Hindi · Greetings & Essentials
"But" in Hindi: लेकिन / पर
लेकिन / परlekin / par
But in Hindi is लेकिन or पर (lekin / par). दोनों चलते हैं: मैं आऊँगा लेकिन देर से, सस्ता है पर अच्छा है.
Plans
मैं आऊँगा लेकिन थोड़ा लेट।main aaoonga lekin thoda late.
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How to pronounce लेकिन / पर
Say it
LE-kin / PAR
/leːkɪn/, /pər/
Lekin is LE-kin (two beats). Par is PAR, one short beat. Both are everyday.
"But" in Hindi: quick reference
| Hindi | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| लेकिनlekin | but Clear contrast linker. | Clear contrast linker. |
| परpar | but / yet Shorter everyday alternative. | Shorter everyday alternative. |
| हाँ, लेकिनhaan, lekin | yes, but Soft disagreement. | Soft disagreement. |
| ठीक है परtheek hai par | okay but Accepting with a condition. | Accepting with a condition. |
How to use लेकिन / पर in real life
- 1Plans
मैं आऊँगा लेकिन थोड़ा लेट।
main aaoonga lekin thoda late.
I'll come but a bit late.
Lekin.
- 2Shopping
बैग अच्छा है पर महँगा है।
bag achha hai par mahanga hai.
The bag is nice but expensive.
Par.
- 3Advice
आप जा सकते हैं लेकिन छाता रखिए।
aap ja sakte hain lekin chaata rakhiye.
You can go but please keep an umbrella.
Aap + lekin.
Mistakes English speakers make with लेकिन / पर
Incorrect: Starting every sentence with लेकिन bookishly
Correct: Use लेकिन or पर naturally mid-thought
Both are fine; पर feels lighter in speech.
Incorrect: Writing पर stuck to another word
Correct: Keep पर as its own word
पर must stand alone as the linker.
Good to know
Speakers switch लेकिन and पर freely in the same conversation. Soft no often sounds like हाँ, लेकिन.... Shopkeepers use पर when price meets praise.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Deciding whether to go out in rain
ChatPal
बाहर जाना है लेकिन बारिश हो रही है।
bahar jaana hai lekin baarish ho rahi hai.
We should go out but it's raining.
You
हाँ, जाना ज़रूरी है पर छाता लेंगे।
haan, jaana zaroori hai par chaata lenge.
Yes — going is necessary but we'll take an umbrella.
ChatPal
ठीक, जल्दी वापस आते हैं।
theek, jaldi vaapas aate hain.
Okay — we'll come back soon.
You
ठीक है, लेकिन सड़क फिसलन भरी है।
theek hai, lekin sadak phislan bhari hai.
Okay, but the road is slippery.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"But" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "But" in Hindi
Which form should I learn first?
लेकिन is clear; पर is shorter and common.
Can both count?
Yes — लेकिन / पर both teach but.
Yes, but?
हाँ, लेकिन...
Example?
सस्ता है पर अच्छा है।
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
