Questions & Answers about छह आठ से कम है।
Why is the sentence ordered छह आठ से कम है instead of something closer to English like छह कम है आठ से?
Hindi usually puts related elements before the main verb, and the verb often comes at the end.
So this sentence breaks down naturally as:
- छह = six
- आठ से = than eight / from eight
- कम = less
- है = is
A very literal gloss is:
- Six eight-than less is.
That sounds strange in English, but it is normal in Hindi. The comparison phrase आठ से comes before कम, and है finishes the sentence.
What does से mean here?
In this sentence, से marks the thing being compared against. It often corresponds to English than in comparisons.
So:
- आठ से कम = less than eight
- दस से बड़ा = bigger than ten
- मुझसे अच्छा = better than me / better than I am
Although से has other meanings in Hindi, here its job is specifically to show comparison.
Does कम mean less or small?