में

See also: स, भ, म, मैं, and ম

Hindi

Etymology

Inherited from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀫𑀚𑁆𑀛𑁂 (majjhe), from Sanskrit मध्ये (mádhye), locative of मध्य (mádhya, “middle”), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *mádʰyas, from Proto-Indo-European *médʰyos.

The spontaneous nasalization is a common phenomenon in New Indo-Aryan. Compare Hindi साँप (sā̃p, “snake”) from Sanskrit सर्प (sarpa).

Pronunciation

• (Delhi Hindi) IPA^(key): /mẽː/

• (file)

Postposition

में • (mẽ) (Urdu spelling میں‎)

1. in, inside of

   घर में ― ghar mẽ ― inside the house

   कमरे में ― kamre mẽ ― in the room

   Synonym: के अंदर (ke andar)

2. within

   मेरे सिर में दर्द हो रहा है।

   mere sir mẽ dard ho rahā hai.

   My head is hurting.

   (literally, “There is pain within my head.”)

   Synonym: के अंदर (ke andar)

3. into

   वह पानी में गिर पड़ा। ― vah pānī mẽ gir paṛā. ― He fell into the water.

   गिलास में ― gilās mẽ ― into the glass

4. during

   छूट्टियों में मैं लंदन जा रहा हूँ।

   chūṭṭiyõ mẽ ma͠i landan jā rahā hū̃.

   I'm going to London during the holidays.

   रात में ― rāt mẽ ― in the night

   वर्ष १९९४ में ― varṣ 1994 mẽ ― during the year 1994

   Synonym: के दौरान (ke daurān)

5. for the price of

   सौ रुपये में ― sau rupye mẽ ― for the price of 100 rupees

6. between, among

   सारे लोग में केक बाँट दिया।

   sāre log mẽ kek bā̃ṭ diyā.

   The cake was divided among all the people.

   इन तीन क़मीज़ों में कौनसी अच्छी है?

   in tīn qamīzõ mẽ kaunsī acchī hai?

   Between these three shirts which one is best?

Derived terms

• में से (mẽ se, “through; out of”)

Further reading

• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) , “में”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press
• Bahri, Hardev (1989) , “में”, in Siksarthi Hindi-Angrejhi Sabdakosa [Learners' Hindi-English Dictionary], Delhi: Rajpal & Sons
• Platts, John T. (1884) , “में”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & co.