The English word "that" has multiple Hindi equivalents depending on its grammatical function. As a demonstrative pronoun (pointing to something), it translates to वह (vah) or वो (vo) in colloquial speech. As a relative pronoun or conjunction introducing a clause, it translates to कि (ki) or जो (jo). This lesson will explore all major uses of "that" to help English speakers master these essential Hindi words.
Definition for the autodidact student: "That" in Hindi primarily takes two forms: वह (vah) when pointing to objects, people, or ideas at a distance, and कि (ki) when connecting clauses or reporting speech. Understanding this distinction is crucial for proper Hindi communication.
FAQ Schema Question: What does "that" mean in Hindi? Answer: "That" translates to वह (vah) when used as a demonstrative pronoun (e.g., "that book"), and कि (ki) when used as a conjunction (e.g., "I know that..."). The relative pronoun usage ("the book that I read") uses जो (jo).
How this topic word will be used in the lesson examples: This lesson presents 15 varied sentences demonstrating all major uses of "that" in Hindi. Examples progress from simple demonstrative uses to complex subordinate clauses, helping learners grasp the full range of this essential word's functions.
Educational Schema Type: Language Learning Material Subject: Hindi Language Level: Beginner to Intermediate Topic: Demonstrative pronouns and conjunctions Method: Latinum Institute Construed Text Method
Key Takeaways: -
वह (vah) = that (demonstrative, pointing to things) -
कि (ki) = that (conjunction, introducing clauses) -
जो (jo) = that/which (relative pronoun) -
Word order changes significantly between English and Hindi -
Context determines which Hindi equivalent to use
22.1 वह that (vah) लड़का boy (laṛkā) पढ़ is-reading (paṛh) रहा -ing (rahā) है is (hai) उस that (us) किताब book (kitāb) को object-marker (ko)
22.2 मैं I (main) जानता know (jāntā) हूँ am (hūn̐) कि that (ki) वह she (vah) आज today (āj) आएगी will-come (āegī)
22.3 यह this (yah) वह that (vah) है is (hai) घर house (ghar) जो which (jo) मैंने I (mainē) खरीदा bought (kharīdā)
22.4 उसने he/she (usnē) कहा said (kahā) कि that (ki) वह he/she (vah) कल tomorrow (kal) नहीं not (nahīn̐) आ come (ā) सकता can (saktā)
22.5 वह that (vah) किताब book (kitāb) जो which (jo) तुम you (tum) पढ़ reading (paṛh) रहे are (rahē) हो are (ho) बहुत very (bahut) रोचक interesting (rochak) है is (hai)
22.6 मुझे to-me (mujhē) पता is-known (patā) है is (hai) कि that (ki) वह that (vah) स्कूल school (skūl) देर late (dēr) से from (sē) पहुंचा reached (pahun̐chā)
22.7 वह that (vah) आदमी man (ādmī) जो who (jo) वहाँ there (vahān̐) खड़ा standing (khaṛā) है is (hai) मेरा my (mērā) अध्यापक teacher (adhyāpak) है is (hai)
22.8 उन्होंने they (unhōnē) सोचा thought (sōchā) कि that (ki) बारिश rain (bārish) होगी will-happen (hōgī)
22.9 वह that (vah) गाना song (gānā) जो which (jo) तुम you (tum) गा singing (gā) रहे are (rahē) थे were (thē) पुराना old (purānā) है is (hai)
22.10 क्या what (kyā) तुम you (tum) जानते know (jāntē) हो are (ho) कि that (ki) वह she (vah) कहाँ where (kahān̐) गई went (gaī)?
