4. SYNTAX
- vah phlao/qaaoD,o kama krta hO?
vah pahle/thore ka:m karta: h ́?
he ever work do-ptc.ms is
Does he ever work?
Alternative questions are formed by adding the expression ik nahIM ki
nahĩ: ‘or not’ at the end of an interrogative yes-no question.
- tuma p~ ilaKaogao ik nahIM?
tum patr likhoge ki nahĩ:?
you letter write-3s or not
Will you write a letter or not?
An alternative form of this question will be:
10a. tuma p~ ilaKaogao ik nahIM ilaKaogao?
tum patr likhoge ki nahĩ: likhoge?
you letter write-fut or neg write-fut
Will you write the letter or not?
4.3.4.2. Question-Word Questions
Interrogative sentences with wh- question words are referred to as k-
k-questions in Hindi because question words begin with the k- k-
sound. Question words always occur in the second position of
interrogative sentences. The main question words are @yaa kya: what,
kaOna køn ‘who’, khaÐ kahã: ‘where’, kOsaa k ́sa: how, @yaaoM kyõ ‘why’, iktnaa
kitna: ‘how much’, kba kab ‘when’ and ikQar kidhar ‘in what
direction’. The question word is always stressed.
- yah @yaa hO?
yeh kya: h ́?
this what is
What is this? - maaohna khaÐ hO?
mohan kahã: h ́?
Mohan where is
Where is Mohan?