Time to get active! In this lesson, you'll learn to talk about sports and physical activities. The key grammar point is सकना [saknā] — 'can' or 'able to' — which lets you express what you can and can't do. Delhi is a cricket-obsessed city, but you'll also learn words for yoga, running, swimming, and more. Get ready to talk about your sporting abilities!
Learning tips
- सकना [saknā] always comes after the verb stem: खेल सकता हूँ [khel saktā hū̃] (can play), not *सकता खेल हूँ. The verb stem is the infinitive minus -ना [-nā].
- सकता/सकती/सकते [saktā/saktī/sakte] changes for gender and number, just like other Hindi adjectives.
- For 'I don't know how to swim,' Hindi says मुझे तैरना नहीं आता [mujhe tairnā nahī̃ ātā] — literally 'swimming doesn't come to me.'
- जीतना [jītnā] (win) and हारना [hārnā] (lose) are often used with गए/गई [gae/gaī] as compound verbs: जीत गए [jīt gae] (won!), हार गई [hār gaī] (lost).
Warm-up & Active Recall
Recap: In Lesson 8.1, you learned मुझे...पसंद है [mujhe...pasand hai] (I like) and मुझे...अच्छा लगता है [mujhe...acchā lagtā hai] (I enjoy). Today you'll add 'I can' with सकना [saknā].
| Word | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| शौक़ [śauq] | hobby | |
| गाना [gānā] | to sing; song | |
| नाचना [nācnā] | to dance | |
| खेलना [khelnā] | to play | |
| बनाना [banānā] | to make | |
| सीखना [sīkhnā] | to learn | |
| पसंद [pasand] | liked, preferred | |
| शुरू [śurū] | start, beginning | |
| समय [samay] | time | |
| मज़ा [mazā] | fun |
Dialog
Ravi invites Sita to play cricket at the maidan (open field) near ITO — a classic Delhi scene. Sita prefers football but agrees to try. The conversation moves to a swimming pool the next day, where Ravi admits he can't swim. After their cricket match, they celebrate a win! Notice how सकना [saknā] (can/able to) appears throughout, and how the compound verbs जीत गए [jīt gae] (won) and हार गई [hār gaī] (lost) express completed actions.
🏏 शाम — मैदान, आईटीओ के पास, दिल्ली
śām — maidān, āīṭīo ke pās, dillī
Ravi
सीता जी, आज क्रिकेट खेलेंगे? हमारी टीम में एक जगह ख़ाली है।
sītā jī, āj krikeṭ khelẽge? hamārī ṭīm mẽ ek jagah xālī hai.
(Sita ji, today cricket will-play? Our team in one place empty is.)
Sita ji, shall we play cricket today? There's one spot open on our team.
Sita
क्रिकेट? मैं फ़ुटबॉल ज़्यादा खेलती हूँ। लेकिन मैं कोशिश कर सकती हूँ!
krikeṭ? maĩ fuṭbŏl zyādā kheltī hū̃. lekin maĩ kośiś kar saktī hū̃!
(Cricket? I football more play. But I try do can!)
Cricket? I play football more. But I can try!
Ravi
बहुत अच्छा! मैं बैडमिंटन भी खेल सकता हूँ, लेकिन क्रिकेट सबसे अच्छा है।
bahut acchā! maĩ baiḍminṭan bhī khel saktā hū̃, lekin krikeṭ sabse acchā hai.
(Very good! I badminton also play can, but cricket most good is.)
Great! I can also play badminton, but cricket is the best.
Sita
क्या आप दौड़ना भी पसंद करते हैं? मैं सुबह लोधी गार्डन में दौड़ती हूँ।
kyā āp dauṛnā bhī pasand karte haĩ? maĩ subah lodhī gārḍan mẽ dauṛtī hū̃.
(Do you running also like do? I morning Lodhi Garden in run.)
Do you also like running? I run in Lodhi Garden in the mornings.
🏊 अगला दिन — तालकटोरा स्विमिंग पूल
aglā din — tālkaṭorā sviming pūl
Ravi
मैं दौड़ सकता हूँ, लेकिन तैरना नहीं आता! आप तैर सकती हैं?
maĩ dauṛ saktā hū̃, lekin tairnā nahī̃ ātā! āp tair saktī haĩ?
(I run can, but swimming not comes! You swim can?)
I can run, but I can't swim! Can you swim?
Sita
हाँ, मैं तैर सकती हूँ। और मैं योग भी करती हूँ — हर सुबह।
hā̃, maĩ tair saktī hū̃. aur maĩ yog bhī kartī hū̃ — har subah.
(Yes, I swim can. And I yoga also do — every morning.)
Yes, I can swim. And I also do yoga — every morning.
