If there's one thing everyone in Delhi talks about, it's the weather! From the scorching summers with temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius to the bone-chilling winters with dense fog, Delhi's extreme weather is always a conversation topic. In this lesson, you'll learn to talk about weather and seasons using impersonal constructions and the progressive tense. Let's see what's brewing in the sky!
Learning tips
- Weather in Hindi uses impersonal constructions — there's no 'it' like in English ('it is raining'). Hindi just says बारिश हो रही है [bāriś ho rahī hai] (rain is happening).
- गर्मी [garmī] (heat/summer) and सर्दी [sardī] (cold/winter) are both feminine nouns AND the names of seasons. Context tells you which meaning applies.
- The progressive tense (रहा/रही/रहे [rahā/rahī/rahe]) works exactly like English '-ing' — बारिश हो रही है [bāriś ho rahī hai] = rain is happening = it's raining.
- Delhi residents love weather complaints — learning weather vocabulary will instantly make your Hindi sound natural!
Warm-up & Active Recall
Recap: In Lesson 10.2 you learned travel vocabulary and how to narrate sequences of past events using पहले [pahle], फिर [phir], and compound verbs. Today we switch to talking about weather using impersonal constructions.
| Word | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| यात्रा [yātrā] | trip/journey (Sanskrit) | |
| सफ़र [safar] | journey (Urdu) | |
| ठहरना [ṭhaharnā] | to stay | |
| होटल [hoṭal] | hotel | |
| सामान [sāmān] | luggage | |
| बैग [baiag] | bag | |
| टिकट [ṭikaṭ] | ticket | |
| वापस [vāpas] | back/return | |
| याद [yād] | memory | |
| अनुभव [anubhav] | experience |
Dialog
The dialog shows two contrasting Delhi weather scenes — a scorching May afternoon and a freezing December evening. This perfectly captures Delhi's extreme climate: 45+ degrees in summer with the deadly लू [lū] (hot wind), and near-freezing temperatures with dense कोहरा [kohrā] (fog) in winter. Notice the impersonal weather constructions: गर्मी है [garmī hai] (it's hot — literally 'heat is'), बारिश हो रही है [bāriś ho rahī hai] (it's raining — literally 'rain is happening'). Ravi's mention of chai in cold weather is very Delhi — roadside chai stalls are packed during winter rains.
☀️ मई — दिल्ली विश्वविद्यालय कैंपस, बाहर बेंच पर
maī — dillī viśvavidyālay kaimpas, bāhar bẽc par
Sita
उफ़, आज बहुत गर्मी है! धूप बहुत तेज़ है।
uf, āj bahut garmī hai! dhūp bahut tez hai.
(Ugh, today very heat is! Sunshine very strong is.)
Ugh, it's so hot today! The sunshine is very strong.
Ravi
हाँ, दिल्ली की गर्मी तो बहुत ख़राब होती है। लू चल रही है।
hā̃, dillī kī garmī to bahut kharāb hotī hai. lū cal rahī hai.
(Yes, Delhi's heat then very bad happens. Hot-wind blowing is.)
Yes, Delhi's heat is really terrible. The hot wind is blowing.
Sita
जयपुर में भी गरम होता है, लेकिन यहाँ की हवा और गरम लगती है।
jaypur mẽ bhī garam hotā hai, lekin yahā̃ kī havā aur garam lagtī hai.
(Jaipur in also hot happens, but here's air more hot feels.)
Jaipur also gets hot, but the air here feels even hotter.
Ravi
बारिश का इंतज़ार है। मानसून आएगा तो राहत मिलेगी।
bāriś kā intazār hai. mānasūn āegā to rāhat milegī.
(Rain's wait is. Monsoon will-come then relief will-get.)
Waiting for the rain. When the monsoon comes, we'll get relief.
❄️ दिसंबर — कनॉट प्लेस, शाम की सैर
disambar — kanŏṭ ples, śām kī sair
Ravi
बाहर बहुत ठंड है आज। कोहरा भी है।
bāhar bahut ṭhaṇḍ hai āj. kohrā bhī hai.
(Outside very cold is today. Fog also is.)
It's very cold outside today. There's fog too.
Sita
हाँ, सर्दी आ गई। मैंने स्वेटर और मफ़लर पहन लिया।
hā̃, sardī ā gaī. maĩne sveṭar aur maflar pahan liyā.
(Yes, winter came. I-erg sweater and muffler wore.)
Yes, winter has arrived. I put on a sweater and muffler.
Ravi
दिल्ली में मौसम बहुत बदलता है — गर्मी में 45 डिग्री, सर्दी में 4 डिग्री!
dillī mẽ mausam bahut badaltā hai — garmī mẽ 45 ḍigrī, sardī mẽ 4 ḍigrī!
