किंतु / परंतु

Formal Words for but

Level 6Sounds Like kintu aura parantu

किंतु and परंतु are formal words for but; लेकिन is the everyday one.

How It Works

Hindi has several words for but, sorted by register:

WordWhere you hear it
परcasual speech
लेकिनeveryday speech and writing
मगरspeech, songs and stories
किंतु, परंतुformal writing, news, speeches

किंतु and परंतु work exactly like लेकिन. They open the second clause, usually after a comma, and both clauses are ordinary sentences.

There is no real difference in meaning between the two. Writers often switch between them to avoid repeating the same word in a paragraph.

Choose them to match the rest of the sentence. A formal sentence with words like आवेदन, शुल्क or उत्तर sounds right with किंतु, while a friendly chat with किंतु sounds stiff.

Together, किंतु-परंतु is an everyday noun meaning ifs and buts, or excuses: अब किंतु-परंतु छोड़ो। The pair अगर-मगर is used the same way.

Examples (5)

  1. मैंने उन्हें कई बार फ़ोन किया, किंतु उन्होंने उत्तर नहीं दिया।

    I called him several times, but he did not answer.

    किंतु opens the contrasting clause after a comma.

  2. योजना अच्छी है, परंतु इसमें ख़र्च बहुत होगा।

    The plan is good, but it will cost a lot.

    परंतु works exactly like लेकिन.

  3. बैठक दस बजे शुरू होनी थी, परंतु मंत्री जी देर से पहुँचे।

    The meeting was due to start at ten, but the minister arrived late.

    A typical news-style sentence with परंतु.

  4. आवेदन की अंतिम तिथि बढ़ा दी गई है, किंतु शुल्क में कोई बदलाव नहीं हुआ है।

    The application deadline has been extended, but the fee has not changed.

    Formal words such as तिथि and शुल्क suit किंतु.

  5. अब किंतु-परंतु छोड़ो और काम शुरू करो।

    Enough ifs and buts; get started on the work.

    Here किंतु-परंतु is a noun meaning excuses.

How It Connects

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किंतु / परंतुLevel 6Formal Words for but

Learn This First

The formal words for but replace लेकिन in writing.

Words in This Pattern

किंतुपरंतु