where', the second emphasizes 'What'.

Not really. Billi hai implies 'There is a cat'. Adding Ek (Ek billi hai) makes it more specific, like 'There is ONE cat'.

'Hai' rhymes with 'die'. 'Hain' rhymes with 'rain' but you swallow the 'n' sound through your nose. It's subtle but important!

Great edge case! 'Police' is usually treated as singular feminine in Hindi. Police aayi hai (The police has come).

You say Kuch nahi hai. Literally 'Something not is'.

The verb usually agrees with the closest noun. Ek pen aur do kitaabein HAIN. Do kitaabein aur ek pen HAI.

It is neutral. You use this structure with everyone, from your boss to your best friend.

Use tha (masculine singular), thi (feminine singular), the (masc plural), or thin (fem plural). E.g., Ek raja tha (There was a king).

Yes, Hinglish is very common. Problem hai, Traffic hai, Meeting hai. Just add hai!

It's still nahi hain. The hain keeps its nasal sound. Paise nahi hain.

No! 'Hai' and 'Hain' are gender-neutral. Only past tense verbs change for gender.

Bahut traffic hai. 'Traffic' is treated as singular.

Yes! If you are physically pointing a finger, Wahaan ek aadmi hai is perfect. It means 'Over there is a man'.

Kya yahaan bathroom hai? (Is there a bathroom here?).

If you are asking, you can default to singular hai if you are unsure. Kya koi saboot hai? (Is there any proof?).

Yes, Log is always plural in Hindi. Log hain, never Log hai.

'Khabar' (news) is singular. Ek khabar hai (There is a piece of news).

C'tait utile ?
Prcdent
Basic word order: Subject-Object-Verb (SOV)
Suivant
Basic sentence with है: [Subject] [Noun/Adjective] है

Apprends d'abord ceci

Comprendre ces concepts t'aidera à maîtriser cette règle de grammaire.

A1 Requires

Verb 'to be' (present): हूँ, है, हैं, हो

Overview Welcome to the absolute core of Hindi sentences! The verb 'to be' (which comes from the infinitive `hona`) is t...

Grammaire lie

A1

Conjunction और (and)

Overview Let's be honest, you can't get very far in any language without the humble "and". In Hindi, this power-player i...

A1

Negation with नहीं (not)

Overview Let’s face it: sometimes you just need to say "no." Whether you’re refusing that third cup of chai or telling a...

A1

Conjunction लेकिन/पर (but)

Overview Ever wanted to accept a dinner invitation but—oops—you’re busy watching Netflix? Or maybe you want to buy that...

A1

Question words: क्या (what), कौन (who), कहाँ (where), कब (when)

Overview Ready to get nosy? Good, because today we’re tackling the "Big Four" of Hindi questions: `क्या` (what), `कौन` (...

A1

Postposition को (to, for) - dative/accusative marker

Overview Meet the heavy lifter of Hindi sentences: `को` (`ko`). If you've ever wanted to give something *to* someone, te...

Commentaires (0)

Connectez-vous pour Commenter
Pas encore de commentaires. Soyez le premier à partager vos idées !

Commencez à apprendre les langues gratuitement

Commence Gratuitement