22.11 वह that (vah) दुकान shop (dukān) सुबह morning (subah) नौ nine (nau) बजे o'clock (bajē) खुलती opens (khultī) है is (hai)
22.12 मैंने I (mainē) सुना heard (sunā) कि that (ki) वे they (vē) नया new (nayā) घर house (ghar) खरीद buying (kharīd) रहे are (rahē) हैं are (hain̐)
22.13 वह that (vah) बच्चा child (bachchā) जो who (jo) रो crying (rō) रहा is (rahā) था was (thā) अब now (ab) सो sleeping (sō) गया has-gone (gayā)
22.14 उसे to-him/her (usē) लगता seems (lagtā) है is (hai) कि that (ki) यह this (yah) काम work (kām) मुश्किल difficult (mushkil) है is (hai)
22.15 वह that (vah) फिल्म film (film) जो which (jo) हमने we (hamnē) कल yesterday (kal) देखी saw (dēkhī) अच्छी good (achchhī) थी was (thī)
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22.1 वह लड़का उस किताब को पढ़ रहा है। That boy is reading that book.
22.2 मैं जानता हूँ कि वह आज आएगी। I know that she will come today.
22.3 यह वह घर है जो मैंने खरीदा। This is that house which I bought.
22.4 उसने कहा कि वह कल नहीं आ सकता। He said that he cannot come tomorrow.
22.5 वह किताब जो तुम पढ़ रहे हो बहुत रोचक है। That book which you are reading is very interesting.
22.6 मुझे पता है कि वह स्कूल देर से पहुंचा। I know that he reached school late.
22.7 वह आदमी जो वहाँ खड़ा है मेरा अध्यापक है। That man who is standing there is my teacher.
22.8 उन्होंने सोचा कि बारिश होगी। They thought that it would rain.
22.9 वह गाना जो तुम गा रहे थे पुराना है। That song which you were singing is old.
22.10 क्या तुम जानते हो कि वह कहाँ गई? Do you know where she went? (lit. Do you know that she went where?)
22.11 वह दुकान सुबह नौ बजे खुलती है। That shop opens at nine o'clock in the morning.
22.12 मैंने सुना कि वे नया घर खरीद रहे हैं। I heard that they are buying a new house.
22.13 वह बच्चा जो रो रहा था अब सो गया। That child who was crying has now gone to sleep.
22.14 उसे लगता है कि यह काम मुश्किल है। He/She thinks that this work is difficult.
22.15 वह फिल्म जो हमने कल देखी अच्छी थी। That film which we saw yesterday was good.
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22.1 वह लड़का उस किताब को पढ़ रहा है।
22.2 मैं जानता हूँ कि वह आज आएगी।
22.3 यह वह घर है जो मैंने खरीदा।
22.4 उसने कहा कि वह कल नहीं आ सकता।
22.5 वह किताब जो तुम पढ़ रहे हो बहुत रोचक है।
22.6 मुझे पता है कि वह स्कूल देर से पहुंचा।
22.7 वह आदमी जो वहाँ खड़ा है मेरा अध्यापक है।
22.8 उन्होंने सोचा कि बारिश होगी।
22.9 वह गाना जो तुम गा रहे थे पुराना है।
22.10 क्या तुम जानते हो कि वह कहाँ गई?
