फ़ोन, संदेश, और मीडिया
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Make and respond to phone calls and voice messages in everyday and semi-formal situations.
- Report what someone said using कि, as in उन्होंने कहा कि... and उसने बताया कि....
- Distinguish a direct quotation from a reported message and adjust pronoun and reference accordingly.
- Ask confirmation and clarification questions when a message is unclear.
- Understand short media captions, posts, and public announcements.
- Distinguish informal messaging style from standard written Hindi, and choose the appropriate register for a given task.
- Write a message that summarizes and reports information accurately.
Communication Scenario
Arjun's professor approved his extension, and his manager agreed to rearrange his shift. Before he leaves town, Priya calls him to talk about the project. He misses her call and she leaves a voice message. Later, she also sends a short text and posts an update in their class group chat. Arjun needs to listen to the voice message, read the text and the group post, and then report the key information to a classmate who was not online.
- Notice how Priya's spoken voice message differs in pace and phrasing from her typed text message.
- Notice how Arjun reports Priya's words using कि rather than repeating her exact sentence.
- Notice how the group chat post uses a more casual, abbreviated style than the earlier formal email in Chapter 12.
Where This Chapter Fits
Chapter 13 continues Unit III, समस्या, सेवा, और विचार. It builds on Chapter 12's formal message conventions and polite request frames, now shifting toward reporting information conveyed by phone, text, or media.
Coming Into This Chapter
From Chapter 12, learners already control formal salutations and closings, polite request frames such as क्या मैं...?, and obligation expressions such as ज़रूरी है and चाहिए.
New in This Chapter
Learners introduce reported information with कि, practice pronoun and reference shift between direct and reported speech, ask confirmation and clarification questions, and compare informal messaging style with standard written Hindi.
Looking Forward
Chapter 14, राय, कारण, और तुलना, extends the कि-clause introduced here into opinion frames such as मुझे लगता है कि....
Core Vocabulary
13.1 Phone and Messaging
| Hindi | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| फ़ोन करना | to call (someone) | transitive; takes को for the person called |
| कॉल छूट जाना | to miss a call | intransitive; मेरी कॉल छूट गई |
| संदेश / मैसेज | message | संदेश more formal/written; मैसेज common in speech |
| आवाज़ी संदेश | voice message | masculine compound noun |
| भेजना | to send | transitive; takes ने in perfective |
| जवाब देना | to reply, to answer | transitive; common in phone and message contexts |
13.2 Online Communication and Media
| Hindi | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ग्रुप चैट | group chat | common Hindi-English hybrid term |
| पोस्ट करना | to post (online) | transitive; light verb करना |
| घोषणा | announcement | feminine noun; more formal register |
| सूचना | notice, information | feminine noun; common in public/media contexts |
| अपडेट | update | widely used English loan in everyday Hindi |
13.3 Reporting and Summarizing
| Hindi | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| बताना | to tell, to inform | transitive; frequently followed by a कि clause |
| कहना | to say | transitive; frequently followed by a कि clause |
| पता होना | to know (information) | experiencer construction with को |
| समझाना | to explain | transitive; causative-derived form |
| दोहराना | to repeat | transitive; used when asking someone to say something again |
13.4 Confirmation, Clarification, and Response
| Hindi | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| क्या आपने कहा...? | Did you say...? | confirmation question frame |
| मतलब? | meaning? / what do you mean? | informal clarification request |
| फिर से बोलिए | please say it again | polite clarification request |
| ठीक है, समझ गया/गई | okay, I understood | confirmation response |
Receptive vocabulary: स्टोरी, रील, हैशटैग, यूज़रनेम, and similar common Hindi-English digital terms may appear in reading or listening; they are recognition-only. Media headline vocabulary and occasional Urdu/Perso-Arabic-associated words common in captions, such as ख़बर and ज़रूरी, are also recognition-level at this stage unless already active from earlier chapters.
