शहर में
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Ask where a place is and understand a short set of directions in reply.
- Give simple directions using पहले, फिर, and उसके बाद.
- Talk about going, coming, taking, and giving using जाना, आना, लेना, and देना in present-time frames.
- State a destination or direction using में, पर, से, तक, and की ओर.
- Discuss basic modes of transportation.
- Ask and answer कहाँ?, किधर?, and कैसे? in controlled travel contexts.
- Read a transit map, a timetable, a public sign, and a short direction note.
- Write a short set of step-by-step directions.
Communication Scenario
Anil has just moved to a new neighborhood and asks his neighbor Meena how to get to the train station, the post office, and a nearby park. Meena gives him simple directions, and Anil confirms what he understood before setting out. Later, a tourist stops Anil on the street to ask for help finding the market.
- Notice how Meena uses पहले, फिर, and उसके बाद to organize her directions in order.
- Notice how Anil confirms what he heard before leaving, and how the tourist asks politely for help.
Where This Chapter Fits
Chapter 11 opens Unit III, शहर, स्वास्थ्य, पढ़ाई और काम. It builds directly on the location language of Chapter 7 and the practical-day integration of Chapter 10, extending both into movement around a city.
Coming Into This Chapter
You can describe where things are using में, पर, and के पास, ask कहाँ? questions, and make polite requests.
New in This Chapter
City and transportation vocabulary; the movement verbs जाना, आना, लेना, and देना in present-time frames; destination and direction expressions with से, तक, and की ओर; sequencers पहले, फिर, and उसके बाद; and किधर? and कैसे? as controlled question words.
Looking Forward
Chapter 12, स्वास्थ्य और भावनाएँ, introduces experiencer को patterns for health and feelings, building on the postpositions and controlled sentence patterns practiced here.
Core Vocabulary
11.1 City places
| Hindi | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| स्टेशन | station | English loanword, common everyday use |
| डाकघर / पोस्ट ऑफ़िस | post office | both forms common; label formality |
| बाज़ार | market | recycled from Chapter 8 |
| पार्क | park | English loanword |
| अस्पताल | hospital | — |
| बैंक | bank | — |
| मंदिर | temple | one of several religious sites; avoid presenting as the only one |
| सड़क | street, road | — |
| चौराहा | crossroads, intersection | — |
| मोड़ | turn, bend | used in direction language |
11.2 Transportation
| Hindi | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| बस | bus | English loanword |
| ट्रेन | train | English loanword |
| ऑटो / ऑटो-रिक्शा | auto-rickshaw | common urban transport |
| टैक्सी | taxi | English loanword |
| साइकिल | bicycle | — |
| पैदल | on foot, walking | — |
| टिकट | ticket | English loanword |
11.3 Direction and route words
| Hindi | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| दायें | right, to the right | — |
| बायें | left, to the left | — |
| सीधे | straight | — |
| पास | near | recycled from Chapter 7 |
| दूर | far | — |
| पहले | first | sequencer |
| फिर | then | sequencer; recycled from Chapter 9 |
| उसके बाद | after that | sequencer |
11.4 Movement verbs
| Hindi infinitive | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| जाना | to go | recycled from Chapter 9 habitual present |
| आना | to come | new productive verb this chapter |
| लेना | to take | used for taking a bus, train, or route |
| देना | to give | used in polite giving/handing expressions |
Productive vocabulary count: approximately 30-40 items, within the ordinary chapter range. Receptive only: additional vehicle names, transit-system abbreviations, and regional transport terms are recognition-only at this stage.
Devanagari and Pronunciation
This chapter introduces no new letters or matras. It develops sign-reading fluency, conjunct recognition in public vocabulary, and schwa deletion in place names and route words.
Practice reading चौराहा, डाकघर, and अस्पताल aloud. Remember that the written अ is not always pronounced: डाकघर is closer to "daakghar" than "daa-ka-ghar."
Notice the conjuncts in स्टेशन and चौराहा. These are recognition items at this stage; you are not expected to produce every conjunct independently yet, but you should read them accurately in familiar words.
Read direction phrases as connected units rather than isolated words: पहले सीधे जाइए, फिर दायें मुड़िए। Group each instruction together, with a small pause at the comma.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
11.5 Movement verbs in present-time frames
जाना ("to go") was introduced in Chapter 9 for daily routine. This chapter adds आना ("to come"), लेना ("to take," including taking a form of transportation), and देना ("to give," including handing something to someone). All four follow the same habitual present pattern you already know, with the verb stem plus -ता/-ती/-ते and the correct form of होना. Use them here mainly for present-time and near-immediate statements about movement, not as a full verb paradigm.
11.6 Destination and direction with postpositions
Review में and पर from Chapter 7. This chapter adds से for "from," तक for "until" or "as far as," and की ओर for "toward" in controlled direction contexts. As in Chapter 7, nouns before these postpositions take their oblique form where applicable.