22.11 वह दुकान सुबह नौ बजे खुलती है।
22.12 मैंने सुना कि वे नया घर खरीद रहे हैं।
22.13 वह बच्चा जो रो रहा था अब सो गया।
22.14 उसे लगता है कि यह काम मुश्किल है।
22.15 वह फिल्म जो हमने कल देखी अच्छी थी।
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1. Demonstrative "That" = वह (vah) When pointing to objects, people, or concepts at a distance, use वह (vah). This is the most direct equivalent of the English demonstrative "that." -
Singular: वह (vah) - that -
Plural: वे (vē) - those -
Oblique case: उस (us) - of that, to that
2. Conjunction "That" = कि (ki) When introducing reported speech or subordinate clauses, use कि (ki). This connects two clauses and is essential for indirect speech. -
Always follows verbs of saying, thinking, knowing, believing -
The clause after कि maintains its own word order -
Cannot be omitted in Hindi (unlike sometimes in English)
3. Relative Pronoun "That/Which" = जो (jo) When "that" means "which" or "who" in a relative clause, use जो (jo). -
जो is invariable for gender and number -
The relative clause often precedes the main clause in Hindi -
Correlates with वह in the main clause: जो...वह (the one who...that one)
-
Using वह instead of कि: English speakers often use वह where कि is required. -
Wrong: मैं जानता हूँ वह वह आएगा -
Correct: मैं जानता हूँ कि वह आएगा (I know that he will come) -
Omitting कि: Unlike English, where "that" can sometimes be dropped, कि is mandatory in Hindi. -
English: I think (that) she is smart -
Hindi: मैं सोचता हूँ कि वह होशियार है (कि cannot be omitted) -
Confusing जो and वह: जो introduces relative clauses, वह is demonstrative. -
जो लड़का वहाँ है (the boy who is there) -
वह लड़का वहाँ है (that boy is there)
Step 1: Identify the function of "that" -
Is it pointing? → Use वह -
Is it connecting clauses? → Use कि -
Is it introducing a description? → Use जो
Step 2: Check the sentence structure -
Demonstrative: [वह + noun] or [उस + noun + को/में/से] -
Conjunction: [main clause + कि + subordinate clause] -
Relative: [जो + relative clause] + [वह + main clause]
Step 3: Apply correct word order -
Hindi is SOV (Subject-Object-Verb) -
कि clauses maintain independent word order -
जो clauses often come before the main statement
Demonstrative Forms: -
Nominative: वह (that), वे (those) -
Oblique: उस (of/to that), उन (of/to those) -
With postpositions: उसमें (in that), उससे (from that), उसको (to that)
Conjunction कि: -
Invariable form -
Introduces noun clauses -
Required after verbs of mental activity
Relative जो: -
Invariable for gender/number -
Creates adjective clauses -
Pairs with correlatives (वह, वही)
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In Hindi communication, the distinction between different forms of "that" reflects important cultural nuances. The demonstrative वह (vah) maintains respectful distance, which aligns with Hindi's elaborate system of honorifics and social hierarchy. When referring to elders or respected individuals, वह is preferred over more proximate forms.
The conjunction कि (ki) plays a crucial role in indirect communication, a valued skill in Indian culture where direct confrontation is often avoided. Phrases like "मुझे लगता है कि..." (I feel that...) or "शायद यह हो कि..." (perhaps it may be that...) allow speakers to express opinions diplomatically.
The relative pronoun जो (jo) appears frequently in philosophical and spiritual texts, connecting actions with consequences - a fundamental concept in Indian thought. The जो...वह construction (who...that person) emphasizes the relationship between deed and result, reflecting karmic principles.
In formal Hindi, particularly in news media and official communications, these distinctions are strictly maintained. However, in colloquial speech, especially in urban areas influenced by English, some speakers might use these forms more flexibly. Understanding these variations helps learners navigate different social contexts appropriately.
The emphasis on explicit connections between clauses (never dropping कि) reflects Hindi's preference for clarity in relationships between ideas, contrasting with English's more implicit style. This linguistic feature parallels the cultural value placed on explicit acknowledgment of relationships and hierarchies in Indian society.
