यह वाला / चायवाला

Pointing Out with वाला

Level 2Sounds Like yaha vālā aura cāyavālā

वाला picks something out: यह वाला (this one), लाल वाली (the red one), सुबह वाली बस (the morning bus).

How It Works

वाला works like the English one, or like -er in seller words. It changes like an adjective in -आ:

FormUseExample
वालाmasculineयह वाला (this one)
वालीfeminineलाल वाली (the red one)
वालेmasculine plural, or before a postpositionबड़े वाले (the big ones)

Picking one out: after यह, वह or an adjective, वाला means the one. In a shop, about a साड़ी: मुझे वह वाली दिखाइए (Show me that one).

People: after a noun, it names someone linked to that thing, often a seller: चायवाला (tea seller), दूधवाला (milkman), सब्ज़ीवाली (a woman who sells vegetables). घरवाले means family.

Time and place: सुबह वाली बस (the morning bus), ऊपर वाला कमरा (the upstairs room).

Seller words are usually written as one word; after a pronoun or adjective, वाला is written separately.

Examples (5)

  1. मुझे यह वाला चाहिए।

    I want this one.

    यह वाला means this one.

  2. लाल वाली साड़ी कितने की है?

    How much is the red sari?

    वाली agrees with feminine साड़ी.

  3. चायवाला रोज़ सुबह यहाँ आता है।

    The tea seller comes here every morning.

    चायवाला names a person by what he sells.

  4. हम सुबह वाली बस से जाएँगे।

    We'll take the morning bus.

    वाला after a time picks out one bus.

  5. मेरे घरवाले दिल्ली में रहते हैं।

    My family lives in Delhi.

    घरवाले (the people of the house) means family.

Common Mistakes

  • Using masculine वाला with a feminine noun.

    मुझे लाल वाला साड़ी दिखाइए।
    मुझे लाल वाली साड़ी दिखाइए।

    वाला agrees with the thing meant. साड़ी is feminine, so वाली.

How It Connects

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

यह वाला / चायवालाLevel 2Pointing Out with वाला

Learn This First

वाला agrees like an adjective and attaches to pointing words and nouns.

Words in This Pattern

वाला-वाला