Pronunciation and Schwa Deletion
Voice messages are often faster and less carefully articulated than a classroom dialogue. Speakers may pause mid-sentence, restart a phrase, or run words together. Listen first for the overall message, then listen again for specific details; do not expect to catch every word on the first pass.
Notice that सूचना is read as approximately soo-ch-na, with the middle inherent vowel dropped, while घोषणा is read as approximately gho-shuh-na, retaining a light middle vowel. Compound English-origin words such as ग्रुप चैट generally keep their loanword pronunciation rather than following native Hindi schwa patterns.
A confirmation question such as क्या आपने कहा कि सोमवार को? rises gently at the end to invite a yes/no response, while a simple clarification word like मतलब? is spoken with a short rising pitch and a slightly puzzled tone.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
13.5 Reported information with कि
When you report what someone said, you connect the reporting verb to the reported content with कि ("that"). This chapter introduces the pattern in simple, direct structures.
Form: [subject] + [reporting verb: कहना, बताना, पता होना, etc.] + कि + [reported clause]. The reported clause keeps its own subject, verb, and tense; Hindi does not shift the tense inside the reported clause the way some English reporting patterns do. Keep the reported clause as a complete, natural Hindi sentence.
13.6 Direct versus reported message
Meaning and use: A direct quotation repeats the speaker's exact words, usually inside quotation marks. A reported version restates the content in the reporter's own words, without quotation marks, introduced by कि. At this stage, keep reported versions simple: change first-person pronouns and possessives to match the new speaker's perspective, and adjust the verb form only when the subject changes (मैं करूँगी becomes वह करेगी).
13.7 Pronoun and reference shift in reported information
Form: When the reporter is not one of the original speakers, first-person forms (मैं, मुझे, मेरा) in the direct quote typically become third-person forms (वह, उसे, उसका) in the reported version, and second-person forms shift to match whoever is actually being referred to. Practice this shift with short, controlled examples before attempting it in free conversation.
13.8 Confirmation and clarification questions
Use क्या आपने कहा कि...? to confirm a specific piece of reported information. Use मतलब? informally among friends, and क्या आप फिर से बोल सकते/सकती हैं? in more polite or institutional contexts.
13.9 Informal message fragments versus complete standard sentences
Casual texting and group-chat posts often use short fragments, abbreviations, and Hindi-English mixing, while standard written Hindi in messages, reports, or emails uses complete sentences and consistent Devanagari spelling.
This course's productive writing target remains complete, standard written Hindi. Learners should recognize casual fragments in reading and listening but should write in complete sentences unless a task specifically asks for an informal message.
This chapter does not introduce complex indirect speech with multiple embedded clauses, media rhetorical style, political discourse, or full colloquial romanized Hindi as a productive writing standard. Those extensions belong to later chapters and volumes.
Model Dialogue
Setting: Arjun listens to Priya's voice message, then talks with his classmate Rohan.
समझ के प्रश्न — Comprehension questions:
- प्रिया ने अपने आवाज़ी संदेश में क्या बताया? (What did Priya tell Arjun in her voice message?)
- मीटिंग क्यों टल गई? (Why was the meeting postponed?)
- अर्जुन रोहन को क्या बताता है? (What does Arjun tell Rohan?)
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a study partner, or a fluent Hindi speaker to read the passage below aloud twice. On the first listen, note the general topic. 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.
कॉलेज की घोषणा — College Announcement:
"सभी छात्रों को सूचित किया जाता है कि अगले सोमवार को कॉलेज में बिजली की मरम्मत के कारण कक्षाएँ ऑनलाइन होंगी। छात्रों से निवेदन है कि वे समय पर लॉग इन करें। जिन छात्रों को कोई समस्या हो, वे कार्यालय को फ़ोन करें। धन्यवाद।"
सुनने का काम — Listening task:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| घोषणा में क्या बताया गया है? (What does the announcement tell students?) | ______ |
| कक्षाएँ ऑनलाइन क्यों होंगी? (Why will classes be online?) | ______ |
| छात्रों से क्या निवेदन किया गया है? (What are students asked to do?) | ______ |
| समस्या होने पर छात्रों को क्या करना चाहिए? (What should students do if they have a problem?) | ______ |
Reading Practice
Read the short group-chat thread below, then answer the questions. Notice how it differs in style from the formal email in Chapter 12.
