কিন্তু (kintu) - But
Welcome to Lesson 23 of our Bengali language course. In this lesson, we explore কিন্তু (kintu), the primary adversative conjunction in Bengali meaning “but.” This word is essential for expressing contrast, contradiction, and unexpected outcomes in both spoken and written Bengali.
কিন্তু (kintu) is one of the most frequently used conjunctions in Bengali, appearing in everyday conversation, literature, news, and formal writing. It connects two clauses where the second clause presents information that contrasts with, contradicts, or qualifies the first clause.
Unlike English “but,” which has subtle register variations, কিন্তু is used uniformly across all registers in Bengali. The word comes from Sanskrit किन्तु (kintu), maintaining the same meaning and function. Bengali also has other adversative conjunctions like তবে (tobe - “however”), বরং (boroṅ - “rather”), and তথাপি (tothapi - “nevertheless”), but কিন্তু remains the most common and versatile.
In Bengali’s Brahmic script, কিন্তু is written as ক + ি + ন + ্ + ত + ু, showing the consonant-vowel structure typical of abugida writing systems. The inherent vowel ‘ô’ is replaced by diacritics to create the proper sounds.
Throughout this lesson’s 15 examples, you will see কিন্তু used in various contexts: simple contrasts between two ideas, expressing disappointment or surprise, introducing unexpected information, and connecting complex thoughts. The examples progress from basic two-clause sentences to more sophisticated constructions found in Bengali literature and journalism.
Course Index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
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কিন্তু (kintu) is the most common word for “but” in Bengali -
Used identically in formal and informal contexts -
Connects contrasting or contradictory clauses -
Can appear between clauses or at the beginning of sentences for emphasis -
Essential for expressing nuanced thoughts and complex reasoning -
Invariable - no conjugation or agreement needed
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23.1a আমি যেতে চাই কিন্তু সময় নেই
23.1b ami (ah-mee) I jete (jeh-teh) to-go chai (chai) want kintu (kin-too) but sômoy (shaw-moy) time nei (nay) is-not
23.2a সে বুদ্ধিমান কিন্তু অলস
23.2b she (sheh) he/she buddhiman (bood-dhee-mahn) intelligent kintu (kin-too) but ôlôs (aw-lawsh) lazy
23.3a বই ছোট কিন্তু খুব ভালো
23.3b boi (boy) book chhoṭo (chaw-taw) small kintu (kin-too) but khub (khoob) very bhalo (bha-law) good
23.4a আমরা চেষ্টা করেছি কিন্তু সফল হইনি
23.4b amra (ahm-rah) we ceṣṭa (chesh-tah) effort kôrechhi (kaw-reh-chee) did kintu (kin-too) but sôfôl (shaw-fawl) successful hoini (hoy-nee) became-not
23.5a বৃষ্টি হচ্ছে কিন্তু আমি বাইরে যাব
23.5b bṛṣṭi (brishh-tee) rain hôcche (haw-cheh) is-happening kintu (kin-too) but ami (ah-mee) I baire (bai-reh) outside jabo (jah-baw) will-go
23.6a সে গরিব কিন্তু সৎ মানুষ
23.6b she (sheh) he/she gôrib (gaw-reeb) poor kintu (kin-too) but sôt (shawt) honest manuṣ (mah-noosh) person
23.7a খাবার সুন্দর দেখায় কিন্তু স্বাদ ভালো না
23.7b khabar (kha-bahr) food sundôr (shoon-dawr) beautiful dekhay (deh-khai) looks kintu (kin-too) but sbad (shbahd) taste bhalo (bha-law) good na (nah) not
23.8a তুমি ঠিক বলেছ কিন্তু আমি মানতে পারছি না
23.8b tumi (too-mee) you ṭhik (theek) right bôlechho (baw-leh-chaw) said kintu (kin-too) but ami (ah-mee) I mante (mahn-teh) to-accept parchhi (pahr-chee) can na (nah) not
23.9a ঢাকা বড় শহর কিন্তু খুলনা শান্ত
23.9b Ḍhaka (dhah-kah) Dhaka bôṛo (baw-raw) big shôhôr (shaw-hawr) city kintu (kin-too) but Khulna (khool-nah) Khulna śantô (shahn-taw) peaceful
23.10a আমি পড়তে চাই কিন্তু চোখ ব্যথা করছে
23.10b ami (ah-mee) I pôṛte (pawr-teh) to-read chai (chai) want kintu (kin-too) but cokh (chawkh) eye bætha (bæh-thah) pain kôrchhe (kawr-cheh) is-doing
23.11a সে প্রতিশ্রুতি দিয়েছিল কিন্তু আসেনি
23.11b she (sheh) he/she prôtiśruti (praw-tee-shroo-tee) promise diyechhilô (dee-yeh-chee-law) had-given kintu (kin-too) but aseni (ah-sheh-nee) came-not