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From प्रेमचंद (Premchand)'s "ईदगाह" (Idgah):
"हामिद ने कहा कि यह चिमटा बहुत अच्छा है। दादी अब उसे आशीर्वाद देंगी कि तुमने बूढ़ी दादी की सेवा का विचार किया। वह लोहे का चिमटा जो उसने तीन पैसे में खरीदा था, सोने से भी अधिक कीमती था।"
हामिद Hamid (Hāmid) ने -ne (ergative) कहा said (kahā) कि that (ki) यह this (yah) चिमटा tongs (chimṭā) बहुत very (bahut) अच्छा good (achchhā) है is (hai)। दादी grandmother (dādī) अब now (ab) उसे to-him (usē) आशीर्वाद blessing (āshīrvād) देंगी will-give (dēṅgī) कि that (ki) तुमने you (tumnē) बूढ़ी old (būṛhī) दादी grandmother (dādī) की of (kī) सेवा service (sēvā) का of (kā) विचार thought (vichār) किया did (kiyā)। वह that (vah) लोहे iron (lōhē) का of (kā) चिमटा tongs (chimṭā) जो which (jo) उसने he (usnē) तीन three (tīn) पैसे paise (paisē) में in (mēṅ) खरीदा bought (kharīdā) था was (thā), सोने gold (sōnē) से than (sē) भी also (bhī) अधिक more (adhik) कीमती precious (kīmtī) था was (thā)।
हामिद ने कहा कि यह चिमटा बहुत अच्छा है। दादी अब उसे आशीर्वाद देंगी कि तुमने बूढ़ी दादी की सेवा का विचार किया। वह लोहे का चिमटा जो उसने तीन पैसे में खरीदा था, सोने से भी अधिक कीमती था।
Hamid said that these tongs are very good. Grandmother will now give him blessings that you thought of serving your old grandmother. That iron pair of tongs which he had bought for three paise was more precious than gold.
This passage from Premchand's beloved story "Idgah" demonstrates all three uses of "that" in Hindi within a emotionally resonant context. The first कि introduces Hamid's direct statement about the tongs. The second कि expresses the reason for grandmother's blessings - recognizing the child's thoughtfulness. Finally, जो creates a relative clause describing the humble tongs that become precious through the child's sacrifice and love. Premchand masterfully uses these grammatical structures to build emotional depth, showing how simple objects gain value through selfless intention.
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First कि: Introduces reported speech after कहा (said) -
Second कि: Introduces a reason/cause clause after आशीर्वाद देंगी (will give blessings) -
जो: Relative pronoun creating an adjective clause modifying चिमटा (tongs) -
वह: Demonstrative pronoun emphasizing "that specific" pair of tongs -
The relative clause जो उसने तीन पैसे में खरीदा था is embedded within the main sentence, typical of Hindi syntax -
Note the ergative case markers ने with past tense transitive verbs (हामिद ने, तुमने, उसने)
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22.16 उसने he/she (usnē) पोस्ट posted (pōsṭ) किया did (kiyā) कि that (ki) वह he/she (vah) नया new (nayā) फोन phone (fōn) खरीद buying (kharīd) रहा is (rahā) है is (hai)
22.17 वह that (vah) ऐप app (aip) जो which (jo) तुमने you (tumnē) डाउनलोड downloaded (ḍāunlōḍ) की did (kī) बहुत very (bahut) उपयोगी useful (upyōgī) है is (hai)
22.18 मुझे to-me (mujhē) पता known (patā) चला became (chalā) कि that (ki) वह that (vah) वेबसाइट website (vēbsāiṭ) हैक hacked (haik) हो become (hō) गई has-gone (gaī)
22.19 वह that (vah) लैपटॉप laptop (laipṭŏp) जो which (jo) मैं I (main) इस्तेमाल use (istēmāl) करता do (kartā) हूँ am (hūn̐) पुराना old (purānā) है is (hai)
22.20 उन्होंने they (unhōnē) ट्वीट tweeted (ṭvīṭ) किया did (kiyā) कि that (ki) नया new (nayā) अपडेट update (apḍēṭ) आ coming (ā) रहा is (rahā) है is (hai)
22.21 वह that (vah) वीडियो video (vīḍiyō) जो which (jo) वायरल viral (vāyral) हुआ became (huā) झूठा fake (jhūṭhā) था was (thā)
22.22 क्या what (kyā) तुम you (tum) जानते know (jāntē) हो are (ho) कि that (ki) वाईफाई WiFi (vāīfāī) पासवर्ड password (pāsvarḍ) क्या what (kyā) है is (hai)?
