अभी / आज / कल

Time Words

Level 1Sounds Like abhī, āja aura kala

आज is today, अभी is right now, and कल is yesterday or tomorrow depending on the verb.

How It Works

WordMeaningExample
आजtodayआज सोमवार है।
अभीright now; yet (with नहीं)मैं अभी आ रहा हूँ।
कलyesterday or tomorrowकल बारिश हुई। कल बारिश होगी।
परसोंtwo days ago or two days from nowपरसों मिलेंगे।

कल has two meanings, and the verb decides which. With a past verb it is yesterday: वह कल आया था. With a future verb it is tomorrow: वह कल आएगा. परसों works the same way.

अभी means right now: मैं अभी व्यस्त हूँ (I'm busy right now). मैं अभी आ रहा हूँ means I'll be right there. With नहीं, अभी means not yet: खाना अभी तैयार नहीं है. अभी-अभी means just a moment ago: वह अभी-अभी गया.

अब also means now, but in the sense of from now on or at this point: अब मैं दिल्ली में रहता हूँ (I live in Delhi now).

Examples (5)

  1. मैं अभी घर पर हूँ।

    I'm at home right now.

    अभी places the sentence at this moment.

  2. मीरा आज आएगी।

    Meera will come today.

    आज works with any tense; here the verb is future.

  3. वह कल आया था।

    He came yesterday.

    The past verb shows that कल means yesterday.

  4. वह कल आएगा।

    He will come tomorrow.

    The future verb shows that कल means tomorrow.

  5. खाना अभी तैयार नहीं है।

    The food isn't ready yet.

    With नहीं, अभी means not yet.

How It Connects

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अभी / आज / कलLevel 1Time Words

Learn This First

कल means yesterday or tomorrow, and only the verb's tense tells you which.

Words in This Pattern

अभीआज