23.12a জীবন কঠিন কিন্তু সুন্দর হতে পারে
23.12b jibôn (jee-bawn) life kôṭhin (kaw-theen) difficult kintu (kin-too) but sundôr (shoon-dawr) beautiful hôte (haw-teh) to-be pare (pah-reh) can
23.13a আমরা দেরি করেছি কিন্তু এখনও সময় আছে
23.13b amra (ahm-rah) we deri (deh-ree) delay kôrechhi (kaw-reh-chee) did kintu (kin-too) but ekhônô (eh-khaw-naw) still sômoy (shaw-moy) time achhe (ah-cheh) is
23.14a বাবা রেগেছেন কিন্তু মা হাসছেন
23.14b baba (bah-bah) father regechhen (reh-geh-chen) is-angry kintu (kin-too) but ma (mah) mother haschhen (hahsh-chen) is-smiling
23.15a পথ লম্বা কিন্তু আমরা হাঁটব
23.15b pôth (pawth) road lômba (lawm-bah) long kintu (kin-too) but amra (ahm-rah) we hãṭbô (hahnt-baw) will-walk
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23.1 আমি যেতে চাই কিন্তু সময় নেই ami jete chai kintu sômoy nei “I want to go but there is no time”
23.2 সে বুদ্ধিমান কিন্তু অলস she buddhiman kintu ôlôs “He is intelligent but lazy”
23.3 বই ছোট কিন্তু খুব ভালো boi chhoṭo kintu khub bhalo “The book is small but very good”
23.4 আমরা চেষ্টা করেছি কিন্তু সফল হইনি amra ceṣṭa kôrechhi kintu sôfôl hoini “We tried but did not succeed”
23.5 বৃষ্টি হচ্ছে কিন্তু আমি বাইরে যাব bṛṣṭi hôcche kintu ami baire jabo “It is raining but I will go outside”
23.6 সে গরিব কিন্তু সৎ মানুষ she gôrib kintu sôt manuṣ “He is poor but an honest person”
23.7 খাবার সুন্দর দেখায় কিন্তু স্বাদ ভালো না khabar sundôr dekhay kintu sbad bhalo na “The food looks beautiful but the taste is not good”
23.8 তুমি ঠিক বলেছ কিন্তু আমি মানতে পারছি না tumi ṭhik bôlechho kintu ami mante parchhi na “You said correctly but I cannot accept it”
23.9 ঢাকা বড় শহর কিন্তু খুলনা শান্ত Ḍhaka bôṛo shôhôr kintu Khulna śantô “Dhaka is a big city but Khulna is peaceful”
23.10 আমি পড়তে চাই কিন্তু চোখ ব্যথা করছে ami pôṛte chai kintu cokh bætha kôrchhe “I want to read but my eye is hurting”
23.11 সে প্রতিশ্রুতি দিয়েছিল কিন্তু আসেনি she prôtiśruti diyechhilô kintu aseni “He had given a promise but did not come”
23.12 জীবন কঠিন কিন্তু সুন্দর হতে পারে jibôn kôṭhin kintu sundôr hôte pare “Life is difficult but can be beautiful”
23.13 আমরা দেরি করেছি কিন্তু এখনও সময় আছে amra deri kôrechhi kintu ekhônô sômoy achhe “We are late but there is still time”
23.14 বাবা রেগেছেন কিন্তু মা হাসছেন baba regechhen kintu ma haschhen “Father is angry but mother is smiling”
23.15 পথ লম্বা কিন্তু আমরা হাঁটব pôth lômba kintu amra hãṭbô “The road is long but we will walk”
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23.1 আমি যেতে চাই কিন্তু সময় নেই ami jete chai kintu sômoy nei
23.2 সে বুদ্ধিমান কিন্তু অলস she buddhiman kintu ôlôs
23.3 বই ছোট কিন্তু খুব ভালো boi chhoṭo kintu khub bhalo
23.4 আমরা চেষ্টা করেছি কিন্তু সফল হইনি amra ceṣṭa kôrechhi kintu sôfôl hoini
23.5 বৃষ্টি হচ্ছে কিন্তু আমি বাইরে যাব bṛṣṭi hôcche kintu ami baire jabo
23.6 সে গরিব কিন্তু সৎ মানুষ she gôrib kintu sôt manuṣ
23.7 খাবার সুন্দর দেখায় কিন্তু স্বাদ ভালো না khabar sundôr dekhay kintu sbad bhalo na
23.8 তুমি ঠিক বলেছ কিন্তু আমি মানতে পারছি না tumi ṭhik bôlechho kintu ami mante parchhi na
23.9 ঢাকা বড় শহর কিন্তু খুলনা শান্ত Ḍhaka bôṛo shôhôr kintu Khulna śantô
23.10 আমি পড়তে চাই কিন্তু চোখ ব্যথা করছে ami pôṛte chai kintu cokh bætha kôrchhe
23.11 সে প্রতিশ্রুতি দিয়েছিল কিন্তু আসেনি she prôtiśruti diyechhilô kintu aseni
23.12 জীবন কঠিন কিন্তু সুন্দর হতে পারে jibôn kôṭhin kintu sundôr hôte pare
23.13 আমরা দেরি করেছি কিন্তু এখনও সময় আছে amra deri kôrechhi kintu ekhônô sômoy achhe
23.14 বাবা রেগেছেন কিন্তু মা হাসছেন baba regechhen kintu ma haschhen
23.15 পথ লম্বা কিন্তু আমরা হাঁটব pôth lômba kintu amra hãṭbô
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These are the grammar rules for কিন্তু (kintu)
কিন্তু (kintu) is a coordinating conjunction that connects two independent clauses expressing contrast, contradiction, or unexpected information. It is invariable and requires no grammatical agreement with any part of the sentence.
