Conjunctions in Hindi

In Brief

Hindi conjunctions connect words and clauses much as English and, or, but, because and that do. The essential set is और (and), या (or), लेकिन / मगर / पर (but), क्योंकि (because), इसलिए (therefore/so), कि (that), and the pair जब ... तो (when ... then). The connector normally stands between the items or clauses it links.

Overview

A conjunction is a connecting word: it can join two nouns, two alternatives, or two larger parts of a sentence. In चाय और कॉफ़ी (“tea and coffee”), और joins two nouns. In मैं आया, लेकिन वह चला गया (“I came, but he left”), लेकिन joins two clauses—a clause being a group of words built around a verb.

These connectors become especially useful around A2, when conversation grows beyond isolated statements. They let you explain why something happened, show a result, report what somebody said, or place one event in relation to another. Most have a close English equivalent, but the match is not always exact. In particular, Hindi कि is used more regularly than English “that,” and जब often works with a matching word such as तो or तब.

Hindi normally places the verb at the end of its own clause. Adding a conjunction does not turn the sentence into English word order: each Hindi clause generally keeps its own natural structure. Compare मैं घर पर रहा क्योंकि बारिश हो रही थी: literally, “I at home stayed because rain happening was.”

How It Works

Joining matching items with और and या

Use और to add one item to another and या to present alternatives.

Connector	Main meaning	Basic pattern	Example
और	and	A + और + B	रोटी और सब्ज़ी — bread and vegetables
या	or	A + या + B	आज या कल — today or tomorrow

The joined items should normally have the same role. They may be nouns (मोहन और रीना), adjectives (सस्ता और अच्छा), verbs (बैठो और सुनो), or complete clauses (मैं खाना बनाऊँगा और वह चाय बनाएगी).

Hindi और can also mean “more” or “another” when it is not simply joining two items:

• थोड़ी और चाय लीजिए। — Have a little more tea.
• कोई और सवाल है? — Is there another question?

In a short question, या can stand between options without a verb: चाय या कॉफ़ी? The missing idea—“Would you like?”—is understood from context.

Showing contrast with लेकिन, मगर and पर

लेकिन, मगर, and पर can all introduce a contrast roughly equivalent to “but.” The simplest pattern is:

statement + लेकिन / मगर / पर + contrasting statement

• कमरा छोटा है, लेकिन साफ़ है। — The room is small, but it is clean.
• मैं जाना चाहता था, मगर समय नहीं था। — I wanted to go, but there was no time.
• वह आएगा, पर देर से। — He will come, but late.

For a beginner, लेकिन is the safest neutral choice. मगर is also common and can sound a little more conversational or expressive. पर is frequent in speech and concise writing, but remember that पर also functions as a postposition meaning “on/at”; the sentence structure makes its meaning clear.

These words contrast ideas; they do not change gender, number, or verb agreement. Each clause still forms its verb normally.

Giving a reason with क्योंकि

क्योंकि introduces the reason for something. It corresponds to “because.”

result or situation + क्योंकि + reason

• मैं घर पर रहा क्योंकि बारिश हो रही थी। — I stayed at home because it was raining.
• वह नहीं आया क्योंकि बीमार था। — He did not come because he was ill.

In the second sentence, the subject वह is not repeated in the reason clause because it is already clear. Repeating it is also possible: वह नहीं आया क्योंकि वह बीमार था। Omission is natural only when the intended subject cannot be misunderstood.

The reason may come first too. Hindi often marks the following result with इसलिए in that arrangement:

क्योंकि बारिश हो रही थी, इसलिए हम घर पर रहे।

“Because it was raining, we stayed at home.”

This paired construction is normal in Hindi, even though careful English style often avoids “because ... therefore” in one sentence.

Showing a result with इसलिए

इसलिए points back to a known cause and introduces its consequence. Depending on context, English uses “so,” “therefore,” or “that is why.”

cause + इसलिए + result

• आज छुट्टी है, इसलिए दफ़्तर बंद है। — Today is a holiday, so the office is closed.
• मुझे बुखार था, इसलिए मैं नहीं गया। — I had a fever; therefore, I did not go.

The distinction is one of direction:

Connector	What follows it?	Example logic
क्योंकि	the cause	I stayed home because it rained.
इसलिए	the result	It rained; therefore I stayed home.

Do not choose between them merely by translating the English word “so.” First decide whether the next clause gives the reason or the outcome.

