चाही

Needing Something: चाही

Level 1Sounds Like cāhī

चाही says that someone needs or wants something.

How It Works

चाही works like नीक लागब. The person gets का, and चाही comes last.

  • हमका पानी चाही. (I need water.)
  • तुमका का चाही? (What do you want?)
  • ओका एक कुरता चाही. (She needs a kurta.)

चाही does not change for gender or number, and it takes no helper like अहै. Say चाही even with plural things: हमका दुइ केला चाही.

For no, put नाहीं before it: हमका चाय नाहीं चाही. In a shop, आपका का चाही? is the polite way to ask what a customer wants.

Hindi says चाहिए. Awadhi says चाही.

Examples (5)

  1. हमका पानी चाही।

    I need water.

    हमका marks who needs; चाही ends the sentence.

  2. तुमका का चाही?

    What do you want?

    The का joined to तुम means "to"; the separate word का means "what".

  3. ओका एक कुरता चाही।

    She needs a kurta.

    चाही stays the same for a woman.

  4. हमका चाय नाहीं चाही।

    I do not want tea.

    नाहीं goes before चाही.

  5. आपका का चाही?

    What would you like?

    आपका is the polite form for a customer.

Common Mistakes

  • Learners use the Hindi form चाहिए.

    हमका पानी चाहिए।
    हमका पानी चाही।

    Awadhi uses चाही, not the Hindi चाहिए.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

चाहीLevel 1Needing Something: चाही

Learn This First

Needing is said with का on the person who needs something.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.