रोहन: ठीक, समझ गया 👍
नेहा: मतलब? कल नहीं होगी क्या?
प्रिया: नहीं, कल कैंसिल, मंगलवार को नई डेट
नेहा: ओके, थैंक्स!
समझ के प्रश्न — Comprehension questions:
- What information does Priya give in the group chat?
- Why does Neha ask मतलब?
- Identify two features of this chat that would not appear in the formal email from Chapter 12.
Writing Workshop
Write a short message titled जानकारी की रिपोर्ट, reporting information from a phone call, voice message, or group chat to someone who was not present.
लेखन कार्य — Writing task: Write a connected message of 100-150 words in standard Devanagari, in complete sentences. Your message must include: (1) a brief statement of who told you the information, (2) at least two pieces of reported information using कि, (3) correct pronoun/reference shift where needed, (4) one reason using क्योंकि or इसलिए, and (5) a closing statement about what you or the reader should do next.
- Choose your source. Pick a phone call, voice message, or chat post to report.
- Identify the speaker. State who told you the information.
- Report the content. Use कहा कि or बताया कि for each key point.
- Check your pronouns. Make sure reference shifts correctly from the original speaker's perspective.
- Close with next steps. State what should happen next.
संपादन सूची — Editing checklist:
- कि-clauses are complete, natural Hindi sentences.
- Pronoun and reference shifts match the reporting perspective correctly.
- The message uses complete standard sentences, not chat-style fragments.
- At least one reason is expressed with क्योंकि or इसलिए.
- Spelling, matras, word spacing, and dandas are correct throughout.
Speaking Practice
नियंत्रित अभ्यास — Controlled practice: reporting a message
With a partner, one person reads a short direct statement aloud; the other reports it back using उसने कहा कि... or उसने बताया कि..., adjusting pronouns correctly.
संचार कार्य — Communicative task: फ़ोन पर संदेश
Role-play a short phone call with a partner in which one person leaves a voice message about a schedule change, and the other later reports the message to a third person (played by the same partner or imagined).
अकेले अभ्यास — Solo alternative
Record a short voice message about a plan or schedule change, then record yourself reporting your own message as if telling someone else what "you" said.
Culture and Communication
Everyday digital Hindi communication may include abbreviations, English words, emojis, and even romanized Hindi spellings, especially among friends and classmates. This is normal, real usage and not a sign of poor Hindi. However, this course's productive writing target remains standard Devanagari in complete sentences; learners should recognize casual digital style without adopting it as their default written form.
The same person may write a casual group-chat message to friends and a formal email to a professor within the same hour. Recognizing which register a situation calls for is an important practical skill, and it is normal to shift between them depending on audience and purpose.
Common Mistakes
Error: Reporting Priya's statement "मुझे मदद चाहिए" as प्रिया ने कहा कि मुझे मदद चाहिए when telling a third person.
Correction: प्रिया ने कहा कि उसे मदद चाहिए। The first-person मुझे in the original quote becomes third-person उसे because the reporter is not Priya.
Error: Writing उसने कहा वह कल आएगी without कि.
Correction: उसने कहा कि वह कल आएगी। कि is required to introduce the reported clause in standard written Hindi.
Error: Writing a reporting message as मीटिंग कैंसिल, मंगलवार को नई डेट when a complete standard sentence is expected.
Correction: मुझे बताया गया है कि मीटिंग रद्द हो गई है और अब वह मंगलवार को होगी। Reserve fragment style for genuinely informal chat contexts.