Introducing a reported thought or statement with कि

कि introduces a content clause—a clause that gives the content of speech, knowledge, belief, hope, or perception. It is often translated as “that.”

main clause + कि + content

• उसने कहा कि वह कल आएगा। — He said that he would come tomorrow.
• मुझे पता है कि दुकान बंद है। — I know that the shop is closed.
• मुझे लगता है कि यह सही है। — I think that this is right.

English often drops “that”: “I think this is right.” Hindi normally keeps कि in the equivalent full construction. It separates the act of thinking, saying, or knowing from what is thought, said, or known.

Hindi कि does not itself mean “who” or “which,” and it is not a question word. In उसने पूछा कि तुम कहाँ हो, the question word is कहाँ; कि simply introduces the reported question: “She asked where you were.”

Linking time or condition with जब ... तो

जब means “when” and introduces the time-setting clause. A later तो marks what happens then:

जब + time clause, तो + main clause

• जब बारिश होती है, तो सड़क गीली हो जाती है। — When it rains, the road gets wet.
• जब तुम तैयार हो, तो मुझे बताना। — When you are ready, tell me.

The second word is often तब (“then”) instead of तो: जब मैं पहुँचा, तब सब सो रहे थे (“When I arrived, everyone was sleeping”). In everyday speech, the matching word may be omitted when the relationship is obvious: जब समय मिले, मुझे फ़ोन करना (“Call me when you have time”). For learning the structure, however, जब ... तो is a useful clear frame.

Here तो does not always need a separate English translation. It marks the main consequence or next step. Hindi uses similar matching pairs more widely, but those belong to more advanced relative-correlative structures.

Examples in Context

Hindi	English	Note
मैं और तुम दोस्त हैं।	You and I are friends.	और joins two people.
वह हिंदी और अंग्रेज़ी बोलती है।	She speaks Hindi and English.	और joins two objects of the verb.
बैठो और आराम करो।	Sit down and rest.	Two commands are linked.
चाय या कॉफ़ी?	Tea or coffee?	A short choice question.
हम आज जाएँ या कल?	Should we go today or tomorrow?	या links alternatives.
खाना स्वादिष्ट था, लेकिन बहुत तीखा था।	The food was tasty, but very spicy.	Neutral contrast with लेकिन.
मैं मदद करना चाहता हूँ, मगर अभी समय नहीं है।	I want to help, but I do not have time right now.	Conversational contrast with मगर.
रास्ता लंबा है, पर मुश्किल नहीं है।	The route is long, but it is not difficult.	Concise contrast with पर.
वह नहीं आया क्योंकि बीमार था।	He did not come because he was ill.	The repeated subject is understood.
ट्रेन देर से थी, इसलिए हम भी देर से पहुँचे।	The train was late, so we also arrived late.	Cause first, result after इसलिए.
मुझे लगता है कि वह घर पर है।	I think that he is at home.	कि introduces the thought.
उसने बताया कि बैठक रद्द हो गई है।	She explained that the meeting had been cancelled.	कि introduces reported information.
जब मैं दिल्ली में था, तो रोज़ मेट्रो से जाता था।	When I was in Delhi, I used to take the metro every day.	जब ... तो frames a past routine.
जब तुम पहुँचो, तो मुझे संदेश भेजना।	When you arrive, send me a message.	Time clause followed by an instruction.

Common Mistakes

Using English word order inside each clause

• Wrong: मैं क्योंकि थका था घर गया।
• Right: मैं घर गया क्योंकि मैं थका था।
• Why: Keep each Hindi clause in its normal order, with its verb toward the end: मैं घर गया + मैं थका था. The connector goes between the clauses in this straightforward pattern.

Confusing a reason with a result

• Wrong: मैं घर पर रहा इसलिए बारिश हो रही थी। (if you mean the rain caused you to stay home)
• Right: मैं घर पर रहा क्योंकि बारिश हो रही थी।
• Why: क्योंकि introduces the cause. इसलिए introduces the consequence: बारिश हो रही थी, इसलिए मैं घर पर रहा।

Dropping कि just because English drops “that”

• Less natural for a learner: मुझे लगता है वह सही है।
• Clear: मुझे लगता है कि वह सही है।
• Why: Conversational Hindi can sometimes be compressed, but the full, dependable pattern after लगना, कहना, or पता होना uses कि. English omission is not a reliable guide.

