होकर

Via a Place or Despite Being

Level 5Sounds Like hōkara

होकर means via after a place name, and होकर भी means despite being.

How It Works

होकर is होना plus -कर, so its basic meaning is having been or having become. It has three common uses.

1. After a place: via. यह बस मथुरा होकर आगरा जाती है (This bus goes to Agra via Mathura). Here होकर marks a place you pass through on the way. से can come first, especially for a route you pass through: पार्क से होकर (through the park), दिल्ली से होकर (via Delhi).

2. With भी: even though. X होकर भी means despite being X: डॉक्टर होकर भी वह इंजेक्शन से डरता है (Even though he's a doctor, he's scared of injections). The fact and the behavior don't fit together, and that is the point.

3. A state, then an action. The word before होकर describes the subject: मीरा तैयार होकर बाहर गई (Meera got ready and went out), वह नाराज़ होकर चला गया (He got angry and left). बड़ा होकर means after growing up: बड़ा होकर मैं डॉक्टर बनूँगा (When I grow up, I'll be a doctor).

होकर itself never changes. The word before it agrees with the subject: बड़ा होकर for a boy, बड़ी होकर for a girl. The main verb at the end carries the tense and agreement.

In uses 2 and 3, the person in the state is usually the subject of the main clause. In speech you will also hear होके.

Examples (5)

  1. यह बस मथुरा होकर आगरा जाती है।

    This bus goes to Agra via Mathura.

    After a place name, होकर means by way of.

  2. मैं रोज़ पार्क से होकर दफ़्तर जाती हूँ।

    Every day I go to the office through the park.

    With a place you pass through, से often comes before होकर.

  3. डॉक्टर होकर भी वह इंजेक्शन से डरता है।

    Even though he's a doctor, he's scared of injections.

    होकर भी means even though he is.

  4. आप बड़े होकर भी बच्चों जैसी बातें करते हैं।

    You're a grown-up, but you talk like a child.

    बड़े agrees with आप; होकर stays the same.

  5. मीरा तैयार होकर बाहर गई।

    Meera got ready and went out.

    होकर links getting ready to going out.

How It Connects

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

होकरLevel 5Via a Place or Despite Being

Learn This First

होकर applies the -कर form to होना.

Words in This Pattern

होना-कर