(Delhi in weather very changes — summer in 45 degrees, winter in 4 degrees!)
The weather in Delhi changes a lot — 45 degrees in summer, 4 degrees in winter!
Sita
देखो, बादल आ रहे हैं! शायद बारिश होगी।
dekho, bādal ā rahe haĩ! śāyad bāriś hogī.
(Look, clouds coming are! Maybe rain will-happen.)
Look, clouds are coming! Maybe it will rain.
Ravi
ठंडा मौसम और बारिश — चाय पीने का मज़ा ही कुछ और है!
ṭhaṇḍā mausam aur bāriś — cāy pīne kā mazā hī kuch aur hai!
(Cold weather and rain — tea drinking's fun really something else is!)
Cold weather and rain — the joy of drinking tea is something else!
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | Romanization | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| मौसम | mausam | /mɔː.səm/ | weather | Masculine noun — मौसम कैसा है? [mausam kaisā hai?] (How's the weather?) |
| गर्मी | garmī | /ɡər.miː/ | heat, summer | Feminine — both the sensation (it's hot) and the season (summer). गर्मी लगना [garmī lagnā] = to feel hot |
| सर्दी | sardī | /sər.d̪iː/ | cold, winter | Feminine — both the sensation and the season. सर्दी लगना [sardī lagnā] = to feel cold |
| बारिश | bāriś | /baː.rɪʃ/ | rain | Feminine — बारिश होना [bāriś honā] = to rain (impersonal). No subject needed! |
| धूप | dhūp | /d̪ʰuːp/ | sunshine, sunlight | Feminine — धूप में बैठना [dhūp mẽ baiṭhnā] = to sit in the sun |
| हवा | havā | /ɦə.vaː/ | wind, air | Feminine — हवा चलना [havā calnā] = wind blowing. Also means 'air' in general |
| बादल | bādal | /baː.d̪əl/ | cloud | Masculine — plural: बादल आ रहे हैं [bādal ā rahe haĩ] (clouds are coming) |
| ठंड | ṭhaṇḍ | /ʈʰəɳɖ/ | cold (sensation) | Feminine — different from सर्दी [sardī] (winter season). ठंड लगना [ṭhaṇḍ lagnā] = to feel cold |
| गरम | garam | /ɡə.rəm/ | hot, warm | Adjective — गरम पानी [garam pānī] (hot water), गरम चाय [garam cāy] (hot tea) |
| ठंडा | ṭhaṇḍā | /ʈʰəɳ.ɖaː/ | cold, cool | Adjective (masculine) — changes to ठंडी [ṭhaṇḍī] (f.). ठंडा पानी [ṭhaṇḍā pānī] (cold water) |
Passive words
| Word | Romanization | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| बसंत | basant | /bə.sənt̪/ | spring | Also called वसंत [vasant] — the season of Holi festival (February-March) |
| पतझड़ | patjhaṛ | /pət̪.d͡ʒʰəɽ/ | autumn | Literally 'leaf-fall' — less distinct in Delhi's climate than in Europe |
| मानसून | mānasūn | /maː.nə.suːn/ | monsoon | The rainy season (July-September) — one of India's defining weather events |
| लू | lū | /luː/ | hot wind, heat wave | A dangerously hot wind in North India (May-June) — can cause heatstroke. Take it seriously! |
| कोहरा | kohrā | /koɦ.raː/ | fog | Masculine — Delhi's winter fog is legendary, often delaying trains and flights |
| आँधी | ā̃dhī | /ãː.d̪ʰiː/ | dust storm | Feminine — common in Delhi before the monsoon arrives (May-June) |
Useful chunks
| Word | Romanization | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| बहुत गर्मी है | bahut garmī hai | It's very hot |
| बारिश हो रही है | bāriś ho rahī hai | It's raining |
| मौसम अच्छा है | mausam acchā hai | The weather is nice |
Pronunciation: Pay attention to the retroflex ठ [ṭh] in ठंड [ṭhaṇḍ] and ठंडा [ṭhaṇḍā] — your tongue should curl back to touch the roof of your mouth with a puff of air. This is different from the dental थ [th] in words like था [thā] (was), where the tongue touches the teeth. Getting this distinction right is key to sounding natural in Hindi weather talk.
