B2 Idioms Expressions 20 min read かんたん

ヒンディー語の畳語：それぞれ、すべて、何々 (Reduplication)

単語を2回繰り返すことで、グループの中の「個々の要素」や「多様性」、「強調」を表現できます。kya-kya（何々）、do-do（2つずつ）、garam-garam（アツアツ）などの表現を使いこなしましょう。
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Repeat a word to multiply its meaning: 'har ek' becomes 'ek-ek', and 'kya' becomes 'kya-kya'.

  • Distributive: Repeat a noun/number to mean 'each' or 'every' (e.g., 'ek-ek' = one each).
  • Interrogative: Repeat a question word to imply a list or variety (e.g., 'kya-kya' = what all).
  • Adverbial: Repeat adjectives/adverbs to emphasize intensity or distribution (e.g., 'dhire-dhire' = slowly/gradually).
Word + Word = Multiplied Meaning (e.g., Noun + Noun = Each Noun)

Overview

Hindi reduplication (द्विरुक्ति - dvirukti) is a pervasive grammatical phenomenon that involves repeating a word or a part of a word to convey nuanced meanings of distributivity, intensity, variety, or continuity. It serves as an elegant linguistic tool to express concepts that often require more complex phrasing or separate adverbs in languages like English. For B2-level Hindi learners, mastering reduplication is essential not only for comprehension but also for sounding natural and precise, elevating communication beyond basic, literal translations.
The underlying principle of reduplication in Hindi stems from its highly expressive and often economically structured grammar. By repeating a lexical item, Hindi efficiently signals a shift from a general or singular concept to one that is distributed among individuals, intensified in quality, or encompasses multiple, distinct instances. This pattern is deeply embedded in the language's rhythm and allows speakers to add emphasis and clarity without introducing additional words, making your Hindi sound more fluid and idiomatic.
Reduplication is not merely about pluralization; it conveys a distributive or emphatic force that a simple plural or quantifier like सब (sab - all) cannot. For example, लोग (log - people) is a general plural, but लोग-लोग (log-log) suggests every single person or person by person. This distinction is crucial for conveying precise intent in various communicative contexts.

How This Grammar Works

Reduplication fundamentally alters the semantic scope of the base word, transforming a general reference into a specific, distributed, intensified, or continuous one. This linguistic process operates across several word classes, each yielding a distinct semantic outcome. Understanding these categories is key to effectively employing reduplication.
1. Distributive Reduplication: This is perhaps the most common application, indicating each and every, one by one, or
from X to X.
It breaks down a collective into its individual components, emphasizing every member of a group or every unit of a whole.
  • Nouns: When nouns are reduplicated, they signify a thorough, exhaustive, or individual treatment of each instance of that noun.
  • गाँव-गाँव (gā̃v-gā̃v) - every village or
    from village to village.
    This implies a comprehensive coverage, as in पुलिस गाँव-गाँव में तलाशी ले रही है। (Police is searching in every village.)
  • घर-घर (ghar-ghar) - every house or door-to-door. Example: यह बात घर-घर में फैल गई है। (This news has spread in every house.)
  • Numerals: Reduplicating numbers assigns a specific quantity to each or per person/item.
  • एक-एक (ek-ek) - one each. Example: बच्चों को एक-एक मिठाई दो। (Give one sweet to each child.)
  • दो-दो (do-do) - two each. Example: सबको दो-दो किताबें मिलेंगी। (Everyone will get two books each.)
2. Intensive/Emphatic Reduplication: This form magnifies the quality described by an adjective or the degree of an adverb, conveying a sense of very, many, or especially. It adds emotional weight or highlights an exceptional characteristic.
  • Adjectives: Reduplicated adjectives emphasize the intensity or abundance of the quality.
  • छोटे-छोटे (chhoṭe-chhoṭe) - very small or many small ones. Context is vital here. मैंने छोटे-छोटे फूल देखे। (I saw very small/many small flowers.) The specific meaning often depends on whether the noun is countable and if the emphasis is on the intensity of 'smallness' or the quantity of 'small things.'
  • गरम-गरम (garam-garam) - piping hot. This always denotes intensity. Example: मुझे गरम-गरम चाय पसंद है। (I like piping hot tea.)
  • Adverbs: Repeating adverbs strengthens the manner, degree, or frequency of an action.
  • धीरे-धीरे (dhīre-dhīre) - very slowly or gradually. Example: वह धीरे-धीरे चल रहा था। (He was walking very slowly/gradually.)
3. Variety/Interrogative Reduplication: Primarily used with interrogative pronouns and adverbs, this pattern asks about or refers to multiple, distinct items, types, or places. It seeks an exhaustive list or highlights a range of possibilities.
  • Interrogative Pronouns/Adverbs:
  • क्या-क्या (kyā-kyā) - what all or which various things. Example: तुमने बाज़ार से क्या-क्या खरीदा? (What all did you buy from the market?)
  • कौन-कौन (kaun-kaun) - who all or which various people. Example: आज पार्टी में कौन-कौन आ रहा है? (Who all is coming to the party today?)
  • कहाँ-कहाँ (kahā̃-kahā̃) - where all or
    at which various places.
    Example: तुम कहाँ-कहाँ घूम चुके हो? (Where all have you traveled?)
4. Continuous/Iterative Reduplication: This usually involves verbal participles and signifies an action performed continuously, repeatedly, or over an extended period. It often implies while doing X.
  • Verbal Participles (typically -ते/-ते हुए):
  • चलते-चलते (chalte-chalte) - while walking continuously, gradually by walking. Example: चलते-चलते मैं थक गया। (While walking, I got tired.)
  • करते-करते (karte-karte) - while doing continuously, eventually by doing. Example: करते-करते अभ्यास हो जाएगा। (By repeatedly practicing, it will become a habit.)
These categories are not always mutually exclusive, and context often clarifies the precise nuance intended by the speaker. The rhythmic nature of reduplication adds a natural flow to Hindi, making it a powerful tool for expressive communication.

