Unit 8
Lesson 8.5
फ़ोन और सोशल मीडिया [fon aur sośal mīḍiyā]
fon aur sośal mīḍiyā
Phone and Social Media
Welcome to the digital age — in Hindi! In this lesson, you'll learn to talk about phones, the internet, and social media. India has over 750 million smartphone users, and WhatsApp is the country's most-used app. You'll master compound verbs (डाउनलोड करना [ḍāunloḍ karnā], शेयर करना [śeyar karnā]) and the progressive tense (रहा/रही/रहे [rahā/rahī/rahe]) to describe ongoing actions. Let's get connected!
Learning tips
- English tech words are used as-is in Hindi — just add करना [karnā] (to do) to make them verbs: डाउनलोड करना [ḍāunloḍ karnā], शेयर करना [śeyar karnā].
- The progressive tense (verb stem + रहा/रही/रहे + हूँ/है/हैं) is like English '-ing': भेज रहा हूँ [bhej rahā hū̃] = I am sending.
- रहा [rahā] changes for gender: रहा [rahā] (masculine), रही [rahī] (feminine), रहे [rahe] (masculine plural/formal).
- In Delhi Hindi, people mix English words freely: 'मैं video download कर रहा हूँ' is completely natural speech.
Warm-up & Active Recall
Recap: In Lesson 8.4, you learned भाषा + में [bhāṣā + mẽ] (in a language) and मुझे...आती है [mujhe...ātī hai] (I know a language). Today you'll learn the progressive tense for ongoing actions.
| Word | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| किताब [kitāb] | book | |
| कहानी [kahānī] | story | |
| कविता [kavitā] | poem | |
| लेखक [lekhak] | writer | |
| भाषा [bhāṣā] | language | |
| हिंदी [hindī] | Hindi | |
| अंग्रेज़ी [aṅgrezī] | English | |
| उर्दू [urdū] | Urdu | |
| पढ़ना [paṛhnā] | to read | |
| लिखना [likhnā] | to write |
Dialog
Ravi's phone is acting up at the office canteen in Gurgaon — it's slow and can't find Wi-Fi. Sita helps him troubleshoot. During lunch break, they chat on their WhatsApp friend group to plan an evening outing. The dialog showcases the progressive tense (रहा/रही [rahā/rahī]) and compound verbs with English loanwords — exactly how tech-savvy Delhiites actually talk!
📱 सुबह — ऑफ़िस कैंटीन, गुड़गाँव
subah — ŏfis kainṭīn, guṛgā̃v
Ravi
सीता जी, मेरा फ़ोन बहुत धीमा चल रहा है। वाई-फ़ाई भी नहीं मिल रहा!
sītā jī, merā fon bahut dhīmā cal rahā hai. vāī-fāī bhī nahī̃ mil rahā!
(Sita ji, my phone very slow running is. Wi-Fi also not finding!)
Sita ji, my phone is running very slowly. I can't even find Wi-Fi!
Sita
ऐप बहुत ज़्यादा हैं शायद। कितनी फ़ोटो और वीडियो हैं आपके फ़ोन में?
aip bahut zyādā haĩ śāyad. kitnī foṭo aur vīḍiyo haĩ āpke fon mẽ?
(Apps very much are maybe. How-many photos and videos are your phone in?)
Maybe too many apps. How many photos and videos are on your phone?
Ravi
बहुत सारी! मैं हर दिन फ़ोटो ले रहा हूँ और वीडियो बना रहा हूँ।
bahut sārī! maĩ har din foṭo le rahā hū̃ aur vīḍiyo banā rahā hū̃.
(Very many! I every day photos taking am and videos making am.)
A lot! I'm taking photos and making videos every day.
Sita
कुछ पुरानी फ़ोटो डिलीट कीजिए। और यह ऐप डाउनलोड कीजिए — फ़ोन तेज़ हो जाएगा।
kuch purānī foṭo ḍilīṭ kījie. aur yah aip ḍāunloḍ kījie — fon tez ho jāegā.
(Some old photos delete please. And this app download please — phone fast become will.)
Delete some old photos. And download this app — your phone will speed up.
💬 लंच ब्रेक — व्हाट्सएप ग्रुप चैट
lanc brek — vhāṭsaip grup caiṭ
Ravi
मैं अभी दोस्तों को मैसेज भेज रहा हूँ। शाम को मिलने का प्लान बना रहे हैं।
maĩ abhī dostõ ko maisej bhej rahā hū̃. śām ko milne kā plān banā rahe haĩ.
(I now friends to message sending am. Evening to meeting's plan making are.)
I'm sending messages to friends right now. We're making plans to meet in the evening.
Sita
अच्छा! मैं यह फ़ोटो शेयर कर रही हूँ — इंस्टाग्राम पर डाली थी कल।
acchā! maĩ yah foṭo śeyar kar rahī hū̃ — insṭāgrām par ḍālī thī kal.
(Good! I this photo sharing am — Instagram on posted was yesterday.)
Nice! I'm sharing this photo — I posted it on Instagram yesterday.
