Advanced Translation: Register and

### Overview

Think of Hindi registers like a wardrobe. You have your comfy sweatpants for home (Tu), your casual jeans for hanging out with friends (Tum), and your sharp suit or saree for formal events (Aap). At the C2 level, translation isn't just about swapping words; it's about picking the right outfit for the situation. If you translate 'How are you?' literally to a CEO as तू कैसा है? (Tu kaisa hai?), you might get fired. If you say आप कैसे हैं? (Aap kaise hain?) to your dog, people will look at you funny. Mastering register means knowing exactly how much respect, distance, or intimacy to inject into your sentence.

### How This Grammar Works

Register in Hindi isn't just one thing; it's a slider that moves three distinct knobs:

1. 1Pronouns: The famous trio: तू (Tu) (intimate/rough), तुम (Tum) (familiar), आप (Aap) (formal).
2. 2Verb Conjugations: Verbs change to match the pronoun. है (Hai) vs. हो (Ho) vs. हैं (Hain).
3. 3Vocabulary: This is the C2 secret sauce. You can switch between Hindustani (everyday mix), Shuddh Hindi (Sanskritized, formal, official), and Urdu (poetic, courteous, legal).

### Formation Pattern

Here is the hierarchy of politeness:

1. 1Intimate/Disrespectful (Tu): Pronoun तू (Tu) + Verb root + ता/ती/ते (ta/ti/te) + है (hai).
2. 2Familiar (Tum): Pronoun तुम (Tum) + Verb root + ते/ती/ओ (te/ti/o) + हो (ho).
3. 3Respectful (Aap): Pronoun आप (Aap) + Verb root + ते/ती (te/ti) + हैं (hain).
4. 4Ultra-Formal/Royal (Aap + Honorifics): आप (Aap) + Urdu vocabulary (फ़रमाइये (Farmaiye), तशरीफ़ (Tashreef)) or Sanskrit vocabulary (पधारिये (Padhariye), ग्रहण करें (Grahan karein)).

### When To Use It

• Tu: Only for God (intimacy), very close childhood friends, or when you want to pick a fight. Seriously, be careful here.
• Tum: Colleagues of same rank, friends, younger siblings, waiters (though आप (Aap) is nicer).
• Aap: Strangers, elders, bosses, officials, and anyone you want to show distance or respect to.

### When Not To Use It

• Don't use आप (Aap) with close friends unless you're being sarcastic or dramatic. It creates distance.
• Don't use तू (Tu) with strangers, even if they are younger than you, unless you want to sound uneducated or aggressive.
• Don't mix registers! Saying आप इधर आओ (Aap idhar aao) (Formal pronoun + Casual verb) sounds jarring, like wearing a tuxedo with flip-flops.

### Common Mistakes

• The 'Please' Trap: In English, we add "please" to make things polite. In Hindi, the politeness is baked into the verb (दीजिये (Dijiye) vs दो (Do)). Adding कृपया (Kripya) everywhere sounds robotic.
• Gender Confusion in Plurals: When using आप (Aap), the verb is always plural (हैं (Hain), not है (Hai)), even for one person.
• Vocabulary Clash: Using high Urdu (तशरीफ़ (Tashreef)) with casual grammar (रखो (rakho)) sounds bizarre.

### Contrast With Similar Patterns

• English: Uses tone and modal verbs ("Could you possibly...") to show register.
• Japanese/Korean: Have strict honorific systems similar to Hindi, but Hindi focuses more on the pronoun-verb agreement than specific honorific prefixes/suffixes.

### Quick FAQ

Q: Can I just use 'Aap' for everyone to be safe?

You *can*, but you'll sound like a politician or a news anchor. It prevents real intimacy.

Q: What if I don't know someone's age?

When in doubt, आप (Aap) it out. It's better to be too polite than rude.