Formation Pattern

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Forming reduplicated expressions in Hindi follows a straightforward principle of repeating the base word. However, critical rules regarding postposition placement and grammatical agreement must be observed for correct usage. Mastering these structural aspects is fundamental to applying reduplication effectively.
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1. Basic Repetition:
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The most fundamental step is to repeat the word you wish to reduplicate. This applies to nouns, adjectives, pronouns, numerals, and adverbs.
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Base: शहर (shahar - city) -> Reduplicated: शहर शहर (shahar shahar)
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Base: बड़ा (baṛā - big) -> Reduplicated: बड़ा बड़ा (baṛā baṛā)
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Base: क्या (kyā - what) -> Reduplicated: क्या क्या (kyā kyā)
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2. Hyphenation (Written Form):
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In written Hindi, it is standard practice to connect the two repeated words with a hyphen (-). This visual cue signals the reduplicated nature of the expression.
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शहर-शहर (shahar-shahar)
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छोटे-छोटे (chhoṭe-chhoṭe)
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क्या-क्या (kyā-kyā)
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3. Postposition Placement (Crucial Rule):
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When a postposition (Hindi equivalent of prepositions like को - ko, से - se, में - mẽ, पर - par) is required, it must always be attached to the second instance of the reduplicated word. It never goes between the two repeated words.
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Incorrect: किस को किस
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Correct: किस-किस को (kis-kis ko - to which various people)
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Example: आपने किस-किस को आमंत्रित किया है? (You have invited whom all?)
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Incorrect: गाँव में गाँव
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Correct: गाँव-गाँव में (gā̃v-gā̃v mẽ - in every village)
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Example: यह खबर गाँव-गाँव में पहुँच गई। (This news reached every village.)
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4. Agreement (Adjectives):
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Reduplicated adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. If the noun is plural, the adjective (if declinable) will typically take its plural form in both instances of reduplication.
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Base Adjective: बड़ा (baṛā - big, masculine singular)
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Reduplicated Adjective (Masculine Plural Noun): बड़े-बड़े (baṛe-baṛe)
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Example: उस शहर में बड़े-बड़े घर हैं। (There are many large houses in that city.) (Masculine plural घर requires बड़े-बड़े)
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Base Adjective: छोटी (chhoṭī - small, feminine singular)
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Reduplicated Adjective (Feminine Plural Noun): छोटी-छोटी (chhoṭī-chhoṭī)
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Example: उसकी छोटी-छोटी बहनें हैं। (He has many small sisters.) (Feminine plural बहनें requires छोटी-छोटी)
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*Note:* Some adjectives, particularly those ending in -ā (like बड़ा), change for gender and number. Others, like सुंदर (sundar - beautiful), do not.
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5. Oblique Forms (Pronouns and Interrogatives):
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When a pronoun or interrogative word that has an oblique form is reduplicated and followed by a postposition, both instances of the repeated word will take their oblique forms.
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Base Pronoun: कौन (kaun - who, nominative)
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Oblique Form: किस (kis - who, oblique)
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Reduplicated with Postposition: किस-किस से (kis-kis se - from which various people)
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Example: आप किस-किस से मिले? (Whom all did you meet?)
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Base Pronoun: जो (jo - who/which, relative pronoun)
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Oblique Form: जिस (jis - who/which, oblique)
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Reduplicated with Postposition: जिस-जिस को (jis-jis ko - to whomever, to each person whom)
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Example: जिस-जिस को भूख लगी है, वे खाना खा सकते हैं। (Whoever is hungry, they can eat food.)
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*Note:* For क्या-क्या (kyā-kyā - what all), while क्या has an oblique form किस (kis) when referring to animate objects (e.g., किससे), क्या-क्या usually refers to inanimate things and typically retains its क्या-क्या form even with postpositions, as in क्या-क्या में (in what all) or क्या-क्या से (by what all).
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6. Verbal Participles for Continuous Action:
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Reduplication of the imperfective participle (verb stem + -ते) creates expressions of continuous or iterative action, often meaning while doing X.
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Base Verb: चलना (calnā - to walk)
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Participle: चलते (calte)
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Reduplicated: चलते-चलते (calte-calte - while walking)
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Example: चलते-चलते मैंने एक अजीब चीज़ देखी। (While walking, I saw a strange thing.)
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Table of Formation Patterns
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| Word Type | Base Word | Reduplicated Form | Devanagari | Example Sentence (Hindi) | Translation (English) |
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| :---------------- | :---------------------- | :---------------------- | :--------------------- | :------------------------------------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------- |
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| Noun | गाँव (gā̃v) | गाँव-गाँव (gā̃v-gā̃v) | गाँव-गाँव | यह त्यौहार गाँव-गाँव में मनाया जाता है। | This festival is celebrated in every village. |
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| Adjective | हरा (harā) | हरे-हरे (hare-hare) | हरे-हरे | बाग में हरे-हरे पत्ते थे। | There were many green leaves in the garden. |
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| Numeral | चार (cār) | चार-चार (cār-cār) | चार-चार | बच्चों को चार-चार टॉफ़ियाँ मिलीं। | The children got four toffees each. |
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| Interrogative | क्या (kyā) | क्या-क्या (kyā-kyā) | क्या-क्या | तुम्हें पार्टी में क्या-क्या मिला? | What all did you get at the party? |
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| Interrogative (Obl.) | किस (kis) | किस-किस से (kis-kis se)| किस-किस से | उसने किस-किस से बात की? | Whom all did he talk to? |
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| Adverb | जल्दी (jaldī) | जल्दी-जल्दी (jaldī-jaldī)| जल्दी-जल्दी | जल्दी-जल्दी काम खत्म करो। | Finish the work quickly. |
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| Verbal Participle | सोते (sote) | सोते-सोते (sote-sote) | सोते-सोते | सोते-सोते वह सपना देख रहा था। | While sleeping, he was dreaming. |

