पढ़ाई और काम
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Describe school, study, work, and technology activities.
- Say what you and others are doing right now using the progressive रहा/रही/रहे.
- Express ability with सकना in controlled frames.
- Make polite requests in institutional settings, such as क्या आप ... सकते हैं?
- Read a short announcement, notice, or schedule about school or work.
- Write a simple, polite request message.
Communication Scenario
Priya is at her office. Her colleague Vikram stops by her desk to ask what she is working on, and she explains a task with a deadline. Later, Priya emails her Hindi instructor to ask politely whether she can reschedule a class.
- Notice how Priya and Vikram describe activities in progress using रहा/रही/रहे with हूँ, है, and हैं.
- Notice how Priya asks politely for something using सकना in her email.
Where This Chapter Fits
Chapter 13 continues Unit III, शहर, स्वास्थ्य, पढ़ाई और काम. It builds on the polite request formula क्या आप ... सकते हैं? from Chapter 11 and develops the formulaic progressive you met in Chapter 12's feeling expressions into a full productive system.
Coming Into This Chapter
You can make polite requests with क्या आप ... सकते हैं?, describe how you feel using मुझे ... है and the formulaic लग रहा है, and use habitual present verbs for routines.
New in This Chapter
School, work, and technology vocabulary; the progressive रहा/रही/रहे as a full productive system with auxiliary agreement; ability with सकना; infinitive complements such as काम करना and ईमेल लिखना; and polite institutional requests.
Looking Forward
Chapter 14, कल क्या हुआ?, introduces perfective past narration and contrasts completed events with the progressive action you have just learned.
Core Vocabulary
13.1 School and study
| Hindi | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| विषय | subject | — |
| गणित | mathematics | — |
| परीक्षा | exam | — |
| होमवर्क | homework | English loanword |
| कक्षा | class | recycled from Chapter 4 |
| शिक्षक / शिक्षिका | teacher (m./f.) | gendered pair |
| विद्यार्थी | student | — |
13.2 Work and office
| Hindi | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| काम | work, task | recycled from Chapter 9 |
| दफ़्तर / दफ्तर | office | nukta variant noted |
| सहकर्मी | colleague | — |
| मीटिंग | meeting | English loanword, common in urban settings |
| प्रोजेक्ट | project | English loanword |
| आख़िरी तारीख़ / आखिरी तारीख | deadline | nukta variant noted |
| रिपोर्ट | report | English loanword |
13.3 Technology and communication
| Hindi | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ईमेल | English loanword | |
| कंप्यूटर | computer | English loanword |
| फ़ोन / फोन | phone | nukta variant noted |
| भेजना | to send | — |
| लिखना | to write | recycled from Chapter 4 imperatives |
13.4 Appointments and polite requests
| Hindi | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| समय | time | recycled from Chapter 9 |
| फिर से | again | — |
| बदलना | to change | — |
| क्या आप ... सकते हैं? | can you ...? | formulaic from Chapter 11, expanded here |
| कृपया | please | recycled from Chapter 1 |
Productive vocabulary count: approximately 30-40 items, within the ordinary chapter range. Receptive only: additional workplace terms, further Hindi-English technology vocabulary, formal institutional words, and abbreviations are recognition-only at this stage.
Devanagari and Pronunciation
This chapter introduces no new letters or matras. It develops the rhythm of progressive verb phrases and continues schwa deletion practice with study and work vocabulary.
Progressive phrases such as कर रहा हूँ and लिख रही है are read as smooth, connected units rather than three separate words. Practice linking the main verb, रहा/रही/रहे, and the auxiliary without pausing between them.
Practice reading पढ़ना, लिखना, and भेजना aloud. Remember that the final अ of these infinitives is not pronounced: पढ़ना is read with two syllables, not three.
कंप्यूटर, मीटिंग, and प्रोजेक्ट keep Hindi rhythm and vowel quality even though they come from English. Avoid pronouncing them with full English stress patterns; keep syllables even, as in ordinary Hindi words.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
13.5 The progressive: रहा/रही/रहे
The Hindi progressive combines the verb stem, the participle रहा/रही/रहे, and an auxiliary form of होना (हूँ, है, हैं). The participle agrees with the grammatical subject in gender and number: रहा for masculine singular, रही for feminine singular, and रहे for masculine plural or mixed groups. You met this pattern formulaically in Chapter 12 with feeling expressions such as मुझे अच्छा लग रहा है. This chapter analyzes the full pattern and extends it to ordinary action verbs.
13.6 Asking about current activity
Use क्या with the progressive to ask what someone is doing right now. Answer with the same pattern, matching the participle to your own gender.
