It's wedding season! In this lesson, you'll learn how to give and respond to invitations, talk about celebrations, and navigate the wonderful world of Indian events. Sita has received a wedding invitation from her friend in Jaipur, and she shares the exciting news with Ravi. You'll learn polite invitation language, the subjunctive mood, and essential wedding vocabulary. Get ready to celebrate!
Learning tips
- The polite imperative with -इए [-iye] (आइए [āiye], बैठिए [baiṭhiye]) is the most important politeness marker for invitations. Always use this form with elders and in formal situations.
- Indian weddings are multi-day events. Key stages: मेहंदी [mehãdī] → संगीत [saṅgīt] → शादी [śādī] → रिसेप्शन [risepśan]. Knowing these terms impresses native speakers!
- तोहफ़ा [tohfā] (gift) is Urdu-origin and very common. The synonym उपहार [uphār] is Sanskrit-origin and more formal.
- बधाई हो! [badhāī ho!] (Congratulations!) uses the subjunctive हो [ho] — literally 'may congratulations be.' This subjunctive form expresses wishes and blessings.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| भविष्य [bhaviṣya] | future | |
| योजना [yojanā] | plan | |
| सपना [sapnā] | dream | |
| बनना [bannā] | to become | |
| सोचना [socnā] | to think | |
| उम्मीद [ummīd] | hope | |
| कोशिश [kośiś] | effort/try | |
| ज़रूर [zarūr] | definitely | |
| अगर [agar] | if | |
| तो [to] | then |
Dialog
Sita excitedly shows Ravi a wedding card (शादी का कार्ड [śādī kā kārḍ]) — receiving a physical invitation card is still important in Indian culture, even in the digital age. The dialog covers a typical Indian wedding's multi-day structure: मेहंदी [mehãdī] (henna ceremony), संगीत [saṅgīt] (musical evening with dancing), and the main शादी [śādī] (wedding ceremony). Notice the polite forms: आइए [āiye] (please come), पधारिए [padhāriye] (please grace us with your presence — very formal). Sita mentions wearing a लाल साड़ी [lāl sāṛī] (red sari) — red is the traditional wedding color in North India. The बारात [bārāt] reference is the groom's wedding procession, often with a horse, band, and dancing — a spectacular Delhi tradition!
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | Romanization | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| न्योता | nyotā | /njoː.t̪aː/ | invitation | Masculine — न्योता देना [nyotā denā] (to give an invitation). Also spelled निमंत्रण [nimaṇtraṇ] (formal) |
| शादी | śādī | /ʃaː.d̪iː/ | wedding, marriage | Feminine — शादी करना [śādī karnā] (to get married). Also called विवाह [vivāh] (formal, Sanskrit) |
| सगाई | sagāī | /sə.ɡaː.iː/ | engagement | Feminine — the formal engagement ceremony before the wedding |
| कार्यक्रम | kāryakram | /kaːr.jə.krəm/ | program, event, function | Masculine — covers any organized event, from weddings to cultural programs |
| आना | ānā | /aː.naː/ | to come | Intransitive — you already know this! Used here in polite imperative: आइए [āiye] |
| पहनना | pahannā | /pə.ɦən.naː/ | to wear (clothes) | Transitive — कपड़े पहनना [kapṛe pahannā]. Different from पहनाना [pahanānā] (to dress someone) |
| लाना | lānā | /laː.naː/ | to bring | Transitive — तोहफ़ा लाना [tohfā lānā] (to bring a gift) |
| तोहफ़ा | tohfā | /t̪oɦ.faː/ | gift, present | Masculine, Urdu-origin — synonym: उपहार [uphār] (Sanskrit, formal) |
| बधाई | badhāī | /bəd̪ʰ.aː.iː/ | congratulations | Feminine — बधाई देना [badhāī denā] (to congratulate). Also: मुबारक [mubārak] (Urdu, 'blessed') |
| इंतज़ार | intazār | /ɪn.t̪ə.zaːr/ | waiting, anticipation | Masculine, Urdu-origin — इंतज़ार करना [intazār karnā] (to wait). Also: प्रतीक्षा [pratīkṣā] (Sanskrit, formal) |
Passive words
| Word | Romanization | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| मेहंदी | mehãdī | /me.ɦə̃.d̪iː/ | henna ceremony | The ceremony where the bride's hands and feet are decorated with henna designs |
| संगीत | saṅgīt | /səŋ.ɡiːt̪/ | musical evening | A pre-wedding celebration with singing and dancing — one of the most fun parts! |
| बारात | bārāt | /baː.raːt̪/ | wedding procession | The groom's procession to the wedding venue, often with a horse, band, and dancing |
| रिसेप्शन | risepśan | /rɪ.sep.ʃən/ | reception | The post-wedding party where guests congratulate the couple |
