Mughal-e-Azam (1960)

Speaking a language that you've been learning for a while is scary.

Speaking it with a native speaker is freaking terrifying. Especially if you mess up or say something weird or unnatural for the language you are learning. It's such a horrifying and humiliating experience that one sometimes must go through in order to get better and grow. Don't let it put you down or discourage you.

The movie began and ended with this song.

How to learn a language

Tips from a language major:

•When learning new vocabulary write the meaning in your language once and the new word at least three times

•If you are learning a new writing style (I.e. Hanzi, kanji, Sanskrit, etc.) write the character at least three times, the meaning and the pronunciation once. -do not write the pronunciation above the character, write it to the side, otherwise you won’t even try to read it. -Learn! Stroke! Order!

•when reviewing vocab try to use the word in a sentence.

•do not pay attention to the technicalities of the grammar. Do not attempt to compare it to your own language. This will seriously mess you up for 80 years. Just pay attention to the sentence structure and make similar sentences.

•if you are learning a tonal language (I.e Chinese) or language that has sounds that don’t exist in your language watch videos of people pronouncing things and try to match their mouth movements.

•if all else fails on your tones just speak quickly.

•watch TV shows in that language and yes watch them with subtitles. But please be aware that may not be how people speak in real life (I’m looking at you, Japanese/Chinese/Korean learners)

•DO NOT BE AFRIAD TO MAKE MISTAKES of you mess up during a sentence just correct yourself and keep going.

•flash cards, flash cards, flash cards. Real and digital.

•spend at least an hour a day on it (OUTSIDE of class), if you’re trying to learn on your own you’re gonna need more time.

•talk to yourself in that language, take notes in it, set your phone to it. You probably look crazy but that is a-ok.

•listen to music in that language, while it probably won’t do much for your ability in the beginning it will help you distinguish sounds once you get pretty good.

•and lastly, don’t give up. It took you like ten years to grasp your own language it’s gonna take awhile to grasp another.

-How I learned 2 ½ languages at once.

I wish we were pressed flowers on the same page.

-Unknown

Ab ke ham bichhde to shayad kabhi khvabo me mile

jis tarah sukhe hue phuul kitabo me mile.

-Ahmed Faraz

वो गाड़ी से झांक शहर देख रही थी।

मैं कनखियों से उसे देख रहा था।

वो अपना घर देख रही थी-

मैं अपना घर देख रहा था।।

खैर !

जब इतना कट गया बाकी भी गुजर जाएगा

न अपना घर होगा न अपनी जमीन

फिर भी आसमान तो होगा कुछ न कुछ

फिर भी नदी होगी कभी भरी कभी सूखी

और यह भी कि कोई इच्छा थी कभी।

-अरुण कमल

Rajasthan Architecture (Jaisalmer🐪🪞✨)

Do you agree with the popular conclusion in western linguistics that vowel length is not phonemic in modern Marathi (even if it’s indicated in writing)? I went to Maharashtra for the first time during my last visit to India and I did notice that vowel length was a lot more ambiguous than I expected in all cases, but especially in the distinction between अ and आ. But the mutual intelligibility between Maharashtrian Marathi and my dialect, Thanjavur Marathi, is not great, so wtf do I know

This sounds like one of those things that we don't really pay attention to as native speakers, but would be very important for someone learning the language!

However, I do think that there is plenty of ambiguity between short and long vowels, especially इ/ई and उ/ऊ. The example that comes to mind for me is that the -वू suffix in Marathi, where say धावू नकोस is pronounced closer to धाउ नकोस.

I can't say I've noticed an ambiguity between अ and आ though. I think some examples might help there.

I'm no linguist, but this was a really cool ask! Thank you!

The sun sets over Agra Fort Station as carriages are watered and given a routine inspection. In the background, Jama Masjid Mosque. Uttar Pradesh, India, 1983.

credit- Steve McCurry

Gardening Vocabulary

बाग़बानी - gardening, horticulture (feminine), also उद्यान-विज्ञान (masculine) खेती, कृषि - farming, agriculture (feminine) माली - gardener (masculine), मालिन (feminine) बग़ीचा, बाग़ - garden (masculine), also उद्यानभूमि (feminine) * सब्ज़ियों का बाग़ / बग़ीचा - vegetable garden (masculine) * जड़ी बूटियों का बगीचा - herb garden (masculine) फलों का वृक्ष / पेड़ - fruit tree (masculine) बेरी की झाड़ी - berry bush (feminine) लता - creeper, vine (feminine) सब्ज़ी, तरकारी - vegetable (feminine), also साग (masculine) * जड़ वाली सब्ज़ी - root vegetable (feminine) पौधा, पादप - plant (masculine) * a plant can be खाद्य (edible), सजावटी (decorative, ornamental), औषधीय (medicinal) or मसालेदार (spice plant). * also पत्तेदार (leafy), फलदार (fruitful, fruit-bearing), स्वस्थ (healthy), पुष्ट (thriving, nourished) or रोगग्रस्त (diseased). फूल, पुष्प - flower (masculine) * a flower can be for example सुगंधित (fragrant) or खिलता हुआ (blooming). कंद - bulb (masculine) पत्ती - leaf (feminine) किशलय - new, fresh leaf (masculine) तना - stem (masculine) टहनी - twig (feminine) डाल, डाली - branch (feminine) पानी - water (masculine) जारक - oxygen (masculine) सूर्य का प्रकाश - sunlight (masculine) ताप - heat, warmth (masculine) प्रकाश संश्लेषण - photosynthesis (masculine)