The standard position for কিন্তু is between two clauses:
Clause 1 + কিন্তু + Clause 2
Example: আমি যাব কিন্তু তুমি থাকবে (ami jabo kintu tumi thakbe) - “I will go but you will stay”
However, কিন্তু can also begin a sentence for emphasis or in conversational contexts, especially when responding to a previous statement:
কিন্তু + Clause
Example: কিন্তু এটা সম্ভব নয় (kintu eṭa sômbhôb nôy) - “But this is not possible”
কিন্তু expresses several types of contrast:
Direct Opposition: Two qualities or states that are opposite -
সে ধনী কিন্তু দুঃখী (she dhôni kintu duḥkhi) - “She is rich but unhappy”
Unexpected Result: The second clause contradicts expectations from the first -
অনেক পড়েছি কিন্তু পাস করিনি (ônek pôṛechhi kintu pas kôrini) - “I studied a lot but did not pass”
Qualification: The second clause limits or qualifies the first -
খাবার ভালো কিন্তু দাম বেশি (khabar bhalo kintu dam beśi) - “The food is good but the price is high”
Concession: Acknowledging one point while asserting another -
বৃষ্টি হচ্ছে কিন্তু আমরা খেলব (bṛṣṭi hôcche kintu amra khelbo) - “It is raining but we will play”
Bengali has several other adversative conjunctions with nuanced differences:
তবে (tobe) - “however, but then, in that case” More tentative than কিন্তু, often introduces a condition or alternative Example: তুমি যাও, তবে সাবধানে (tumi jao, tobe sabdhane) - “You go, but carefully”
বরং (boroṅ) - “rather, instead” Suggests preference or substitution Example: এটা নয়, বরং ওটা নাও (eṭa nôy, boroṅ oṭa nao) - “Not this, rather take that”
তথাপি (tothapi) - “nevertheless, even so” Formal/literary, stronger concessive meaning Example: অসুস্থ ছিলাম, তথাপি কাজ করেছি (ôsusthô chhilam, tothapi kaj kôrechhi) - “I was sick, nevertheless I worked”
তবু (tobu) - “still, yet” Similar to তথাপি but more common in speech Example: জানি, তবু জিজ্ঞেস করলাম (jani, tobu jiggês kôrlam) - “I know, yet I asked”
Bengali word order with কিন্তু typically follows Subject-Object-Verb patterns in both clauses:
S-O-V কিন্তু S-O-V আমি বই পড়ি কিন্তু সে গান শোনে (ami boi pôṛi kintu she gan śone) “I read books but he listens to songs”
The subject may be omitted in the second clause if it’s the same as the first:
S-V কিন্তু V আমি গিয়েছিলাম কিন্তু দেখিনি (ami giyechhilam kintu dekhini) “I went but did not see”
কিন্তু can connect clauses with different tenses and aspects:
Past + কিন্তু + Future সে এসেছিল কিন্তু আবার আসবে (she esechhilô kintu abar asbe) “He came but will come again”
Present Continuous + কিন্তু + Present Simple বৃষ্টি হচ্ছে কিন্তু আমি ছাতা নিই না (bṛṣṭi hôcche kintu ami chhata nii na) “It is raining but I don’t take an umbrella”
কিন্তু can be reinforced with adverbs for stronger contrast:
তবু (tobu - “still”) + কিন্তু তবু কিন্তু সে গেল (tobu kintu she gelô) - “Still, but he went”
তা সত্ত্বেও (ta sôtteô - “despite that”) + কিন্তু তা সত্ত্বেও কিন্তু আমরা চেষ্টা করব (ta sôtteô kintu amra ceṣṭa kôrbo) “Despite that, but we will try”
Error 1: Using কিন্তু with subordinating conjunctions Incorrect: যদিও সে আসবে কিন্তু আমি যাব না Correct: সে আসবে কিন্তু আমি যাব না (she asbe kintu ami jabo na) “He will come but I will not go”
Note: যদিও (jôdio) already means “although/even though” and creates a subordinate clause, so adding কিন্তু creates redundancy.
Error 2: Incorrect word order Incorrect: কিন্তু আমি সে যাব না Correct: কিন্তু আমি যাব না (kintu ami jabo na) “But I will not go”
Error 3: Overusing কিন্তু in formal writing While কিন্তু is acceptable in all registers, excessive use in formal academic or literary writing may be considered unsophisticated. Consider using synonyms like তথাপি or তবু for variation.
Error 4: Confusing কিন্তু with কারণ (because) Incorrect: আমি যাইনি কিন্তু অসুস্থ ছিলাম (meaning unclear - “but” doesn’t fit) Correct: আমি যাইনি কারণ অসুস্থ ছিলাম (ami jaini karon ôsusthô chhilam) “I didn’t go because I was sick”
কিন্তু (kintu) - invariable conjunction
Position: Between clauses or sentence-initial
Function: Expresses contrast, contradiction, concession, or qualification
Register: Universal (all contexts)
Synonyms: তবে (tobe), বরং (boroṅ), তথাপি (tothapi), তবু (tobu) - with nuanced differences
Structure: Clause + কিন্তু + Clause
Agreement: None required
Emphasis: Can be strengthened with adverbs
Usage frequency: Extremely high in all forms of Bengali
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কিন্তু is one of the most frequently used words in Bengali across all registers and contexts. It appears countless times in everyday conversation, literature, journalism, academic writing, and formal speech. Unlike some Bengali words that vary between colloquial and formal usage, কিন্তু maintains the same form everywhere.
In spoken Bengali, কিন্তু is often slightly shortened in rapid speech to something like “kintu” or even “kintu,” but the written form remains standard. Some dialects may pronounce it with slight variations (কিন্তু vs. কিন্তুক in very informal contexts), but these are not standard.
Bengali speakers frequently begin sentences with কিন্তু for rhetorical effect, especially in argumentation or storytelling:
কিন্তু শোনো (kintu śono) - “But listen...” কিন্তু না (kintu na) - “But no...” কিন্তু কেন (kintu keno) - “But why...”
This sentence-initial position creates dramatic emphasis and is extremely common in Bengali discourse, more so than in English where starting with “but” is sometimes considered informal.
