कहीं / कहीं नहीं / कहीं भी

Somewhere, Nowhere and Anywhere

Level 2Sounds Like kahīṁ, kahīṁ nahīṁ aura kahīṁ bhī

कहीं is somewhere, कहीं नहीं is nowhere and कहीं भी is anywhere: मैं कहीं नहीं जा रहा.

How It Works

कहीं is the place word in the same family as कोई (someone), कुछ (something) and कभी (ever). All four build their forms the same way.

PersonThingPlaceTime
some-कोईकुछकहींकभी
no- (with नहीं)कोई नहींकुछ नहींकहीं नहींकभी नहीं
any- (with भी)कोई भीकुछ भीकहीं भीकभी भी

कहीं means somewhere: मैंने उसे कहीं देखा है. In a question it means anywhere: क्या आपने मेरा चश्मा कहीं देखा है?

For nowhere, put नहीं in its usual place before the verb: मैं कहीं नहीं गया (I didn't go anywhere). Adding भी makes it stronger: मैं कहीं भी नहीं गया (I didn't go anywhere at all).

In a positive sentence, कहीं भी means any place will do: आप कहीं भी बैठ सकते हैं. For somewhere else, say कहीं और.

Keep कहीं and कहाँ apart. कहाँ ends in -आँ and asks where; कहीं ends in -ईं and says somewhere.

Examples (5)

  1. मैंने इस आदमी को कहीं देखा है।

    I've seen this man somewhere.

    कहीं means somewhere.

  2. आज हम कहीं नहीं जा रहे।

    We're not going anywhere today.

    नहीं before the verb turns कहीं into nowhere.

  3. आप कहीं भी बैठ सकते हैं।

    You can sit anywhere.

    कहीं भी means any place at all.

  4. क्या आपने मेरा चश्मा कहीं देखा है?

    Have you seen my glasses anywhere?

    In a question, कहीं means anywhere.

  5. चलो, कहीं और चलते हैं।

    Let's go somewhere else.

    कहीं और means somewhere else.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the question word कहाँ for nowhere.

    मैं आज कहाँ नहीं जा रहा।
    मैं आज कहीं नहीं जा रहा।

    कहाँ asks where. The word for somewhere and nowhere is कहीं, with -ईं.

How It Connects

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

कहीं / कहीं नहीं / कहीं भीLevel 2Somewhere, Nowhere and Anywhere

Learn This First

कहीं follows the same pattern as कोई: add नहीं for none and भी for any.

Words in This Pattern

कहींकहीं नहींकहीं भीभी