When To Use It

Reduplication in Hindi is employed in a variety of contexts to add precision, emphasis, or expressiveness that simple words often cannot convey. Its usage goes beyond merely indicating plurality, providing a powerful means to articulate subtle shades of meaning. Here are the primary situations in which you will find yourself using this grammatical structure:
1. To Express Distributivity (Each and Every, One by One):
This is the most common and clear-cut application. When you want to refer to every single member of a group or distribute something individually, reduplication is the ideal choice. It focuses on the individual units within a collective.
  • हर एक छात्र को अपनी-अपनी किताबें मिलीं। (Har ek chātr ko apnī-apnī kitābẽ milī̃. - Each student received their respective books.) Here, अपनी-अपनी emphasizes that each student got *their own* book, not just a shared set.
  • मैंने घर-घर जाकर सबको निमंत्रण दिया। (Maine ghar-ghar jākar sabko nimantraṇ diyā. - I went house-to-house and invited everyone.) This signifies a comprehensive, individual approach to inviting.
  • सबको एक-एक लड्डू मिला। (Sabko ek-ek laḍḍū milā. - Everyone got one laddoo each.) एक-एक clearly states the individual distribution.
2. To Inquire or State About Variety or Multiple Instances (What All, Which All):
When seeking or providing an exhaustive list of items, types, places, or people, reduplicated interrogatives are indispensable. They are specifically asking for *multiple, distinct* answers, not just a singular one.
  • तुम्हारी छुट्टी में तुमने कहाँ-कहाँ घूमने का सोचा है? (Tumhārī chhuṭṭī mẽ tumne kahā̃-kahā̃ ghūmne kā socā hai? - Where all have you thought of traveling during your vacation?) This asks for a list of destinations.
  • तुम्हारे बैग में क्या-क्या है? (Tumhāre baig mẽ kyā-kyā hai? - What all is in your bag?) This prompts for a detailed inventory.
  • कौन-कौन क्लास में अनुपस्थित था? (Kaun-kaun klās mẽ anupasthit thā? - Who all was absent from class?) This asks for the names of multiple absent students.
3. To Intensify a Quality or Quantity (Very, Many):
Reduplication can serve as an intensifier, particularly with adjectives and adverbs, to emphasize a quality or a large number. This is less about distribution and more about magnitude.
  • आज बहुत ठंडी-ठंडी हवा चल रही है। (Āj bahut ṭhanḍī-ṭhanḍī havā cal rahī hai. - Today a very cold wind is blowing.) ठंडी-ठंडी intensifies the coldness.
  • सामने बड़े-बड़े पहाड़ दिखाई दे रहे थे। (Sāmne baṛe-baṛe pahāṛ dikhāī de rahe the. - Very big mountains were visible in front.) बड़े-बड़े emphasizes the impressive size of the mountains.
  • धीरे-धीरे बोलो, बच्चे सो रहे हैं। (Dhīre-dhīre bolo, bacce so rahe hãi. - Speak very slowly, the children are sleeping.) धीरे-धीरे stresses the slowness required.
4. To Express Gradualness or Continuous Action (While Doing X, Gradually):
When applied to verbal participles or adverbs of manner, reduplication conveys an action that occurs continuously, repeatedly, or in a slow, progressive manner.
  • पढ़ते-पढ़ते मुझे नींद आ गई। (Paṛhte-paṛhte mujhe nīnd ā gaī. - While reading continuously, I fell asleep.) This indicates the ongoing nature of the reading.
  • यह समस्या धीरे-धीरे हल हो जाएगी। (Yah samasyā dhīre-dhīre hal ho jāegī. - This problem will be solved gradually.) धीरे-धीरे here means step-by-step, over time.
  • वह हँसते-हँसते बात कर रहा था। (Vah ha͠ste-ha͠ste bāt kar rahā thā. - He was talking while laughing.) The laughing was continuous alongside the talking.
5. For Emotional Expressiveness or Emphasis (Less Formal):
Sometimes reduplication is used to add a touch of affection, vividness, or informal emphasis, especially in conversational Hindi. This is less a strict grammatical rule and more a stylistic choice that adds warmth or color.
  • मेरे प्यारे-प्यारे बच्चे कहाँ हैं? (Mere pyāre-pyāre bacce kahā̃ hãi? - Where are my lovely children?) प्यारे-प्यारे adds endearment.
  • मुझे गरम-गरम पकौड़े खाने हैं। (Mujhe garam-garam pakauṛe khāne hãi. - I want to eat piping hot pakoras.) The repetition here evokes the sensory experience.
In contemporary Hindi, particularly in informal settings like social media or texting, reduplication is highly prevalent. It allows for concise and expressive communication, making your language sound natural and fluent. For example, on a travel post, a friend might comment, `वाह!
कहाँ-कहाँ गए थे?` (Vāh! Kahā̃-kahā̃ gae the? - Wow!
Where all did you go?). This is more common than asking आप किन-किन जगहों पर गए थे? (Āp kin-kin jagahoñ par gae the?), which, while grammatically correct, sounds more formal and less spontaneous.