🔋 शाम — चार्जिंग पॉइंट पर
śām — cārjiṅg pŏinṭ par
Ravi
वाई-फ़ाई अब मिल रहा है! मैं वीडियो डाउनलोड कर रहा हूँ।
vāī-fāī ab mil rahā hai! maĩ vīḍiyo ḍāunloḍ kar rahā hū̃.
(Wi-Fi now finding is! I video downloading am.)
Wi-Fi is working now! I'm downloading a video.
Sita
मैं भी इंटरनेट पर कुछ देख रही हूँ। अरे, दोस्तों ने मैसेज भेजा है — चलो, प्लान बनाते हैं!
maĩ bhī inṭarneṭ par kuch dekh rahī hū̃. are, dostõ ne maisej bhejā hai — calo, plān banāte haĩ!
(I also internet on something watching am. Oh, friends erg message sent is — come, plan make!)
I'm also looking at something on the internet. Oh, friends have sent a message — come on, let's make a plan!
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | Romanization | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| फ़ोन | fon | /foːn/ | phone | Short for स्मार्टफ़ोन [smārṭfon]. मोबाइल [mobāil] is also commonly used. |
| इंटरनेट | inṭarneṭ | /ɪn.ʈər.neʈ/ | internet | Jio revolutionized internet access in India in 2016 — now data is incredibly cheap. |
| मैसेज | maisej | /mɛː.seːd͡ʒ/ | message | Usually refers to WhatsApp or SMS messages. मैसेज करना [maisej karnā] = to message someone. |
| फ़ोटो | foṭo | /foː.ʈoː/ | photo | तस्वीर [tasvīr] is the Hindi/Urdu equivalent, but फ़ोटो [foṭo] is far more common in speech. |
| वीडियो | vīḍiyo | /viː.ɖɪ.joː/ | video | Universally used — YouTube and Instagram Reels are hugely popular in India. |
| भेजना | bhejnā | /bʰeːd͡ʒ.naː/ | to send | मैसेज भेजना [maisej bhejnā] = send a message. पैसे भेजना [paise bhejnā] = send money (via UPI). |
| डाउनलोड | ḍāunloḍ | /ɖaːʊn.loːɖ/ | download | Used as a noun and with करना [karnā] as a verb: डाउनलोड करना [ḍāunloḍ karnā]. |
| शेयर | śeyar | /ʃeː.jər/ | share | शेयर करना [śeyar karnā] = to share (a photo, post, etc.). The most common social media action. |
| ऐप | aip | /ɛːp/ | app | From 'application' — ऐप डाउनलोड करना [aip ḍāunloḍ karnā] = download an app. |
| वाई-फ़ाई | vāī-fāī | /vaː.iː.faː.iː/ | Wi-Fi | Pronounced exactly as in English. वाई-फ़ाई मिलना [vāī-fāī milnā] = to get Wi-Fi. |
Passive words
| Word | Romanization | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| इंस्टाग्राम | insṭāgrām | /ɪns.ʈaː.ɡraːm/ | Very popular among young Indians for sharing reels and stories. | |
| व्हाट्सएप | vhāṭsaip | /vʰaːʈs.ɛːp/ | India's #1 messaging app — used for everything from family chats to business. | |
| यूट्यूब | yūṭyūb | /juː.ʈjuːb/ | YouTube | India is YouTube's largest market by users. Used for entertainment, education, and news. |
| पासवर्ड | pāsvarḍ | /paːs.vərɖ/ | password | पासवर्ड डालना [pāsvarḍ ḍālnā] = to enter a password. |
| अपडेट | apḍeṭ | /əp.ɖeːʈ/ | update | अपडेट करना [apḍeṭ karnā] = to update (an app, software, etc.). |
| चार्जर | cārjar | /t͡ʃaːr.d͡ʒər/ | charger | चार्जर लगाना [cārjar lagānā] = to plug in the charger. |
Useful chunks
| Word | Romanization | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| मैसेज भेजना | maisej bhejnā | to send a message |
| फ़ोटो शेयर करना | foṭo śeyar karnā | to share a photo |
| डाउनलोड करना | ḍāunloḍ karnā | to download |
Pronunciation: Most tech vocabulary is borrowed from English, so pronunciation is close to the original. The main difference is the retroflex sounds: डाउनलोड [ḍāunloḍ] uses the retroflex ड [ḍ] (tongue curled back) rather than English 'd'. Similarly, ऐप [aip] has the diphthong ऐ [ai] — like the 'a' in 'app' but with a longer glide. Listen for how Hindi speakers naturally adapt English words to Hindi phonology.
