Spoken Sanskrit · संस्कृत सम्भाषण

Greet someone and ask their name

Choose speakers A and B. Read the Sanskrit slowly, then use the Hindi or English meaning to recall each line. Swap roles and repeat.

1. A · नमस्ते।
   Namaste.
   नमस्ते। · Hello.
2. B · नमस्ते। तव नाम किम्?
   Namaste. Tava nāma kim?
   नमस्ते। तुम्हारा नाम क्या है? · Hello. What is your name?
3. A · मम नाम आशा अस्ति। त्वं कुत्र गच्छसि?
   Mama nāma Āśā asti. Tvaṃ kutra gacchasi?
   मेरा नाम आशा है। तुम कहाँ जा रहे हो? · My name is Asha. Where are you going?
4. B · अहं विद्यालयं गच्छामि।
   Ahaṃ vidyālayaṃ gacchāmi.
   मैं विद्यालय जा रहा हूँ। · I am going to school.

Change one word at a time

• तव नाम किम्? asks for your name. Start the reply with मम नाम, “my name”. तव = तुम्हारा, मम = मेरा।
• कुत्र means “where?”. Reply with a destination such as गृहम् (घर, home) or उद्यानम् (उद्यान, garden).
• Say त्वं गच्छसि for “you go” and अहं गच्छामि for “I go”. Listen for the difference between -si and -mi.

Try three speaking prompts

1. Greet your partner and ask their name.

   Show a model answer

   नमस्ते। तव नाम किम्?

2. Ask “Where are you going?” and have your partner reply “I am going home.”

   Show a model answer

   त्वं कुत्र गच्छसि? अहं गृहं गच्छामि।

3. Without looking at the dialogue, say “I am going to the garden.”

   Show a model answer

   अहम् उद्यानं गच्छामि।

   Keep गच्छामि with “I” and change only the destination.

Everyday dialogues at home and school

Read each pair aloud. Swap roles, then use the meaning as your cue.

At home · Ask for water

1. A — किं त्वं जलं पिबसि?
   Kiṃ tvaṃ jalaṃ pibasi?
   क्या तुम पानी पीते हो? · Do you drink water?
2. B — आम्। कृपया मह्यं जलं देहि।
   Ām. Kṛpayā mahyaṃ jalaṃ dehi.
   हाँ। कृपया मुझे पानी दो। · Yes. Please give me water.

At school · Ask where a book is

1. A — मम पुस्तकं कुत्र अस्ति?
   Mama pustakaṃ kutra asti?
   मेरी पुस्तक कहाँ है? · Where is my book?
2. B — तव पुस्तकं कक्षायाम् अस्ति।
   Tava pustakaṃ kakṣāyām asti.
   तुम्हारी पुस्तक कक्षा में है। · Your book is in the classroom.

कुत्र asks where. Use कक्षायाम् for “in the classroom” and गृहे for “at home”.

Role-play with model replies

1. You have just met a classmate. Ask their name, then answer as Ravi.
   Show role-play reply

   नमस्ते। तव नाम किम्? मम नाम रविः।

2. Ask politely for a book. Your partner replies, “Here is the book.”
   Show role-play reply

   कृपया मह्यं पुस्तकं देहि। अत्र पुस्तकम् अस्ति।

3. Ask where your book is. Your partner says it is at home.
   Show role-play reply

   मम पुस्तकं कुत्र अस्ति? तव पुस्तकं गृहे अस्ति।

4. Ask whether your partner is going to school. Have them say they are going home.
   Show role-play reply

   किं त्वं विद्यालयं गच्छसि? न, अहं गृहं गच्छामि।

Keep practising

Review Devanagari · See more forms of गम् · Try sentence translation