Common Mistakes

Even at the B2 level, learners often encounter specific pitfalls when using Hindi reduplication. These errors typically stem from a direct translation approach or a lack of understanding of the subtle semantic shifts involved. Addressing these common mistakes will refine your usage and prevent misunderstandings.
1. Incorrect Postposition Placement:
This is by far the most frequent and persistent error. Learners often place the postposition between the two repeated words, mimicking structures from other languages or a misunderstanding of word order.
  • Incorrect: किस को किस (kis ko kis)
  • Correct: किस-किस को (kis-kis ko - to which various people)
  • Why it's wrong: Postpositions in Hindi are suffixes or clitics that attach *after* the noun phrase they govern. In reduplication, the entire word-word unit functions as a single distributed or intensified entity, and the postposition modifies this entire unit from the end.
  • Example of correct usage: शिक्षक ने बच्चों को एक-एक किताब दी। (Śikṣak ne baccoñ ko ek-ek kitāb dī. - The teacher gave one book each to the children.) Not एक को एक किताब।
2. Over-reliance on सब (sab - all) instead of Reduplication:
Learners frequently substitute सब (sab) for reduplication when they intend to convey distributivity or variety. While sab means all, it refers to a collective totality, not individual components.
  • Incorrect: मेरे पास सब किताबें हैं। (Mere pās sab kitābẽ hãi. - I have all books.) (Implies possessing the entire collection of books).
  • Correct: मेरे पास अलग-अलग तरह की किताबें हैं। (Mere pās alag-alag tarah kī kitābẽ hãi. - I have various kinds of books.) अलग-अलग implies variety, which sab does not capture.
  • Incorrect: क्या सब करना है? (Kyā sab karnā hai? - What all needs to be done?)
  • Correct: क्या-क्या करना है? (Kyā-kyā karnā hai? - What all needs to be done?)
  • Why it's wrong: सब suggests a single, encompassing set. क्या-क्या explicitly asks for a breakdown of multiple, distinct tasks or items. Using सब क्या sounds unnatural and grammatically awkward.
3. Forgetting Oblique Forms with Interrogatives/Pronouns:
When reduplicated interrogative or pronominal forms are followed by a postposition, they must take their oblique case. Forgetting this is a common B2-level error.
  • Incorrect: कौन-कौन को (kaun-kaun ko)
  • Correct: किस-किस को (kis-kis ko - to whom all)
  • Why it's wrong: कौन is the nominative form. When followed by a postposition, it obligatorily changes to its oblique form किस. This rule applies to both instances in reduplication.
  • Similarly, for जो-जो (jo-jo - whoever) with a postposition, it becomes जिस-जिस से (jis-jis se - from whomever).
4. Confusing Intensification with Distributivity:
While छोटे-छोटे can mean very small, it can also mean
many small (individual) things.
The distinction is subtle and depends on context and the nature of the noun.
  • गरम-गरम चाय (garam-garam chāy) always means piping hot tea (intensification), never each hot tea.
  • छोटे-छोटे कमरे (chhoṭe-chhoṭe kamre) can mean either very small rooms (intensification) or
    many small, individual rooms
    (distributivity). If the context is a hotel with multiple distinct small rooms, distributivity is implied. If it's describing the overwhelming smallness of a single room, then intensification.
  • How to differentiate: If the repeated adjective modifies a countable noun and the context implies individual instances, it leans towards distributivity. If it emphasizes an inherent quality or an uncountable noun, it's typically intensification.
5. Over-reduplication and Unnecessary Repetition:
Not every word in a sentence requires reduplication. Using it excessively makes speech sound unnatural, repetitive, and potentially childish. It is a specific tool for specific semantic functions.
  • Avoid repeating every adjective or noun when a simple plural or बहुत (bahut - very/many) suffices. Focus on the word whose meaning you intend to distribute, intensify, or emphasize.
By being mindful of these common errors, you can significantly improve the accuracy and naturalness of your Hindi reduplication, making your communication more precise and fluent.

