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Using Kitna: Gender
Match the ending of 'kitna' (-ā, -e, -ī) to the gender and number of the noun you are asking about.
The Rule in 30 Seconds
- It means 'How much' or 'How many'.
- It changes endings to match the noun.
- Masculine: 'Kitnā' (one), 'Kitne' (many).
- Feminine: Always 'Kitnī' (one or many).
Quick Reference
| Gender & Number | Hindi Form | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masc. Singular | कितना | kitnā | kitnā paisa (how much money) |
| Masc. Plural | कितने | kitne | kitne log (how many people) |
| Fem. Singular | कितनी | kitnī | kitnī chāy (how much tea) |
| Fem. Plural | कितनी | kitnī | kitnī kitābẽ (how many books) |
| Masc. Oblique | कितने | kitne | kitne ghanṭon mein (in how many hours) |
| Fem. Oblique | कितनी | kitnī | kitnī rāton se (for how many nights) |
Exemples clés
3 sur 10Tumhẽ kitnā pānī chāhiye?
How much water do you need?
Āpkī kitnī bahnẽ haĩ?
How many sisters do you have?
Ek kilo ālū kitne ke haĩ?
How much for one kilo of potatoes?
The Default Mode
If you are asking about an action rather than a specific object (e.g., 'How much did you sleep?'), default to the masculine singular `kitnā`.
Money Matters
Be careful with money! `Paisa` (money/wealth) is masculine singular (`kitnā paisa`). But specific `rupaye` (rupees) are masculine plural (`kitne rupaye`).
The Rule in 30 Seconds
- It means 'How much' or 'How many'.
- It changes endings to match the noun.
- Masculine: 'Kitnā' (one), 'Kitne' (many).
- Feminine: Always 'Kitnī' (one or many).
Overview
So, you want to ask questions in Hindi? Awesome. You're going to need kitnā. It translates to "how much" or "how many" depending on the context. In English, these are two different words. In Hindi, it's just one chameleon word that changes its outfit. Whether you're bargaining at a market in Delhi or asking a friend how much time they need, this word is your best friend. It bridges the gap between counting apples and measuring water.
How This Grammar Works
Here is the golden rule: kitnā acts like an adjective.
It doesn't care about *you* (the speaker). It only cares about the thing you are asking about (the object). It mirrors the gender and number of that noun. If the noun is masculine, kitnā looks masculine. If the noun is feminine, kitnā puts on a feminine ending. Think of it like a grammar traffic light—it changes colors based on the car (noun) approaching it.
Formation Pattern
- 1The root word is
kitn-. To use it, you add an ending based on the noun. - 2Identify the Noun: What are you counting or measuring? (e.g.,
paisa- money,chāy- tea). - 3Determine Gender: Is it Masculine or Feminine?
- 4Determine Number: Is it Singular (one) or Plural (more than one)?
- 5Attach the Suffix:
- 6Masculine Singular: Add
-ā→kitnā - 7Masculine Plural: Add
-e→kitne - 8Feminine (Singular & Plural): Add
-ī→kitnī
When To Use It
Use this pattern whenever you need to quantify something. It covers both countable things (like chairs) and uncountable things (like sugar).
- Asking Price:
kitnā paisa?(How much money?) - Counting People:
kitne log?(How many people?) - Measuring Time:
kitnā samay?(How much time?) - Asking Age:
kitnī umra?(How much age? - Yes, age is feminine in Hindi!) - Distance:
kitnī dūr?(How much distance? - Distance is feminine too).
When Not To Use It
Don't use kitnā for qualitative questions. If you want to ask "What kind of...?" use kaisā. Also, avoid using it for abstract concepts that aren't quantifiable unless you are being poetic. For example, you wouldn't usually say "How much happy are you?" (tum kitne khush ho? is okay as "how happy," but usually we ask "Are you happy?").
Common Mistakes
The biggest trap? Defaulting to kitnā for everything. It feels safe, but it screams "foreigner!" (in a cute way, but still).
- The "Age" Trap: Beginners often ask
tumhārā umra kitnā hai?✗.Umra(age) is feminine. It must betumhārī umra kitnī hai?✓. - The Plural Trap: When asking about multiple items, like apples (
seb), you can't saykitnā seb. Since apples are countable and masculine, it must bekitne seb.
Contrast With Similar Patterns
Bahut(A lot):Bahutis the statement version ofkitnā. It answers the question. However,bahutoften stays invariant as an adverb, whereaskitnāalmost always inflects as an adjective here.Kya(What):Kyaasks for the identity of a thing.Kitnāasks for the quantity.
Quick FAQ
Q: Why is 'people' (log) always kitne?
Because log is always considered masculine plural in Hindi. Even if it's a group of women, log itself is a masculine word grammatically.
Q: Does kitnī change for plural feminine nouns?
Nope! This is the best news you'll hear all day. Feminine adjectives don't change for plural. Kitnī laḍkī (one girl) and kitnī laḍkiyā̃ (many girls) use the exact same word form.
Reference Table
| Gender & Number | Hindi Form | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masc. Singular | कितना | kitnā | kitnā paisa (how much money) |
| Masc. Plural | कितने | kitne | kitne log (how many people) |
| Fem. Singular | कितनी | kitnī | kitnī chāy (how much tea) |
| Fem. Plural | कितनी | kitnī | kitnī kitābẽ (how many books) |
| Masc. Oblique | कितने | kitne | kitne ghanṭon mein (in how many hours) |
| Fem. Oblique | कितनी | kitnī | kitnī rāton se (for how many nights) |
The Default Mode
If you are asking about an action rather than a specific object (e.g., 'How much did you sleep?'), default to the masculine singular `kitnā`.
