कि + Clause
Saying What Someone Says or Thinks
कि works like that before a full sentence: मुझे लगता है कि वह आएगा (I think he'll come).
How It Works
कि links a verb like कहना, सोचना, जानना, लगना or सुनना to the thing said, thought or known. The main clause comes first, and the कि clause follows it.
- मुझे लगता है कि वह आएगा। (I think he'll come.)
- क्या आपको पता है कि आज छुट्टी है? (Do you know that today is a holiday?)
Keep the tense. English changes will to would after said. Hindi keeps the tense the speaker used: रवि ने कहा कि बस देर से आएगी (Ravi said the bus would come late).
Original words. Hindi often reports speech in the speaker's own words, even with कि. राहुल ने कहा कि मैं कल नहीं आऊँगा means Rahul said he would not come tomorrow. Here मैं means Rahul. Context tells you whose words they are.
In speech, कि is sometimes left out: मुझे लगता है वह आएगा.
Spelling: write कि, with a short vowel, for that. की, with a long vowel, is the possessive, as in रीमा की किताब.
Examples (5)
- मुझे लगता है कि वह आएगा।
I think he'll come.
कि introduces what I think.
- मैं जानती हूँ कि रीना घर पर है।
I know that Reena is at home.
The कि clause has its own subject, रीना.
- क्या आपको पता है कि आज छुट्टी है?
Do you know that today is a holiday?
The question is about the whole कि clause.
- रवि ने कहा कि बस देर से आएगी।
Ravi said the bus would come late.
Hindi keeps the future आएगी where English says would.
- राहुल ने कहा कि मैं कल नहीं आऊँगा।
Rahul said he wouldn't come tomorrow.
मैं here is Rahul himself: Hindi keeps his own words.
Common Mistakes
Shifting the tense back as English does.
रवि ने कहा कि वह कल आता।रवि ने कहा कि वह कल आएगा।Keep the tense Ravi used. आता here does not mean would come.
Writing की instead of कि.
मुझे लगता है की वह आएगा।मुझे लगता है कि वह आएगा।कि with a short vowel means that. की is the possessive.
How It Connects
Learn This First
कि clauses complete verbs of knowing and saying, so they come after those verbs.
Related Patterns
- लगनाSeeming, Feeling and Taking Time
मुझे लगता है कि is the everyday way to say I think.
Level 3 - Subjunctive -एWishes, Suggestions and Possibilities
After wishes and requests, the कि clause takes the subjunctive.
Level 3 - चाहना किWanting Someone Else to Act
चाहना कि says what you want someone else to do.
Level 4 - कि ... या नहींAsking Whether
कि can also introduce a yes-or-no question inside a sentence.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice कि + Clause in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Hindi lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
