a
/ə; eɪ/indefinite article
उच्चारण अ
एक, कोई; प्रति
Basic word
- 1
used before countable or singular nouns referring to people or things that have not already been mentioned; any; one; used to show that somebody or something is a member of a group or profession; used in prices or rates to mean 'each' or 'per'
एक, कोई; प्रति
- a book
- She is a teacher.
- 100 rupees a kilo
+ 3 more examples
- Meera bought a notebook and a pen from the shop.
- He has an appointment with a doctor at ten.
- We take the train twice a week.
Synonyms one any some per each
Opposite the
§Structures (grammar patterns) 5
a + consonant sound / an + vowel sound
Choose a or an by the sound that begins the next word, not by its spelling: a university, an hour.
'A' या 'an' का चुनाव अगले शब्द की ध्वनि से होता है, spelling से नहीं: a university, an hour।
- Radhika wants to study at a university in Pune.
- We waited for an hour at the station.
a + singular countable noun (a profession or class)
Use a before a job, nationality or type: it classifies somebody as one of a group.
किसी पेशे, राष्ट्रीयता या प्रकार को बताने के लिए singular countable noun से पहले 'a' आता है।
- My brother is a bank clerk.
- She is an engineer by training.
a = per / each (rates and frequencies)
Use a between a quantity and a unit of time, weight or distance to mean per.
Quantity और समय, वज़न या दूरी की इकाई के बीच 'a' का अर्थ 'प्रति' होता है।
- He reads two chapters a day.
- Tomatoes are selling at forty rupees a kilo.
a few / a little / a lot of / a bit of
A before few, little, lot and bit forms fixed quantity phrases; a few and a little mean some, not almost none.
'Few', 'little', 'lot', 'bit' से पहले 'a' लगकर निश्चित मात्रा-वाचक phrase बनते हैं; 'a few' और 'a little' का अर्थ 'कुछ' है, 'लगभग नहीं' नहीं।
- I have a few questions about the syllabus.
- There is a little milk left in the fridge.
such a / quite a / what a / many a + singular noun
These phrases put a after the first word, and the noun that follows is singular.
ये phrase पहले शब्द के बाद 'a' लेते हैं और इनके बाद singular noun आता है।
- What a lovely morning it is!
- Many a student has found this chapter difficult.
+Collocations 4
a + noun (profession)
teacherdoctorpilotengineerlawyer
- Her uncle is a pilot with Air India.
quantity phrases with a
a fewa littlea lot ofa number ofa great deal of
- A number of candidates were absent today.
time and rate phrases
once a weektwice a daythree times a montha yearan hour
- He visits his village twice a year.
exclamation + a
what asuch aquite ahalf a
- What a close match it was!
“More examples 5
- Radhika has an interview at a bank tomorrow.
राधिका का कल एक बैंक में interview है।
- He is an honest officer and a good friend.
वह एक ईमानदार अधिकारी और अच्छा मित्र है।
- I take a bath twice a day in summer.
गर्मियों में मैं दिन में दो बार नहाता हूँ।
- It was a one-day match, but it felt like a week.
वह एक-दिवसीय मैच था, पर एक सप्ताह जैसा लगा।
- Such a chance comes only once in a lifetime.
ऐसा अवसर जीवन में केवल एक बार आता है।
!Common mistakes 3
✗ He is an university student.
✓ He is a university student.
University begins with the sound /j/, a consonant sound, so use a.
'University' की शुरुआत /j/ ध्वनि से होती है, जो consonant sound है, इसलिए 'a' आता है।
✗ It took a hour to reach the station.
✓ It took an hour to reach the station.
The h in hour is silent, so the word begins with a vowel sound and needs an.
'Hour' में h silent है, इसलिए शब्द vowel sound से शुरू होता है और 'an' आता है।
✗ My father is teacher in a government school.
✓ My father is a teacher in a government school.
A singular countable noun naming a profession needs an article.
पेशा बताने वाले singular countable noun से पहले article आना आवश्यक है।
?Which word?
Keep apart a few (some) and few (almost none), a little (some) and little (almost none).
A few (कुछ) और few (लगभग नहीं), a little (कुछ) और little (लगभग नहीं) को अलग रखिए।
§Grammar and usage
Use a before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound, not by spelling ('a university', 'a European', 'a one-way street', 'a useful book', but 'an hour', 'an honest man', 'an MLA', 'an SP').
यह बहुत पूछा जाता है: spelling से नहीं, व्यंजन-ध्वनि से पहले a और स्वर-ध्वनि से पहले an लगाएँ ('a university', 'a European', 'a one-way street', 'a useful book', पर 'an hour', 'an honest man', 'an MLA', 'an SP')।
A is used with singular countable nouns only (not 'a water' or 'a furniture'); a is used before a profession ('She is a doctor'), with 'what' and 'such' in exclamations ('What a day!', 'such a nice person') and in fixed phrases ('a few', 'a little', 'a lot of', 'once a week').
A केवल singular countable nouns के साथ आता है ('a water' या 'a furniture' नहीं); a पेशे से पहले ('She is a doctor'), विस्मयादिबोधक वाक्यों में 'what' और 'such' के साथ ('What a day!', 'such a nice person') और निश्चित वाक्यांशों में ('a few', 'a little', 'a lot of', 'once a week') आता है।