11.7 Polite direction requests and obligation formulas
Use क्या आप बता सकते हैं...? as a polite formula for requesting directions. The infinitive-plus-है pattern (आपको जाना है, "you need to go") appears here formulaically for giving simple route instructions; it is not yet analyzed as a full obligation system.
11.8 Sequencing directions
Use these sequencers to organize multi-step directions in order, just as you used them in Chapter 9 to organize a daily routine.
11.9 Questions: कहाँ?, किधर?, कैसे?
कहाँ? asks about location in general, किधर? asks specifically about direction ("which way"), and कैसे? asks about manner or method, including how to travel somewhere. All three are controlled and productive in this chapter's travel contexts.
Boundary: This chapter does not introduce compound verbs as a full system, advanced spatial grammar beyond the postpositions listed above, or complex travel narratives. The infinitive-plus-है obligation pattern remains formulaic, not analyzed.
Model Dialogue
Setting: Anil, new to the neighborhood, asks his neighbor Meena for directions.
Anil's closing sentence, मैं आज पैदल जाऊँगा, uses a future form. Future forms are not taught productively until Chapter 17; here it appears only as a natural, glossed closing line and is not tested in this chapter.
समझ के प्रश्न — Comprehension questions:
- मीना अनिल को स्टेशन कैसे जाने के लिए कहती है? (How does Meena tell Anil to get to the station?)
- स्टेशन घर से कितना दूर है? (How far is the station from home?)
- अनिल आज स्टेशन कैसे जाएगा? (How will Anil get to the station today?)
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a study partner, or a fluent Hindi speaker to read the model dialogue and the passage below aloud twice. On the first listen, note only the destination and transport method. On the second listen, complete the table.
If no speaker is available, this is a Listening Script for Independent Use. Read the passage slowly at first, then at a natural pace. Any spoken model should be verified by a fluent Hindi speaker before being treated as a pronunciation standard.
राहुल का सफ़र — Rahul's Trip:
"मैं रोज़ काम पर बस से जाता हूँ। पहले मैं घर से पैदल चौराहे तक जाता हूँ। फिर मैं वहाँ बस लेता हूँ। बस घर से ऑफ़िस तक सीधे जाती है। कभी-कभी मैं ऑटो भी लेता हूँ, जब बस देर से आती है।"
सुनने का काम — Listening task:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| राहुल रोज़ काम पर कैसे जाता है? (How does Rahul go to work every day?) | ______ |
| राहुल पहले घर से कहाँ तक पैदल जाता है? (Where does Rahul first walk to from home?) | ______ |
| बस कहाँ से कहाँ तक जाती है? (From where to where does the bus go?) | ______ |
| राहुल कभी-कभी क्या लेता है? (What does Rahul sometimes take?) | ______ |
Reading Practice
Read each of the four short public texts below, sounding out the Devanagari carefully, then answer the questions.
सुबह 7 बजे, सुबह 9 बजे, दोपहर 1 बजे, शाम 6 बजे
बाज़ार सीधे 200 मीटर
समझ के प्रश्न — Comprehension questions:
- At what times does bus number 12 run?
- According to the street sign, how far is the market?
- According to the direction note, where exactly is the writer's house?
- How much does the train ticket cost?
Writing Workshop
Write a short set of step-by-step directions in Devanagari from one familiar place to another.
लेखन कार्य — Writing task: Write five to seven sentences giving directions from your home (or a starting point of your choice) to a place in your neighborhood. Use at least one sequencer, one destination postposition, and one transport method.
- State the starting point and destination. Use से and तक.
- Give the first step. Use पहले with a polite instruction such as सीधे जाइए.
- Give the second step. Use फिर with a turn instruction, such as दायें or बायें मुड़िए.
- Give a final step. Use उसके बाद and state where the destination will be, such as आपके सामने or आपके पास.
- Mention a transport option. Use जाना, लेना, or आना.
- Close politely. Use a courtesy formula from Chapter 1.
संपादन सूची — Editing checklist:
- At least one sequencer (पहले, फिर, उसके बाद) appears in order.
- से and तक correctly mark the starting point and the destination.
- At least one movement verb (जाना, आना, or लेना) is used correctly.
- Postpositions of location from Chapter 7 are used correctly where needed.
- A danda (।) ends each sentence, and spelling matches this chapter's vocabulary.
Speaking Practice
नियंत्रित अभ्यास — Controlled practice: reading the model dialogue aloud
Read the model dialogue above aloud twice: once slowly, sounding out each word, and once at a more natural pace. Pay attention to schwa deletion in चौराहा and डाकघर, and to route phrase rhythm.
संचार कार्य — Communicative task: giving directions with a map
With a partner, use a simple hand-drawn or imagined map of a neighborhood. Take turns asking where a place is and giving three-step directions using पहले, फिर, and उसके बाद. The listener should confirm what they understood before the exchange ends.
अकेले अभ्यास — Solo alternative
Record yourself giving directions from your home to a place you visit often, including at least one transport method and one sequencer.
