Beginner · Sentence building blocks · topic 9 of 59 · 15 min
I am, you are, he is: the verb "be"
Explanation
In Hindi we say "मैं छात्र हूँ", "वह डॉक्टर है", "हम दोस्त हैं". In English, the words hoon, hai and hain become am, is and are. Which one you use depends on the pronoun (सर्वनाम), the small word that stands for a person or thing: I, you, he, she, it, we, they.
| Pronoun | be | Short form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | am | I'm | I'm a student. |
| You | are | you're | You're my friend. |
| He | is | he's | He's a driver. |
| She | is | she's | She's at home. |
| It | is | it's | It's hot today. |
| We | are | we're | We're ready. |
| They | are | they're | They're from Assam. |
I'm a teacher.
Say it: aim a TEE-cher
मैं एक शिक्षक हूँ।
She's my sister.
Say it: sheez my SIS-ter
वह मेरी बहन है।
It's very hot today.
Say it: its VE-ree HOT to-DAY
आज बहुत गर्मी है।
Use "it" for weather, time and things: "It is 5 o'clock."
They're in the market.
Say it: thair in the MAAR-ket
वे बाज़ार में हैं।
Negative: add "not"
| Full | Short | Hindi |
|---|---|---|
| I am not | I'm not | मैं ... नहीं हूँ |
| He is not | He isn't / He's not | वह ... नहीं है |
| They are not | They aren't / They're not | वे ... नहीं हैं |
I'm not tired.
Say it: aim NOT TY-erd
मैं थका नहीं हूँ।
He isn't at home.
Say it: hee IZ-unt at HOME
वह घर पर नहीं है।
Questions: put the verb first
Are you ready? Yes, I am.
Say it: aar yoo RED-ee? YES, ai AM
क्या आप तैयार हैं? हाँ, मैं हूँ।
Short answers: "Yes, I am." / "No, I'm not." Do not say "Yes, I'm." at the end.
Is she a doctor? No, she isn't.
Say it: iz shee a DOK-ter? NO, shee IZ-unt
क्या वह डॉक्टर है? नहीं, वह नहीं है।
Watch the lesson
I am, you are, he is: the verb "be" · 1/7
Hello! Today we learn the most important verb in English: be. Its forms are am, is and are.
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In real life: At a school admission desk
Clerk: Are you the parent? Rekha: Yes, I am. I'm Rekha, and this is my son, Arjun. Clerk: How old is he? Rekha: He's six. Clerk: Is he in school now? Rekha: No, he isn't. We're new in this city. We are from Indore. Clerk: Okay. The form is here. The fee details are on the back.
Practice (0/4 done)
Say these sentences.
I'm a student. My father is a farmer. We are from Bihar.
मैं एक छात्र हूँ। मेरे पिता किसान हैं। हम बिहार से हैं।
Listen and type the sentence.
Write five sentences about your family or friends. Use am, is and are, and one negative.
Complete: "My parents ___ in Kanpur."
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