Real Conversations

To truly grasp Hindi reduplication, observe its natural occurrence in everyday dialogue. These examples demonstrate how native speakers employ reduplication to convey nuanced meanings concisely, reflecting typical communicative situations.

Scenario 1: Planning a Weekend Trip (Informal Chat)

आलिया: तुम्हारी छुट्टियों में तुम कहाँ-कहाँ घूम आए?

*(Āliyā: Tumhārī chuṭṭiyoñ mẽ tum kahā̃-kahā̃ ghūm āe?)*

(Aalia: Where all did you travel during your holidays?)

राहुल: मैं दिल्ली, जयपुर और आगरा घूम आया। सब जगहें बहुत अच्छी-अच्छी थीं!

*(Rāhul: Maiñ Dillī, Jaypur aur Āgrā ghūm āyā. Sab jagahẽ bahut acchī-acchī thī̃!)*

(Rahul: I traveled to Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra. All the places were very, very good!)

- *Observation:* कहाँ-कहाँ (kahā̃-kahā̃) explicitly asks for multiple destinations, implying a list. अच्छी-अच्छी (acchī-acchī) intensifies the positive quality of the places, signifying very good or exceptionally good. This is more expressive than just बहुत अच्छी.

Scenario 2: Office Meeting Update (Slightly Formal Email Snippet)

सभी विभागों से अनुरोध है कि वे अपनी-अपनी मासिक रिपोर्ट आज शाम तक प्रस्तुत करें। जिस-जिस विभाग को समस्या आ रही है, वे तुरंत सूचित करें।

*(Sabhī vibhāgoñ se anurodh hai ki ve apnī-apnī māsik riporṭ āj śām tak prastut karẽ. Jis-jis vibhāg ko samasyā ā rahī hai, ve turant sūcit karẽ.)*

(All departments are requested to submit their respective monthly reports by this evening. Whichever departments are facing problems, they should inform immediately.)

- *Observation:* अपनी-अपनी (apnī-apnī) emphasizes that each department must submit *its own* report, ensuring individual accountability. जिस-जिस (jis-jis) with को refers to *each individual department* that might encounter an issue, making the request precise and distributive.

Scenario 3: Cooking Instructions (Casual Conversation)

दादी: इस सब्ज़ी में क्या-क्या मसाले डाले हैं? यह तो बहुत ही स्वादिष्ट बनी है।

*(Dādī: Is sabzī mẽ kyā-kyā masāle ḍāle hãi? Yah to bahut hī svādiṣṭ banī hai.)*

(Grandma: What all spices have you put in this vegetable dish? It's become very delicious.)

पोती: मैंने थोड़ा-थोड़ा जीरा, धनिया और हल्दी डाली है, दादी।

*(Potī: Maine thoṛā-thoṛā jīrā, dhaniyā aur haldī ḍālī hai, dādī.)*

(Granddaughter: I've put a little bit of cumin, coriander, and turmeric, Grandma.)

- *Observation:* क्या-क्या मसाले (kyā-kyā masāle) requests a list of *specific* spices, not just a general affirmation. थोड़ा-थोड़ा (thoṛā-thoṛā) indicates that small, individual quantities of each spice were added, conveying a sense of careful, measured addition, akin to little by little or

a bit of each.

Scenario 4: Describing a Scene (Literary/Descriptive)

मुझे पहाड़ी पर चढ़ते-चढ़ते थकान महसूस होने लगी। चारों तरफ़ छोटे-छोटे गाँव दिखाई दे रहे थे और हवा ठंडी-ठंडी चल रही थी।

*(Mujhe pahāṛī par caṛhte-caṛhte thakān mahsūs hone lagī. Cāroñ taraf choṭe-choṭe gā̃v dikhāī de rahe the aur havā ṭhanḍī-ṭhanḍī cal rahī thī.)*

(While climbing the hill, I started feeling tired. All around, many small villages were visible, and the wind was blowing very cold.)