In Bengali literature, from Rabindranath Tagore to contemporary authors, কিন্তু plays a crucial role in creating tension, expressing irony, and developing character psychology. The conjunction appears prominently in poetry, where contrasts are central to meaning:
From poetry: মন চায়, কিন্তু পথ নেই (môn cay, kintu pôth nei) “The heart desires, but there is no path”
Bengali culture values nuanced expression, and কিন্তু is essential for this. The ability to see both sides of an issue is considered a mark of intelligence and thoughtfulness. In Bengali conversation, people frequently use কিন্তু to acknowledge another’s point before presenting their own view, maintaining harmony while expressing disagreement.
The phrase কিন্তু আমার মনে হয় (kintu amar mône hôy - “but I think”) is a very common conversational formula for politely disagreeing.
While কিন্তু is universal across Bangladesh and West Bengal, some regional preferences exist:
Bangladesh: কিন্তু universally standard West Bengal: কিন্তু standard, but কিন্তু sometimes alternates with কিন্তু in very informal Kolkata dialect Sylhet region: May use কিন্তু with distinctive pronunciation Chittagong region: Standard কিন্তু but may appear in code-switching with Chittagonian dialect equivalents
In contemporary Bengali, especially in social media and digital communication, কিন্তু appears frequently, often abbreviated in very informal contexts to just “kintu” or even “but” (using English). However, in any formal digital writing (news, blogs, official communications), the full Bengali form is always used.
Bengali news language makes heavy use of কিন্তু to present balanced reporting: সরকার দাবি করেছে, কিন্তু বিরোধী দল মানেনি (sôrkar dabi kôrechhe, kintu birôdhi dôl maneni) “The government has claimed, but the opposition did not accept”
Several common Bengali expressions incorporate কিন্তু:
কিন্তু তবু (kintu tobu) - “but still” (emphasis) কিন্তু না (kintu na) - “but no” (strong negation) কিন্তু কী (kintu ki) - “but what” (rhetorical surprise) কিন্তু আর কি (kintu ar ki) - “but what else” (resignation)
In Bengali philosophical and spiritual discourse, কিন্তু represents the recognition of duality and the complexity of existence. The Baul tradition of Bengal, with its mystical poetry, frequently uses কিন্তু to express the paradoxes of spiritual life:
জগৎ মায়া, কিন্তু প্রেম সত্য (jôgôt maya, kintu prem sôttyô) “The world is illusion, but love is real”
This reflects the Bengali intellectual tradition of embracing complexity rather than seeking simple binary answers.
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The following authentic text is from গোরা (Gora) by Rabindranath Tagore, one of the masterworks of Bengali literature. This passage illustrates the use of কিন্তু in literary context, showing how the conjunction functions in complex, sophisticated prose.
গোরা বলিল আমি জানি কিন্তু হৃদয় মানিতে চায় না সুচরিতা চুপ করিয়া রহিল কিন্তু তাহার মুখে একটি গভীর বেদনার ছায়া পড়িল গোরা আবার বলিল তুমি বুঝিতেছ না কিন্তু আমি যাহা বলিতেছি তাহা সত্য
Gora (gaw-rah) Gora bôlilô (baw-lee-law) said ami (ah-mee) I jani (jah-nee) know kintu (kin-too) but hṛdôy (hree-doy) heart manite (mah-nee-teh) to-accept cay (chai) wants na (nah) not Sucarita (shoo-chah-ree-tah) Sucharita cup (choop) silent kôriya (kaw-ree-yah) having-made rôhilô (raw-hee-law) remained kintu (kin-too) but tahar (tah-hahr) her mukhe (moo-kheh) on-face ekṭi (ehk-tee) one gôbhir (gaw-bheer) deep bedônar (beh-daw-nahr) of-pain chaya (chha-yah) shadow pôṛilô (paw-ree-law) fell Gora (gaw-rah) Gora abar (ah-bahr) again bôlilô (baw-lee-law) said tumi (too-mee) you bujhitechho (booj-hee-teh-chaw) are-understanding na (nah) not kintu (kin-too) but ami (ah-mee) I jaha (jah-hah) what bôlitechhi (baw-lee-teh-chee) am-saying taha (tah-hah) that sôttyô (shawt-tyaw) truth
গোরা বলিল আমি জানি কিন্তু হৃদয় মানিতে চায় না সুচরিতা চুপ করিয়া রহিল কিন্তু তাহার মুখে একটি গভীর বেদনার ছায়া পড়িল গোরা আবার বলিল তুমি বুঝিতেছ না কিন্তু আমি যাহা বলিতেছি তাহা সত্য
Gora bôlilô ami jani kintu hṛdôy manite cay na Sucarita cup kôriya rôhilô kintu tahar mukhe ekṭi gôbhir bedônar chaya pôṛilô Gora abar bôlilô tumi bujhitechho na kintu ami jaha bôlitechhi taha sôttyô
“Gora said, ‘I know, but my heart does not want to accept it.’ Sucharita remained silent, but a shadow of deep pain fell on her face. Gora spoke again: ‘You do not understand, but what I am saying is true.’”
