What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to "to me water is needed".
Which one should you use?
Unlike English where 'want' is a transitive verb acting on an object, Hindi uses a construction where the thing wanted (water) is the subject and the person wanting it is the indirect object.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase मुझे पानी चाहिए। is a common formal way to say 'I want water' in Hindi. Adding कृपया at the beginning makes the request more polite and formal. Adding यार to the end of मुझे पानी चाहिए makes it an informal way to say "I want water, buddy/mate" in Hindi. The phrase पानी चाहिए भैया। is an informal way to say "I want water, brother" in Hindi. The phrase कृपया मुझे पानी दीजिए। is a polite way to say "Please give me water" in Hindi.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this construction, the subject "I" is expressed using the oblique form mujhe (to me) because the verb चाहिए (to want/need) requires the dative case.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /mʊ.dʒʱeː pɑː.niː tʃɑː.ɦɪ.eː/. It has 5 syllables.
Did you know?
- In Hindi culture, asking for पानी is often the first thing a host offers a guest, as providing water is considered a fundamental duty of hospitality called 'Atithi Devo Bhava'.
- The word पानी is used in several common idioms, such as पानी-पानी होना, which literally means 'to become water' but actually describes the feeling of being overwhelmed with shame.
- While पानी is the common word for 'water', the word जल (jal) is often used in religious contexts or formal speech to denote water as a sacred element.
Examples in context
- मुझे भी पानी चाहिए यार।I want water too, bro.
Example conversation
Rahul is feeling thirsty during a walk with Pooja.
- राहुल Rahulपूजा, मुझे पानी चाहिए।Pooja, mujhe paani chahiye.Pooja, I want water.
- पूजा Poojaक्या आपके पास बोतल है?kya aapke paas botal hai?Do you have a bottle?
- राहुल Rahulनहीं, मेरे पास बोतल नहीं है।nahin, mere paas botal nahin hai.No, I don't have a bottle.
- पूजा Poojaकोई बात नहीं, मैं लाती हूँ।koi baat nahin, main laati hoon.No problem, I will bring some.
