A1 · Joining clauses
And, but, or: और, लेकिन, या
joining words: and, but, or
और joins, लेकिन (also पर, मगर) sets against, या offers a choice — between two words or two clauses, as in English.
At a glance
- Remember
- Aur is and, lekin or par is but, ya is or — and two subjects joined by aur take hain.
- Form
- औरand
- Signal words
- और
- लेकिन
- पर
- मगर
- या
- नहीं तो
- Trap
- Wrong:राहुल और प्रिया स्कूल में है।Right:राहुल और प्रिया स्कूल में हैं।
Your turn
10 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.
The form
| and | और |
| but | लेकिन, पर, मगर |
| or | या |
| either … or | या … या |
| otherwise | नहीं तो |
| two subjects: plural | राहुल और प्रिया दोस्त हैं |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
और joins two words or two clauses.
मैं चाय पीता हूँ और वह कॉफ़ी पीती है।I drink tea and she drinks coffee.
लेकिन, पर and मगर all mean “but”.
घर छोटा है लेकिन बहुत सुंदर है।The house is small but very pretty.
या offers a choice, also in questions.
यह आपका बैग है या उनका?Is this your bag or theirs?
Two subjects joined by और take a plural verb.
अमित और उसकी बहन घर पर हैं।Amit and his sister are at home.
Example sentences
मेरे पास किताब है पर पेन नहीं है।I have a book but no pen.
आप रोज़ बस से जाते हैं या मेट्रो से?Do you go by bus every day or by metro?
वह अमीर है मगर ख़ुश नहीं है।He is rich but not happy.
मेरी बहन डॉक्टर है और मेरा भाई इंजीनियर है।My sister is a doctor and my brother is an engineer.
जल्दी कीजिए, नहीं तो बस छूट जाएगी।Hurry up, or you will miss the bus.
मेज़ पर रोटी, दाल और चावल हैं।There are chapatis, dal and rice on the table.
6 more example sentences
मैं हिंदी समझता हूँ लेकिन ज़्यादा नहीं बोलता।I understand Hindi but I don’t speak much.
या आज आइए, या कल।Come either today or tomorrow.
थोड़ी और चाय दीजिए।Please give me a little more tea.
बाहर ठंड है पर धूप भी है।It is cold outside, but it is sunny too.
आप चाय लेंगे या कॉफ़ी?Will you have tea or coffee?
मेरे पापा और मम्मी दिल्ली में रहते हैं।My dad and mum live in Delhi.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
Two people joined by और are a plural subject, so the verb is हैं, not है — even though each of them alone would take है. With a man in the group, a verb that shows gender is masculine plural.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
The three everyday joining words work as in English: they stand between the two things they join. और is “and”: चाय और बिस्कुट, “tea and biscuits”; मैं पढ़ता हूँ और वह लिखती है, “I read and she writes”.
लेकिन is “but”. पर and मगर mean the same; परis very common in speechमगरsounds a little more literary घर छोटा है लेकिन सुंदर है, “the house is small but pretty”. Do not mix up this पर with the postposition पर, “on”: the conjunction begins a clause, the postposition follows a noun.
या is “or”: चाय या कॉफ़ी. In a question it offers a choice: आप बस से जाते हैं या मेट्रो से? या … या is “either … or”, and नहीं तो is “otherwise”: जल्दी कीजिए, नहीं तो देर हो जाएगी.
Two subjects joined by और make a plural: राहुल और प्रिया दोस्त हैं. If at least one of them is masculine, a verb that shows gender is masculine plural: राहुल और प्रिया आ रहे हैं.
A closer look
और also means “more”
Before a noun or a number, और means “more” or “another”: और चाय, “more tea”; दो और दिन, “two more days”; कुछ और, “something else”. The position tells the two apart: “and” stands between two things, “more” in front of the one thing it adds to.
One subject, two verbs
When both clauses have the same subject, it is said only once: वह पढ़ती है और गाती भी है. When the subjects differ, each clause keeps its own verb, because each verb agrees with its own subject: मैं चाय पीता हूँ और वह कॉफ़ी पीती है.
Worth knowing (2)
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कि for “or” in a question
In relaxed speech a choice in a question is often offered with कि instead of या: चाय लेंगे कि कॉफ़ी? In writing, and when in doubt, use या.
आप आज आएँगे कि कल?Are you coming today or tomorrow?
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Neither … nor: न … न
The negative pair is न … न, each न in front of the thing it denies: न चाय, न कॉफ़ी, “neither tea nor coffee”.
मुझे न चाय पसंद है, न कॉफ़ी।I like neither tea nor coffee.
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