B1 · Small words with a big job
Then, so, and as for: तो
the particle तो
तो picks up a condition (“then”), draws a conclusion (“so”), and after a word sets it against others (“as for”).
At a glance
- Remember
- To is "then" after an if, "so" at the start and "as for" after a word — but "and then, next" is phir.
- Form
- अगर … तो …if … then
- Signal words
- तो
- अगर … तो
- तो क्या
- … तो था
- Trap
- Wrong:पहले हमने खाना खाया, तो फ़िल्म देखी।Right:पहले हमने खाना खाया, फिर फ़िल्म देखी।
Your turn
10 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.
The form
The patterns at a glance
Each row first says when or what the pattern is used for, then gives an example in Hindi.
| if … then | अगर … तो … |
| when … (then) | घर पहुँचा तो … |
| so, well then | तो कल मिलते हैं |
| as for, for one | मैं तो … |
| it did happen (but) | वह आया तो था |
| urging | सुनो तो! |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
After a condition, तो opens the main clause.
अगर आप थके हैं तो आराम कीजिए।If you are tired, have a rest.
A clause with तो after it can mean “when”.
घर पहुँचा तो देखा कि दरवाज़ा खुला है।When I got home, I saw that the door was open.
At the start it means “so”, “well then”.
तो कल मिलते हैं।So, see you tomorrow.
After a word it sets that word against others.
मैं तो नहीं जाऊँगा, आप जाइए।I, for one, won’t go — you go.
Example sentences
खाना तो अच्छा था, पर बहुत महँगा था।The food was good, admittedly, but it was very expensive.
वह आया तो था, पर जल्दी चला गया।He did come, but he left early.
ज़रा सुनिए तो!Do listen for a moment!
तो क्या हुआ? सब ठीक है।So what? Everything is fine.
पैसे नहीं हैं तो कोई बात नहीं, बाद में दे दीजिए।If you don’t have the money, never mind — give it to me later.
आप तो बहुत अच्छी हिंदी बोलते हैं!Why, you speak very good Hindi!
6 more example sentences
बारिश रुके तो हम निकलें।Let’s leave once the rain stops.
तुम तो कभी समय पर नहीं आते।You never come on time, do you.
मैंने उसे बताया तो था।I did tell him.
दरवाज़ा खोला तो बाहर कोई नहीं था।When I opened the door, there was nobody outside.
तो आप भी हिंदी सीख रहे हैं?So you are learning Hindi too?
देखो तो, कितना सुंदर नज़ारा है!Just look, what a beautiful view!
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English “then” is three words in Hindi. फिर is “next”, in a sequence; तब is “at that time”, picking up जब; तो is “then” as a consequence, after a condition. A plain sequence of events takes फिर.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
After an अगर or a जब clause, तो opens the main clause, like “then”: अगर आप थके हैं तो आराम कीजिए. Even without अगर, a clause followed by तो reads as a condition or a moment: घर पहुँचा तो देखा कि दरवाज़ा खुला है, “when I got home, I saw that the door was open”.
At the start of a sentence it is “so”, “well then”: तो कल मिलते हैं, “so, see you tomorrow”; तो क्या हुआ?, “so what?”
After a word, तो sets it against others, like “as for” or a stressed word in English: मैं तो नहीं जाऊँगा, “I, for one, won’t go”; खाना तो अच्छा था, पर महँगा था, “the food was good, admittedly, but it was expensive”. A sentence with this तो often has a “but” coming, said or unsaid.
After a verb it insists or concedes: वह आया तो था, “he did come (but …)”. With an imperative it urges or softens: सुनो तो!, “just listen!”; बैठिए तो, “do sit down”. English needs a different word each time — then, so, well, at least, do — where Hindi has one.
A closer look
The “but” behind तो
The contrasting तो usually announces a second half, and leaving that half out is a way of hinting at it: मैंने उसे बताया तो था, “I did tell him” — and yet he did not listen. The sentence is finished, but the speaker means more.
The same तो marks the topics in a list of contrasts: मेरा भाई तो डॉक्टर है, बहन टीचर है, “my brother is a doctor, my sister a teacher”.
तो and तू
तो, with ो, is the particle; तू, with ू, is the most intimate “you”. They are different words, and mixing them up in writing changes the meaning completely.
Worth knowing (2)
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नहीं तो: otherwise
नहीं तो, “if not, then”, is the everyday “otherwise”: जल्दी चलो, नहीं तो देर हो जाएगी.
छाता ले लीजिए, नहीं तो भीग जाएँगे।Take an umbrella, or you will get wet.
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तो भी: even so
With भी, तो भी means “even so”, “still”: बहुत समझाया, तो भी वह नहीं माना, “I explained it at length, and still he would not agree”. फिर भी means the same.
बारिश हो रही थी, तो भी हम घूमने गए।It was raining, but we went out anyway.
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