Money Matters
Be careful with money! `Paisa` (money/wealth) is masculine singular (`kitnā paisa`). But specific `rupaye` (rupees) are masculine plural (`kitne rupaye`).
Respecting Elders
When asking about an older man or someone you respect, use plural `kitne` even if it's just one person, to show respect. `Kitne ādmī the?` (How many men were there?).
Bargaining 101
In the streets, you'll often hear just `kitne kā?` (of how much?) or `kitne diye?` (how much did you give?) dropping the noun entirely.
Exemples
10Tumhẽ kitnā pānī chāhiye?
Focus: kitnā
How much water do you need?
Water is masculine singular (uncountable).
Āpkī kitnī bahnẽ haĩ?
Focus: kitnī
How many sisters do you have?
Sisters is feminine plural, but adjective stays 'kitnī'.
Ek kilo ālū kitne ke haĩ?
Focus: kitne
How much for one kilo of potatoes?
Asking price often uses plural masculine 'kitne' implicitly.
Yah jagah kitnī dūr hai?
Focus: kitnī
How far (much distance) is this place?
Distance ('dūr' implies 'dūrī') acts feminine.
Tumhẽ kitne sāl ho gae?
Focus: kitne
How many years has it been for you?
Years ('sāl') is masculine plural here.
Āpkā ghaṛī kitnā kā hai?
Focus: kitnā
INCORRECT: How much is your watch?
Watch ('ghaṛī') is feminine.
Āpkī ghaṛī kitne kī hai?
Focus: kitne
CORRECT: How much is your watch?
Uses 'kitne' in price context or 'kitnī' for the object.
Vahā̃ kitne log the?
Focus: kitne
How many people were there?
'Log' is always masculine plural.
Tumhẽ kitnī Hindī ātī hai?
Focus: kitnī
How much Hindi do you know?
Languages ('Hindi') are feminine.
Yah kitnā sundar hai!
Focus: kitnā
How beautiful this is!
Used as an exclamation of degree.
Teste-toi
Choose the correct form of kitna for 'apples' (masculine plural).
Tumhẽ ___ seb chāhiye?
'Seb' (apple) is masculine. Since we are asking for 'apples' (plural), we use 'kitne'.
Choose the correct form for 'language' (feminine singular).
Tum ___ bhāshā bolte ho?
'Bhāshā' (language) is feminine. Even if you speak many languages, the modifier for the word itself here is feminine.
Select the correct form for 'time' (masculine singular/uncountable).
Abhī ___ bajā hai?
Asking time implies a specific point or quantity. 'Samay' or the concept of 'bajā' generally defaults to masculine singular 'kitnā' in this phrasing, though 'kitne baje' (at what time) is oblique.
🎉 Score : /3
Aides visuelles
Which Word When?
Decision Tree: Selecting the Right Form
Is the noun Feminine?
Is the noun Masculine Plural?
Common Contexts
Market
- • Kitnā paisa?
- • Kitne kā hai?
Travel
- • Kitnī dūr?
- • Kitna samay?
Social
- • Kitne sāl?
- • Kitne bhāi-bahan?
Questions fréquentes
22 questionsIt generally means 'how much' or 'how many'. It is used to ask about quantity, number, or degree.
No, you have to change the ending! Use kitnā for masculine singular, kitne for masculine plural, and kitnī for anything feminine.
You can point and say yah kitne kā hai? (Of how much is this?). This is the most natural way to ask for a price.
Water (pānī) is uncountable and masculine singular. So you ask kitnā pānī?.
Good ear! Baje means 'o'clock' and it is treated as a masculine plural oblique form here. So kitne baje means 'at how many o'clocks' (At what time?).
If you are totally unsure, guessing Masculine Singular (kitnā) is your safest bet, but try to learn the gender of common words like paisa (M) and roti (F).
Age (umra) is feminine. Ask āpkī umra kitnī hai?.
Yes, but distance (dūrī) is feminine. So usually we say kitnī dūr (How far?).
Milk (dūdh) is masculine. So, kitnā dūdh chāhiye? (How much milk is needed?).
Brother (bhāī) is masculine. For plural brothers, use kitne bhāī.
Sister (bahan) is feminine. Use kitnī bahnẽ.
If you say the word 'money' (paisa), it's singular M (kitnā). If you count Rupees (rupaye), it's plural M (kitne).
Yes! You can say kitnā acchā (how good/nice). It acts as an adverb of degree here.
No, distance doesn't change the word kitnā. Only the gender and number of the noun matter.
Kitnā asks 'how much' (quantity). Kaisā asks 'how' or 'what kind' (quality).
You can say kitnī der (how much delay/duration). Der is feminine, so use kitnī.
Log (people) is always masculine plural. Always use kitne log.
No! Kitnā agrees with the object you are asking about, not the subject (you).
Day (din) is masculine. Plural days is still din. So, kitne din?.
If you say kitnā laḍkī, it sounds incorrect, like saying 'much girl' instead of 'many girls'. It should be kitnī laḍkī.
The word itself doesn't have a polite form, but using plural kitne for a single person shows respect (e.g., for a teacher or father).
Not directly. For 'how often', we usually say kitnī bār (how many times). Bār is feminine.
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