Where भी Goes

Level 5Sounds Like bhī kā dāyarā

भी means also or even, and it works on the word just before it.

How It Works

भी works on the word just before it. Compare:

Sentence	Meaning
मैं भी चाय पीता हूँ।	I drink tea too, like you.
मैं चाय भी पीता हूँ।	I drink tea as well, besides coffee.
उसने पानी भी नहीं पिया।	He didn't even drink water.
वह आया भी नहीं।	He didn't even come.

The two main meanings are:

Also, too: the word joins something already mentioned. Repeat भी for both ... and: मैंने चाय भी पी और कॉफ़ी भी.
Even: the word is the least expected case: यह बात तो बच्चा भी जानता है (Even a child knows this). With नहीं this gives not even.

As with ही, a postposition stays with its noun and भी follows the whole phrase: घर में भी (at home too), रीना को भी.

After a verb, भी नहीं says the action did not happen at all, often with surprise or disappointment: वह मेरी शादी में आया भी नहीं.

भी also follows कोई, कुछ and कहीं to make any-words: कोई भी (anyone), कुछ भी (anything), कहीं भी (anywhere).

रवि आया और रीना भी आई।
Ravi came, and Reena came too.
भी adds Reena to the people who came.
मैंने चाय भी पी और कॉफ़ी भी।
I had both tea and coffee.
Repeated भी means both ... and.
उसने पानी भी नहीं पिया।
He didn't even drink water.
After a noun with नहीं, भी means not even.
यह बात तो बच्चा भी जानता है।
Even a child knows this.
भी marks the child as the least expected person to know.
वह मेरी शादी में आया भी नहीं।
He didn't even come to my wedding.
After the verb, भी नहीं means the action didn't happen at all.

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

Where भी GoesLevel 5

The scope of भी follows the same rule as ही.

भीभी

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