13.7 Ability with सकना
सकना follows the verb stem directly, without an infinitive ending: बोल सकना, not बोलना सकना. सकना itself conjugates for tense, and its participle agrees with the subject, similarly to other verbs. At this stage, focus on present-time frames such as सकता/सकती हूँ, सकते हैं, and सकते हैं? in questions.
13.8 Infinitive complements
Infinitives such as काम करना, हिंदी पढ़ना, and ईमेल लिखना can function as the object of another verb or expression, including चाहना and है-based obligation patterns from earlier chapters. The infinitive itself does not change for the subject; only the surrounding auxiliary or verb agrees.
13.9 Polite institutional requests
You met क्या आप ... सकते हैं? in Chapter 11 for asking someone to help with directions. This chapter extends the same pattern to school and work requests, such as rescheduling an appointment or asking a colleague to complete a task.
Boundary: This chapter does not introduce a full imperative-level system, advanced honorific verb morphology, compound verbs, or formal bureaucratic Hindi. सकना is developed only in controlled present-time frames.
Model Dialogue
Setting: Vikram stops by Priya's desk at the office.
Setting: Priya emails her Hindi instructor to ask about rescheduling a class.
समझ के प्रश्न — Comprehension questions:
- प्रिया क्या कर रही है? (What is Priya doing?)
- विक्रम क्या भेज सकता है? (What can Vikram send?)
- प्रिया शुक्रवार को क्या कर सकती है? (What can Priya do on Friday?)
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a study partner, or a fluent Hindi speaker to read the model dialogues and the passage below aloud twice. On the first listen, note only who is doing what. 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.
दफ़्तर में एक दिन — A Day at the Office:
"आज सब लोग दफ़्तर में काम कर रहे हैं। राज एक ईमेल लिख रहा है, और सीमा एक मीटिंग की तैयारी कर रही है। सीमा के पास आज एक और प्रोजेक्ट भी है, इसलिए वह जल्दी काम कर रही है। क्या आप उसकी मदद कर सकते हैं?"
सुनने का काम — Listening task:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| राज क्या कर रहा है? (What is Raj doing?) | ______ |
| सीमा क्या कर रही है? (What is Seema doing?) | ______ |
| सीमा के पास आज और क्या है? (What else does Seema have today?) | ______ |
| सीमा जल्दी क्यों काम कर रही है? (Why is Seema working quickly?) | ______ |
Reading Practice
Read each of the three short school and work texts below, sounding out the Devanagari carefully, then answer the questions.
समझ के प्रश्न — Comprehension questions:
- What time will tomorrow's Hindi class start, according to the class notice?
- What does the office email ask the team to do, and by when?
- According to the homework list, when is the exam?
Writing Workshop
Write a short, polite request message in Devanagari to a teacher, classmate, or colleague.
लेखन कार्य — Writing task: Write five to seven sentences describing what you are currently doing (real or imagined), and politely asking for or offering to reschedule, help, or send something.
- Greet the reader. Use a courtesy formula from Chapter 1.
- Say what you are doing. Use the progressive, such as मैं ... कर रहा/रही हूँ.
- Explain the situation. Mention a deadline, task, or class using this chapter's vocabulary.
- Make a polite request. Use क्या आप ... सकते हैं?
- Offer or confirm ability if appropriate. Use मैं ... सकता/सकती हूँ.
- Close politely. Use a closing courtesy formula.
संपादन सूची — Editing checklist:
- The progressive रहा/रही/रहे agrees correctly with the subject's gender and number.
- सकना follows the verb stem directly, without an infinitive ending.
- At least one item of school or work vocabulary from this chapter appears.
- A polite request formula from Chapter 11 or this chapter is used correctly.
- A danda (।) ends each sentence, and spelling matches this chapter's vocabulary.
Speaking Practice
नियंत्रित अभ्यास — Controlled practice: reading the model dialogues aloud
Read both model dialogues above aloud twice: once slowly, sounding out each word, and once at a more natural pace. Pay attention to the smooth rhythm of progressive phrases such as लिख रही हूँ and भेज सकते हैं.
संचार कार्य — Communicative task: discussing current activities
With a partner, take turns asking and answering आप क्या कर रहे/रही हैं? about real or invented school or work activities. Then practice making one polite request using क्या आप ... सकते हैं?
अकेले अभ्यास — Solo alternative
Record yourself describing what you are doing right now, one task with a deadline, and one polite request you would make to a colleague or classmate.
Culture and Communication
How directly you make a request depends on age, role, hierarchy, familiarity, and setting. A request to a close colleague may be more direct than a request to a teacher or supervisor, where softened forms and courtesy titles such as जी are common.
