थोड़ा thoṛā means “a little, a few, somewhat,” and behaves like a declinable -आ word. It appears as थोड़ा, थोड़ी, or थोड़े according to the gender, number, and case of the noun phrase it quantifies. It can also modify an adjective or event adverbially, where masculine singular थोड़ा often functions as the default.
Agreement paradigm
| Environment | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| masculine singular direct | थोड़ा | थोड़ा समय thoṛā samay |
| feminine | थोड़ी | थोड़ी चाय thoṛī cāy |
| masculine plural | थोड़े | थोड़े लोग thoṛe log |
| masculine singular oblique | थोड़े | थोड़े समय में thoṛe samay meṃ |
मेरे पास थोड़ा समय है; जल्दी बताओ।
mere pās thoṛā samay hai; jaldī batāo.
I have a little time; tell me quickly. (informal)
चाय में थोड़ी चीनी और डालिए।
cāy meṃ thoṛī cīnī aur ḍālie.
Please add a little more sugar to the tea. (respectful)
थोड़े लोग ही पूरी बैठक में रुके।
thoṛe log hī pūrī baiṭhak meṃ ruke.
Only a few people stayed for the whole meeting.
Small positive quantity versus कम
थोड़ा normally asserts that a small amount exists. कम evaluates an amount as low relative to a need or standard.
फ्रिज में थोड़ी सब्ज़ी है, लेकिन चार लोगों के लिए सब्ज़ी कम है।
frij meṃ thoṛī sabzī hai, lekin cār logoṃ ke lie sabzī kam hai.
There are a few vegetables in the fridge, but there are too few for four people.
This contrast is conceptual, not merely agreement: थोड़ी agrees with feminine सब्ज़ी, while invariant कम judges sufficiency. See कम “little/few/less”.
Oblique case
Masculine singular direct थोड़ा समय becomes थोड़े समय में before a postposition. Feminine थोड़ी देर stays feminine.
इतने थोड़े समय में यह काम पूरा नहीं होगा।
itne thoṛe samay meṃ yah kām pūrā nahīṃ hogā.
This work will not be completed in such a short time.
थोड़ी देर के बाद बिजली वापस आ गई।
thoṛī der ke bād bijlī vāpas ā gaī.
The electricity came back after a little while.
Degree and adverbial uses
Default थोड़ा commonly means “somewhat/a little” before adjectives or with verbs.
यह रास्ता थोड़ा लंबा है, लेकिन ज़्यादा सुरक्षित है।
yah rāstā thoṛā lambā hai, lekin zyādā surakṣit hai.
This route is a little longer, but safer.
थोड़ा धीरे बोलिए; बच्चा सो रहा है।
thoṛā dhīre bolie; baccā so rahā hai.
Please speak a little more softly; the child is sleeping.
When a feminine quantity noun is understood, speakers may use थोड़ी: थोड़ी कम चीनी “a slightly smaller amount of sugar.” In free adverbial use, however, default थोड़ा is widespread.
Count nouns and plural meaning
थोड़े छात्र means “a few students.” With feminine plurals, थोड़ी किताबें is common because the feminine -ई form does not distinguish number.
मैंने थोड़ी किताबें चुनीं और थोड़े नक़्शे भी लिए।
maĩne thoṛī kitābeṃ cunīṃ aur thoṛe naqśe bhī lie.
I selected a few books and also took a few maps.
Do not use singular थोड़ा छात्र for a plural subset. Noun and predicate number remain plural.
Definiteness and scope
इन फ़ाइलों में से थोड़ी अभी बाकी हैं।
in fāiloṃ meṃ se thoṛī abhī bākī haiṃ.
A few of these files are still left. (definite domain)
The partitive establishes which files are relevant; थोड़ी selects a small subset. Bare थोड़ी फ़ाइलें would introduce an indefinite subset.
हर छात्र ने थोड़ी चाय पी।
har chātr ne thoṛī cāy pī.
Every student drank a little tea. (potentially a separate small amount per student)
Wide-scope हर distributes the quantity across students. A shared total requires clearer wording such as सभी छात्रों ने मिलकर थोड़ी-सी चाय पी.
