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e continue trying to learn to read the Hindi script today.  We focus on these two sentences:

1) कल कल मत कर।

2) गज पर चढ़।

Now, let us look at the letters.

Remember अ from yesterday?

The first and most important vowel is अ.We will write this as a single “a” in our pronunciation key. In English, the letter “a”, can make many different sounds. But the letter अ makes the “a” sound that is in “another”. It makes more of a “uh” sound. And it is the most important vowel because it is automatically part of each of the consonants. For example, क is a “k” sound plus this “a” sound that we are coving. You do not see अ in the passage above, but the sound that it makes is part of each of the consonants.

क = ka (pronounced like the “cu” in “cup”.)

ग = ga (remember when we write “a” it is the sound of the “a” in “another”.  So, think “guh” when you see “ga”.. this applies to all the consonants)

च = cha

ज = ja

ढ़ = “rd” as in the “rd” in “bird“.  This is normally a “du” sound, but the dot underneath turns it into a “rd” sound.

त = “ta” The tongue should touch the top of the teeth.

ल = la

म = ma

र = ra

प = pa

Learn the 10 letters above, and you can read the sentences from today’s session.  To help you focus on these letters, and the vowel अ.

flashcard-may-26-letters1

Now, let us look at the meanings of these two sentences to see what the meanings are.

कल कल मत कर।

kal kal mat kar

tomorrow, tomorrow don’t do.

(Don’t say “tomorrow tomorrow”)

गज पर चढ़।

Climb on the elephant.

In July we are going to base our lessons on the following book:

This is a book for Hindi speakers to learn English.  It is a different approach to learning Hindi.  But it still has the Hindi and English side by side.  And it will show how to write a lot of familiar English sounds in the Hindi script.  We only have a limited number of them.  But for the first few people that donate $25 or more, we will mail you a copy, while we have them.

If you want to donate, just visit http://www.ispeakhindi.com/donation/.  Thank you again for your support.