Ravi
मैं जिम जाता हूँ। पिछले मैच में हमारी टीम हार गई थी।
maĩ jim jātā hū̃. pichhle maic mẽ hamārī ṭīm hār gaī thī.
(I gym go. Last match in our team lose went was.)
I go to the gym. In the last match our team lost.
🏏 वापस मैदान पर — मैच के बाद
vāpas maidān par — maic ke bād
Sita
वाह, आज हम जीत गए! क्रिकेट में बहुत मज़ा आया!
vāh, āj ham jīt gae! krikeṭ mẽ bahut mazā āyā!
(Wow, today we win went! Cricket in much fun came!)
Wow, we won today! Cricket was so much fun!
Ravi
हाँ! आप बहुत अच्छा खेल सकती हैं। अगले हफ़्ते फिर खेलें?
hā̃! āp bahut acchā khel saktī haĩ. agle hafte phir khelẽ?
(Yes! You very good play can. Next week again play?)
Yes! You can play really well. Shall we play again next week?
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | Romanization | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| क्रिकेट | krikeṭ | /krɪ.keːʈ/ | cricket | India's most popular sport by far — practically a religion in Delhi |
| फ़ुटबॉल | fuṭbŏl | /fʊʈ.bɔːl/ | football, soccer | Growing in popularity, especially among younger Delhiites |
| बैडमिंटन | baiḍminṭan | /bɛːɖ.mɪn.ʈən/ | badminton | India has world-class badminton players — PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal are national heroes |
| दौड़ना | dauṛnā | /d̪ɔː.ɽnaː/ | to run | Delhi has many running groups — Lodhi Garden and Sanjay Van are popular routes |
| तैरना | tairnā | /t̪ɛːr.naː/ | to swim | तैरना आना [tairnā ānā] = to know how to swim; मुझे तैरना नहीं आता [mujhe tairnā nahī̃ ātā] = I can't swim |
| योग | yog | /joːɡ/ | yoga | Yoga originated in India — International Yoga Day (June 21) is celebrated nationally |
| जिम | jim | /d͡ʒɪm/ | gym | Modern gyms are booming in Delhi/NCR — a growing urban trend |
| टीम | ṭīm | /ʈiːm/ | team | English loanword, universally used in Hindi sports talk |
| जीतना | jītnā | /d͡ʒiːt̪.naː/ | to win | Often used as compound verb: जीत गए [jīt gae] (won — completed action) |
| हारना | hārnā | /haːr.naː/ | to lose | Often used as compound verb: हार गए [hār gae] (lost — completed action) |
Passive words
| Word | Romanization | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| कबड्डी | kabḍḍī | /kə.bəɖ.ɖiː/ | kabaddi | Traditional Indian contact sport — now a TV sensation via Pro Kabaddi League |
| कुश्ती | kuśtī | /kʊʃ.t̪iː/ | wrestling | India's traditional wrestling (अखाड़ा [akhāṛā]) has a long history |
| खो-खो | kho-kho | /kʰoː.kʰoː/ | kho-kho | Traditional Indian tag game played in schools across the country |
| कोच | koc | /koːt͡ʃ/ | coach | English loanword — used in both sports and life coaching contexts |
| मैच | maic | /mɛːt͡ʃ/ | match | Used for any competitive game — cricket match, football match, etc. |
| प्रैक्टिस | praikṭis | /prɛːk.ʈɪs/ | practice | English loanword — प्रैक्टिस करना [praikṭis karnā] = to practice |
Useful chunks
| Word | Romanization | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| मैं खेल सकता/सकती हूँ | maĩ khel saktā/saktī hū̃ | I can play (m./f.) |
| हम जीत गए | ham jīt gae | We won |
| मुझे...नहीं आता | mujhe...nahī̃ ātā | I don't know how to... (skill-based) |
Pronunciation: क्रिकेट [krikeṭ] uses the retroflex ट [ṭ] — curl your tongue back to touch the roof of your mouth. Same for बैडमिंटन [baiḍminṭan] with its ड [ḍ] and ट [ṭ]. These retroflex sounds don't exist in English and are one of the hallmarks of Indian languages. Practice by saying 'cricket' but with your tongue touching the hard palate instead of the teeth ridge.
