Modern Hindi Grammar - Indian Institute of Language Studies (IILS)

3. MORPHOLOGY

Reduplicated adverbs may be separated by the negative particle na
to express indefiniteness: kBaI na kBaI kabhi: na kabhi: ‘sometime or
other.’

15. kBaI na kBaI vah ApnaI galtI maanaogaI.
    kabhi: na kabhi: vah apni: galti: ma:nega:.
    sometime neg sometime he self’s mistake accept-fut
    He will realize his mistake some day.

3.5.2. Expressions of Time

3.5.2.1. General Time Expressions

General time expressions employ nouns in the direct and oblique
cases. The dative sufix kao ko is added to adverbs of time, such as duphr
duphar ‘noon,’ Saama ša:m ‘evening,’ rat ra:t ‘night,’ idna din ‘day,’ kla
kal ‘tomorrow/yesterday.’

1. Aap duphr kao Aa[e.
   a:p duphar ko a:yiye.
   you noon dat come-pol
   Please come at noon.


2. rat kao AiQak gamaI- nahIM rhtI.
   ra:t ko adhik garmi: nahĩ: rahti:.
   night dat more hot neg remain-ptc
   It is not very hot during the night.

3.5.2.2. Time of Day

Time of day is expressed by bajao baje. It is used in reporting time and
not in expressions such as ek GaMTo ko baad ek ghante ke ba:d ‘after one
hour.’ In such cases, GaMTa ghanta: ‘hour’ is used in the oblique case
with a postposition.

3. vah dF,tr sao dsa bajao Aa[-.
   vah daftar se das baje a:yi:.
   she office from ten o’clock came-fs
   She came from the office at ten o’clock.