Martial Arts

18 phrases · Hindi with romanization, English and audio

  1. क्या मैं एक दिन के लिए अभ्यास में शामिल हो सकता/सकती हूँ?

    Kyā maiṃ ek din ke lie abhyās meṃ śāmil ho saktā/saktī hūṃ?

    Can I join the practice just for one day?

    Usage

    Traditional North Indian wrestling (kushti) is trained in an earthen akhara. Akharas in Varanasi or Delhi are welcoming, but they run on monthly membership rather than drop-ins, so ask first whether a single day is possible

    Grammar Note

    Placing "kyā" at the start makes a yes/no question. The ability auxiliary agrees with the speaker's gender: "saktā" (male) / "saktī" (female)

  2. क्या मैं पहले अभ्यास देख सकता/सकती हूँ?

    Kyā maiṃ pahle abhyās dekh saktā/saktī hūṃ?

    May I watch the practice first?

    Usage

    Akhara sessions run at dawn (roughly 04:00-07:00) and again in the evening, and watching is usually free. The earthen pit is treated as near-sacred: take your shoes off and watch from outside the rim. Always ask before taking photos

    Grammar Note

    Verb stem + "saknā" expresses ability ("dekh saktā hūṃ" = I can watch). The stem is the infinitive minus "-nā"

  3. क्या यहाँ दस्ताने किराए पर मिल सकते हैं?

    Kyā yahāṃ dastāne kirāe par mil sakte haiṃ?

    Can I rent gloves here?

    Usage

    A traditional akhara has no gloves at all; the only kit is the "langot" loincloth, bought at a local shop for 100-200 rupees. City gyms that also run boxing or MMA do lend gloves

    Grammar Note

    "Milnā" means "to be available / to be obtained", so the thing obtained is the subject. "Dastāne" is masculine plural, hence "mil sakte haiṃ"

  4. मैं बिल्कुल नया/नई हूँ, मैंने पहले कभी कुश्ती नहीं लड़ी।

    Maiṃ bilkul nayā/naī hūṃ, maiṃne pahle kabhī kuśtī nahīṃ laṛī.

    I am a complete beginner; I have never wrestled before.

    Usage

    Say this up front and the guru or ustad will start you on the conditioning drills — "dand" (Hindu push-ups) and "baithak" (deep squats) — instead of grappling. Stay silent and you may be paired straight into "jor", live wrestling practice

    Grammar Note

    In the perfective, transitive subjects take "ne" and the verb agrees with the object. "Kuśtī" is feminine, so the verb is "laṛī"

  5. कृपया थोड़ा हल्के से कीजिए।

    Kṛpayā thoṛā halke se kījie.

    Please go easy on me.

    Usage

    Use this to lower the intensity in grappling or drilling. In an akhara the senior partner sets the pace, so speak up. To ask for the opposite, say "thoṛā aur zor se" (a bit harder)

    Grammar Note

    Hindi imperatives have three politeness levels: "kar" (intimate) < "karo" (familiar) < "kījie" (polite). Use "kījie" with an instructor you have just met

  6. मेरे घुटने में चोट है, इसलिए ज़्यादा ज़ोर नहीं लगा सकता/सकती।

    Mere ghuṭne meṃ coṭ hai, isliye zyādā zor nahīṃ lagā saktā/saktī.

    My knee is injured, so I cannot put much force on it.

    Usage

    Say this before you start. There is no intake form at an akhara; speaking up is the only way to flag an injury. Swap "ghuṭnā" (knee) for "kandhā" (shoulder), "kamar" (lower back) or "ṭakhnā" (ankle)

    Grammar Note

    A noun before the postposition "meṃ" takes the oblique form, so "ghuṭnā" becomes "ghuṭne". "Isliye" links cause to consequence ("therefore")

  7. महीने की फ़ीस कितनी है?

    Mahīne kī fīs kitnī hai?

    How much is the monthly fee?

    Usage

    Traditional akharas run on donations, so the monthly fee may be a few hundred rupees or not fixed at all; in that case it is customary to contribute towards soil, oil and milk. Commercial city gyms charge roughly 1,500-4,000 rupees a month

    Grammar Note

    The possessive postposition agrees with the possessed noun: "fīs" is feminine, so it takes "kī" and the question word becomes "kitnī"

  8. एक दिन के अभ्यास का कितना लगेगा?

    Ek din ke abhyās kā kitnā lagegā?

    How much will one session cost?

    Usage

    The way to ask a one-off rate. Places in Delhi or Varanasi that run taster sessions for foreigners charge roughly 500-1,500 rupees. One-to-one coaching costs extra, so follow up with "alag se lagegā?" (is that charged separately?)

    Grammar Note

    "Lagnā" expresses cost or time "taking". The future is formed with the stem plus "-egā" for masculine singular

  9. क्या यहाँ महिलाओं के लिए अलग क्लास है?

    Kyā yahāṃ mahilāoṃ ke lie alag klās hai?

    Is there a separate class for women here?

