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Code-mixing, blending English and Hindi in everyday speech, is common in modern Indian communication. In this intermediate-level lesson, you will watch a video featuring real examples of Hindi-English code-mixing and study four grammar structures that appear in the video: the imperfective participle with рд░рд╣рдирд╛, the subjunctive mood, causative verbs, and the relative pronoun construction рдЬрдм рддрдХ...рддрдм рддрдХ. You will then practice these structures before reflecting on the social and political dimensions of code-mixing.
Page outline:
Watch the video тАФ Hindi-English code-mixing in everyday conversation
Grammar focus
┬аImperfective participle with рд░рд╣рдирд╛ тАФ Expressing ongoing or continuous actions (e.g., рдкрдврд╝рддреЗ рд░рд╣рдирд╛ тАФ to keep reading)
Subjunctive mood тАФ Expressing wishes and hypothetical situations (e.g., рдХрд╛рд╢ рдореБрдирд┐ рдХреЛ рдЕрдВрдЧреНрд░реЗрдЬрд╝реА рдЖрддреА)
Causative verbs тАФ Making someone do something (e.g., рд╕реБрдирдирд╛ тЖТ рд╕реБрдирд╡рд╛рдирд╛)
рдЬрдм рддрдХ...рддрдм рддрдХ тАФ Expressing duration between two actions ("as long as / until")
Practice exercise тАФ Apply the grammar structures from the lesson
Bonus questions тАФ Additional challenge tasks
Reflection questions тАФ Five discussion prompts on language access, code-mixing, and colonial legacy
By the end of this page you will be able to: form sentences using the imperfective participle with рд░рд╣рдирд╛, construct hypothetical statements using the subjunctive mood, use causative verbs correctly, express duration using рдЬрдм рддрдХ...рддрдм рддрдХ, and discuss the social significance of code-mixing in India.
ЁЯТб Note: If the interactive exercises below are not loading, try switching to Chrome, Firefox, or Edge. Some browsers may have difficulty displaying embedded H5P activities.
Code-mixing between English and Hindi is a widespread phenomenon in India, reflecting the country's multilingual society. During British rule, English was the language of administration and education, largely inaccessible to the masses. This created a social divide between those who spoke English and those who didn't. However, with India's independence, English gained a new role тАУ a tool for social mobility and economic opportunity. This accessibility shift, coupled with the continued dominance of Hindi, has led to a unique situation where people seamlessly blend English words and phrases into their everyday Hindi speech. This code-mixing is not a sign of broken language, but rather a creative adaptation that reflects the multilingual reality of modern India.
In Hindi, the imperfective participle with "рд░рд╣рдирд╛" is used to express ongoing actions or states. It's often used to indicate something that is continuously happening or a state of being that persists over time.
To form the imperfective participle with "рд░рд╣рдирд╛":
Start with the root verb of the infinitives┬а (e.g., рдкрдврд╝рдирд╛/рдкрдврд╝, - to read,┬а рдЦрд╛рдирд╛ /рдЦрд╛- to eat).
┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а тЖУ
Add the imperfective participle suffix (e.g., -рддрд╛, -рддреА, -рддреЗ for masculine, feminine, and plural forms respectively).
┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а ┬а тЖУ
Combine it with "рд░рд╣рдирд╛" to indicate that the action is ongoing or habitual.
Example:
рдкрдврд╝рддреЗ рд░рд╣рдирд╛ - to keep reading
рдЦрд╛рддреЗ рд░рд╣рдирд╛ - to keep eating
Here are some examples of using imperfective participle with рд░рд╣рдирд╛ in sentences:
1. рдкрдврд╝рдирд╛ (to read) тЖТ рдкрдврд╝рддреЗ рд░рд╣рдирд╛ (to keep reading)
Example: рд╡рд╣ рдХрд┐рддрд╛рдм рдкрдврд╝рддреЗ рд░рд╣рдирд╛ рдкрд╕рдВрдж рдХрд░рддрд╛ рд╣реИред (He likes to keep reading the book.)
2. рдЦрд╛рдирд╛ (to eat) тЖТ рдЦрд╛рддреЗ рд░рд╣рдирд╛ (to keep eating)
┬аExample: рдмрдЪреНрдЪреЛрдВ рдХреЛ рдЕрдЪреНрдЫрд╛ рдЦрд╛рдирд╛ рдЦрд╛рддреЗ рд░рд╣рдирд╛ рдЪрд╛рд╣рд┐рдПред (Children should keep eating good food.)
3. рдЪрд▓рдирд╛ (to walk) тЖТ рдЪрд▓рддреЗ рд░рд╣рдирд╛ (to keep walking)
Example: рдореБрдЭреЗ рд╣рдореЗрд╢рд╛ рдЪрд▓рддреЗ рд░рд╣рдирд╛ рдЪрд╛рд╣рд┐рдПред (I should always keep walking.)
