यह झूठ है; मैंने आपका फोन नहीं लिया।

यह means this and is used for something near the speaker, or for something the speaker is referring to directly.

In यह झूठ है, यह points to the claim being discussed: This is a lie.

A learner may expect वह (that) sometimes, but यह is very common when rejecting something immediately and directly.

In Hindi, you often do not need an equivalent of a/an. Hindi has no article system like English.

So:

• यह झूठ है = This is a lie
• एक can be added, but it often sounds more like one lie or adds emphasis

In normal speech, यह झूठ है is the most natural phrasing.

झूठ is a noun meaning lie or falsehood.

In यह झूठ है, it functions like a predicate noun:

• यह = this
• झूठ = lie
• है = is

So the structure is literally This lie is, which corresponds to English This is a lie.

Hindi usually places the verb at the end of the clause. This is one of the most important word-order differences from English.

So instead of:

• English: This is a lie
• Hindi: This lie is → यह झूठ है

That final-position verb pattern appears throughout Hindi.

Yes. मैंने is मैं + ने.

• मैं = I
• ने is a postposition often used with the subject of a completed transitive action

So:

• मैं = I
• मैंने = I (as the doer in a perfective transitive sentence)

In मैंने आपका फोन नहीं लिया, the action taking is completed/perfective, so ने is used.

This is a very common Hindi pattern:

• मैंने खाया = I ate
• उसने किताब पढ़ी = He/she read the book
• हमने देखा = We saw

Because लिया is a perfective form of a transitive verb.

The basic verb is लेना = to take.
In the perfective, Hindi often marks the subject with ने when the verb is transitive.

So:

• मैं फोन लेता हूँ = I take / I am taking the phone
• मैंने फोन लिया = I took the phone

This is a major feature of Hindi grammar that English speakers usually have to get used to.

Because फोन is normally treated as a masculine singular noun in Hindi.

The possessive word agrees with the noun possessed, not with the person being addressed.

So:

• आपका फोन = your phone
• आपकी किताब = your book

Compare:

• masculine singular: आपका
• feminine singular: आपकी
• plural / masculine plural: आपके

Since फोन is masculine singular, आपका is correct.

In Hindi, नहीं usually comes before the verb or the verbal element it negates.

So:

• मैंने आपका phone नहीं लिया means I did not take your phone

This placement is very normal in Hindi:

• मैं नहीं जानता = I do not know
• उसने खाना नहीं खाया = He/she did not eat food
• हम वहाँ नहीं गए = We did not go there

This is a very important point.

In perfective sentences with ने, the verb often agrees with the direct object, not the subject, if the object is unmarked.

Here:

• subject: मैंने
• object: आपका फोन
• verb: लिया

Since फोन is masculine singular, the verb appears as लिया.

Compare:

• मैंने फोन लिया → लिया (masculine singular)
• मैंने किताब ली → ली (feminine singular)
• मैंने किताबें लीं → लीं (feminine plural)

So लिया matches फोन, not मैं.

No, that would be incorrect in standard Hindi.

Because फोन is masculine singular, the correct perfective form is लिया, not ली.

Use:

• लिया with masculine singular nouns
• ली with feminine singular nouns

For example:

• मैंने फोन लिया
• मैंने किताब ली

फोन is a very common borrowed word in Hindi, from English phone.

Hindi uses many loanwords, especially for modern objects. This is completely normal and natural.

You may also see the spelling फ़ोन with a nukta:

• फोन
• फ़ोन

Both are understood. In everyday writing, many people simply write फोन.

Usually, yes: to take the phone.

In context, it can mean:

• took it physically
• took possession of it
• took/kept/stole it, depending on the situation

But it usually does not mean picked up the phone call.
For answering/picking up a phone call, Hindi more naturally uses verbs like:

• फोन उठाना
• कॉल उठाना

So:

• मैंने आपका फोन नहीं लिया = I did not take your phone
• मैंने आपका फोन नहीं उठाया = I did not pick up/answer your phone

आपका is the respectful form of your.

Hindi has different levels of politeness:

• तेरा = very informal / intimate / sometimes rude depending on context
• तुम्हारा = informal but normal
• आपका = polite / respectful

So मैंने आपका फोन नहीं लिया sounds polite and appropriate in many situations.

The semicolon simply separates two closely connected statements:

• यह झूठ है
• मैंने आपका फोन नहीं लिया

In speech, you would usually just make a pause. In writing, Hindi can use punctuation much like English, especially in modern printed text.

You could also see:

• यह झूठ है। मैंने आपका फोन नहीं लिया।
• यह झूठ है, मैंने आपका फोन नहीं लिया।

All are understandable.

Yes, it is natural and clear.

A speaker might also say:

• यह झूठ है, मैंने आपका फोन नहीं लिया।
• यह झूठ है। मैंने आपका फोन नहीं लिया।

In very casual speech, people may reduce or soften parts, but the sentence as given is perfectly good standard Hindi.

झूठ is roughly pronounced like jhooth.

A few notes:

• झ is an aspirated sound, a bit like jh
• ऊ gives a long oo sound
• ठ is a retroflex aspirated t sound, made with the tongue curled back

So learners often write it as jhooth in transliteration.

Yes. In transliteration, यह is often written as yah or yeh.

In actual speech, many speakers pronounce it closer to yeh.

So if you hear:

• यह झूठ है spoken like
• yeh jhooth hai

that is completely normal.

Some variation is possible, but the given order is the most straightforward.

Standard:

• मैंने आपका फोन नहीं लिया।

You might also hear emphasis-based variations such as:

• मैंने नहीं लिया आपका फोन।
• आपका फोन मैंने नहीं लिया।

These are possible, but they add focus or emphasis. For a learner, the original version is the best basic pattern to learn.