Grammar: Compound verbs and progressive tense (रहा/रही/रहे [rahā/rahī/rahe])
| Structure | Hindi | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| I am sending (m.) | मैं भेज रहा हूँ | maĩ bhej rahā hū̃ | I am sending |
| I am sending (f.) | मैं भेज रही हूँ | maĩ bhej rahī hū̃ | I am sending |
| He is downloading | वह डाउनलोड कर रहा है | vah ḍāunloḍ kar rahā hai | He is downloading |
| She is sharing | वह शेयर कर रही है | vah śeyar kar rahī hai | She is sharing |
| We are watching | हम देख रहे हैं | ham dekh rahe haĩ | We are watching |
| Compound: send | भेजना → मैसेज भेजना | bhejnā → maisej bhejnā | to send a message |
Two important grammar points today:
1. Compound verbs with English loanwords:
Hindi absorbs English words and makes them verbs by adding करना [karnā] (to do):
- डाउनलोड करना [ḍāunloḍ karnā] — to download
- शेयर करना [śeyar karnā] — to share
- मैसेज करना [maisej karnā] — to message
2. Progressive tense (present continuous):
verb stem + रहा/रही/रहे + हूँ/है/हैं
This describes actions happening right now (like English '-ing'):
- मैं भेज रहा हूँ [maĩ bhej rahā hū̃] — I am sending (male speaker)
- मैं भेज रही हूँ [maĩ bhej rahī hū̃] — I am sending (female speaker)
- वह डाउनलोड कर रहा है [vah ḍāunloḍ kar rahā hai] — He is downloading
- हम देख रहे हैं [ham dekh rahe haĩ] — We are watching
Gender agreement: रहा [rahā] = masculine singular, रही [rahī] = feminine, रहे [rahe] = masculine plural/formal.
Negative: मैं नहीं भेज रहा [maĩ nahī̃ bhej rahā] — I am not sending.
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the missing Hindi word.
- मैं पर देख रहा हूँ।(internet / video)
- वह दोस्तों को रही है।(message / sending)
- मेरा धीमा है — नहीं मिल रहा।(phone / Wi-Fi)
- मैं यह कर रहा हूँ।(app / download)
- कौन-सी करें?(app / download)
Grammar Application
Express each idea using the progressive tense.
- Say 'I am sending a message' (male) → (verb stem + रहा + हूँ [rahā + hū̃])
- Say 'She is sharing photos' → (compound verb: शेयर कर रही है [śeyar kar rahī hai])
- Say 'I am downloading a video' (female) → (compound verb: डाउनलोड कर रही हूँ [ḍāunloḍ kar rahī hū̃])
- Say 'We are using the internet' → (रहे हैं [rahe haĩ] for 'we')
- Say 'The phone is running slowly' → (चल रहा है [cal rahā hai])
Translation (English → Hindi)
Translate each sentence into Hindi.
- I am sharing a photo.
- Wi-Fi is not available.
- She is downloading an app.
- Friends sent a message.
- I am watching a video on the internet.
Creative Construction
Write 2 sentences about what you're doing on your phone right now. Use the progressive tense.
Writing: Common loanword spellings — English words in Devanagari
ऑ
ŏ (short o)
ॉ
ŏ (matra)
ड़
ṛa
ढ़
ṛha
Practice words
| Word | Romanization |
|---|---|
| फ़ोन | fon |
| ऑफ़िस | ŏfis |
| डाउनलोड | ḍāunloḍ |
अंग्रेज़ी शब्दों को देवनागरी में लिखने के लिए कुछ विशेष चिह्न हैं — जैसे ऑ (candra-o) जो 'office' जैसे शब्दों में इस्तेमाल होता है।
aṅgrezī śabdõ ko devnāgrī mẽ likhne ke lie kuch viśeṣ cihna haĩ — jaise ŏ (candra-o) jo 'office' jaise śabdõ mẽ istemāl hotā hai.
When English words are written in Devanagari, Hindi uses some special characters:
ऑ / ॉ [ŏ] (candra-o) — for the short 'o' sound in English words:
- ऑफ़िस [ŏfis] — office (not ओफ़िस)
- ऑनलाइन [ŏnlāin] — online
- ड्रॉप [ḍrŏp] — drop
Why? Hindi's native ओ [o] is a long, pure vowel, while English 'o' in 'office' is shorter and more open. The candra-o mark captures this difference.
ड़ [ṛ] and ढ़ [ṛh] — retroflex flaps (quick tongue tap):
- These are unique to Hindi and don't come from English
- ड़ [ṛ] appears in words like पकड़ [pakaṛ] (grip), सड़क [saṛak] (road)
- They're formed by adding a nuqta to ड [ḍ] and ढ [ḍh]
When you see English words in Hindi text, you'll notice this hybrid spelling system that adapts English sounds to Devanagari.
Takeaway
Verb stem + रहा/रही/रहे [rahā/rahī/rahe] = 'is doing' — this tells you what's happening right now!
Culture note: India is the world's largest WhatsApp market with over 500 million users! In Delhi, everyone is on WhatsApp — from grandparents sharing 'Good morning' images to office colleagues coordinating work. Jio's launch in 2016 made mobile data incredibly cheap (1GB for about $0.15), bringing the entire country online. UPI (Unified Payments Interface) has made digital payments ubiquitous — even Delhi's street-side chai vendors accept phone payments via QR codes. Indians spend an average of 4.7 hours daily on their phones, with YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp being the top apps.
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