- *Observation:* चढ़ते-चढ़ते (caṛhte-caṛhte) signifies the continuous action of climbing, leading to fatigue. छोटे-छोटे गाँव (chhoṭe-chhoṭe gā̃v) highlights the presence of *multiple, individual small villages* in a distributed manner, and ठंडी-ठंडी (ṭhanḍī-ṭhanḍī) intensifies the sensation of the cold wind.

These examples illustrate that reduplication is not merely a grammatical rule but a dynamic element of Hindi communication, adding nuance and naturalness to spoken and written interactions.

Quick FAQ

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Hindi reduplication, clarifying common points of confusion for B2 learners.
  • Q: Does reduplication work with verbs?

Yes, but primarily with verbal participles, not finite verb forms. The most common form involves repeating the imperfective participle (verb stem + -ते), which denotes continuous, iterative, or gradual action. For example, खाते-खाते (khāte-khāte - while eating), बोलते-बोलते (bolte-bolte - while speaking), जाते-जाते (jāte-jāte - while going/eventually as one goes). These forms often function adverbially.

  • Q: Is it always hyphenated in written Hindi?

In formal and standard written Hindi, yes, the two repeated words are typically joined by a hyphen (e.g., धीरे-धीरे, क्या-क्या). In informal digital communication (like messaging), sometimes the hyphen is omitted for speed, but for clarity and correctness, especially in academic or professional contexts, use the hyphen.

  • Q: Can reduplication be used in very formal writing, such as official documents or academic papers?

While reduplication is highly prevalent in spoken and informal written Hindi, its use in very formal, bureaucratic, or academic writing might be limited. In such contexts, more explicit and less expressive terms like प्रत्येक (pratyek - each/every), विविध (vividh - various), or लगातार (lagātār - continuously) might be preferred. However, if the context demands a natural flow or specific emphasis, appropriate reduplicated forms are not inherently incorrect, but discretion is advised. For example, अपनी-अपनी राय दें (Apnī-apnī rāy dẽ - Give your respective opinions) is perfectly acceptable even in a professional setting.

  • Q: Does reduplication entirely change the meaning of the original word?

No, it modifies or emphasizes the meaning rather than fundamentally changing it. It adds layers of distributivity, intensity, variety, or continuity to the core semantic value of the base word. For instance, घर (ghar - house) becomes घर-घर (ghar-ghar - every house), maintaining the 'house' concept while specifying 'each' one.

  • Q: How does reduplication differ from echo words like चाय-वाय (chāy-vāy)?

This is an important distinction. Reduplication involves the exact repetition of a word (e.g., गरम-गरम, क्या-क्या). Its primary functions are distributive, intensive, or continuous. Echo words (also called shadow words or rhyming compounds) involve repeating a word, but the second part is often altered, typically with a व- (v-) sound or a rhyming syllable (e.g., चाय-वाय - chāy-vāy, meaning

tea and such/etc.
; खाना-वाना - khānā-vānā, meaning food and stuff). Echo words convey a sense of
and other related things
or etcetera, implying a less specific and more casual grouping. They do not carry the distributive or intensive force of true reduplication.

  • Q: Is there any gender or number change in the repeated word itself?

The gender of the noun or pronoun being reduplicated does not change. For adjectives, if the adjective is declinable (changes form for gender/number), both instances of the repeated adjective will agree with the gender and number of the noun they modify. For example, लाल (lāl - red) is an indeclinable adjective, so लाल-लाल फूल (lāl-lāl phūl - very red flowers). But बड़ा (baṛā - big) is declinable, so for plural masculine पेड़ (peṛ - tree), it becomes बड़े-बड़े पेड़ (baṛe-baṛe peṛ - very big trees).

  • Q: Can adverbs be reduplicated for intensification?

Yes, absolutely. Reduplication of adverbs often signifies heightened degree or a gradual process. For example, धीरे-धीरे (dhīre-dhīre - very slowly/gradually), जल्दी-जल्दी (jaldī-jaldī - very quickly/repeatedly quickly), ऊपर-ऊपर (ūpar-ūpar - superficially/on the very top). This adds emphasis to the manner of the action.

By carefully considering these nuances, you will gain a more sophisticated command of Hindi reduplication, enabling you to use it accurately and expressively in diverse contexts.

Reduplication Patterns

Type Base Reduplicated Meaning
Distributive
Ek
Ek-ek
One each
Interrogative
Kya
Kya-kya
What all
Adverbial
Dhire
Dhire-dhire
Gradually
Noun
Ghar
Ghar-ghar
Every house
Interrogative
Kaun
Kaun-kaun
Who all

Meanings

Reduplication in Hindi involves repeating a word to express distribution, variety, or intensity. It is a hallmark of natural, fluent speech.

