The Hindi Postposition for ‘About

Hindi doesn't use prepositions (words that go *before* nouns); it uses postpositions (words that go *after* nouns). ke bāre mẽ is a "compound postposition," which is just a fancy way of saying it’s a three-word phrase acting as one unit. The literal breakdown is funny if you squint at it: ke (of) + bāre (turn/respect/regard) + mẽ (in). So, "in regard of". But don't translate it literally! Just treat the whole chunk as "about". Because it starts with ke, it triggers something called the Oblique Case in the word before it. Don't panic! It just means nouns and pronouns might shape-shift slightly to fit in.

1. 1The formula is straightforward, but pronouns need a little wardrobe change.
2. 2For Nouns:
3. 3[Noun in Oblique Case] + ke bāre mẽ
4. 4Example: Rām + ke bāre mẽ = Rām ke bāre mẽ (About Ram)
5. 5Example: kitāb (book) -> kitāb ke bāre mẽ (About the book)
6. 6Example: laṛkā (boy) -> laṛke ke bāre mẽ (About the boy) *[Note the change from ā to e!]*
7. 7For Pronouns (The Special Sauce):
8. 8Pronouns merge with the ke to become possessives (rā, re, rī or kā, ke, kī).
9. 9maĩ (I) → mere bāre mẽ (About me)
10. 10tum (You informal) → tumhāre bāre mẽ (About you)
11. 11āp (You formal) → āpke bāre mẽ (About you)
12. 12vah (He/She/It) → uske bāre mẽ (About him/her/it)
13. 13ve (They) → unke bāre mẽ (About them)

Use this whenever the subject matter involves a topic, a person, or an object of discussion. It answers the question "On the subject of what?"

• Introductions: "Tell me about yourself." (Apne bāre mẽ batāiye.)
• Inquiries: "Do you know about the news?" (Kyā tumhẽ khabar ke bāre mẽ patā hai?)
• Opinions: "What do you think about this movie?" (Is film ke bāre mẽ tumhārā kyā khayāl hai?)

This is where learners often trip up. In English, "about" wears many hats. In Hindi, ke bāre mẽ only wears the "topic" hat.

• Do NOT use for approximation: "It's about 5 o'clock." Here, use lagbhag or qarīb.
• Do NOT use for "about to": "I was about to leave." Here, use the wālā/wālī construction (maĩ jāne wālā thā).
• Do NOT use for physical location: "He is walking about the room." Here, use idhar-udhar (here and there).

• The "Ke" Drop: Learners often forget the ke and just say Rām bāre mẽ. It sounds incomplete, like saying "Talk Ram" instead of "Talk about Ram."
• Pronoun Confusion: Saying maĩ ke bāre mẽ. Ouch! Remember, pronouns have an ego; they like to change form. It must be mere bāre mẽ.
• Literal Translation: Trying to use it for time. "5 baje ke bāre mẽ" means "About the topic of 5 o'clock" (maybe a philosophy lecture on time?), not "Around 5 o'clock."

• ko lekar: This means "regarding" or "taking [issue] with". It's slightly more specific or formal. Is bāt ko lekar (Regarding this matter).
• sambandh mẽ: "In connection with". Very formal, like legal paperwork. You probably won't use this to ask about a friend's cat.

Q: Can I say kiske bāre mẽ?

Yes! Kiske is the oblique form of kaun (who). So kiske bāre mẽ means "About whom?"

Q: Does bāre ever change to bārī?

Nope! Unlike adjectives that change gender, bāre is frozen in this phrase. It’s always bāre. Think of it as stubborn.

Q: Is it always at the end of the sentence?

Usually, yes, or right before the verb. Hindi is SOV (Subject-Object-Verb). So, "I [about him] talk." -> Maĩ uske bāre mẽ bāt kartā hū̃.