क्या आपको चाहिए
kya aapko chahiye
The English phrase 'do you want' is translated into Hindi as क्या आपको चाहिए (kya aapko chahiye).
This phrase is used to ask if someone would like to have or receive an object, or if they require something (need).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of kya (what/question marker), aapko (to you) and chahiye (is needed/wanted).
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, which uses a verb for 'to want', the Hindi construction literally translates to 'is needed to you'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The level of formality and the relationship with the listener can be changed by replacing aapko with different pronouns: replacing it with tumhe in क्या तुम्हें चाहिए makes the question informal for use with peers or younger people, while replacing it with tujhe in क्या तुझे चाहिए makes the question very informal or intimate, used only with very close friends or in a derogatory manner.
How do you pronounce it?
kya aapko chahiye
Did you know?
- While चाहिए (chahiye) is used to express 'want', it is often used in Hindi to give polite advice, meaning 'should' rather than 'want'.
- The question marker क्या (kya) is a direct descendant of the Sanskrit word किम् (kim), which also means 'what' or 'which'.
- In casual street Hindi, the choice between aapko and tumhe is used as a social shorthand to immediately signal the hierarchy or intimacy between two people.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries क्या, CC BY-SA 4.0.