Words such as मीटिंग, प्रोजेक्ट, and ईमेल are common in many contemporary Hindi-speaking schools and workplaces. This does not mean that Hindi-English mixing replaces Hindi learning; it reflects a real, ordinary feature of modern professional and educational communication that exists alongside a full range of Hindi vocabulary.
Common Mistakes
Error: Saying मैं काम कर रहा है when the speaker is describing their own action.
Correction: Match the auxiliary to the subject: मैं काम कर रहा हूँ (I am working, if masculine), or मैं काम कर रही हूँ (feminine).
Error: Saying मैं बोलना सकता हूँ, adding -ना to the verb stem before सकना.
Correction: Use the bare verb stem directly before सकना: मैं बोल सकता हूँ.
Error: Using the habitual present, such as मैं काम करता हूँ, to describe an action happening right now.
Correction: Use the progressive for a current activity: मैं अभी काम कर रहा हूँ (I am working right now). Reserve the habitual present, from Chapter 9, for routines and general actions.
Chapter Review
भाग A — समझ (Comprehension)
1. Return to the model dialogues and answer in English:
- What is Priya working on, and when is it due?
- What day does Priya's instructor suggest for the rescheduled class?
भाग B — व्याकरण (Grammar)
1. Complete with the correct progressive form:
- वह ईमेल लिख ______ है। (she is writing)
- हम रिपोर्ट पढ़ ______ हैं। (we are reading)
2. Rewrite this sentence using सकना: मैं हिंदी बोलता हूँ। (to mean "I can speak Hindi")
3. Correct the error: आप आना सकते हैं?
4. Write one polite question asking a colleague if they can send a report by tomorrow.
भाग C — पठन (Reading)
1. Return to the three texts above and answer:
- What new time is given for tomorrow's Hindi class?
- When is the exam mentioned in the homework list?
भाग D — लेखन (Writing)
1. Write the request message described in the Writing Workshop above, following all six steps.
भाग E — वाचन (Speaking)
1. With a partner, describe what you are doing right now and make a polite request without reading from a script, and have your partner respond.
Cumulative Review
This chapter recycles polite request formulas (Chapter 11), routine and time vocabulary (Chapter 9), the formulaic feeling-based progressive (Chapter 12), courtesy formulas (Chapter 1), and basic negation (Chapter 9).
Practical Performance Task
पढ़ाई और काम के बारे में बात करना — Talking About Study and Work
Complete the following four connected tasks in order.
- Listen to the model dialogues or listening passage above and complete the listening table.
- Speak with a partner (or record yourself): explain what someone is doing, what they can do, and what they need from another person in a polite school or work context.
- Read the class notice, office email, and homework list above and answer the comprehension questions.
- Write a short request message following the Writing Workshop checklist.
| Criterion | What is assessed |
|---|---|
| Progressive with agreement | Correct use of रहा/रही/रहे with the matching auxiliary. |
| Ability with सकना | Correct verb-stem-plus-सकना patterns in present-time frames. |
| School and work vocabulary | Accurate use of study, office, and technology vocabulary from this chapter. |
| Polite institutional requests | Appropriate use of क्या आप ... सकते हैं? and courtesy formulas. |
| Devanagari reading and writing | School and work texts read accurately; message written with correct spelling and minimal romanization. |
This task evaluates only what this chapter has taught. It does not require a casual imperative system, advanced honorific verb morphology, compound verbs, or formal bureaucratic Hindi — those remain outside this chapter's scope.
Answer Key
Model Dialogues — Comprehension
- Priya is writing a report (रिपोर्ट लिख रही है); it is due tomorrow (आख़िरी तारीख़ कल है).
- Priya's instructor suggests Friday (शुक्रवार).
Listening
- Raj is writing an email (ईमेल लिख रहा है).
- Seema is preparing for a meeting (मीटिंग की तैयारी कर रही है).
- Seema also has another project today (एक और प्रोजेक्ट).
- She is working quickly because she has a lot to do today.
Reading — Comprehension
- Tomorrow's Hindi class will be at 5 p.m. instead of 3 p.m.
- The office email asks the team to send today's report by tomorrow morning.
- The exam is next week.
Chapter Review — भाग B
- (a) रही (b) रहे
- मैं हिंदी बोल सकता/सकती हूँ।
- क्या आप आ सकते हैं?
- Sample answer: क्या आप यह रिपोर्ट कल तक भेज सकते हैं?
Chapter Review — भाग C
- (a) 5 p.m. (b) Next week.
Looking Ahead
अब आप क्या कर सकते हैं — What you can do now
You can describe school, study, work, and technology activities, say what you or someone else is doing right now using the progressive, express ability with सकना, make a polite institutional request, and read and write a short school or work message in Devanagari.