Treating पर only as “on”

• Misreading: मैं आना चाहता था, पर समय नहीं था। as though पर belonged to a noun
• Correct reading: “I wanted to come, but there was no time.”
• Why: As a conjunction, पर links contrasting clauses. As a postposition meaning “on/at,” it follows a noun phrase, as in मेज़ पर (“on the table”).

Repeating or dropping a subject without checking clarity

• Unclear: रीना ने सीमा को फ़ोन किया क्योंकि बीमार थी।
• Clear: रीना ने सीमा को फ़ोन किया क्योंकि रीना बीमार थी।
• Why: The ending थी only tells you that the person is feminine; it does not show whether Reena or Seema was ill. Repeat the name or pronoun when omission creates ambiguity.

Usage Notes

Punctuation helps readers, but it is not the grammar itself. A comma is useful between longer clauses before लेकिन, मगर, or after a leading जब clause. Short combinations such as चाय और कॉफ़ी need no comma. Hindi uses the full stop । (danda) traditionally, though the Western period is also widespread in digital writing.

In speech, tone and pauses often do part of the work. पर may sound brisk, while मगर can add a slightly stronger “but.” These are tendencies, not rigid rules; लेकिन remains broadly neutral across conversation and ordinary writing.

English speakers sometimes overuse an explicit conjunction because English prose strongly favors words such as “and” and “that.” Hindi can leave a relationship implicit when context makes it obvious, especially in casual speech. At A2, it is better to use the clear connector first and learn natural omissions through listening.

Beyond the Basics: Advanced Use

You do not need to master the following patterns yet, but you will meet them often.

कि has more than one discourse function

Besides introducing reported content, कि appears in choices and fixed connecting expressions. For example, चाहे ... या can mean “whether ... or,” while ताकि means “so that” and introduces a purpose: धीरे बोलिए ताकि सब समझ सकें (“Speak slowly so that everyone can understand”). Treat ताकि as a complete connector rather than trying to derive its meaning from कि alone.

In storytelling, speakers may also use कि to introduce a sudden development or vivid observation. That use depends heavily on context and style; the safe beginner rule remains “use कि after saying, thinking, knowing, and similar expressions.”

तो does more than mean “then”

Outside जब ... तो, तो can highlight a topic, emphasize a contrast, or mark a consequence:

• मैं तो तैयार हूँ। — As for me, I am ready.
• अगर बारिश हुई, तो हम नहीं जाएँगे। — If it rains, we will not go.

In the first example, translating तो simply as “then” would be wrong. It is a particle—a small word that adds emphasis or organizes the message. In the second, it forms the common conditional pair अगर ... तो (“if ... then”).

Correlative pairs organize longer sentences

Hindi often uses paired words: one opens a dependent clause and the other points back to it in the main clause. जब ... तब/तो is one example. Later you will encounter जहाँ ... वहाँ (“where ... there”), जैसा ... वैसा (“as ... so”), and जो ... वह (“whoever/whatever ... that”). This pairing is more visible than in English, where the second half is often left untranslated.

Connectors can stack, but the logic must stay clear

A longer sentence may contain several relationships:

उसने कहा कि वह आएगा, लेकिन वह नहीं आया क्योंकि उसकी ट्रेन छूट गई।

“He said that he would come, but he did not come because he missed his train.”

Here कि introduces what he said, लेकिन contrasts promise and outcome, and क्योंकि supplies the reason. Build such sentences one clause at a time rather than translating an entire English sentence word for word.

Practice Tips

1. Make cause-and-result pairs. Write five facts with क्योंकि, then reverse each one with इसलिए: मैं देर से आया क्योंकि बस देर से थी → बस देर से थी, इसलिए मैं देर से आया.
2. Report one sentence a day. Start with a direct thought such as दुकान बंद है, then place it after मुझे लगता है कि..., मुझे पता है कि..., or उसने कहा कि....
3. Listen for pairs. In Hindi videos or conversations, note every जब and wait for तो or तब. Also notice when the second word is omitted. This develops a feel for Hindi sentence rhythm without forcing a word-for-word English match.

Related Concepts

No prerequisite or downstream concept was specified for this article. Useful next topics are conditional sentences with अगर ... तो, reported speech with कि, and relative-correlative pairs such as जो ... वह and जहाँ ... वहाँ.