What are common mistakes with जो भी, कहीं भी, कोई भी?

Dropping the correlative, and reading koi bhi as a plain 'someone'. 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: chto by ni and chto ugodno map directly onto the two senses, so the split is easy; the correlative is again what gets lost.

जो भी, कहीं भी, कोई भी: rules, examples & exercises | Hindi Grammar B1

जो भी, कहीं भी, कोई भी

B1 — सर्वनाम

जो भी, जब भी, कहीं भी — 'चाहे कुछ भी हो'

I can say whatever, whenever and wherever

जो भी, जब भी, कहीं भी — 'चाहे कुछ भी हो'

Examples

— Whatever happens, we'll try.
— Anyone at all can do it.
— Wherever you go, remember this.

सर्वनामB1

Generalising with bhi

whatever, whenever, wherever, anybody at all

Learning Goal

I can say whatever, whenever and wherever

Exam Skills:बोलनालिखना

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

Whatever happens, we'll try.

Anyone at all can do it.

Wherever you go, remember this.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

Question word plus भी

जो भी	whatever, whoever
जब भी	whenever
जहाँ भी	wherever
जैसे भी	however
कोई भी	anyone at all
कुछ भी	anything at all

जो भी हो, मैं जाऊँगा। - Whatever happens, I'm going.
जब भी आओ, स्वागत है। - Whenever you come, you're welcome.
कुछ भी हो सकता है। - Anything could happen.

The correlative still answers

जो भी चाहिए, वह ले लीजिए - take whatever you need. The वह is still there.

With a negative

कोई भी नहीं and कुछ भी नहीं are emphatic: not a single one, nothing whatsoever.

Apply this grammar in B1 course exercises

Practice Exercises

Dropping the correlative, and reading koi bhi as a plain 'someone'.

Common Error Patterns

Correlative dropped after jo bhi

jo bhi chahiye, vah le lijiye.

koi bhi read as an ordinary indefinite

koi bhi is 'anyone at all'; plain koi is 'someone'.

Whatever happens, we'll try.

jo bhi is chto by ni exactly.

Anyone at all can do it.

koi bhi as 'anyone at all', not 'someone'.

Wherever you go, remember this.

jahan bhi with the correlative implied in the imperative.

Practice in course

Apply this grammar in B1 course exercises

B1 Course

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Frequently asked questions

When is जो भी, कहीं भी, कोई भी used?: जो भी चाहिए, वह ले लीजिए - take whatever you need. The वह is still there.
How is जो भी, कहीं भी, कोई भी formed?: कोई भी नहीं and कुछ भी नहीं are emphatic: not a single one, nothing whatsoever.
What are common mistakes with जो भी, कहीं भी, कोई भी?: Dropping the correlative, and reading koi bhi as a plain 'someone'. 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: chto by ni and chto ugodno map directly onto the two senses, so the split is easy; the correlative is again what gets lost.

Sources

हिन्दी व्याकरण — काशी नागरी प्रचारिणी सभा, 1920
Kamta Prasad Guru's grammar, the standard prescriptive reference for Hindi morphology and syntax.
Hindi (London Oriental and African Language Library 12) — John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2006
Yamuna Kachru's reference grammar; the descriptive account relied on for aspect, valency and clause structure.