कहाँ
kahā̃/kə.ɦɑ̃ː/
The English word 'where' is translated into Hindi as कहाँ (kahā̃) or किधर.
Meaning: at or in what place (adv)
Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| कहाँ | kahā̃ | /kə.ɦɑ̃ː/ (Hindi, Standard) |
| किधर | kidhar |
The primary meaning of these words is to inquire about at or in what place. Use कहाँ to ask about a specific location and किधर when inquiring about a direction or movement toward a place.
Which one should you use?
कहाँ is used for direct questions about a location, while किधर is often used to ask about direction or whither. Additionally, while the forms in this pack are adverbs used for questions, the related form जहाँ acts as a relative pronoun meaning 'the place where' in a statement.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
कहाँ is used for direct questions, whereas the related form जहाँ is used as a relative pronoun to describe the place in which something happens.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of कहाँ is /kə.ɦɑ̃ː/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- Hindi uses the word कहाँ in a specific idiomatic expression कहाँ… कहाँ… to emphasize a vast difference between two things, similar to the English 'comparing apples and oranges'.
- While कहाँ is for location, you can use the word कहाँ-कहाँ by repeating it to ask 'in which many places', implying you expect more than one answer.
- The word कहाँ shares a root with the Sanskrit kuтра, reflecting a linguistic lineage that connects Hindi's spatial questioning to ancient Indo-Aryan languages.
Examples in context
- वह किताब कहाँ है?Where is the book?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of a book using कहाँ.Tatoeba #4907692 by yashtib1995, translation #43928 by CK
- कौन जनता है कहाँ?Who knows where?This sentence is useful for asking who knows a location using कहाँ.Tatoeba #8876351 by simranbansal, translation #7970635 by jSXesHRqcPB
- हमें नहीं पता हम कहाँ हैं।We don't know where we are.This sentence is useful for expressing uncertainty about one's location using कहाँ.Tatoeba #3987667 by mishigun, translation #3313164 by CK
- Aap mujhe bata sakte hain ki prataapgarh station kahaan hai? (आप मुझे बता सकते हैं कि प्रतापगढ़ स्टेशन कहाँ है?)Can you tell me where Pratapgarh station is?
- Yaar, bata kahaan chale? (यार, बता कहां चले?)Dude, tell me where are we going?
- Tum kahaan ja rahe ho? (तुम कहां जा रहे हो?)Where are you going?
- 100 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Amit and Neha are looking for a restaurant in the city.
- अमित Amitनेहा, होटल कहाँ है?Neha, hotel kahan hai?Neha, where is the hotel?
- नेहा Nehaवह उस मोड़ के बाद है।Woh us mod ke baad hai.It is after that turn.
- अमित Amitक्या वह यहाँ से दूर है?Kya woh yahan se door hai?Is it far from here?
- नेहा Nehaनहीं, यह बस पास में ही है।Nahi, yeh bas paas mein hi hai.No, it is just nearby.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “where” translations and entries कहाँ, किधर, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