Grammar: Impersonal weather constructions and progressive tense (रहा/रही/रहे [rahā/rahī/rahe])
| Construction | Hindi | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weather happening | बारिश हो रही है [bāriś ho rahī hai] | bāriś ho rahī hai | It is raining |
| Weather state | गर्मी है [garmī hai] | garmī hai | It is hot |
| Progressive (m.) | बादल आ रहे हैं [bādal ā rahe haĩ] | bādal ā rahe haĩ | Clouds are coming |
| Progressive (f.) | हवा चल रही है [havā cal rahī hai] | havā cal rahī hai | Wind is blowing |
| Future weather | बारिश होगी [bāriś hogī] | bāriś hogī | It will rain |
| Past weather | कल बहुत ठंड थी [kal bahut ṭhaṇḍ thī] | kal bahut ṭhaṇḍ thī | Yesterday it was very cold |
Hindi weather expressions are impersonal — there's no subject like English 'it':
Weather as state:
- गर्मी है [garmī hai] = It's hot (literally: 'heat is')
- ठंड है [ṭhaṇḍ hai] = It's cold (literally: 'cold is')
Weather as ongoing event (progressive tense):
- बारिश हो रही है [bāriś ho rahī hai] = It is raining (literally: 'rain happening is')
- हवा चल रही है [havā cal rahī hai] = Wind is blowing
- बादल आ रहे हैं [bādal ā rahe haĩ] = Clouds are coming
The progressive tense uses: verb stem + रहा/रही/रहे [rahā/rahī/rahe] + auxiliary. The रहा [rahā] part agrees in gender and number with the subject:
- रहा [rahā] = masculine singular
- रही [rahī] = feminine singular
- रहे [rahe] = masculine plural
Future weather:
- बारिश होगी [bāriś hogī] = It will rain (feminine because बारिश [bāriś] is feminine)
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the correct weather word.
- आज बहुत है, बहुत तेज़ है।(heat / sunshine)
- आ रहे हैं, शायद होगी।(clouds / rain)
- दिल्ली का बहुत बदलता है।(weather)
- बाहर बहुत है, स्वेटर पहनो।(cold — sensation)
- मौसम में चाय पीने का मज़ा है।(cold — adjective, masculine)
Grammar Application
Choose the correct progressive tense form based on the gender of the subject/noun.
- बारिश हो है (रहा/रही/रहे) — बारिश is feminine(बारिश is feminine → रही)
- बादल आ हैं (रहा/रही/रहे) — बादल is masculine plural(बादल is masculine plural → रहे)
- हवा चल है (रहा/रही/रहे) — हवा is feminine(हवा is feminine → रही)
- कल बहुत गर्मी (था/थी/थे) — गर्मी is feminine(गर्मी is feminine → थी)
- ठंडा पानी (अच्छा/अच्छी) लगता है — पानी is masculine(पानी is masculine → अच्छा)
Translation (English → Hindi)
Translate each weather sentence into Hindi.
- It's very hot today.
- It's raining.
- Winter in Delhi is very cold.
- The wind is very hot.
- Clouds are coming — it will rain.
Creative Construction
Describe today's weather or your favorite season in 1-2 sentences using at least 3 weather words.
Writing: Weather words — reading and writing
म
ma
स
sa
ब
ba
र
ra
ह
ha
Practice words
| Word | Romanization |
|---|---|
| मौसम | mausam |
| बारिश | bāriś |
| हवा | havā |
मौसम [mausam] में 'औ' की मात्रा देखें — यह 'ो' + 'ौ' मिलकर बनती है। बारिश [bāriś] में 'ि' मात्रा अक्षर से पहले लिखी जाती है।
mausam mẽ 'au' kī mātrā dekhẽ — yah 'o' + 'au' milkar bantī hai. bāriś mẽ 'i' mātrā akṣar se pahle likhī jātī hai.
Today we practice reading and writing common weather words in Devanagari:
- मौसम [mausam] — notice the औ [au] vowel mark (ौ) on म [ma]. The औ [au] diphthong is written as a combination of ो [o] mark + ौ [au] mark.
- बारिश [bāriś] — the इ [i] vowel mark (ि) in रि [ri] is written BEFORE the consonant it modifies, even though it's pronounced after. This is a unique Devanagari feature.
- हवा [havā] — ends with the आ [ā] vowel mark (ा) on व [va].
Practice writing these three words several times. Pay special attention to the इ [i] mark position in बारिश [bāriś] — this is one of the most common mistakes learners make.
Takeaway
Hindi weather expressions are impersonal — no 'it' subject needed. Just say बारिश हो रही है [bāriś ho rahī hai] (rain is happening) for 'it's raining.' The progressive tense (रहा/रही/रहे [rahā/rahī/rahe]) must agree in gender with the noun.
Culture note: Delhi's climate is extreme — above 45 degrees Celsius in May-June (with the dangerous लू [lū] hot wind), dropping to 2-4 degrees in December-January (with dense कोहरा [kohrā] fog that delays trains for hours). The monsoon (July-September) brings dramatic relief and is celebrated across India. Delhiites love complaining about weather — it's practically a sport. 'गर्मी से मर रहे हैं!' [garmī se mar rahe haĩ!] (We're dying of heat!) is a summer classic.
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