English say, tell, and speak do not divide the speech domain as Hindi does. कहना normally profiles the content of an utterance: what someone said, told an addressee, called something, or instructed someone to do. बोलना profiles speaking as an activity: using a language, taking a turn, speaking audibly, or speaking in a particular manner. The two overlap when actual words are uttered, but they direct attention to different parts of the same event. Their full forms appear in the कहना reference and बोलना reference.
Neither is inherently formal or informal. कहिए and बोलिए are both respectful imperatives, though they invite different things. Full conjugation and agreement patterns belong on the linked Verb Reference pages; here the task is choosing the lexical frame.
Content versus speech activity
| Choice | What is foregrounded? | Frequent complements |
|---|---|---|
| कहना | message, proposition, wording, instruction, name | एक बात, कि-clause, quotation, addressee से/को |
| बोलना | act, language, voice, manner, turn of speaking | हिंदी, धीरे/ज़ोर से, सच/झूठ, speech partner से |
अदिति ने कहा कि वह थोड़ी देर से पहुँचेगी।
aditi ne kahā ki vah thoṛī der se pahũcegī.
Aditi said that she would arrive a little late.
रीना फ़ोन पर बहुत धीरे बोल रही थी।
rīnā fon par bahut dhīre bol rahī thī.
Reena was speaking very softly on the phone.
The first example packages a proposition under कि. The second describes an audible ongoing activity and its manner; it need not tell us what Reena said.
A compact decision tree
- Is the complement a quotation, a कि-clause, an instruction, or a specific thing said? Choose कहना.
- Is the complement a language, or are you describing fluency, volume, speed, accent, or willingness to speak? Choose बोलना.
- Are you reporting who took the floor in a narrative? Either may occur: बोला/बोली foregrounds the speaking turn; कहा integrates the following content neutrally.
- Does English tell mean provide information or explain? Often choose बताना, not either verb mechanically.
- Could both सच कहना and सच बोलना work? Decide whether the truth is treated as content stated or truthful speech as conduct.
Syntax, aspect, and discourse decide more reliably than an English dictionary gloss.
कहना: the message and its recipient
कहना readily takes noun content, direct quotation, or an indirect report with कि. An addressee commonly appears with से; को also occurs in frames such as उसे कुछ मत कहना.
अमन ने मुझसे कहा कि दरवाज़ा बंद कर दूँ।
aman ne mujhse kahā ki darvāzā band kar dū̃.
Aman told me to close the door.
उसने सिर्फ़ एक बात कही: ‘घबराना मत।’
usne sirf ek bāt kahī: ‘ghabrānā mat.’
She said only one thing: ‘Don't panic.’
मैंने उसे कुछ नहीं कहा।
maĩne use kuch nahīṃ kahā.
I didn't say anything to him/her.
Perfective कहना is transitive. The speaker normally takes ने; an unmarked nominal message can control agreement, as feminine एक बात कही. A quotation or कि clause does not supply ordinary gender agreement, so default कहा appears.
कहना also names or labels:
इस मिठाई को हिंदी में क्या कहते हैं?
is miṭhāī ko hindī meṃ kyā kahte haiṃ?
What is this sweet called in Hindi?
That construction is about the expression used for something, not the ability to speak Hindi.
बोलना: language, voice, manner, and turn
बोलना can be intransitive—simply “speak”—or take a language and certain utterance-like objects. It naturally combines with adverbs of manner and audible performance.
क्या आप हिंदी बोलते हैं?
kyā āp hindī bolte haiṃ?
Do you speak Hindi? (respectful)
ज़रा धीरे बोलिए; बच्चा सो रहा है।
zarā dhīre bolie; baccā so rahā hai.
Please speak a little more quietly; the child is sleeping. (respectful)
बैठक में सब बोले, लेकिन किसी ने हल नहीं सुझाया।
baiṭhak meṃ sab bole, lekin kisī ne hal nahīṃ sujhāyā.
