Proverbs and Idioms

What the official syllabus says

Main Examination, General Hindi (the Commission's text, in Hindi):

• लोकोक्ति एवं मुहावरे।

In English (the academy's rendering, not the Commission's words): proverbs and idioms.

Topics in detail

मुहावरे (idioms)

• What an idiom (muhavara) is: a phrase whose meaning differs from the literal meaning of its words
• An idiom is not a complete sentence; it is used inside one, and its verb changes with the sentence
• Idioms built on parts of the body (eye, nose, hand, head, heart, teeth)
• Idioms built on animals, objects and everyday life
• Giving the meaning and using the idiom correctly in a sentence of one's own
• Using the idiom in its standard form, without changing its words

लोकोक्तियाँ (proverbs)

• What a proverb (lokokti or kahavat) is: a complete saying that carries a lesson drawn from experience
• A proverb stands on its own and keeps its form when used
• Proverbs on effort, patience, pride, greed, time, foolishness, unity and fate
• Giving the meaning and the situation where the proverb applies
• Proverbs from folk speech, including those in Awadhi and Braj forms

Difference between the two

A few common examples

• Idiom aankh ka tara: someone very dear
• Idiom nau do gyarah hona: to run away, slip off
• Idiom daanton tale ungli dabana: to be astonished
• Idiom Id ka chaand hona: to be seen very rarely
• Idiom naak mein dam karna: to harass someone greatly
• Proverb naach na jaane aangan tedha: blaming circumstances for one's own lack of skill
• Proverb adhjal gagari chhalkat jaay: those with little knowledge show off the most
• Proverb ab pachhtaye hot kya jab chidiya chug gayi khet: regret is useless once the chance has passed
• Proverb jiski lathi uski bhains: the strong have their way
• Proverb door ke dhol suhavane: things look attractive from a distance

How it is tested

• Writing the meaning of a given idiom or proverb
• Using an idiom in a sentence that makes its meaning clear
• Choosing the right idiom or proverb for a situation
• Telling an idiom from a proverb

Preparation

• Build a list of about two hundred common idioms and proverbs, with meaning and a sample sentence for each.
• Group them by theme (body, animals, money, time) to remember them more easily.
• Read good Hindi prose and newspapers to see how they are used naturally.
• In the essay and the General Studies answers, an apt idiom used sparingly can strengthen expression.

Overlaps

• Prelims General Hindi lists मुहावरे एवं लोकोक्तियां too, in objective form.
• Apt use of a saying helps in the Essay paper.