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

3. MORPHOLOGY

4. vah dao GaMTo ko baad Aa[-.
   vah do ghante ke ba:d a:yi:.
   she two hour-obl post came-fs
   She came after two hours.’

The expressions ‘quarter,’ ‘three-quarters,’ and ‘half an hour’
precede the numerals.

5. vah savaa/ paOna/o saaD,o caar bajao gayaa.
   vah søa:/pøne/sa:re ca:r baje: gaya:.
   he quarter past/quarter to/half past four o’clock went
   He went at quarter past/quarter to/half past four.

Expressons indicating minutes before the hour add the dative suffix
to the infinitive of the verb followed by the postposition maoM me ‘in’.
The expression kma kam ‘less’ also is used.

6. vah Co bajanao maoM dsa imanaT pr Aayaa.
   vah che bajne me das minat par a:ya:.
   he six o’clock-inf-obl in ten minute at came
   He came at ten minutes to six.

6a. vah dsa imanaT kma Co bajao Aayaa.
vah das minat kam che baje a:ya:.
he ten minutes less six o’clock came
He came at ten minutes to six.

Two types of expressions are used to ask for the time.

7. sanaya @yaa huAa/ hO?
   samay k’a: hua:/h ́?
   time what happened/is
   What time is it?

7a. iktnao baja gae?
kitne baj gaye?
how much strike went
What time is it?