Everyone spoke at the meeting, but no one suggested a solution.
The final sentence records participation in discussion, not each person's wording. सबने कहा would normally make the listener expect content: “everyone said [that...]”.
With a partner, उससे बोलना “speak to him/her” occurs, while उससे बात करना is often the most neutral way to say “talk with him/her.” उससे कहना expects some message delivered to that person.
Minimal pairs holding vocabulary constant
उसने सच कहा।
usne sac kahā.
He/She stated the truth.
उसने सच बोला।
usne sac bolā.
He/She spoke truthfully / told the truth.
Both are natural. सच कहा treats “the truth” as the content stated. सच बोला readily evaluates the person's speech behavior, often contrasting it with lying. This is a tendency, not a categorical truth-condition split.
मोहन ने कहा, ‘मैं तैयार हूँ।’
mohan ne kahā, ‘maĩ taiyār hū̃.’
Mohan said, ‘I'm ready.’
मोहन बोला, ‘मैं तैयार हूँ।’
mohan bolā, ‘maĩ taiyār hū̃.’
Mohan spoke up/said, ‘I'm ready.’ (narrative)
The कहा version is neutral report framing. बोला is common in storytelling and conversational narration, where it presents Mohan's turn or voice. It is not ungrammatical direct speech; a rule that only कहना can introduce quotations would be false.
मैंने उससे माफ़ी माँगने को कहा।
maĩne usse māfī mā̃gne ko kahā.
I told him/her to apologize.
मैंने उससे ज़ोर से बोलने को कहा।
maĩne usse zor se bolne ko kahā.
I told him/her to speak loudly.
In the second sentence, कहा carries the instruction while embedded बोलने names the speaking activity. The verbs can therefore occur together without redundancy.
Language skill is not message content
Use बोलना for speaking a language. Use जानना for possessing knowledge of it, समझना for understanding, and कहना for expressing particular content.
वह हिंदी समझती है, लेकिन बोलने में झिझकती है।
vah hindī samajhtī hai, lekin bolne meṃ jhijhaktī hai.
She understands Hindi but hesitates to speak it.
यह बात हिंदी में कैसे कहेंगे?
yah bāt hindī meṃ kaise kaheṅge?
How would one say this in Hindi?
The first asks about productive speech ability; the second asks for wording. English may use say in Hindi for both broader and narrower tasks, but Hindi separates them cleanly.
कहना versus बताना after English “tell”
English tell can report words or transfer information. कहना suits an utterance or instruction; बताना foregrounds informing, explaining, or supplying an answer.
उसने मुझसे कहा कि वह व्यस्त है।
usne mujhse kahā ki vah vyast hai.
He/She told me that they were busy.
उसने मुझे रास्ता बताया।
usne mujhe rāstā batāyā.
He/She told me the way.
रास्ता कहा would not normally mean “gave directions.” Choosing between कहना and बोलना is sometimes the wrong question because Hindi lexicalizes information transfer with बताना.
Imperatives and social tone
Familiar कहो invites content: “say/tell [me].” Familiar बोलो invites someone to speak, continue, answer, or take a turn. Respectful forms are कहिए and बोलिए. Bare imperatives depend heavily on intonation and relationship; बोलिए can be perfectly polite, while a clipped बोलो! may sound impatient (informal).
कहिए, आपकी कैसे मदद करूँ?
kahie, āpkī kaise madad karū̃?
Tell me, how may I help you? (respectful)
आपकी बारी है—बोलिए।
āpkī bārī hai—bolie.
It's your turn—please speak. (respectful)
In the first, the listener is invited to state a need. In the second, the listener is given the floor. The distinction is pragmatic, not a simple politeness scale.
A dialogue: what exactly is being requested?
शिक्षक: जवाब पता है तो बोलो। — छात्र: जवाब पता है, पर हिंदी में कैसे कहूँ?
