वे
ve/ʋeː/
In Hindi, 'they' is translated as वे (ve). Wiktionary also lists ये (ye).
Meaning: third-person plural pronoun (pron)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| वे | ve | /ʋeː/ (Hindi, Standard) /weː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| ये | ye | /jeː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
The word वे is used as a third-person plural pronoun. It is a gender-neutral term.
Which one should you use?
The choice between the two main forms depends on proximity: वे is used for people or objects far from the speaker, while ये is used for people or objects close to the speaker.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using a transitive verb in the perfective aspect (past tense), the pronoun वे changes to उन्होंने to indicate the subject. Additionally, the oblique forms उनको or उन्हें are used when 'they' is the object of a verb or a preposition, such as when meaning 'to them' or 'them'.
How do you pronounce it?
ve
Did you know?
- Using the plural वे for a single person is so common that using a singular pronoun for a teacher or boss can be seen as a serious insult.
- The word वे is a distant relative of the Avestan word 𐬀𐬬𐬀, showing a linguistic link between ancient Hindi ancestors and ancient Iranian languages.
- While वे is the standard for 'they', in many spoken registers and colloquial Hindi, people use वो (vo) instead, which is a phonetic variation.
Examples in context
- वे सब अंदर गए।They all went in.This sentence uses वे to show a group entering a space.Tatoeba #9012811 by simranbansal, translation #4986487 by Airvian
- उन्होनें क़सम खाई की वे बेग़ुनाह थे।They swore that they were innocent.This sentence shows how वे is used when describing a past state of being.Tatoeba #9928878 by anushka, translation #7474679 by CH
- वे ऐसे खाते रहे जैसे कुछ हुआ ही न हो।They continued eating as if nothing had happened.This sentence demonstrates the use of वे to describe an ongoing action in the past.Tatoeba #8938136 by simranbansal, translation #317670 by CK
- वे लोग पार्टी में शामिल थे।They were present at the party.
- ये लोग फिल्म देखने जा रहे हैं।They are going to watch a movie.
- 156 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Neha and Aditya are talking about some people in the park.
- नेहा Nehaवे वहां क्या कर रहे हैं?ve vahan kya kar rahe hain?What are they doing there?
- आदित्य Adityaवे बस खेल रहे हैं।ve bas khel rahe hain.They are just playing.
- नेहा Nehaक्या वे हमारे दोस्त हैं?kya ve hamare dost hain?Are they our friends?
- आदित्य Adityaनहीं, वे अजनबी हैं।nahin, ve ajnabi hain.No, they are strangers.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “they” translations and entries वे, ये, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries वे, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
