बहुत / थोड़ा

A Lot and a Little

Level 1Sounds Like bahuta aura thōṛā

बहुत means very, many or a lot and never changes; थोड़ा means a little or a few and changes like बड़ा.

How It Works

बहुत has one form and several jobs. Before an adjective it means very: बहुत अच्छा, बहुत गरम. Before a noun it means a lot of or many: बहुत पानी, बहुत लोग. Before a verb it means a lot: वह बहुत बोलता है (He talks a lot).

थोड़ा means a little or a few. Before a noun it changes like बड़ा:

NounFormExample
Masculine singularथोड़ाथोड़ा पानी
Feminineथोड़ीथोड़ी चाय
Masculine pluralथोड़ेथोड़े पैसे

When थोड़ा means slightly or for a moment, it usually stays थोड़ा: थोड़ा रुकिए (Wait a moment), यह थोड़ा मुश्किल है (This is a bit hard). Before an adjective that describes a feminine noun, you will also hear थोड़ी: यह साड़ी थोड़ी महँगी है.

In speech you will often hear बहुत सारा, which agrees like थोड़ा and means lots of: बहुत सारे लोग, बहुत सारी बातें. Adding -सा makes a small amount sound even smaller: थोड़ी-सी चीनी (just a little sugar).

Examples (5)

  1. मेरे पास बहुत किताबें हैं।

    I have a lot of books.

    बहुत counts the books and does not change.

  2. यह काम बहुत आसान है।

    This job is very easy.

    Before an adjective, बहुत means very.

  3. मुझे थोड़ी चाय और थोड़े बिस्कुट चाहिए।

    I'd like a little tea and a few biscuits.

    थोड़ी goes with feminine चाय and थोड़े with masculine plural बिस्कुट.

  4. आज बहुत गर्मी है।

    It's very hot today.

    Before the noun गर्मी (heat), बहुत means a lot of.

  5. थोड़ा रुकिए।

    Please wait a moment.

    Meaning for a moment, थोड़ा stays the same.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving थोड़ा unchanged before a feminine noun.

    थोड़ा चाय दीजिए।
    थोड़ी चाय दीजिए।

    चाय is feminine, so थोड़ा becomes थोड़ी. बहुत would stay the same.

How It Connects

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

बहुत / थोड़ाLevel 1A Lot and a Little

Learn This First

थोड़ा agrees like an -आ adjective.

Words in This Pattern

बहुतबहुतथोड़ाबहुत-सारा