1

Distributive

Indicates 'each' or 'every' individual unit.

“हर बच्चे को एक-एक सेब दो।”

“घर-घर में दिवाली मनाई गई।”

2

Interrogative Variety

Used to ask for a list of items or multiple pieces of information.

“तुमने वहाँ क्या-क्या देखा?”

“कौन-कौन आ रहा है?”

3

Adverbial Intensity

Describes a gradual process or emphasized state.

“वह धीरे-धीरे चल रहा है।”

“मौसम धीरे-धीरे बदल रहा है।”

Reference Table

Reference table for ヒンディー語の畳語：それぞれ、すべて、何々 (Reduplication)
カテゴリ 畳語の形 意味
代名詞
कौन-कौन (kaun-kaun)
誰々（特定の複数の人）
疑問詞
कहाँ-कहाँ (kahan-kahan)
どこどこ（複数の場所）
名詞
कोने-कोने (kone-kone)
隅々まで（すべての角）
形容詞
मीठी-मीठी (meethi-meethi)
色々な甘いもの / とても甘い
数字
दो-दो (do-do)
2つずつ
副詞
धीरे-धीरे (dheere-dheere)
ゆっくり（一歩ずつ）
時間
कभी-कभी (kabhi-kabhi)
時々（たまに）

フォーマル度スペクトル

フォーマル
आपने क्या-क्या क्रय किया?

आपने क्या-क्या क्रय किया? (Shopping)

ニュートラル
आपने क्या-क्या खरीदा?

आपने क्या-क्या खरीदा? (Shopping)

カジュアル
तूने क्या-क्या खरीदा?

तूने क्या-क्या खरीदा? (Shopping)

スラング
क्या-क्या लिया भाई?

क्या-क्या लिया भाई? (Shopping)

「何々（kya-kya）」のリスト

क्या-क्या (何々)

スーツケースの中身

  • कपड़े-कपड़े 色々な服
  • जूते-जूते 色々な靴

グループチャット

  • कौन-कौन 誰々（メンバー）

単一語 vs. 畳語

単一語（一般的）
बड़ा घर 大きな家
क्या है? それは何？
畳語（分配的）
बड़े-बड़े घर たくさんの大きな家々
क्या-क्या है? 何と何がある？

畳語を使うべき？

1

複数の異なる項目について話していますか？

YES
次のステップへ
NO
単一語を使おう
2

「それぞれ」や「多様性」を強調したいですか？

YES
単語を繰り返そう！
NO ↓

分配のカテゴリ

🔢

数字（数量）

  • • एक-एक (1つずつ)
  • • सौ-सौ (100ずつ)
❓

疑問詞（質問）

  • • कहाँ-कहाँ (どこどこ)
  • • कैसे-कैसे (どんな種類)
📍

名詞（場所）

  • • घर-घर (家ごとに)
  • • देश-देश (国ごとに)
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レベル別の例文

1

एक-एक सेब लो।

Take one apple each.

1

तुम क्या-क्या खाओगे?

What all will you eat?

1

कौन-कौन आ रहा है?

Who all are coming?

1

मैंने घर-घर जाकर पूछा।

I went house to house and asked.

1

उसने धीरे-धीरे सब समझ लिया।

He gradually understood everything.

1

बातों-बातों में समय बीत गया।

Time passed in the midst of conversation.

間違えやすい

Hindi Reduplication: Each, Every, and What-All (Reduplication) 対 Intensifiers vs Reduplication

Learners mix up 'bahut' and reduplication.

よくある間違い

✗

Kya kya tum khate ho?

✓

Tum kya-kya khate ho?

Reduplication usually follows the subject.
✗

Ek ek apple.

✓

Ek-ek seb.

Use Hindi nouns.
✗

Dhire dhire.

✓

Dhire-dhire.

Needs a hyphen in writing.
✗

Kaun kaun.

✓

Kaun-kaun.

Needs a hyphen.
✗

Main gaya gaya.

✓

Main dhire-dhire gaya.

Don't repeat verbs for past tense.
✗

Sab sab log.

✓

Sab log.

Reduplication is redundant with 'sab'.
✗

Kya-kya tumne kiya?

✓

Tumne kya-kya kiya?

Word order matters.
✗

Bada bada ghar.

✓

Bade-bade ghar.

Adjective agreement.
✗

Har ek-ek.

✓

Ek-ek.

Redundant.
✗

Kahan-kahan tum gaye?

✓

Tum kahan-kahan gaye?

Syntax.
✗

Woh chal-chal raha hai.

✓

Woh chal raha hai.

Verbs don't reduplicate for progressive.

文型パターン

Tum ___ ___ gaye?

Real World Usage

Market constant

Kya-kya hai?