গোরা বলিল আমি জানি কিন্তু হৃদয় মানিতে চায় না সুচরিতা চুপ করিয়া রহিল কিন্তু তাহার মুখে একটি গভীর বেদনার ছায়া পড়িল গোরা আবার বলিল তুমি বুঝিতেছ না কিন্তু আমি যাহা বলিতেছি তাহা সত্য
Gora bôlilô ami jani kintu hṛdôy manite cay na Sucarita cup kôriya rôhilô kintu tahar mukhe ekṭi gôbhir bedônar chaya pôṛilô Gora abar bôlilô tumi bujhitechho na kintu ami jaha bôlitechhi taha sôttyô
বলিল (bôlilô) - Past simple form of বলা (bôla - “to say”), archaic literary form; modern would be বলল (bôllô)
হৃদয় (hṛdôy) - “Heart” from Sanskrit हृदय, used for emotional/spiritual heart
মানিতে চায় না (manite cay na) - Verbal phrase meaning “does not want to accept”; মানিতে is infinitive form (to accept) + চায় (wants) + না (not)
চুপ করিয়া রহিল (cup kôriya rôhilô) - “Having made silent remained” = “remained silent”; করিয়া is conjunctive participle form (modern করে)
তাহার (tahar) - “Her” possessive, archaic form; modern form is তার (tar)
বেদনার (bedônar) - “Of pain” genitive form; বেদনা (pain) + র (genitive marker)
ছায়া পড়িল (chaya pôṛilô) - “Shadow fell” - idiomatic expression for emotional change visible on face
বুঝিতেছ (bujhitechho) - Present continuous “are understanding”; archaic form, modern would be বুঝছ (bujchho)
যাহা...তাহা (jaha...taha) - Correlative construction “what...that”; archaic forms, modern would be যা...তা (ja...ta)
This passage demonstrates কিন্তু used three times in close succession, each instance marking a different type of contrast: -
First কিন্তু: Internal contradiction (mind knows but heart refuses) -
Second কিন্তু: External contrast (silence but visible emotion) -
Third কিন্তু: Insistence despite disagreement (you don’t understand but I’m right)
This excerpt from Tagore’s গোরা (Gora, 1910) showcases the sophisticated use of কিন্তু in Bengali literary prose. The novel explores themes of identity, nationalism, and religious reform in colonial Bengal, and this dialogue between Gora and Sucharita represents a moment of emotional and ideological conflict.
Tagore’s use of কিন্তু here is structurally masterful. Each instance advances the emotional tension: Gora’s internal conflict (knowing intellectually but rejecting emotionally), Sucharita’s silent response that nonetheless communicates pain, and Gora’s insistence on his truth despite her lack of understanding.
The archaic forms used here (বলিল instead of বলল, করিয়া instead of করে, তাহার instead of তার) are characteristic of Tagore’s literary style, which drew on Sanskrit-influenced high Bengali. Modern Bengali would use simpler forms, but the function of কিন্তু remains identical.
Note how কিন্তু serves not just as a logical connector but as a rhythmic element in Tagore’s prose, creating a pattern of thesis-antithesis that mirrors Bengali philosophical traditions. This repetitive use of কিন্তু creates a sense of persistent contradiction, reflecting Gora’s internal struggle throughout the novel.
Source: রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর, গোরা (Rabindranath Tagore, Gora), 1910
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The following examples form a coherent short narrative titled “পুরানো বাড়ি” (Purano Baṛi - “The Old House”), demonstrating natural usage of কিন্তু in storytelling context.
23.16a আমরা পুরানো বাড়ি দেখতে গেলাম কিন্তু দরজা বন্ধ ছিল
23.16b amra (ahm-rah) we purano (poo-rah-naw) old baṛi (bah-ree) house dekhte (dehkh-teh) to-see gelam (geh-lahm) went kintu (kin-too) but dôrja (dawr-jah) door bôndhô (bawn-dhaw) closed chhilô (chee-law) was
23.17a বাড়িটা ছোট কিন্তু সুন্দর বাগান ছিল
23.17b baṛiṭa (bah-ree-tah) the-house chhoṭo (chaw-taw) small kintu (kin-too) but sundôr (shoon-dawr) beautiful bagan (bah-gahn) garden chhilô (chee-law) was
23.18a আমি ভিতরে যেতে চাইলাম কিন্তু বাবা মানা করলেন
23.18b ami (ah-mee) I bhitôre (bhee-taw-reh) inside jete (jeh-teh) to-go cailam (chai-lahm) wanted kintu (kin-too) but baba (bah-bah) father mana (mah-nah) refusal kôrlen (kawr-lehn) did
23.19a জানালা দিয়ে দেখলাম কিন্তু কেউ ভিতরে নেই
23.19b janala (jah-nah-lah) window diye (dee-yeh) through dekhlam (dehkh-lahm) saw kintu (kin-too) but keu (keh-oo) anyone bhitôre (bhee-taw-reh) inside nei (nay) is-not
23.20a প্রতিবেশী এলেন কিন্তু চাবি ছিল না
23.20b prôtibeśi (praw-tee-beh-shee) neighbor elen (eh-lehn) came kintu (kin-too) but cabi (chah-bee) key chhilô (chee-law) was na (nah) not
23.21a তিনি বললেন মালিক শহরে থাকেন কিন্তু কখনো আসেন না
23.21b tini (tee-nee) he/she-FORMAL bôllen (bawl-lehn) said malik (mah-leek) owner shôhôre (shaw-haw-reh) in-city thaken (thah-kehn) lives kintu (kin-too) but kôkhôno (kaw-khaw-naw) ever asen (ah-shehn) comes na (nah) not
23.22a বাড়ির ইতিহাস জানতে চাইলাম কিন্তু তিনি বেশি কিছু জানতেন না
23.22b baṛir (bah-reer) of-house itihash (ee-tee-hahsh) history jante (jahn-teh) to-know cailam (chai-lahm) wanted kintu (kin-too) but tini (tee-nee) he/she-FORMAL beśi (beh-shee) more kichhu (kee-choo) something janten (jahn-tehn) knew na (nah) not