22.23 उसने he/she (usnē) कहा said (kahā) कि that (ki) उसका his/her (uskā) इंटरनेट internet (inṭarnēṭ) काम work (kām) नहीं not (nahīn̐) कर doing (kar) रहा is (rahā)
22.24 वह that (vah) गेम game (gēm) जो which (jo) बच्चे children (bachchē) खेल playing (khēl) रहे are (rahē) हैं are (hain̐) बहुत very (bahut) लोकप्रिय popular (lōkapriya) है is (hai)
22.25 मैंने I (mainē) देखा saw (dēkhā) कि that (ki) वह that (vah) ऑनलाइन online (ŏnlāin) मीटिंग meeting (mīṭiṅg) रद्द cancelled (radd) हो became (hō) गई gone (gaī)
22.26 वह that (vah) सॉफ्टवेयर software (sŏfṭvēyar) जो which (jo) हम we (ham) इस्तेमाल use (istēmāl) करते do (kartē) हैं are (hain̐) मुफ्त free (muft) है is (hai)
22.27 उसे to-him/her (usē) लगता seems (lagtā) है is (hai) कि that (ki) यह this (yah) कंप्यूटर computer (kampyūṭar) वायरस virus (vāyras) से from (sē) संक्रमित infected (saṅkramit) है is (hai)
22.28 वह that (vah) ईमेल email (īmēl) जो which (jo) तुमने you (tumnē) भेजा sent (bhējā) स्पैम spam (spaim) में in (mēṅ) चला went (chalā) गया gone (gayā)
22.29 उन्होंने they (unhōnē) घोषणा announcement (ghōṣaṇā) की did (kī) कि that (ki) नया new (nayā) फीचर feature (fīchar) जल्द soon (jald) आएगा will-come (āēgā)
22.30 वह that (vah) डेटा data (ḍēṭā) जो which (jo) हमने we (hamnē) बैकअप backup (baikap) किया did (kiyā) सुरक्षित safe (surakṣit) है is (hai)
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22.16 उसने पोस्ट किया कि वह नया फोन खरीद रहा है। He/She posted that he/she is buying a new phone.
22.17 वह ऐप जो तुमने डाउनलोड की बहुत उपयोगी है। That app which you downloaded is very useful.
22.18 मुझे पता चला कि वह वेबसाइट हैक हो गई। I found out that that website has been hacked.
22.19 वह लैपटॉप जो मैं इस्तेमाल करता हूँ पुराना है। That laptop which I use is old.
22.20 उन्होंने ट्वीट किया कि नया अपडेट आ रहा है। They tweeted that a new update is coming.
22.21 वह वीडियो जो वायरल हुआ झूठा था। That video which went viral was fake.
22.22 क्या तुम जानते हो कि वाईफाई पासवर्ड क्या है? Do you know what the WiFi password is? (lit. Do you know that the WiFi password is what?)
22.23 उसने कहा कि उसका इंटरनेट काम नहीं कर रहा। He/She said that his/her internet is not working.
22.24 वह गेम जो बच्चे खेल रहे हैं बहुत लोकप्रिय है। That game which children are playing is very popular.
22.25 मैंने देखा कि वह ऑनलाइन मीटिंग रद्द हो गई। I saw that that online meeting has been cancelled.
22.26 वह सॉफ्टवेयर जो हम इस्तेमाल करते हैं मुफ्त है। That software which we use is free.
22.27 उसे लगता है कि यह कंप्यूटर वायरस से संक्रमित है। He/She thinks that this computer is infected with a virus.
22.28 वह ईमेल जो तुमने भेजा स्पैम में चला गया। That email which you sent went to spam.
22.29 उन्होंने घोषणा की कि नया फीचर जल्द आएगा। They announced that a new feature will come soon.
22.30 वह डेटा जो हमने बैकअप किया सुरक्षित है। That data which we backed up is safe.
