Hindi · Time, Numbers & Colors

"One" in Hindi: एक

एकek

Say it: eknumber/eːk/

One in Hindi is एक (ek). It stays ek before masculine and feminine nouns: ek cup, ek kitaab. For one more, say ek aur.

Tea stall

भैया, एक चाय देना।

bhaiya, ek chaay dena.

Brother, give one tea.
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How to pronounce एक

Say it

ek

/eːk/

Ek is a short ek, like the e in education plus a crisp k. One quick syllable.

"One" in Hindi: quick reference

HindiEnglish
एकekone

Default number.

एक औरek aurone more

Ordering and requests.

सिर्फ़ एकsirf ekonly one

Limiting.

एक-एकek-ekone each

Sharing.

How to use एक in real life

  1. 1Tea stall

    भैया, एक चाय देना।

    bhaiya, ek chaay dena.

    Brother, give one tea.

    Classic order.

  2. 2Tickets

    हमें एक टिकट और चाहिए।

    hamen ek ticket aur chahiye.

    We need one more ticket.

    Ek aur sense.

  3. 3Counting aloud

    गिनती एक से शुरू होती है।

    ginti ek se shuru hoti hai.

    Counting starts from one.

    Learning.

Mistakes English speakers make with एक

Incorrect: Changing ek for gender like eki

Correct: Ek for all genders

Ek does not become eki; the noun carries gender.

Incorrect: Using only 1 as a digit in spoken Hindi practice

Correct: Ek

Say एक when speaking.

Good to know

Street orders start with एक constantly: ek samosa, ek paani. Shopkeepers hear ek aur as the follow-up. In queues, sirf ek often means you want a single portion, not a family pack.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Ordering snacks at a stall

  1. ChatPal

    आप क्या लेंगे?

    aap kya lenge?

    What will you take?

  2. You

    एक समोसा और एक चाय।

    ek samosa aur ek chaay.

    One samosa and one tea.

  3. ChatPal

    मिर्ची कितनी?

    mirchi kitni?

    How much chili?

  4. You

    हल्की बस एक हरी मिर्ची काटीए।

    halki — bas ek hari mirchi kaatie.

    Mild — just chop one green chili.

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"One" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "One" in Hindi

Does ek change for gender?

No — ek stays ek; the noun shows gender.

One more?

Ek aur.

Only one?

Sirf ek.

One each?

Ek-ek.

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  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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