23.23a বাগানে পুরানো আম গাছ ছিল কিন্তু ফল হয় না
23.23b bagane (bah-gah-neh) in-garden purano (poo-rah-naw) old am (ahm) mango gachh (gah-chh) tree chhilô (chee-law) was kintu (kin-too) but fôl (fawl) fruit hôy (hoy) happens na (nah) not
23.24a দেয়ালে রং উঠে গেছে কিন্তু স্থাপত্য এখনো মজবুত
23.24b deyale (deh-yah-leh) on-wall rông (rawng) paint uṭhe (oo-theh) having-risen gechhe (geh-cheh) has-gone kintu (kin-too) but sthapôttyô (sthah-pawt-tyaw) architecture ekhônô (eh-khaw-naw) still môjbut (mawj-boot) strong
23.25a আমরা ফিরতে চাইলাম কিন্তু হঠাৎ একটা শব্দ শুনলাম
23.25b amra (ahm-rah) we phirte (pheer-teh) to-return cailam (chai-lahm) wanted kintu (kin-too) but hôṭhat (haw-thaht) suddenly ekṭa (ehk-tah) one śôbdô (shawb-daw) sound śunlam (shoon-lahm) heard
23.26a পেছনের দরজা খোলা কিন্তু কেউ দেখা গেল না
23.26b pechôner (peh-chaw-nehr) of-back dôrja (dawr-jah) door khola (khaw-lah) open kintu (kin-too) but keu (keh-oo) anyone dekha (deh-khah) seeing gelô (geh-law) went na (nah) not
23.27a ভিতরে ঢুকলাম কিন্তু সব ঘর খালি
23.27b bhitôre (bhee-taw-reh) inside dhuklam (dhook-lahm) entered kintu (kin-too) but sôb (shawb) all ghôr (gawr) room khali (khah-lee) empty
23.28a একটা ঘরে পুরানো ছবি ছিল কিন্তু চেহারা দেখা যাচ্ছিল না
23.28b ekṭa (ehk-tah) one ghôre (gaw-reh) in-room purano (poo-rah-naw) old chhobi (chaw-bee) picture chhilô (chee-law) was kintu (kin-too) but cehara (cheh-hah-rah) face dekha (deh-khah) seeing jachhilô (jah-chee-law) was-going na (nah) not
23.29a বাবা ডাকলেন কিন্তু আমি আরেকটু থাকতে চাইলাম
23.29b baba (bah-bah) father ḍaklen (dah-klehn) called kintu (kin-too) but ami (ah-mee) I arekṭu (ah-rehk-too) a-little-more thakte (thahk-teh) to-stay cailam (chai-lahm) wanted
23.30a সূর্য ডুবছিল কিন্তু বাড়িটা আমার মনে থেকে গেল
23.30b surjyô (shoor-jyaw) sun ḍubchhilô (doob-chee-law) was-setting kintu (kin-too) but baṛiṭa (bah-ree-tah) the-house amar (ah-mahr) my mône (maw-neh) in-mind theke (theh-keh) having-remained gelô (geh-law) went
23.16 আমরা পুরানো বাড়ি দেখতে গেলাম কিন্তু দরজা বন্ধ ছিল amra purano baṛi dekhte gelam kintu dôrja bôndhô chhilô “We went to see the old house but the door was closed”
23.17 বাড়িটা ছোট কিন্তু সুন্দর বাগান ছিল baṛiṭa chhoṭo kintu sundôr bagan chhilô “The house was small but there was a beautiful garden”
23.18 আমি ভিতরে যেতে চাইলাম কিন্তু বাবা মানা করলেন ami bhitôre jete cailam kintu baba mana kôrlen “I wanted to go inside but father refused”
23.19 জানালা দিয়ে দেখলাম কিন্তু কেউ ভিতরে নেই janala diye dekhlam kintu keu bhitôre nei “I looked through the window but no one was inside”
23.20 প্রতিবেশী এলেন কিন্তু চাবি ছিল না prôtibeśi elen kintu cabi chhilô na “The neighbor came but there was no key”
23.21 তিনি বললেন মালিক শহরে থাকেন কিন্তু কখনো আসেন না tini bôllen malik shôhôre thaken kintu kôkhôno asen na “He said the owner lives in the city but never comes”
23.22 বাড়ির ইতিহাস জানতে চাইলাম কিন্তু তিনি বেশি কিছু জানতেন না baṛir itihash jante cailam kintu tini beśi kichhu janten na “I wanted to know the house’s history but he didn’t know much”
23.23 বাগানে পুরানো আম গাছ ছিল কিন্তু ফল হয় না bagane purano am gachh chhilô kintu fôl hôy na “There was an old mango tree in the garden but it doesn’t bear fruit”
23.24 দেয়ালে রং উঠে গেছে কিন্তু স্থাপত্য এখনো মজবুত deyale rông uṭhe gechhe kintu sthapôttyô ekhônô môjbut “The paint has peeled off the walls but the architecture is still strong”
23.25 আমরা ফিরতে চাইলাম কিন্তু হঠাৎ একটা শব্দ শুনলাম amra phirte cailam kintu hôṭhat ekṭa śôbdô śunlam “We wanted to return but suddenly we heard a sound”
23.26 পেছনের দরজা খোলা কিন্তু কেউ দেখা গেল না pechôner dôrja khola kintu keu dekha gelô na “The back door was open but no one was seen”
23.27 ভিতরে ঢুকলাম কিন্তু সব ঘর খালি bhitôre dhuklam kintu sôb ghôr khali “We entered inside but all rooms were empty”
23.28 একটা ঘরে পুরানো ছবি ছিল কিন্তু চেহারা দেখা যাচ্ছিল না ekṭa ghôre purano chhobi chhilô kintu cehara dekha jachhilô na “There was an old photograph in one room but the face could not be seen”
23.29 বাবা ডাকলেন কিন্তু আমি আরেকটু থাকতে চাইলাম baba ḍaklen kintu ami arekṭu thakte cailam “Father called but I wanted to stay a little longer”
23.30 সূর্য ডুবছিল কিন্তু বাড়িটা আমার মনে থেকে গেল surjyô ḍubchhilô kintu baṛiṭa amar mône theke gelô “The sun was setting but the house remained in my mind”
23.16 আমরা পুরানো বাড়ি দেখতে গেলাম কিন্তু দরজা বন্ধ ছিল amra purano baṛi dekhte gelam kintu dôrja bôndhô chhilô
23.17 বাড়িটা ছোট কিন্তু সুন্দর বাগান ছিল baṛiṭa chhoṭo kintu sundôr bagan chhilô
23.18 আমি ভিতরে যেতে চাইলাম কিন্তু বাবা মানা করলেন ami bhitôre jete cailam kintu baba mana kôrlen
23.19 জানালা দিয়ে দেখলাম কিন্তু কেউ ভিতরে নেই janala diye dekhlam kintu keu bhitôre nei
23.20 প্রতিবেশী এলেন কিন্তু চাবি ছিল না prôtibeśi elen kintu cabi chhilô na
