about
/əˈbaʊt/preposition
उच्चारण अबाउट
के बारे में; इधर-उधर
Basic word
- 1
on the subject of somebody or something; in connection with somebody or something; in many directions; in various places
के बारे में; इधर-उधर
- a book about India
- worried about the exam
- We talked about the match for hours after the final.
+ 2 more examples
- What is the story about?
- Don't worry about the traffic; we have plenty of time.
Synonyms concerning regarding on relating to around
- 1
a little more or less than; approximately; nearly
लगभग
- about 50 people
- about 10 o'clock
- The journey takes about two hours by train.
+ 2 more examples
- There were about thirty students in the hall.
- It was about midnight when the rain finally stopped.
Synonyms approximately roughly around nearly almost
§Structures (grammar patterns) 5
about + noun / gerund (topic)
About introduces the subject of speaking, thinking, writing or feeling; a gerund follows, never an infinitive.
'About' बोलने, सोचने, लिखने या अनुभव करने के विषय को बताता है; इसके बाद gerund आता है, infinitive नहीं।
- We talked about changing the exam date.
- She is worried about her result.
verb + about (no extra preposition)
Verbs like discuss, mention, resemble and enter take their object directly; about is wrong after discuss.
'Discuss', 'mention' जैसे verbs अपना object सीधे लेते हैं; 'discuss' के बाद 'about' नहीं लगता।
- The committee discussed the budget.
- Radhika mentioned the problem to her teacher.
about + number (approximately)
As an adverb, about means roughly and comes before the number.
Adverb के रूप में 'about' का अर्थ लगभग है और यह संख्या से पहले आता है।
- About fifty candidates came for the interview.
- It takes about two hours to reach Jaipur.
be about to + verb
This pattern means something will happen very soon; do not add a time word like tomorrow.
यह pattern बताता है कि कोई घटना बहुत जल्द होने वाली है; इसके साथ tomorrow जैसा समय-वाचक शब्द नहीं लगता।
- The train is about to leave.
- I was about to call you when the phone rang.
What / How about + noun or -ing
Use this phrase to make a suggestion or to ask for an opinion; a gerund follows.
सुझाव देने या राय पूछने के लिए यह phrase आता है; इसके बाद gerund लगता है।
- What about going to the library after lunch?
- How about a cup of tea?
+Collocations 4
feel / think + about
worry aboutthink aboutcare aboutdream aboutcomplain about
- Parents often worry about the board results.
talk / write + about
talk aboutwrite aboutread aboutspeak aboutjoke about
- She wrote an essay about her village fair.
adjective + about
excited aboutserious aboutcareful aboutsure aboutcurious about
- Radhika is serious about her preparation.
fixed phrases
about timejust aboutall aboutround aboutout and about
- It is about time you started revising.
“More examples 5
- Radhika read a book about the Indian railways.
राधिका ने भारतीय रेलवे के बारे में एक पुस्तक पढ़ी।
- There were about two hundred people at the Diwali mela.
दीवाली मेले में लगभग दो सौ लोग थे।
- He is crazy about cricket and watches every match.
वह क्रिकेट का दीवाना है और हर मैच देखता है।
- The students were about to leave when the bell rang.
विद्यार्थी जाने ही वाले थे कि घंटी बज गई।
- Leaves were lying about on the school ground after the storm.
तूफ़ान के बाद स्कूल के मैदान में पत्ते इधर-उधर बिखरे पड़े थे।
!Common mistakes 2
✗ We discussed about the new syllabus.
✓ We discussed the new syllabus.
Discuss is followed directly by its object, without about.
'Discuss' के बाद object सीधे आता है, 'about' नहीं।
✗ What about to go for a walk?
✓ What about going for a walk?
A preposition like about is followed by a gerund, not an infinitive.
'About' जैसे preposition के बाद gerund आता है, infinitive नहीं।
≠Thesaurus: which synonym when
About, around and approximately all mean roughly, but they differ in formality.
About, around और approximately तीनों का अर्थ लगभग है, पर औपचारिकता में अंतर है।
The ordinary word for roughly, used in speech and writing.
लगभग के लिए सामान्य शब्द, बोलचाल और लेखन दोनों में।
- It costs about five hundred rupees.
Informal; very common in speech for time and numbers.
अनौपचारिक; समय और संख्या के लिए बोलचाल में बहुत आम।
- Come around six o'clock.
Formal; used in reports, science and exam passages.
औपचारिक; रिपोर्ट, विज्ञान और परीक्षा के गद्यांशों में प्रयुक्त।
- The distance is approximately 120 kilometres.
≈Synonyms and antonyms
§Grammar and usage
Be about to + base form (be going to do something very soon: 'The train is about to leave'); fixed prepositions: worried about, anxious about, think about, talk about, complain about, care about; 'how about' or 'what about' + noun or -ing (suggestions: 'How about going for a walk?').
यह बहुत पूछा जाता है: be about to + base form (बहुत जल्दी कुछ करने वाला होना: 'The train is about to leave'); निश्चित prepositions: worried about, anxious about, think about, talk about, complain about, care about; 'how about' या 'what about' + noun या -ing (सुझाव: 'How about going for a walk?')।
Tautology trap: 'about 50 people or so' and 'approximately about' are wordy.
Tautology trap: 'about 50 people or so' और 'approximately about' शब्दबहुल हैं।
“Collocations, idioms and sayings
About time (it should have happened before), up and about (out of bed after an illness).
Idioms: about time (यह पहले हो जाना चाहिए था), up and about (बीमारी के बाद उठ खड़ा)।