Planting and Growing Crops

बुवाई - sowing (feminine) बुवाई का मौसम - sowing season (masculine) बढ़ने का मौसम - growing season (masculine) बढ़ना, उगना - to grow (intransitive) उगाना - to grow [plants, flowers, berries etc.] (transitive) की देख रेख करना - to nurse, take care of (transitive) मुरझाना - to wither (intransitive) जोताई, जुताई - plowing, tillage (feminine) जोतना - to plow (transitive) बीज - seed, seedling (masculine) बोना, रोपना, बीज लगाना - to sow, plant (transitive) पंक्तियों में लगाना - to sow in rows (transitive) पादपों की परस्पर दूरी - distance between plants (feminine) भूमि, ज़मीन, मिट्टी - soil, ground, earth (feminine) * soil can be हल्की, बालुकामय (light, sandy) or भारी, चिकनी (heavy, clay soil). * ground can be सूखी (dry) or नम (wet, moist). भूमि की आर्द्रता / नमी - soil moisture (feminine) गमला - pot (masculine) गमले में लगा पौधा - potted plant (masculine) गमले की मिट्टी - potting soil (feminine) मिट्टी डालना - to pour soil (transitive) अंकुर - shoot, bud, sprout (masculine) अंकुरित - sprouting, budding (adjective) अंकुरण - sprouting (masculine) जड़ - root (feminine) जड़ वाला - rooted (adjective) जड़ जमाना - to root, take root (transitive) छिड़काव करना - to spray, water (transitive) पानी डालना - to water (transitive) सिंचाई - irrigation (feminine) सींचना, सिंचाई करना - to irrigate (transitive) भूमि को नम रखना - to keep the soil moist (transitive) खाद, उर्वरक - fertilizer, manure (masculine) खाद डालना - to apply fertilizer (transitive) कीटनाशक - insecticide, pesticide (masculine) कीट, कीड़ा - pest, insect (masculine) छँटाई - pruning (feminine) काट-छाँट करना - to prune (transitive) घास पात - weeds (masculine) गोड़ना - to hoe, scrape (transitive) गोड़ाई निराना, निराई करना, गुड़ाई करना - to weed (transitive) फूलना, फूल लगना, खिलना - to bloom, flower (intransitive) फलना - to flourish, carry fruit (intransitive) फसल - crop, harvest (feminine) उपज - yield, produce (feminine) उत्पादन करना - to produce [fruit, berries, crops] (transitive)

Common Garden Plants

प्रजाति, जाति - species (feminine) मटर - pea (feminine) मूली - radish (feminine) गाजर - carrot (feminine) चुक़ंदर - beet (masculine) शलजम - turnip, rutabaga, swede (masculine) पालक - spinach (feminine) अजमोद - parsley (masculine) अजवायन - celery (masculine) आलू - potato (masculine) शकरकंद - sweet potato (masculine) शतावरी - asparagus (feminine) हरी सेम - green beans (feminine) राजमा - kidney beans (feminine) मिर्च - chili (feminine) शिमला मिर्च - bell pepper, capsicum (feminine) फूलगोभी - cauliflower (feminine) हरी फूलगोभी - broccoli (feminine) बंद गोभी - Brussel sprout, cabbage (feminine) लाल पत्तागोभी - red cabbage (feminine) बैंगन, ब्रिंजल - aubergine, eggplant (masculine) प्याज - onion (masculine) हरा प्याज - spring onion (masculine) हरे प्याज के पत्ते - chives (masculine) लहसुन - garlic (masculine) खीरा - cucumber (masculine) तुरई, तोरी - zucchini (feminine) कद्दू - pumpkin (masculine) टमाटर - tomato (masculine) मकई - corn, maize (feminine), also मक्का (masculine) गुलाब - rose (masculine) नरगिस - daffodil (masculine) नीलक - lilac (masculine) सूरजमुखी - sunflower (feminine) स्रीवत - pansy (masculine) गेंदा - marigold (masculine)

Garden Tools

औज़ार - tool (masculine) बागवानी दस्ताने - gardening gloves (masculine) खुरपी - trowel, spade (masculine) * खुरपियाना - to weed with a trowel or spade (transitive) हल - plow, plough (masculine) * हल जोतना - to plow (transitive) सींचने का कनस्तर - watering can (masculine) पानी का पाइप - water hose (masculine) बागवानी कैंची - pruning shears (feminine) खुदाई का कांटा - garden fork (masculine) * खुदाई करना - to dig (transitive) कुदाल, कुदार - hoe (masculine) बेलचा - shovel (masculine) बगीचे का ठेला - wheelbarrow (masculine)

جو ہم پہ گزری ہے شاید سبھی پہ گزری ہے

فسانہ جو بھی سُنا، کچھ سُنا سُنا سا لگا

اقبال عظیم

Jo hum pe guzri hai shyd sabhi pe guzri hai

Fasana jo bhi suna, kuch suna suna sa laga

-Iqbal Azeem

I think it would be very cyberpunk if English speakers adopted the words lakh and crore from India, because we need more names for large numbers. You can't just start using other people's words like that though, white baby.

It hit me hard when someone said;

"Intezaar ka dusra naam mohabbat hai"

And i replied;

"Agar insaan sahi hai to intezaar galat nhi hai"

Many people will try tell you "Oh, you're such a basic guy, you don't even drink booze nor smoke anything". Just know, they do this because they can't understand

"ये कागज़ी फूल जैसे चेहरे मज़ाक उड़ाते हैं आदमी का... इन्हें कोई काश ये बता दे मक़ाम ऊँचा है सादगी का"

"अंधेरा छाया है इनके आगे हसीन गफलत की रोशनी का ... ये कागज़ी फूल जैसे चेहरे मज़ाक उड़ाते हैं आदमी का... इन्हें कोई काश ये बता दे मक़ाम ऊँचा है सादगी का"