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22.16 उसने पोस्ट किया कि वह नया फोन खरीद रहा है।
22.17 वह ऐप जो तुमने डाउनलोड की बहुत उपयोगी है।
22.18 मुझे पता चला कि वह वेबसाइट हैक हो गई।
22.19 वह लैपटॉप जो मैं इस्तेमाल करता हूँ पुराना है।
22.20 उन्होंने ट्वीट किया कि नया अपडेट आ रहा है।
22.21 वह वीडियो जो वायरल हुआ झूठा था।
22.22 क्या तुम जानते हो कि वाईफाई पासवर्ड क्या है?
22.23 उसने कहा कि उसका इंटरनेट काम नहीं कर रहा।
22.24 वह गेम जो बच्चे खेल रहे हैं बहुत लोकप्रिय है।
22.25 मैंने देखा कि वह ऑनलाइन मीटिंग रद्द हो गई।
22.26 वह सॉफ्टवेयर जो हम इस्तेमाल करते हैं मुफ्त है।
22.27 उसे लगता है कि यह कंप्यूटर वायरस से संक्रमित है।
22.28 वह ईमेल जो तुमने भेजा स्पैम में चला गया।
22.29 उन्होंने घोषणा की कि नया फीचर जल्द आएगा।
22.30 वह डेटा जो हमने बैकअप किया सुरक्षित है।
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1. English Loanwords with Hindi Grammar Many technology terms are borrowed directly from English but follow Hindi grammatical patterns: -
Feminine nouns: वेबसाइट, ऐप, मीटिंग (use की/गई) -
Masculine nouns: फोन, कंप्यूटर, सॉफ्टवेयर (use का/गया)
2. Verb Adaptations English verbs become Hindi light verb constructions: -
पोस्ट करना (to post) -
डाउनलोड करना (to download) -
ट्वीट करना (to tweet) -
बैकअप करना (to backup)
3. Common Patterns in Tech Communication -
Announcements: घोषणा की कि... (announced that...) -
Reports: पता चला कि... (found out that...) -
Status updates: कहा कि... (said that...)
4. Gender Agreement with English Nouns English loanwords acquire gender in Hindi: -
Ending in -ी sound: usually feminine (ऐप की, वेबसाइट की) -
Others: usually masculine (फोन का, कंप्यूटर का) -
Exceptions exist and must be memorized
5. Compound Structures Technology contexts often use complex sentence structures: -
Multiple embeddings: मैंने देखा कि वह ऐप जो तुमने डाउनलोड की थी काम नहीं कर रही -
Mixed English-Hindi: वह सॉफ्टवेयर जो latest version है
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The Latinum Institute Modern Language Courses employ the innovative construed text method, pioneered by curator Evan der Millner BA MA (Cantab. NZ, London), who has been creating online language learning materials since 2006. This pedagogical approach bridges the gap between languages by initially presenting target language vocabulary in familiar English word order (Section A), then progressing to natural target language syntax (Sections B and C).
The construed text method is particularly valuable for autodidacts because it: -
Allows immediate comprehension while building vocabulary -
Reduces cognitive load by separating vocabulary acquisition from syntax learning -
Provides multiple exposures to the same content in different formats -
Enables self-paced learning without constant dictionary consultation
Each lesson includes comprehensive grammar explanations tailored for English speakers, cultural context to enhance communicative competence, and authentic literary excerpts to demonstrate real-world usage. The genre sections provide domain-specific vocabulary and expressions, preparing learners for practical communication scenarios.
The method's effectiveness is demonstrated through consistent positive feedback, as evidenced by reviews on platforms like Trustpilot (https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/latinum.org.uk). The courses have helped thousands of autodidactic learners successfully acquire new languages through structured, self-directed study.
For more information about the Latinum Institute method and additional language courses, visit latinum.org.uk and latinum.substack.com. These resources provide further insights into the pedagogical approach and offer supplementary materials for continued language learning.
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