| कार्ड | kārḍ | /kaːrɖ/ | card (invitation) | English loanword — physical wedding cards are still very important in Indian culture |
| दुल्हन | dulhan | /d̪ʊl.ɦən/ | bride | Also: वधू [vadhū] (formal). The groom is दूल्हा [dūlhā] or वर [var] (formal) |
Useful chunks
| Word | Romanization | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| शादी का न्योता | śādī kā nyotā | wedding invitation |
| इंतज़ार करना | intazār karnā | to wait |
| बधाई हो! | badhāī ho! | Congratulations! |
Grammar: Invitation language, subjunctive introduction, and polite future
| Pattern | Hindi | Romanization | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite imperative | आइए [āiye] | āiye | Please come (formal) |
| Polite imperative | पहनिए [pahaniye] | pahaniye | Please wear (formal) |
| Subjunctive (wish) | शादी मुबारक हो [śādī mubārak ho] | śādī mubārak ho | May the wedding be blessed |
| Polite future | मैं इंतज़ार करूँगी [maĩ intazār karū̃gī] | maĩ intazār karū̃gī | I will wait |
| Polite request | ज़रूर आइएगा [zarūr āiyegā] | zarūr āiyegā | Do come (polite insistence) |
| Obligation | तोहफ़ा लाना ज़रूरी है [tohfā lānā zarūrī hai] | tohfā lānā zarūrī hai | Bringing a gift is necessary |
Polite imperatives for invitations use the -इए [-iye] ending:
- आइए [āiye] = Please come (from आना [ānā])
- बैठिए [baiṭhiye] = Please sit (from बैठना [baiṭhnā])
- पधारिए [padhāriye] = Please grace us (very formal, from पधारना [padhārnā])
The subjunctive expresses wishes, blessings, and hopes. In Hindi, it uses a special verb form:
- शादी मुबारक हो [śādī mubārak ho] = May the wedding be blessed
- आप ख़ुश रहें [āp khuś rahẽ] = May you stay happy
The subjunctive looks like the root/stem form for many verbs — you'll learn it more deeply in A2.
Polite future with insistence: ज़रूर आइएगा [zarūr āiyegā] adds -एगा [-egā] to the polite imperative to create a gentle but firm 'please do come.' This is a uniquely Hindi politeness pattern — it combines a request with the assumption that the person will comply.
Obligation: X + ना ज़रूरी है [nā zarūrī hai] = doing X is necessary. तोहफ़ा लाना ज़रूरी है [tohfā lānā zarūrī hai] = bringing a gift is necessary.
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the correct invitation/event vocabulary.
- मेरी सहेली की का आया है!(wedding / invitation)
- में अच्छे कपड़े ज़रूरी है।(wedding / to wear)
- दुल्हन को कहिए!(congratulations)
- क्या — एक अच्छा ।(will bring / gift)
- ज़रूर ! मैं करूँगी।(come / waiting)
Grammar Application
Choose the correct polite/subjunctive form.
- Formal 'please come' → (आओ/आइए)(polite imperative form for आना)
- 'May the wedding be blessed' → शादी मुबारक (है/हो)(subjunctive 'may' — for blessings)
- 'Bringing a gift is necessary' → तोहफ़ा ज़रूरी है (लाना/लाया)(infinitive — obligation pattern)
- Polite insistence 'Do come' → ज़रूर (आओ/आइएगा)(polite insistence form)
- 'I (f.) will wait' → मैं इंतज़ार (करूँगा/करूँगी)(feminine future — speaker is female)
Translation (English → Hindi)
Translate each invitation-related sentence into Hindi.
- The wedding invitation has arrived — please do come!
- I will wear a red sari.
- Congratulations! Happy wedding!
- What gift will you bring?
- The program is three days long.
Creative Construction
Write an invitation or describe a celebration you attended using at least 3 words from this lesson.
Writing: Wedding and event vocabulary
Practice words
| Word | Romanization |
|---|---|
| शादी | śādī |
| बधाई | badhāī |
| तोहफ़ा | tohfā |
Today we look at the nuqta (नुक्ता [nuktā]) — the small dot placed under certain Devanagari consonants to represent sounds borrowed from Urdu/Persian/Arabic:
- फ़ [fa] vs. फ [pha] — तोहफ़ा [tohfā] uses फ़ [fa] (with dot)
- ज़ [za] vs. ज [ja] — इंतज़ार [intazār] uses ज़ [za] (with dot)
- ख़ [xa] vs. ख [kha] — ख़ुश [khuś] uses ख़ [xa] (with dot)
In casual writing, many people omit the nuqta, and context fills in the meaning. But in formal and educational contexts, the nuqta is important. Practice writing तोहफ़ा [tohfā] and इंतज़ार [intazār] with the dots!
Takeaway
The -इए [-iye] polite imperative (आइए [āiye], पधारिए [padhāriye]) is essential for giving invitations in Hindi. बधाई हो! [badhāī ho!] uses the subjunctive to express wishes and blessings. Indian wedding vocabulary is a cultural gateway!