    Usage

    Traditional akharas are often male-only, but women's wrestling has grown strongly, especially in Haryana, and women's akharas now exist. In cities, self-defence ("ātmarakṣā") classes for women are widely offered

    Grammar Note

    Plural nouns before a postposition take the oblique plural "-oṃ" ("mahilā" becomes "mahilāoṃ"). "Ke lie" means "for"

  10. अभ्यास सुबह होता है या शाम को?

    Abhyās subah hotā hai yā śām ko?

    Is the practice in the morning or in the evening?

    Usage

    Akharas avoid the midday heat and typically run two sessions: 04:00-07:00 before dawn and 17:00-20:00 in the evening. Timetables are rarely posted, so ask in person. Sessions may be cancelled on Hindu festival days

    Grammar Note

    "Hotā hai" is the habitual present, describing what regularly happens. "Yā" links the two alternatives in an either/or question

  11. क्या आप यह दाँव धीरे से दिखा सकते हैं?

    Kyā āp yah dāṃv dhīre se dikhā sakte haiṃ?

    Could you show me this move slowly?

    Usage

    "Dāṃv" is the kushti term for a technique or throw. Moves have their own names, such as "dhobi pachhāṛ" (the washerman's throw). Teaching is entirely oral and by demonstration; there are no manuals

    Grammar Note

    "Āp" is the respectful second person and takes plural verb agreement ("sakte haiṃ"). Always use "āp" with elders and instructors

  12. कितने दिन बाद मैं जोड़ लड़ सकता/सकती हूँ?

    Kitne din bād maiṃ joṛ laṛ saktā/saktī hūṃ?

    After how many days can I take part in live practice bouts?

    Usage

    "Jor" is the akhara term for paired live wrestling practice. It is gated behind the guru's approval because of the injury risk, and usually comes weeks in, once your base and falls are solid. Let the guru decide rather than pushing

    Grammar Note

    "Bād" ("after") follows the time expression ("tīn din bād" = after three days). "Din" is masculine, so the question word becomes "kitne"

  13. क्या यहाँ नहाने की जगह है?

    Kyā yahāṃ nahāne kī jagah hai?

    Is there somewhere to wash here?

    Usage

    You come out of an akhara session covered in red earth, so a wash afterwards is part of the routine. Expect a well, a hand pump or a communal tap rather than a private shower. Bring your own towel and change of clothes

    Grammar Note

    Oblique infinitive + "kī" + noun forms "a place for doing X" ("nahāne kī jagah"). The infinitive "nahānā" becomes "nahāne" before a postposition

  14. आस-पास दंगल कब और कहाँ होता है?

    Ās-pās daṅgal kab aur kahāṃ hotā hai?

    When and where is the nearest dangal held?

    Usage

    A "dangal" is an open-air wrestling meet held at village fairs and after harvest, with the crowd ringed around an earthen circle. They are common across North India, especially Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Entry is usually free and visitors are welcome

    Grammar Note

    Hindi question words stay just before the verb instead of moving to the front as in English, and two of them can be linked with "aur"

  15. गार्ड ऊपर रखो, सामने वाले की आँखों में देखो।

    Gārḍ ūpar rakho, sāmne vāle kī āṃkhoṃ meṃ dekho.

    Keep your guard up, look into your opponent's eyes.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. Instructions come in the familiar imperative ("-o"), which is normal between guru and student and carries no rudeness. Address your instructor as "guru ji" or "ustad ji"

    Grammar Note

    The "tum" imperative is stem + "-o" ("rakho", "dekho"). The suffix "-vālā" attaches to nouns and adverbs to mean "the one that/who"

  16. पूरी ताक़त लगाओ, ढील मत दो।

    Pūrī tāqat lagāo, ḍhīl mat do.

    Give it your full strength, do not hold back.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. Kushti prizes grip and stamina over explosive speed, and you will be told again and again not to let the pressure off in a clinch. It is also a signal that you may go at full effort

    Grammar Note

    Prohibitions place "mat" before the imperative ("mat do" = do not give). Commands take "mat", not "nahīṃ"

  17. पाँच मिनट आराम करो और पानी पियो।

    Pāṃc minaṭ ārām karo aur pānī piyo.

    Take a five-minute break and drink some water.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. Indian training halls have no air conditioning and can pass 30 degrees even in the morning, so water breaks matter. Wrestlers are famous for a diet heavy in milk, almonds and ghee, and you may be offered a lassi afterwards

    Grammar Note

    Hindi builds many verbs as noun + "karnā" ("ārām karnā" = to rest, "intazār karnā" = to wait). Durations are simply number + unit

  18. आज बस इतना ही, बहुत बढ़िया किया।

    Āj bas itnā hī, bahut baṛhiyā kiyā.

    That is all for today. You did very well.

    Usage

    Said by the coach to close the session. In an akhara students traditionally touch the earth of the pit and the guru's feet as a mark of respect; visitors who follow suit are well received. Reply with "dhanyavād, guru ji"

    Grammar Note

    The particle "hī" emphasises the preceding word and adds the sense of "only" ("itnā hī" = just this much). "Bahut baṛhiyā" is an everyday phrase of praise

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