23.21 তিনি বললেন মালিক শহরে থাকেন কিন্তু কখনো আসেন না tini bôllen malik shôhôre thaken kintu kôkhôno asen na
23.22 বাড়ির ইতিহাস জানতে চাইলাম কিন্তু তিনি বেশি কিছু জানতেন না baṛir itihash jante cailam kintu tini beśi kichhu janten na
23.23 বাগানে পুরানো আম গাছ ছিল কিন্তু ফল হয় না bagane purano am gachh chhilô kintu fôl hôy na
23.24 দেয়ালে রং উঠে গেছে কিন্তু স্থাপত্য এখনো মজবুত deyale rông uṭhe gechhe kintu sthapôttyô ekhônô môjbut
23.25 আমরা ফিরতে চাইলাম কিন্তু হঠাৎ একটা শব্দ শুনলাম amra phirte cailam kintu hôṭhat ekṭa śôbdô śunlam
23.26 পেছনের দরজা খোলা কিন্তু কেউ দেখা গেল না pechôner dôrja khola kintu keu dekha gelô na
23.27 ভিতরে ঢুকলাম কিন্তু সব ঘর খালি bhitôre dhuklam kintu sôb ghôr khali
23.28 একটা ঘরে পুরানো ছবি ছিল কিন্তু চেহারা দেখা যাচ্ছিল না ekṭa ghôre purano chhobi chhilô kintu cehara dekha jachhilô na
23.29 বাবা ডাকলেন কিন্তু আমি আরেকটু থাকতে চাইলাম baba ḍaklen kintu ami arekṭu thakte cailam
23.30 সূর্য ডুবছিল কিন্তু বাড়িটা আমার মনে থেকে গেল surjyô ḍubchhilô kintu baṛiṭa amar mône theke gelô
This narrative section demonstrates কিন্তু in natural storytelling context. Several patterns emerge:
Narrative Tension: Each use of কিন্তু creates a small conflict or surprise, driving the story forward. The structure “wanted to X but Y happened” appears multiple times, maintaining reader engagement.
Descriptive Contrast: Examples 23.17, 23.23, and 23.24 show কিন্তু used to describe contrasting qualities of the house and garden, creating a vivid sense of place.
Past Tense Consistency: Most verbs are in simple past (গেলাম gelam, ছিল chhilô) or past continuous (ডুবছিল ḍubchhilô), appropriate for narrative past-time storytelling.
Dialogue Integration: Example 23.21 shows কিন্তু within reported speech, a common feature of Bengali narrative.
Compound Verbs: Several examples use Bengali compound verb constructions (দেখা গেল na “was seen,” থেকে গেল “remained”) which combine with কিন্তু for nuanced meaning.
Temporal Progression: The story moves from arrival (23.16) through exploration (23.18-23.28) to departure (23.29-23.30), with কিন্তু marking each turning point.
Mystery Elements: The repeated pattern of expectation contradicted by কিন্তু creates an eerie atmosphere appropriate for the abandoned house setting.
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This lesson is part of the Latinum Institute’s comprehensive Bengali language program, designed for autodidact learners who wish to master Bengali through systematic study. The course uses a proven methodology based on interlinear construed text, which has been successfully employed by the Latinum Institute since 2006 for teaching multiple languages.
The Latinum Institute has been creating high-quality language learning materials for nearly two decades, specializing in making complex writing systems accessible to English speakers. Our approach is built on several key principles:
Interlinear Glossing: Every word in the target language is individually glossed in English, allowing learners to understand the precise structure and meaning of each sentence. This granular approach eliminates guesswork and builds genuine comprehension.
Authentic Content: We prioritize authentic texts and natural usage patterns over artificially simplified materials. Language learners deserve to encounter real Bengali from the beginning, supported by clear explanations.
Systematic Progression: Our curriculum is based on word frequency data, ensuring that you learn the most useful and common words first. Each lesson builds vocabulary systematically while remaining self-contained through the interlinear format.
Cultural Context: Language cannot be separated from culture. Each lesson includes cultural notes, literary examples, and contextual information that help you understand not just how Bengali works, but how it lives in Bengali-speaking communities.
Script Mastery: For languages using non-Latin scripts like Bengali, we provide consistent romanization alongside the native script, helping you develop reading fluency while learning the language’s structure and vocabulary.
The interlinear construed text method has several advantages for language learners:
Immediate Comprehension: You never have to wonder what a word means or how a sentence is constructed. Every element is transparent.
Pattern Recognition: By seeing grammatical structures broken down word-by-word across many examples, you naturally begin to recognize patterns and internalize grammar rules.
Self-Paced Learning: You can work through materials at your own speed, returning to difficult sections as needed without requiring a teacher or class schedule.
Authentic Vocabulary: Because every word is glossed, we can use rich, natural vocabulary from the beginning rather than restricting lessons to a limited word set.
