Meeting New People

This unit expands your ability to meet new people and exchange information. You will learn the structure of yes/no questions using ki, the negative particles na and noi, and vocabulary for occupations and nationalities. Adjective-noun agreement is introduced for forming descriptive phrases.

Basic Sentences

Bengali (romanized)	English
Apni ki Bangladesh?	Are you from Bangladesh?
Haan, ami Bangladesh.	Yes, I am from Bangladesh.
Na, ami na. Ami Amrika theke.	No, I am not. I am from America.
Apni ki chakri koren?	Do you work?
Apni ki kaaj koren?	Do you have work?
Eta bhalo noi.	This is not good.
Apni ki diplomat?	Are you a diplomat?
She ekjon bhalo lok.	He/She is a good person.

Key Vocabulary

Bengali	English
ki	what; (question particle) whether?
haan	yes
na	no
noi	not (negation of identity/state)
chakri	job, work
koren	you do (formal)
diplomat	diplomat
lok	person
Bangladesh	Bangladesh
Amrika	America
theke	from
chhoto	small
boro	big
bhalo	good

Grammar Notes

Yes/No Questions with ki

Place ki after the element being questioned to form a yes/no question. Apni ki diplomat? (Are you a diplomat?) — ki asks for confirmation. Apni ki Dhaka-te thaken? (Do you live in Dhaka?) The answer is haan (yes) or na (no).

Negative Particle na and noi

Na negates verbs and is used for “no” as a response: Ami na (Not I / I am not). Noi negates nouns and adjectives in equational sentences: Eta bhalo noi (This is not good). She diplomat noi (He/She is not a diplomat).

Occupations and Nationalities

Common occupations: diplomat, chakri (job), shikkhok (teacher), daktar (doctor), byaboshayi (businessperson). Nationalities: Bangladeshi, Amrikan, Brittish. Use theke for origin: Ami Dhaka theke (I am from Dhaka).

Adjective-Noun Agreement

Adjectives typically precede the noun. Bengali adjectives do not inflect for number or gender. Bhalo lok (good person), chhoto bari (small house), boro desh (big country). The adjective stays the same: bhalo lokera (good people).

Drills

Drill 1: Yes/No Questions

Bengali	English
Apni ki diplomat?	Are you a diplomat?
Apni ki Dhaka-te thaken?	Do you live in Dhaka?
Eta ki bhalo?	Is this good?
Apnar naam ki James?	Is your name James?

Drill 2: Negative Responses

Bengali	English
Na, ami na.	No, I am not.
Eta bhalo noi.	This is not good.
She diplomat noi.	He/She is not a diplomat.
Ami Bangladesh noi.	I am not from Bangladesh.

Drill 3: Occupation and Nationality

Bengali	English
Ami ekjon diplomat.	I am a diplomat.
She ekjon shikkhok.	He/She is a teacher.
Apni ki Amrika theke?	Are you from America?
Ami Bangladesh theke.	I am from Bangladesh.

Drill 4: Adjective-Noun Phrases

Phrase	English
bhalo lok	good person
chhoto bari	small house
boro desh	big country
bhalo bondhu	good friend

Narrative

Apni ekjon notun byaktir sathe kotha bolchhen. Apni jiggesh korchhen, “Apni ki diplomat?” She bollen, “Haan, ami diplomat. Ami Amrika theke. Apni ki Bangladesh?” Apni bollen, “Na, ami Bangladesh noi. Ami o Amrika theke. Ami embassy-te kaaj kori.” She ekjon bhalo lok. Amra dui jon bhalo bondhu hoyechhi.

You are talking with a new person. You asked, “Are you a diplomat?” They said, “Yes, I am a diplomat. I am from America. Are you from Bangladesh?” You said, “No, I am not from Bangladesh. I am also from America. I work at the embassy.” They are a good person. We two have become good friends.