Grammar: सकना [saknā] — expressing ability (can / able to)
| Person | Hindi | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| मैं (m.) | मैं खेल सकता हूँ | maĩ khel saktā hū̃ | I can play |
| मैं (f.) | मैं खेल सकती हूँ | maĩ khel saktī hū̃ | I can play |
| आप | आप तैर सकते/सकती हैं | āp tair sakte/saktī haĩ | You can swim |
| वह (m.) | वह दौड़ सकता है | vah dauṛ saktā hai | He can run |
| वह (f.) | वह दौड़ सकती है | vah dauṛ saktī hai | She can run |
| हम | हम जीत सकते हैं | ham jīt sakte haĩ | We can win |
| Negative | मैं तैर नहीं सकता | maĩ tair nahī̃ saktā | I cannot swim |
सकना [saknā] adds 'can' or 'able to' to any verb. The formula is:
verb stem + सकता/सकती/सकते + हूँ/है/हैं
[verb stem + saktā/saktī/sakte + hū̃/hai/haĩ]
The verb stem is the infinitive minus -ना [-nā]:
- खेलना [khelnā] → खेल [khel] → मैं खेल सकता हूँ [maĩ khel saktā hū̃] (I can play)
- तैरना [tairnā] → तैर [tair] → वह तैर सकती है [vah tair saktī hai] (She can swim)
सकता [saktā] agrees with the subject's gender and number:
- Masculine singular: सकता [saktā]
- Feminine singular: सकती [saktī]
- Masculine plural / formal: सकते [sakte]
- Feminine plural: सकती [saktī] (same as singular)
Negative: Put नहीं [nahī̃] before सकता [saktā]:
- मैं तैर नहीं सकता [maĩ tair nahī̃ saktā] — I cannot swim
Note: For acquired skills (swimming, cooking, languages), Hindi often uses आना [ānā] instead of सकना [saknā]:
- मुझे तैरना आता है [mujhe tairnā ātā hai] — I know how to swim (lit. 'swimming comes to me')
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the missing Hindi word.
- मैं खेल सकता हूँ।(a sport)
- हमारी आज गई!(team / won or lost)
- मैं सुबह में करता हूँ।(gym / yoga)
- क्या आप सकती हैं?(swim — verb stem)
- मैं जाता हूँ और भी करता हूँ।(gym / yoga)
Grammar Application
Express each idea using the correct form of सकना [saknā].
- Say 'I can swim' (female speaker) → (female: सकती [saktī])
- Say 'He cannot run' → (negative: नहीं सकता [nahī̃ saktā])
- Ask 'Can you play cricket?' (formal) → (formal: सकते हैं [sakte haĩ])
- Say 'We won the match' → (compound verb: जीत गए [jīt gae])
- Say 'Our team lost' → (compound verb: हार गई [hār gaī])
Translation (English → Hindi)
Translate each sentence into Hindi.
- I can play cricket.
- She cannot swim.
- Our team won!
- I do yoga in the morning.
- Can you run?
Creative Construction
Write 2 sentences about sports you play or want to play. Use सकना [saknā] at least once.
Writing: Nukta (नुक़्ता [nuqtā]) — Dots for borrowed sounds
क़
qa
ख़
xa
ग़
ġa
ज़
za
फ़
fa
ड़
ṛa
ढ़
ṛha
Practice words
| Word | Romanization |
|---|---|
| क़ीमत | qīmat |
| ख़ुशी | xuśī |
| ज़िंदगी | zindagī |
नुक़्ता (नीचे का बिंदु) उर्दू और अंग्रेज़ी से आई ध्वनियों के लिए लगाया जाता है। बोलचाल में कई लोग नुक़्ता नहीं लगाते।
nuqtā (nīce kā bindu) urdū aur aṅgrezī se āī dhvaniyõ ke lie lagāyā jātā hai. bolcāl mẽ kaī log nuqtā nahī̃ lagāte.
The nuqta (नुक़्ता [nuqtā]) is a small dot placed below certain Devanagari letters to represent sounds borrowed from Urdu, Arabic, and English:
- क़ [qa] — deeper than क [ka], from the back of the throat
- ख़ [xa] — a throaty 'kh' sound, like 'ch' in Scottish 'loch'
- ग़ [ġa] — a voiced version of ख़ [xa]
- ज़ [za] — like English 'z' (vs. ज [ja] = 'j')
- फ़ [fa] — like English 'f' (vs. फ [pha] = aspirated 'p')
- ड़ [ṛa] and ढ़ [ṛha] — retroflex flap sounds unique to Hindi
In everyday writing, many Hindi speakers skip the nuqta dots. So you'll see both ज़िंदगी [zindagī] and जिंदगी [jindagī]. Both are acceptable, but the nuqta version is more precise.
Takeaway
सकना [saknā] is your 'I can' verb — just add the verb stem before सकता/सकती [saktā/saktī] and you can express any ability!
Culture note: Cricket is more than a sport in Delhi — it's a way of life! Every open ground (मैदान [maidān]), every lane (गली [galī]) becomes a cricket pitch. During IPL season, the whole city rallies behind the Delhi Capitals. Kabaddi and kho-kho are traditional Indian sports that are experiencing a massive revival thanks to pro leagues on TV. India also has a proud wrestling tradition — Delhi's Chhatrasal Stadium has produced Olympic medalists. And yoga, which originated in India thousands of years ago, is practiced in parks across Delhi every morning, often for free in community groups.
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