Now that you know the rooms, let's fill them with furniture! In this lesson, you'll learn the Hindi words for everyday household items — from बिस्तर [bistar] (bed) to फ़्रिज [frij] (fridge). You'll also master location postpositions like पर [par] (on), में [mẽ] (in), and के बग़ल में [ke bagal mẽ] (beside). By the end, you can describe exactly where everything is in your room!
Learning tips
- Many furniture words in Hindi are borrowed from English or Persian: सोफ़ा [sofā], मेज़ [mez] (from Persian), कुर्सी [kursī] (from Arabic). Hindi is a great absorber of foreign words!
- Postpositions in Hindi come AFTER the noun (unlike English prepositions). Think of it as: table ON instead of ON table — मेज़ पर [mez par].
- पर [par] = on (surface), में [mẽ] = in (inside). This is the most important distinction for location words.
- Kirti Nagar in West Delhi is India's largest furniture market — hundreds of shops across several blocks!
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| कमरा [kamrā] | room | |
| रसोई [rasoī] | kitchen | |
| बाथरूम [bāthrūm] | bathroom | |
| बैठक [baiṭhak] | living room | |
| बालकनी [bālkanī] | balcony | |
| छत [chat] | rooftop | |
| दरवाज़ा [darvāzā] | door | |
| खिड़की [khiṛkī] | window | |
| सीढ़ी [sīṛhī] | stairs | |
| लिफ़्ट [lifṭ] | lift |
Dialog
Sita needs furniture for her new PG room. Ravi takes her to Kirti Nagar, Delhi's famous furniture market. They shop for essentials, then go back to set everything up. Notice how they use postpositions — पर [par] (on), में [mẽ] (in), के बग़ल में [ke bagal mẽ] (beside) — to describe where to put things. This is one of the most practical grammar patterns in Hindi!
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | Romanization | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| मेज़ | mez | /meːz/ | table | Persian origin. Feminine noun despite ending in consonant — always मेज़ [mez], never changes. |
| कुर्सी | kursī | /kʊr.siː/ | chair | Arabic origin via Urdu. Feminine noun. Plural: कुर्सियाँ [kursiyā̃]. |
| बिस्तर | bistar | /bɪs.t̪ər/ | bed | Can also mean 'bedding'. In many Indian homes, बिस्तर [bistar] refers to the mattress setup rather than a bed frame. |
| अलमारी | almārī | /əl.maː.riː/ | wardrobe, cupboard | Portuguese origin (almario)! Used for any large storage cabinet. |
| सोफ़ा | sofā | /soː.faː/ | sofa | English loanword with nuqta: सोफ़ा [sofā]. Becoming common even in middle-class Delhi homes. |
| पंखा | pankhā | /pən.kʰaː/ | fan (ceiling) | Masculine noun. In India, ceiling fans are essential — every room has one. पंखा चालू करो [pankhā cālū karo] = turn on the fan. |
| टीवी | ṭīvī | /ʈiː.viː/ | TV, television | Universally understood abbreviation. Also: टेलीविज़न [ṭelīvizan]. |
| पर्दे | parde | /pər.d̪e/ | curtains | Plural form (singular: पर्दा [pardā]). Persian origin. Also means 'veil' or 'screen'. |
| तकिया | takiyā | /t̪ə.ki.jaː/ | pillow | Masculine noun. Arabic origin. A typical Indian bed has one तकिया [takiyā] and a गद्दा [gaddā] (mattress). |
| फ़्रिज | frij | /frɪd͡ʒ/ | fridge, refrigerator | English loanword with nuqta: फ़्रिज [frij]. The फ़ [fa] sound is 'f', not 'ph'. |
Passive words
| Word | Romanization | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| गद्दा | gaddā | /gəd̪.d̪aː/ | mattress | Masculine noun. In traditional homes, a गद्दा [gaddā] on the floor is the standard bed. |
| चादर | cādar | /t͡ʃaː.d̪ər/ | bedsheet | Feminine noun. Also means 'shawl' or 'sheet' in general. |
| कालीन | kālīn | /kaː.liːn/ | carpet, rug | Persian origin. Less common in Delhi homes due to heat, but used in winter. |
| आईना | āīnā | /aː.iː.naː/ | mirror | Persian origin. Feminine noun. Also spelled: आइना [āinā]. |
| घड़ी | ghaṛī | /gʰə.ɽiː/ | clock, watch | Feminine noun. Can mean wall clock or wristwatch depending on context. |
