Lesson 12A1

There is / There are

है / हैं

English uses the dummy subject 'there' to announce that something exists — a grammatical placeholder Hindi doesn't need, since Hindi can simply state existence with है/हैं and let the location and the thing itself carry the meaning.

Grammar Comparison

'there' fills a subject slot Hindi leaves empty

English

There is a book on the table. (there is a placeholder subject, not a real place)

Hindi (English explanations)

मेज़ पर एक किताब है। (no placeholder needed — the sentence just states what exists)

Hindi simply states what exists — मेज़ पर एक किताब है literally reads 'on the table a book is,' with no filler word occupying a subject position. English grammar insists every sentence have a subject, so when there's no natural one (as when just announcing something exists), it invents 'there' to fill that slot. Afterward, is/are agrees with the real noun (a book → is, books → are), exactly as Hindi's है/हैं agrees with the real noun's number (किताब है, किताबें हैं) — so the agreement logic already feels familiar, even though the placeholder subject itself doesn't.

Vocabulary

There is a book.thair iz ay book

Hindi (English explanations): एक किताब है।ek kitāb hai.

There are books.thair ar books

Hindi (English explanations): किताबें हैं।kitābeñ haiñ.

There is no time.thair iz noh tym

Hindi (English explanations): समय नहीं है।samay nahīñ hai.

Is there a problem?iz thair ay PROB-lem

Hindi (English explanations): क्या कोई समस्या है?kyā koī samasyā hai?

English	Pronunciation	Hindi (English explanations)
There is a book.	thair iz ay book	एक किताब है।ek kitāb hai.
There are books.	thair ar books	किताबें हैं।kitābeñ haiñ.
There is no time.	thair iz noh tym	समय नहीं है।samay nahīñ hai.
Is there a problem?	iz thair ay PROB-lem	क्या कोई समस्या है?kyā koī samasyā hai?

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