कभी / कभी नहीं

Ever and Never

Level 2Sounds Like kabhī aura kabhī nahīṁ

कभी means ever or sometime, and कभी ... नहीं means never.

How It Works

UseExampleMeaning
question: everक्या आपने कभी आम का अचार खाया है?Have you ever eaten mango pickle?
with नहीं: neverमैं कभी झूठ नहीं बोलता।I never lie.
request: sometimeकभी हमारे घर आइए।Come over to our place sometime.

For never, put कभी with नहीं. नहीं usually sits right before the verb, and कभी can come a little earlier: वह कभी देर से नहीं आती (She never comes late). कभी नहीं can also be a short answer: कभी नहीं! (Never!)

For ever, Hindi often uses the present perfect (गए हैं, खाया है), which has its own entry.

कभी alone does not mean sometimes. For a regular sometimes, say कभी-कभी: मैं कभी-कभी चाय पीता हूँ (I sometimes drink tea).

Examples (5)

  1. क्या आप कभी जयपुर गए हैं?

    Have you ever been to Jaipur?

    In a question, कभी means ever.

  2. मैं उस दुकान पर कभी नहीं गया।

    I've never been to that shop.

    कभी with नहीं means never.

  3. मैं तुम्हें कभी नहीं भूलूँगी।

    I'll never forget you.

    कभी नहीं works with the future too.

  4. वह कभी देर से नहीं आती।

    She never comes late.

    नहीं stays next to the verb; कभी can come earlier.

  5. कभी हमारे घर आइए।

    Come over to our place sometime.

    In a request, कभी means some time.

Common Mistakes

  • Using कभी alone for sometimes.

    मैं कभी चाय पीता हूँ।
    मैं कभी-कभी चाय पीता हूँ।

    Sometimes is कभी-कभी. कभी alone means ever or some time.

  • Leaving out नहीं when you mean never.

    मैं कभी मांस खाता हूँ।
    मैं कभी मांस नहीं खाता।

    कभी is not negative by itself. For never, add नहीं before the verb.

How It Connects

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

कभी / कभी नहींLevel 2Ever and Never

Learn This First

Ever is the indefinite partner of when, and never adds नहीं.

Words in This Pattern

कभीकभी नहीं