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🎯

「インスタ映え」のルール

ネイティブのインフルエンサーのように振る舞いたいなら、形容詞を重ねて美学を表現しましょう。Sundar-sundar（美しい・美しい）と言うと、個々の素敵なものがたくさんある様子が伝わります。
⚠️

'Sab' の使いすぎに注意

具体的なリストを聞きたいときに sab（全部）を使うのは避けましょう。Sab kya と言うと翻訳機っぽく聞こえてしまいます。Kya-kya を使うのが正解です。
💬

リズムが鍵

ヒンディー語はリズムを大切にする言語です。畳語は会話に音楽のような心地よさを与えます。急がずに、2つの言葉をはっきりと発音して、分配のリズムを刻みましょう。

Smart Tips

Use reduplication for lists.

Kya kiya? → Kya-kya kiya?

発音

kya-kya

Hyphenation

The hyphen is for writing; in speech, it is just a slight pause or rhythmic repetition.

Question

Tum kya-kya ↑ khate ho?

Rising intonation for questions.

暗記しよう

記憶術

Double the word, double the fun—each one or what all, it's never just one!

視覚的連想

Imagine a person handing out apples one by one (ek-ek) to a line of people.

Rhyme

Repeat the word to make it clear, what all you want, or each one here.

Story

Rohan went to the market. He asked 'kya-kya' (what all) he should buy. He bought 'ek-ek' (one each) of every fruit. He walked 'dhire-dhire' (slowly) back home.

Word Web

Ek-ekKya-kyaKaun-kaunGhar-gharDhire-dhireBade-bade

チャレンジ

Ask three people today what they did using 'kya-kya'.

文化メモ

Very common in daily speech, especially in markets.

Derived from ancient Indo-Aryan distributive patterns.

会話のきっかけ

“

Weekend plans?

日記のテーマ

Describe your market trip.

よくある間違い

Incorrect

正解

Incorrect

正解

Incorrect

正解

Incorrect

正解

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Test Yourself

「誰々が来ましたか？」と尋ねる文を完成させてください。

पार्टी में ___ आए थे?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: कौन-कौन
複数の特定の人物のリストを尋ねる場合、'kaun' を繰り返して 'kaun-kaun' にします。
「一人ひとりにリンゴを1つずつあげてください」という意味の文を選んでください。 選択問題

正しい文を選んでください：

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: सबको एक-एक सेब दे do।
分配（1つずつ）を示すには、数字の 'ek' を繰り返す必要があります。
次の質問の誤りを直してください：「誰々に（どの方々に）お金をあげたのですか？」 Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

तुमने कौन-कौन को पैसे दिए?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: तुमने किस-किस को पैसे दिए?
後置詞 'ko' の前では、'kaun' は斜格の 'kis' に変化するため、'kis-kis ko' となります。

Score: /3

練習問題

1 exercises
Fill in the blank.

Tum ___ gaye?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
Correct reduplication.

Score: /1

Practice Bank

10 exercises
「色々な場所を」という意味になるように文を完成させてください。 穴埋め問題

हमने दिल्ली में ___ घूमा।

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: कहाँ-कहाँ
「何（と何）を買ったの？」をヒンディー語に訳してください。 翻訳

What all did you buy?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: तुमने क्या-क्या खरीदा?
「そこにはたくさんの大きな家がありました」となるように並べ替えてください。 Sentence Reorder

थे / बड़े-बड़े / वहाँ / घर

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: वहाँ बड़े-बड़े घर थे।
畳語とその意味を一致させてください。 Match Pairs

次を組み合わせてください：

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: एक-एक : 1つずつ, गली-गली : すべての通り, मीठी-मीठी : 色々な甘いもの, कभी-कभी : 時々
正しい斜格の形を使っている文はどれですか？ 選択問題

正しい文を選んでください：

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: किस-किस ने खाना खाया?
「彼女は泣きながら話し続けました」となるように埋めてください。 穴埋め問題

वो ___ बोलती रही।

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: रो-रोकर
「私たちには色々な小さな問題があります」の誤りを見つけてください。 Error Correction

हमारी छोटी-छोटी समस्या है।

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: हमारी छोटी-छोटी समस्याएँ हैं।
「ゆっくりと、すべてが良くなるでしょう」を訳してください。 翻訳

Slowly, everything will be fine.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: धीरे-धीरे सब ठीक हो जाएगा।
「10ルピーずつ」はどう言いますか？ 選択問題

10ルピーずつ：

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: दस-दस रुपये
「誰々と話をしましたか？」を完成させてください。 穴埋め問題

तुमने ___ बात की?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: किस-किस से

Score: /10

よくある質問 (1)

No, only specific categories.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

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In Other Languages

Japanese high

Kurikaeshi

Hindi uses it more for distributive meanings.

Chinese high

Chongdie

Hindi is more restricted to nouns/interrogatives.

Spanish low

None

Hindi uses morphology.

French low

None

Hindi uses morphology.

German low

None

Hindi uses morphology.

Arabic low

None

Hindi is more productive.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
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Next
マルチタスクの魔法：「-te hue」パターン

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