थोड़ा-सा
Suffix-like -सा/-सी/-से softens or emphasizes smallness and agrees: थोड़ा-सा पानी, थोड़ी-सी मदद, थोड़े-से लोग. It does not turn थोड़ा into an article.
मुझे थोड़ी-सी मदद चाहिए।
mujhe thoṛī-sī madad cāhie.
I need a little help.
Pronouns and ellipsis
When the noun is omitted, थोड़ा can function pronominally, but its form still reflects the understood expression when that agreement is salient. At a meal, थोड़ी और लूँ? naturally refers to a feminine food such as सब्ज़ी; थोड़ा और लूँ? can refer to masculine food, an unspecified amount, or the act of taking more generally.
चाय बहुत अच्छी है—क्या मैं थोड़ी और ले सकती हूँ?
cāy bahut acchī hai—kyā maĩ thoṛī aur le saktī hū̃?
The tea is very good—may I have a little more? (female speaker)
ये आम मीठे हैं; थोड़े मेरे लिए भी रख देना।
ye ām mīṭhe haiṃ; thoṛe mere lie bhī rakh denā.
These mangoes are sweet; save a few for me too. (informal)
English “some” does not show what has been omitted. Hindi agreement can preserve that information even after the noun disappears. However, the default adverbial थोड़ा remains unchanged when it modifies the whole action rather than standing for an understood noun.
Indefinite subsets and exact counts
थोड़े लोग introduces a small, indefinite subset; it does not identify exactly how many. A numeral gives an exact count, and a partitive identifies the source set.
कुछ पड़ोसी आ चुके हैं; थोड़े और शाम को आएँगे।
kuch paṛosī ā cuke haiṃ; thoṛe aur śām ko āẽge.
Some neighbors have arrived; a few more will come in the evening.
उन दस तस्वीरों में से थोड़ी धुँधली निकलीं।
un das tasvīroṃ meṃ se thoṛī dhũdhlī niklīṃ.
A few of those ten photographs turned out blurry.
The second sentence combines a definite ten-member domain with an indefinite small subset. This is how Hindi expresses the distinction that English often packages as “a few of the”: no article is inserted before थोड़ी.
Common Mistakes
❌ थोड़ा चाय बची है।
Incorrect—feminine चाय requires थोड़ी.
✅ थोड़ी चाय बची है।
thoṛī cāy bacī hai.
A little tea is left.
❌ थोड़ी समय में लौटना।
Incorrect—masculine oblique समय requires थोड़े.
✅ थोड़े समय में लौटना।
thoṛe samay meṃ lauṭnā.
Come back in a short while. (informal instruction)
❌ थोड़ा बच्चे बाहर हैं।
Incorrect—masculine plural बच्चे requires थोड़े.
✅ थोड़े बच्चे बाहर हैं।
thoṛe bacce bāhar haiṃ.
A few children are outside.
❌ हर थोड़ा छात्र आया।
Incorrect—हर and थोड़ा do not stack this way in one simple noun phrase.
✅ हर कक्षा से थोड़े छात्र आए।
har kakṣā se thoṛe chātr āe.
A few students came from every class.
Key Takeaways
- थोड़ा/थोड़ी/थोड़े agrees with the quantified noun phrase.
- It presents a small positive amount; कम evaluates an amount as low.
- Masculine singular becomes थोड़े in oblique case.
- Default adverbial थोड़ा means “somewhat,” while -सा forms add nuance and agreement.
- Context and partitives establish definiteness without articles.
Now practice Hindi
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Hindi →Related Topics
- कम little few and lessB1 — Use invariant कम for low quantity, low degree, and comparative ‘less/fewer’ readings across mass and count nouns.
- कुछ some and anyA2 — Use invariant कुछ with mass and plural nouns, as a pronoun, and in polarity-sensitive ‘anything’ readings.
- Declinable adjectives in -āA1 — Form the -ā, -e, and -ī agreement pattern of variable Hindi adjectives across gender, number, case, and predicate position.
- Mass nouns and count readingsB1 — Understand how Hindi mass nouns control agreement, take case, and acquire count meanings for portions, kinds, and units.
- Degree adverbs बहुत काफ़ी बिल्कुलA2 — Distinguish बहुत, काफ़ी, and बिल्कुल by scale, sufficiency, endpoint meaning, scope, and neutral position.