Hindi · Everyday Verbs

"to have" in Hindi: … के पास होना

… के पास होना… ke paas hona

Say it: ke PAAS HO-naaverb/keː pɑːs ɦoːnɑː/

Note: "I have": मेरे पास … है (mere paas … hai)

Hindi often says possession with के पास होना (ke paas hona). Mere paas ek kitaab hai means I have a book. There is no simple one-word have like English; the के पास pattern is the one to lock in first.

Borrowing a charger

क्या आपके पास चार्जर है?

kya aapke paas charger hai?

Do you have a charger?
Practice Hindi out loud

Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free

How to pronounce … के पास होना

Say it

ke PAAS HO-naa

/keː pɑːs ɦoːnɑː/

Ke is a short soft ke. Paas is PAAS with a long aa. Hona is HO-naa. In mere paas the words run together smoothly.

"to have" in Hindi: quick reference

HindiEnglish
के पास होनाke paas honato have (near/with someone)

The core possession pattern.

मेरे पास हैmere paas haiI have

Fill the object between paas and hai: mere paas paani hai.

आपके पास हैaapke paas haiyou have (polite)

Questions and statements with aap.

के पास नहीं हैke paas nahin haidoes not have

Negation sits before hai.

How to use … के पास होना in real life

  1. 1Borrowing a charger

    क्या आपके पास चार्जर है?

    kya aapke paas charger hai?

    Do you have a charger?

    Aapke paas is the polite you-have frame.

  2. 2At a ticket window

    क्या आपके पास पासपोर्ट है?

    kya aapke paas passport hai?

    Do you have a passport?

    Aapke paas…hai is the polite you-have question.

  3. 3Declining a request

    क्षमा करें, नक़द उनके पास नहीं है।

    kshama karen, nakad unke paas nahin hai.

    Sorry, they don't have cash.

    Unke paas nahin hai negates possession for someone else.

Mistakes English speakers make with … के पास होना

Incorrect: Main ek kitaab have karta hoon.

Correct: Mere paas ek kitaab hai.

Do not copy English have. Use ke paas + hai.

Incorrect: Main paas hai kitaab.

Correct: Mere paas kitaab hai.

The possessor takes mere/aapke before paas, not main alone.

Good to know

Relationships and feelings use other patterns (mere dost hain, mujhe bhookh hai). Ke paas is best for things near you or belonging to you. For body sensations, prefer mujhe…hai.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Sharing umbrellas before rain

  1. ChatPal

    बारिश रही है। आपके पास छाता है?

    baarish aa rahi hai. aapke paas chhaata hai?

    Rain is coming. Do you have an umbrella?

  2. You

    हाँ, मेरे पास एक छाता है।

    haan, mere paas ek chhaata hai.

    Yes, I have one umbrella.

  3. ChatPal

    मेरे पास नहीं है। साथ चलें?

    mere paas nahin hai. saath chalen?

    I don't have one. Shall we go together?

  4. You

    ज़रूर, मेरे पास जगह है छाते के नीचे।

    zaroor, mere paas jagah hai chhaate ke neeche.

    Sure, I have space under the umbrella.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

Practice this conversation in ChatPal

"to have" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "to have" in Hindi

Why isn't there a simple have verb?

Hindi splits possession into patterns. Ke paas hona covers many English have cases for objects.

How do I say I don't have…?

Say mere paas…nahin hai.

Does ke change?

Yes with the possessor: mere paas, aapke paas, uske paas.

How do I say I have a brother?

Say mera ek bhai hai, not mere paas bhai for family ties.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

  1. Step 1: See it in context
  2. Step 2: Say it out loud
  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

Keep reading

Ready to say it out loud?

ChatPal is a voice-first app for practicing real conversations in Hindi. Try real scenarios and get personalized feedback on your speaking.

Start with 7 days free.