Chapter Review
भाग A — समझ (Comprehension)
1. Return to the Model Dialogue and Reading passage and answer in English:
- What two pieces of information does Priya communicate, and through which channel does each arrive?
- How does the group chat's style differ from Arjun's formal email in Chapter 12?
भाग B — व्याकरण (Grammar)
1. Rewrite each direct quotation as a reported statement using कि:
- रोहन ने कहा, "मैं आज नहीं आ सकता।"
- नेहा ने बताया, "मुझे रिपोर्ट कल जमा करनी है।"
- प्रोफ़ेसर ने कहा, "मीटिंग टल गई है।"
2. Write one confirmation question and one clarification question you could use if you did not fully understand a voice message.
भाग C — पठन (Reading)
1. Return to the group chat above and identify two words or features that mark it as informal rather than standard written Hindi.
भाग D — लेखन (Writing)
1. Write your 100-150 word message जानकारी की रिपोर्ट, following all five required elements from the Writing Workshop above.
भाग E — वाचन (Speaking)
1. Role-play or record a voice message and its reported version, as described in the Speaking Practice section above.
Cumulative Review
This chapter recycles Chapter 12's formal message conventions and polite requests while introducing reported information with कि, pronoun and reference shift between direct and reported speech, confirmation and clarification questions, and the contrast between informal digital messaging and standard written Hindi.
Practical Performance Task
जानकारी की रिपोर्ट — Reporting Information
Complete the following connected tasks in order.
- Listen to the college announcement above and complete the listening table.
- Speak a role-play or recording that includes a voice message and its reported version.
- Read the group chat above and answer the comprehension questions.
- Write your own 100-150 word message titled जानकारी की रिपोर्ट, following the Writing Workshop checklist.
| Criterion | What is assessed |
|---|---|
| Reported information with कि | Accurate use of कहा कि / बताया कि patterns. |
| Pronoun and reference shift | Correct adjustment of pronouns between direct and reported speech. |
| Confirmation and clarification | Natural use of confirmation and clarification question frames. |
| Register control | Distinguishing informal message style from standard written Hindi in production. |
| Reasons and connectors | Correct use of क्योंकि or इसलिए in reporting context. |
| Devanagari and pronunciation | Correct spelling and punctuation; intelligible listening comprehension of natural speech. |
This task integrates reported speech, confirmation strategies, and register awareness. It does not require complex indirect speech, media rhetoric, or full colloquial romanized Hindi production, which begin in later chapters and volumes.
Answer Key
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- Priya's voice message tells Arjun that the meeting will move from Monday to Tuesday because the professor is out of town, and that she needs his presentation slides.
- The group chat uses fragments, an emoji, exclamation marks, and casual expressions like मतलब?, unlike the complete formal sentences and salutation/closing of the email in Chapter 12.
Listening
- The announcement tells students that classes will be online next Monday.
- Classes will be online because of electrical repairs at the college.
- Students are asked to log in on time.
- Students with a problem should call the office.
Reading — Comprehension
- Priya tells the group that the meeting is moved to Tuesday because the professor is out of town.
- Neha asks मतलब? because she is unsure whether the meeting is happening the next day or not.
- Features include fragments without full verbs, an emoji, double exclamation marks, and the absence of a formal salutation or closing.
Chapter Review — भाग B
- (a) रोहन ने कहा कि वह आज नहीं आ सकता। (b) नेहा ने बताया कि उसे रिपोर्ट कल जमा करनी है। (c) प्रोफ़ेसर ने कहा कि मीटिंग टल गई है।
- Sample confirmation question: क्या आपने कहा कि सोमवार को मिलना है? Sample clarification question: माफ़ कीजिए, क्या आप फिर से बोल सकते/सकती हैं?
Looking Ahead
अब आप क्या कर सकते हैं — What you can do now
You can make and respond to phone calls and voice messages; report information using कि with correct pronoun and reference shift; ask confirmation and clarification questions; understand short media captions and announcements; and distinguish informal messaging style from standard written Hindi.