"What do you want ?"
Translation:आपको क्या चाहिए?
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Just got this question again, and this time there were two correct answers offered: आपको क्या चाहिए?, तुम क्या चाहती हो?
The first time I had answered तुम को क्या चाहती हो, which was close to correct, I just had a को I shouldn't have had. But the "correction" didn't pick up that error, it only said I should answer "आपको क्या चाहिए?", which as already noted, is not an option. So the checking algorithm has a problem.
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i picked the same but it wasn't "close to correct", it was "wrong" and hits me every single time. why is this wrong?
No. I was talking about तुझे vs तुम्हें/आपको .
The difference between चाहिए and other forms of चाहना has nothing to do with formality. When used with verbs, चाहिए means 'should'/'need to' and when used with nouns, it means 'need' or a stronger/more immediate form of 'want'. Other forms of चाहना always mean 'want'.
So, आप क्या चाहते हैं is 'What do you want?' in a more general sense while आपको क्या चाहिए is more like 'What do you want (right now)?'/'What do you need?'.
1596
So, there are two ways to say this idea of wanting something. One is using the nominative: mai chahta hu, tum chahta ho, vah chahta hai, etc, Correct?
तुम चाहती हो would mean that तुम is a female. तुम चाहते हो - तुम is a male.
You don't need a postposition in this sentence. The postposition is needed if you use the चाहिए form. Then you could say तुमको क्या चाहिए? (Although this question won't accept that as an answer.)
I agree that what is shown as the "correct" answer is not available, but there are the words to make an answer which is correct. तुम क्या चाहती हो? will be accepted as correct.
This site claims that चाहिए isn't an imperative form of चाहना, just spelt the same. Surely it must be, or else what is it?
It can't be an adjective, used here like पसंद, because होना isn't used? If it's a different verb, what's the infinitive?
https://hindilanguage.info/hindi-grammar/verbs/idiomatic-verbs/chahiye/
चाहिए is a one-of-a-kind word.
It has the form as the formal imperative of चाहना and like the imperative drops the है (at least for the present tense) but is clearly not an imperative because it is not used for commands and requests. Also, it has a subject which is in the dative case as opposed to an imperative whose subject is always one of the 'you' words.
I have no idea what the word would be classified as. Maybe it developed through colloquial usage and cannot be placed in a box?
चाहना is almost never used in the imperative because you'd seldom order someone else to 'want' something. So, there is usually no confusion.
चाहिए is actually also a form of the verb चाहना like चाहती but it is used in such a special way that it might as well be a different word.
In this sentence, you can say 'What do you want?' as both आपको क्या चाहिए? and आप क्या चाहते/चाहती हैं? It's just that the sentence with चाहिए conveys a stronger sentiment of 'wanting' (verging on 'needing') than the other sentence.
When used with other verbs, however, चाहिए conveys modality ('should'/need to') as opposed to a desire ('want') like the other forms of चाहना
Eg: आप क्या करना चाहती है - What do you want to do?
आपको क्या करना चाहिए - What do you need to do? / What should you do?
Thank you yet again, Vinay! My brain is melting a little bit but this is extremely helpful.
Are there other verbs that take this ना --> हय ending?
Also, I've seen examples of Indian business people using the word "needful" in emails even though it's an odd word in American English (specifically the phrase "Do the needful" as the close to a business email, which is likewise a very awkward phrase here). I'm curious if that word "needful" comes about because of the nature of translating different versions of चाहना .
There is no other word quite like चाहिए as far as I know.
This particular ending (इए or िए) for other verbs would be the formal imperative form.
Eg: उससे कहिए - Tell her
अपना खाना खाइए - Eat your food
As it happens, चाहना is seldom used in an imperative so there is usually no confusion.
Interestingly, just like for imperatives, the auxiliary होना is omitted with चाहिए but only in the present tense.
I doubt that the phrase 'do the needful' has anything to do with चाहिए. It's just one of the many quirks of Indian English and most likely has its origins in some phrase that was in vogue in British English doing the Raj but went out of fashion there over the years.
The verb चाहना and its other forms (like चाहती) except चाहिए always mean 'want'.
Eg: मैं बैंगलोर जाना चाहता हूँ। - I want to go to Bangalore
वह आकाशवाणी पर गाना चाहती थी। - She wanted to sing on the radio
नेहा अंडे चाहती है - Neha wants eggs
On the other hand, चाहिए is 'should'/'need to' (when used with a verb) and 'need' or a stronger/more immediate form of 'want' (when used with a noun)
Eg: मुझे बैंगलोर जाना चाहिए। - I should go to Bangalore
मुझे सौ रुपये चाहिए। - I need ₹100 (expresses a stronger sentiment than चाहता/want)
नेहा को अंडे चाहिए - Neha wants eggs (more immediate desire than the above sentence with चाहती and says that she wants eggs now. This is what you would use in a grocery store or restaurant)
In this sentence, you can use either form - आप क्या चाहती हैं? or आपको क्या चाहिए?
They both mean 'What do you want' but the former is asking for her general desires while the latter is asking for her more pressing desires or what she wants at the present moment.