In each case, "рд░рд╣рдирд╛" adds the sense of continuation or persistence to the action described by the verb.
Example (video 0.44)
рдЪрд┐рд▓ рдХрд░реЛ! рд╕рд╛рд░рд╛ рджрд┐рди рдкреАрдЫреЗ рдкрдбрд╝реА рд░рд╣рддреА рд╣реЛред ┬а Use imperfective participle with рдкреАрдЫреЗ рдкрдбрд╝рдирд╛ + "рд░рд╣рдирд╛"┬а
The subjunctive mood in Hindi is used to express wishes, hypotheticals, or conditions contrary to fact. Here are some examples based on the episode:
Hypothetical Situations:
Example 1
рдпрджрд┐ рдореБрдирд┐ рдХреЗ рдкрд╛рд╕ рдПрдХ рдФрд░ рдШреЛрдбрд╝рд╛ рд╣реЛрддрд╛, рддреЛ рд╡рд╣ рдЦреБрд╢ рд╣реЛрддрд╛ред(hypothetical)
(If Muni had another horse, he would be happy.)
Example 2
рдХрд╛рд╢ рдореБрдирд┐ рдХреЛ рдЕрдВрдЧреНрд░реЗрдЬрд╝реА рдЖрддреАред (hypothetical)
(I wish Muni knew English.)
Example 3
рдЕрдЧрд░ рдорд╛рдБ рд╣реЛрддреА рддреЛ рд╡рд╣ рдореБрдЭреЗ рд▓реЗ рдЬрд╛рддреАред(wish)
(If mother would have been here, she would have taken me.)
Causative verbs - Causative verbs are quite versatile and are used frequently in everyday conversation to indicate that one person is causing another to perform an action.
рд╕реБрдирдирд╛ (to hear) тЖТ рд╕реБрдирд╡рд╛рдирд╛ (to make someone hear)
рдореИрдВрдиреЗ рдЙрд╕реЗ рдЧрд╛рдирд╛ рд╕реБрдирд╡рд╛рдпрд╛ред (I made him/her listen to the song.)
Example┬а from the Video┬а
рдХреМрди рдХрд░рд╡рд╛рдпреЗрдЧрд╛ рд╣реЛрдорд╡рд░реНрдХ?
The "рдЬрдм рддрдХ тАж рддрдм рддрдХ" construction in Hindi is used to express a relationship of duration between two actions or states, similar to "as long as" or "until" in English. This construction is typically used to indicate that one action or state will continue as long as another action or state continues.
Structure:
рдЬрдм рддрдХ (jab tak) - As long as / Until
рддрдм рддрдХ (tab tak) - Then / During that time / Until then
Examples:
рдЬрдм рддрдХ рддреБрдо рдирд╣реАрдВ рдЖрдУрдЧреЗ, рддрдм рддрдХ рдореИрдВ рдпрд╣рд╛рдБ рд░рд╣реВрдБрдЧрд╛ред
Translation: I will stay here until you come.
Breakdown:
рдЬрдм рддрдХ рддреБрдо рдирд╣реАрдВ рдЖрдУрдЧреЗ: As long as you don't come / Until you come
рддрдм рддрдХ рдореИрдВ рдпрд╣рд╛рдБ рд░рд╣реВрдБрдЧрд╛: I will stay here
Participles add richness to sentences by providing additional information about the action, its continuity, completion, or resulting state.┬а
Example-
рдЕрднреА рддрдХ рдордореНрдореА рдирд╣реАрдВ рдЖрдИред
(Mother has not arrived yet.)
PRACTICE EXERCISE
тЭУрдпрджрд┐ рдЖрдкрдХреЛ рдЧрддрд┐рд╡рд┐рдзрд┐рдпреЛрдВ рдпрд╛ рдкреНрд░рд╢реНрдиреЛрдВ┬а рдХреЗ рдмрд╛рд░реЗ рдореЗрдВ рдЕрддрд┐рд░рд┐рдХреНрдд рд╕рд╣рд╛рдпрддрд╛ рдпрд╛ рд╕реНрдкрд╖реНрдЯреАрдХрд░рдг рдЪрд╛рд╣рд┐рдП, рддреЛ рдХреГрдкрдпрд╛ рдкреВрдирдо рдЪреМрд╣рд╛рди рд╕реЗ poonamc07@gmail.com рдкрд░ рд╕рдВрдкрд░реНрдХ рдХрд░реЗрдВред
┬аЁЯдФ Reflection Questions
Q1. How can we ensure that everyone in India has equal access to both English and Hindi, regardless of their social background?
Q2. How does code-mixing impact the development and preservation of Hindi?
Q3. Does code-mixing create a barrier for those who are not familiar with both English and Hindi?
Q4. Would code-mixing be as prevalent if English hadn't been imposed by the British?
Q5. How do you think the power dynamics during British rule influenced the way English is used in India today?