śikṣak: javāb patā hai to bolo. — chātr: javāb patā hai, par hindī meṃ kaise kahū̃?
Teacher: If you know the answer, say it aloud. — Student: I know the answer, but how should I phrase it in Hindi? (informal classroom exchange)
The teacher's बोलो demands an audible turn. The student's कैसे कहूँ asks how to formulate the content. Replacing the first with कहो would still be possible but would focus more directly on the answer's content; replacing the second with कैसे बोलूँ would more readily ask about speaking manner, pronunciation, or ability.
Colloquial बोलना as a reporting verb
Everyday Hindi also uses बोलना with a following कि clause, and some speakers use an addressee with को in this frame. This is (informal) and regionally uneven, not ungrammatical. Neutral edited prose and register-independent reporting favor कहना.
उसने मुझे बोला कि दफ़्तर बंद है।
usne mujhe bolā ki daftar band hai.
He/She told me that the office was closed. (informal conversational; regionally variable)
उसने मुझसे कहा कि दफ़्तर बंद है।
usne mujhse kahā ki daftar band hai.
He/She told me that the office was closed. (neutral)
The contrast is one of register and construction preference. Do not mark the first sentence as universally wrong, but do not assume it is the safest choice in formal writing.
Common Mistakes
Using कहना for language ability
❌ क्या आप हिंदी कहते हैं?
Incorrect for ‘Do you speak Hindi?’ — कहना asks about specific wording or content.
✅ क्या आप हिंदी बोलते हैं?
kyā āp hindī bolte haiṃ?
Do you speak Hindi? (respectful)
Forgetting agreement with noun content
❌ रीमा ने एक अच्छी बात कहा।
Incorrect — unmarked feminine बात controls कही.
✅ रीमा ने एक अच्छी बात कही।
rīmā ne ek acchī bāt kahī.
Reema said something good.
Using बोलना when information transfer is intended
❌ मुझे स्टेशन का रास्ता बोलिए।
Incorrect for asking someone to give directions; use बताइए.
✅ मुझे स्टेशन का रास्ता बताइए।
mujhe sṭeśan kā rāstā batāie.
Please tell me the way to the station. (respectful)
Diagnostic checklist
- Specific words, proposition, label, instruction, or addressee? Choose कहना.
- Language, volume, speed, accent, speaking turn, or speech activity? Choose बोलना.
- A direct quotation after a narrative speech verb? Both may work; कहा is neutral reporting, बोला/बोली foregrounds the turn or voice.
- English tell meaning inform or explain? Check whether बताना is the real choice.
- In the perfective, has an unmarked noun message triggered agreement—बात कही, शब्द कहे?
The reliable distinction is attentional: कहना organizes an utterance around what is conveyed, while बोलना organizes it around the performance of speech.
Key Takeaways
- कहना foregrounds a message, wording, label, instruction, or addressee.
- बोलना foregrounds language use, manner, voice, or a speaking turn.
- Direct quotations allow overlap, while informational English tell often requires बताना.
Related Topics
- कहना kahnā: to sayA1 — Reference कहना across its speech-complement frames, perfective agreement, future and imperative forms, and causative extensions.
- बोलना bolnā: to speakA1 — Reference बोलना across speaking, language-object, and manner frames, including perfective alignment, causatives, and sudden बोल पड़ना.
- बताना batānā: to tell and explainB1 — Reference बताना with recipient-को and noun, clause, and question-word content frames, plus agreement, compounds, and causation.
- Reported statementsA2 — Turn direct Hindi statements into indirect reports with कि while adjusting speaker reference, deixis, punctuation, and time only when meaning requires it.
- Pronouns in reported speechC1 — Track speaker, addressee, third-person reference, deixis, reflexives, and honorific agreement when Hindi speech is reported.
- Reported speech without backshiftC1 — Report Hindi statements faithfully without importing English automatic tense backshift, while adjusting viewpoint and deixis when meaning requires it.