| लैंप | laimp | /lɛːmp/ | lamp | English loanword. Table lamps are less common — tube lights and LED bulbs are more typical in Indian homes. |
Useful chunks
| Word | Romanization | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| मेज़ पर रखो | mez par rakho | Put (it) on the table |
| पंखा चालू करो | pankhā cālū karo | Turn on the fan |
| के बग़ल में | ke bagal mẽ | Beside / next to |
Grammar: Location postpositions — पर, में, के नीचे, के ऊपर, के बग़ल में [par, mẽ, ke nīce, ke ūpar, ke bagal mẽ]
| Hindi | IAST | English | Postposition |
|---|---|---|---|
| मेज़ पर | mez par | on the table | पर [par] = on |
| कमरे में | kamre mẽ | in the room | में [mẽ] = in |
| बिस्तर के नीचे | bistar ke nīce | under the bed | के नीचे [ke nīce] = under |
| अलमारी के ऊपर | almārī ke ūpar | above the wardrobe | के ऊपर [ke ūpar] = above |
| सोफ़े के बग़ल में | sofe ke bagal mẽ | beside the sofa | के बग़ल में [ke bagal mẽ] = beside |
Hindi postpositions tell you WHERE something is. Unlike English prepositions (which come before), Hindi postpositions come AFTER the noun:
- पर [par] = on (a surface): मेज़ पर [mez par] = on the table
- में [mẽ] = in (inside): कमरे में [kamre mẽ] = in the room
- के नीचे [ke nīce] = under: बिस्तर के नीचे [bistar ke nīce] = under the bed
- के ऊपर [ke ūpar] = above: अलमारी के ऊपर [almārī ke ūpar] = above the wardrobe
- के बग़ल में [ke bagal mẽ] = beside: सोफ़े के बग़ल में [sofe ke bagal mẽ] = beside the sofa
Important: When a masculine noun ending in -आ [-ā] is followed by a postposition, it changes to -ए [-e]:
- कमरा → कमरे में [kamre mẽ] (in the room)
- सोफ़ा → सोफ़े पर [sofe par] (on the sofa)
Feminine nouns don't change: मेज़ पर [mez par], अलमारी में [almārī mẽ].
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the missing Hindi word.
- पर किताबें रखो।(a flat surface for books)
- चालू करो, बहुत गर्मी है।(spins above to cool you)
- में कपड़े रखो।(stores clothes)
- पर नए लगाओ।(glass panels / fabric coverings)
- में दूध रखो।(keeps food cold)
Grammar Application
Choose the correct postposition for each sentence.
- तकिया बिस्तर है। (पर/में)(pillow is ON the bed, touching surface)
- कपड़े अलमारी हैं। (पर/में)(clothes are INSIDE the wardrobe)
- टीवी सोफ़े है। (के ऊपर/के बग़ल में)(TV is BESIDE the sofa, not on top)
- जूते बिस्तर हैं। (के नीचे/के ऊपर)(shoes are UNDER the bed)
- लैंप मेज़ है। (पर/में)(lamp is ON the table surface)
Translation (English → Hindi)
Translate each sentence into Hindi.
- There is a book on the table.
- The chair is in the room.
- Put the pillow on the bed.
- Turn on the fan.
- The fridge is beside the wardrobe.
Creative Construction
Describe your room using furniture words and postpositions. Write 2-3 sentences about where things are.
Writing: Nasal signs — अनुस्वार (ं) and चंद्रबिंदु (ँ)
Practice words
| Word | Romanization |
|---|---|
| पंखा | pankhā |
| में | mẽ |
| हैं | haĩ |
Today we learn two important nasal marks in Devanagari:
अनुस्वार (anusvāra) — ं: A dot above the letter. It represents a nasal sound before a consonant. For example: पंखा [pankhā] — the ं nasalizes the vowel before 'kh'. In practice, ं often sounds like 'n', 'm', or 'ng' depending on the following consonant.
चंद्रबिंदु (candrabindu) — ँ: A crescent moon with a dot. It nasalizes the vowel itself: में [mẽ], हैं [haĩ], हूँ [hū̃]. When the letter already has a mark above it (like the ि in मिलेंगे), the moon is dropped and only the dot remains: ं.
The difference: ं changes the consonant sound, ँ nasalizes the vowel. In modern Hindi, many writers use ं for both — this is acceptable in casual writing.
Takeaway
पर [par] = on (surface), में [mẽ] = in (inside) — these two postpositions are the most essential location words. Master them and you can describe where anything is!