When learning a new language, one of the essential skills is the ability to compare quantities. In Hindi, this involves understanding specific vocabulary and grammatical structures that allow you to express more, less, and equal quantities. This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide for English speakers on how to compare quantities in Hindi, including useful phrases, sentence structures, and examples to help you master this aspect of the language.
Basic Vocabulary for Comparing Quantities
Before diving into the grammatical structures, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with some basic vocabulary that will frequently appear when comparing quantities in Hindi.
1. अधिक (adhik) – More
2. कम (kam) – Less
3. बड़ा (bada) – Bigger
4. छोटा (chhota) – Smaller
5. बराबर (barabar) – Equal
6. ज्यादा (jyada) – More (often used interchangeably with अधिक)
7. कमतर (kamtar) – Lesser
These words will form the foundation of your comparisons. Let’s explore how to use them in sentences.
Using “More” and “Less”
When comparing two quantities to indicate that one is more than the other, you can use the word अधिक or ज्यादा. Similarly, to indicate that one quantity is less than the other, you can use कम.
Here are some example sentences:
1. मेरे पास अधिक पैसे हैं। (Mere paas adhik paise hain.) – I have more money.
2. उसके पास कम किताबें हैं। (Uske paas kam kitabein hain.) – He/She has fewer books.
3. यह खाना ज्यादा स्वादिष्ट है। (Yeh khana jyada swaadisht hai.) – This food is more delicious.
4. तुम्हारे पास कम समय है। (Tumhare paas kam samay hai.) – You have less time.
Using “Bigger” and “Smaller”
To compare the size of objects, you can use बड़ा and छोटा.
Example sentences:
1. यह घर बड़ा है। (Yeh ghar bada hai.) – This house is bigger.
2. वह किताब छोटी है। (Woh kitaab chhoti hai.) – That book is smaller.
3. समुद्र बड़ी झील है। (Samudra badi jheel hai.) – The ocean is a bigger lake.
4. यह बक्सा छोटा है। (Yeh baksa chhota hai.) – This box is smaller.
Comparing Quantities with Adjectives
When comparing quantities using adjectives, you often need to make sure the adjectives agree with the nouns they describe. In Hindi, adjectives change according to the gender and number of the noun.
Here are some common comparative structures:
1. से अधिक (se adhik) – More than
2. से कम (se kam) – Less than
Example sentences:
1. वह मुझसे अधिक बुद्धिमान है। (Woh mujhse adhik buddhimaan hai.) – He/She is more intelligent than me.
2. यह रास्ता उस रास्ते से कम लंबा है। (Yeh raasta us raaste se kam lamba hai.) – This road is shorter than that road.
3. यह फल उस फल से अधिक मीठा है। (Yeh phal us phal se adhik meetha hai.) – This fruit is sweeter than that fruit.
4. तुम्हारा घर मेरे घर से बड़ा है। (Tumhara ghar mere ghar se bada hai.) – Your house is bigger than my house.
Expressing Equality
To express that two quantities are equal, the word बराबर (barabar) is used. This word can be used to indicate that quantities, sizes, or qualities are the same.
Example sentences:
1. हमारे पास बराबर पैसे हैं। (Hamare paas barabar paise hain.) – We have the same amount of money.
2. यह दोनों किताबें बराबर हैं। (Yeh dono kitaabein barabar hain.) – These two books are equal (in size or value).
3. उसका ज्ञान मेरे ज्ञान के बराबर है। (Uska gyaan mere gyaan ke barabar hai.) – His/Her knowledge is equal to mine.
4. यह रास्ता उस रास्ते के बराबर लंबा है। (Yeh raasta us raaste ke barabar lamba hai.) – This road is as long as that road.
Comparing Quantities in Different Contexts
Let’s explore how to compare quantities in various contexts such as age, weight, distance, and time.
Comparing Ages
When comparing ages in Hindi, you can use the words बड़ा (older) and छोटा (younger).
Example sentences:
1. मैं तुमसे बड़ा हूं। (Main tumse bada hoon.) – I am older than you.
2. वह मुझसे छोटा है। (Woh mujhse chhota hai.) – He/She is younger than me.
3. मेरी बहन मुझसे बड़ी है। (Meri bahan mujhse badi hai.) – My sister is older than me.
4. उसका भाई मेरे भाई से छोटा है। (Uska bhai mere bhai se chhota hai.) – His/Her brother is younger than my brother.
Comparing Weights
To compare weights, you can use अधिक (more) and कम (less).
Example sentences:
1. यह पैकेज उस पैकेज से अधिक भारी है। (Yeh package us package se adhik bhaari hai.) – This package is heavier than that package.
2. वह बैग इस बैग से कम भारी है। (Woh bag is bag se kam bhaari hai.) – That bag is lighter than this bag.
3. यह तरबूज उस तरबूज से अधिक वजन का है। (Yeh tarbooj us tarbooj se adhik wajan ka hai.) – This watermelon is heavier than that watermelon.
4. यह पत्थर उस पत्थर से कम वजन का है। (Yeh patthar us patthar se kam wajan ka hai.) – This stone is lighter than that stone.
Comparing Distances
When comparing distances, use the words लंबा (longer) and छोटा (shorter).
Example sentences:
1. यह सड़क उस सड़क से लंबी है। (Yeh sadak us sadak se lambi hai.) – This road is longer than that road.
2. यह पुल उस पुल से छोटा है। (Yeh pul us pul se chhota hai.) – This bridge is shorter than that bridge.
3. यह नदी उस नदी से लंबी है। (Yeh nadi us nadi se lambi hai.) – This river is longer than that river.
4. यह रास्ता उस रास्ते से छोटा है। (Yeh rasta us raste se chhota hai.) – This path is shorter than that path.
Comparing Time
To compare time, you can use अधिक (more) and कम (less).
Example sentences:
1. मुझे इस काम के लिए अधिक समय चाहिए। (Mujhe is kaam ke liye adhik samay chahiye.) – I need more time for this work.
2. उसके पास मुझसे कम समय है। (Uske paas mujhse kam samay hai.) – He/She has less time than me.
3. यह काम उस काम से अधिक समय लेता है। (Yeh kaam us kaam se adhik samay leta hai.) – This work takes more time than that work.
4. मुझे इस परीक्षा के लिए कम समय मिला। (Mujhe is pareeksha ke liye kam samay mila.) – I got less time for this exam.
Common Mistakes and Tips
When comparing quantities in Hindi, learners often make some common mistakes. Here are a few tips to help you avoid them:
1. **Gender Agreement:** Ensure that the adjectives you use agree with the gender of the nouns. For example, बड़ा (bada) is used for masculine nouns, while बड़ी (badi) is used for feminine nouns.
2. **Use of से:** When making comparisons, don’t forget to use the word से (se) to indicate “than.” For example, वह मुझसे अधिक बुद्धिमान है (Woh mujhse adhik buddhimaan hai) – He/She is more intelligent than me.
3. **Contextual Vocabulary:** Be mindful of the context when choosing between अधिक and ज्यादा as they can sometimes be used interchangeably but have different nuances. अधिक is more formal, while ज्यादा is more colloquial.
4. **Practice:** Practice makes perfect. Try to use these structures in daily conversations or writing exercises to get comfortable with them.
By understanding and applying these guidelines, you’ll be well on your way to mastering the art of comparing quantities in Hindi. Whether you’re discussing the size of objects, the amount of time you have, or the qualities of different items, these structures will help you communicate your ideas clearly and effectively. Happy learning!