Reading Development: The side-by-side presentation of script and romanization helps you gradually develop the ability to read Bengali script independently.
Bengali (বাংলা Bangla) is one of the world’s most spoken languages, with over 230 million native speakers primarily in Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the official language of Bangladesh and one of the 22 scheduled languages of India.
Bengali uses the Bengali-Assamese script, a beautiful and sophisticated writing system derived from ancient Brahmi script. The script is an abugida, meaning consonants carry an inherent vowel that can be modified with diacritical marks. Learning to read Bengali script opens the door to a rich literary tradition spanning over a thousand years.
Bengali literature is particularly renowned, having produced Asia’s first Nobel laureate in literature, Rabindranath Tagore (রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর). The language has a vast corpus of poetry, novels, short stories, essays, and philosophical works. Modern Bengali is also the medium of vibrant cinema, music, journalism, and digital media.
The language has several registers and regional varieties, but Standard Colloquial Bengali (based on the educated speech of Kolkata and Dhaka) is widely understood and is the basis for this course.
Each lesson in this course follows a consistent structure:
Introduction: Overview of the lesson word, its grammatical function, and how it will be used in the examples.
Section A - Interlinear Construed Text: 15 examples with word-by-word glossing in a two-line format. Native script appears in bold on line ‘a’, with romanization, pronunciation guide, and English gloss on line ‘b’.
Section B - Natural Sentences: The same 15 examples presented as complete sentences with full translations, showing how the sentences flow naturally in Bengali.
Section C - Target Language Only: Pure Bengali text with romanization, allowing you to test your comprehension and practice reading.
Section D - Grammar Explanation: Detailed explanation of grammatical rules, common mistakes, related constructions, and usage patterns relevant to the lesson word.
Section E - Cultural Context: Information about how the word or structure is used in Bengali society, including register differences, regional variations, idiomatic expressions, and cultural significance.
Section F - Literary Citation: An authentic excerpt from Bengali literature, broken down with the same interlinear method, demonstrating how the lesson’s concepts appear in actual literary texts.
Genre Section: An additional 15 examples forming a coherent narrative, dialogue, news report, or other text type, providing extended practice with the lesson word in natural context.
For best results: -
Read the Introduction to understand what the lesson will cover -
Work through Section A carefully, noting how each word functions -
Read Section B to see the complete, natural sentences -
Test yourself with Section C before looking back at the glosses -
Study the Grammar Explanation to understand the underlying rules -
Read the Cultural Context to understand real-world usage -
Analyze the Literary Citation to see authentic Bengali in action -
Complete the Genre Section for extended practice -
Review regularly, as repetition strengthens memory
Don’t rush. Each lesson contains 30 examples plus literary citations and cultural notes. Take time to internalize the patterns before moving forward.
While this course is designed to be self-contained, you may wish to supplement your learning with: -
Audio resources: Seek out Bengali music, podcasts, and audiobooks to develop listening skills -
Native texts: Once you’ve completed several lessons, try reading Bengali newspapers, blogs, or simple stories -
Language exchange: Practice with native speakers when possible -
Additional grammar references: Consult comprehensive Bengali grammar books for deeper explanations of complex topics -
Anki or other spaced repetition software: Create flashcards from the lesson vocabulary for regular review
The course is organized by word frequency, with each lesson number corresponding to a word from our master vocabulary list. Lesson 23 covers “but” (কিন্তু), the 23rd most common word in Bengali. By working through lessons sequentially, you ensure systematic coverage of the most important vocabulary.
After completing 50 lessons, you will have encountered the 50 most frequent Bengali words and hundreds of additional words in context. After 100 lessons, you’ll have a solid foundation in Bengali grammar and a substantial vocabulary base.
The Latinum Institute has been creating language learning materials since 2006, and our methods have helped thousands of learners worldwide. You can find more information about our courses and methodology at:
Course Index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
Reviews and Testimonials: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/latinum.org.uk
We welcome feedback and suggestions for improving our materials. Language learning is a journey, and we’re honored to be part of yours.
Bengali script may seem complex at first, but it follows logical patterns. The script is written left-to-right and features: -
Consonants with inherent vowel ‘ô’: ক (kô), খ (khô), গ (gô), etc. -
Vowel diacritics that modify the inherent vowel: কি (ki), কু (ku), কে (ke), etc. -
Conjunct consonants where two consonants combine: ক্ত (ktô), প্র (prô), etc. -
A distinctive horizontal line (মাত্রা matra) connecting most letters
With consistent practice using our interlinear method, you’ll find Bengali script becomes increasingly natural to read. The romanization provided in each lesson helps you bridge from familiar Latin letters to the beautiful Bengali script.
Learning Bengali opens doors to a rich cultural world. From the poetry of Tagore to contemporary Bangladeshi cinema, from classical Baul music to modern Dhaka street life, Bengali is a language of depth, beauty, and vitality.
The interlinear method used in this course respects your intelligence as a learner. We don’t simplify or “dumb down” the language. Instead, we make authentic Bengali transparent through careful glossing and explanation. Every sentence you encounter is real Bengali that could be spoken or written by native speakers.
Consistency matters more than speed. Regular study, even 15-30 minutes daily, will yield better results than occasional marathon sessions. Trust the method, work through the examples systematically, and watch your comprehension grow.
Welcome to Bengali. আপনাকে স্বাগতম (apnake sbagôtôm).
Course created by the Latinum Institute Methodology in use since 2006 Serving autodidact language learners worldwide
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End of Lesson 23
Next Lesson: Lesson 24 will cover the next word in our frequency-based curriculum.
Previous Lesson: Lesson 22 covered the previous word in sequence.
Return to Course Index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
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