Culture and Communication
Buses, trains, autos, taxis, bicycles, and walking are all common ways to get around, but the balance among them differs greatly by city, region, income, and setting. No single mode of transportation represents all Hindi-speaking communities.
Requesting directions from a stranger typically opens with a greeting and a polite formula such as क्या आप बता सकते हैं...? rather than a blunt question. Confirming what you heard, as Anil does in the dialogue, is a normal and expected part of the exchange, not a sign of misunderstanding.
Common Mistakes
Error: Using किधर? when simply asking where a fixed place is located, such as किधर है स्टेशन? in a context that calls for general location.
Correction: Use कहाँ? for general location (स्टेशन कहाँ है?) and reserve किधर? for asking which way or direction to go.
Error: Writing स्टेशन तक घर से when describing a route.
Correction: Keep the starting point with से first and the destination with तक second: घर से स्टेशन तक.
Error: Mentioning उसके बाद before पहले in a set of directions, which confuses the listener about the order of steps.
Correction: Keep sequencers in logical order: पहले, then फिर, then उसके बाद.
Chapter Review
भाग A — समझ (Comprehension)
1. Return to the model dialogue and answer in English:
- What two directions does Meena give Anil in order?
- What two ways can Anil get to the station?
भाग B — व्याकरण (Grammar)
1. Complete with the correct present-time movement verb form:
- मेरी बहन रोज़ स्कूल बस ______। (लेना, she takes)
- वे कल यहाँ ______। (आना, they come — describe as a habitual visit)
2. Fill in the correct postposition: यह ट्रेन दिल्ली ______ आगरा ______ जाती है। (from Delhi to Agra)
3. Put these direction steps in the correct order using पहले, फिर, and उसके बाद: turn right / go straight / arrive at the market.
4. Write one question asking a stranger politely where the bank is.
भाग C — पठन (Reading)
1. Return to the four texts above and answer:
- What is the last bus time on the timetable?
- What is on the left according to the street sign?
भाग D — लेखन (Writing)
1. Write the step-by-step directions described in the Writing Workshop above, following all six steps.
भाग E — वाचन (Speaking)
1. With a partner, give directions to a real or imagined place without reading from a script, and have your partner confirm what they understood.
Cumulative Review
This chapter recycles location postpositions and oblique awareness (Chapter 7), sequencers from daily routine (Chapter 9), quantity and price language for tickets (Chapter 8), and polite request formulas (Chapter 1), together with the practical-day integration completed in Chapter 10.
Practical Performance Task
रास्ता बताना — Guiding Someone Around Town
Complete the following four connected tasks in order.
- Listen to the model dialogue or listening passage above and complete the listening table.
- Speak with a partner (or record yourself): guide another person from one location to another, and answer at least one clarification question they ask in return.
- Read the timetable, sign, direction note, and map note above and answer the comprehension questions.
- Write a set of five to seven step-by-step directions in Devanagari, following the Writing Workshop checklist.
| Criterion | What is assessed |
|---|---|
| Movement verbs | Correct present-time use of जाना, आना, and लेना. |
| Destination postpositions | Correct use of से, तक, and location postpositions from Chapter 7. |
| Sequencing | Logical order using पहले, फिर, and उसके बाद. |
| Politeness and clarification | Appropriate request formulas and a confirmed clarification exchange. |
| Devanagari reading and writing | Public texts read accurately; directions written with correct spelling and minimal romanization. |
This task evaluates only what this chapter has taught. It does not require compound verbs, advanced spatial grammar, complex travel narratives, health language, or the progressive as a full system — those remain outside this chapter's scope.
Answer Key
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- Meena tells Anil to first go straight, then turn right at the intersection (पहले सीधे जाइए, फिर चौराहे पर दायें मुड़िए).
- Anil can either walk (पैदल) or take the bus (बस ले सकते हैं).
Listening
- Rahul goes to work by bus every day (बस से).
- He first walks from home to the intersection (चौराहे तक).
- The bus goes straight from home to the office (घर से ऑफ़िस तक).
- He sometimes takes an auto (ऑटो).
Reading — Comprehension
- The last bus is at 6 p.m. (शाम 6 बजे).
- The hospital is on the left according to the street sign.
- The writer's house is near the bank, in front of the park.
- The train ticket costs 15 rupees.
Chapter Review — भाग B
- (a) लेती है (b) आते हैं
- से ... तक
- पहले सीधे जाइए, फिर दायें मुड़िए, उसके बाद बाज़ार आपके सामने होगा।
- Sample answer: क्या आप बता सकते हैं कि बैंक कहाँ है?
Chapter Review — भाग C
- (a) 6 p.m. (b) The hospital is on the left.
Looking Ahead
अब आप क्या कर सकते हैं — What you can do now
You can ask for and give directions, talk about going, coming, taking, and giving in present-time frames, name common city places and transport options, and read and write simple route instructions in Devanagari.