In India, we don’t just say 1.25 or 0.5 — we say “Sawa ek”, “Adha”, “Dedh”, “Pone do”, and everyone instantly understands.
This blog explores the most commonly used fraction words in Indian languages, their English and mathematical equivalents, and how they’re used in real-life conversations.
Common Fraction Words in Indian Languages
आधा (Adha)
Half
0.5
पौ (Pau)
Quarter / One-fourth
0.25
तीन पाव (Teen Paav)
Three-quarters / Three-fourths
0.75
सवा (Sawa)
One and a quarter
1.25
डेढ़ (Dedh)
One and a half
1.5
साढ़े (Saade)
And a half (e.g. Saade Do = 2.5, Saade Teen = 3.5)
1.5, 2.5, 3.5 (depends on usage)
पोने (Pone)
Quarter less than a whole (e.g. Pone Do = 1.75, Pone Teen = 2.75)
0.75, 1.75, 2.75 (depends on usage)
आधा पाव (Aadha Pao)
Half of a quarter (1/8)
0.125
चौका (Chauka) (colloquial)
Four
4.0
ढाई (Dhai)
Two and a half
2.5
सवा लाख (Sava Lakh)
1 lakh 25 thousand
125,000
ढाई सौ (Dhai Sau)
Two and a half hundred
250
सवा दो (Sawa Do)
Two and a quarter
2.25
साढ़े दो / ढेढ़ दो (Saade Do / Dedh Do)
Two and a half
2.5
पोने तीन (Pone Teen)
Two and three-quarters
2.75
तीन (Teen)
Three
3.0
सवा तीन (Sawa Teen)
Three and a quarter
3.25
साढ़े तीन (Saade Teen)
Three and a half
3.5
पोने चार (Pone Chaar)
Three and three-quarters
3.75
Why Is This Important?
Understanding these words can help:
- Non-native speakers grasp everyday Hindi faster
- Desi kids or NRIs connect with local lingo
- Writers and content creators bring realism into dialogues
- Math learners bridge the gap between colloquial and academic language
These fractional words are mostly used in spoken Hindi (especially in markets, local convos, villages) and are rare in academic math, where decimals or fractions are used instead.
Fraction Words Real-Life Usage Examples for Daily Uses
मुझे आधा किलो टमाटर चाहिए।
I need half a kilo of tomatoes.
पौना लीटर दूध बचा है।
A quarter less than a litre of milk is left.
तीन पाव शक्कर डालो चाय में।
Add three-quarters of the sugar to the tea.
सवा घंटा हो गया, वो अभी तक नहीं आया।
It’s been one and a quarter hours; he still hasn’t arrived.
ये काम डेढ़ दिन में पूरा होगा।
This work will be completed in one and a half days.
मैं साढ़े तीन बजे निकलूंगा।
I will leave at three thirty.
पोने दो बज रहे हैं, जल्दी करो।
It’s 1:45 — hurry up!
ढाई साल का बच्चा है वो।
He is two and a half years old.
सवा लाख की बाइक ली है।
I bought a bike for one lakh twenty-five thousand rupees.
मुझे ढाई सौ रुपए उधार चाहिए।
I need two hundred and fifty rupees on credit.
साढ़े चार बजे डॉक्टर का अपॉइंटमेंट है।
The doctor’s appointment is at 4:30.
पौना किलो प्याज़ बाकी है।
Three-fourths of a kilo of onions is left.
सवा दो लीटर पेट्रोल डलवाया है।
I filled one and a quarter litres of petrol.
क्या तुम आधा गिलास पानी पियोगे?
Would you like to drink half a glass of water?
हम सवा तीन बजे मिलेंगे।
We’ll meet at 3:15.
मुझे साढ़े पांच बजे उठना है।
I have to wake up at five thirty.
पोने तीन तक ऑफिस पहुंच जाना।
Reach the office by 2:45.
सवा चार किलो आटा चाहिए।
I need 4.25 kg of flour.
सिर्फ आधा घंटा बचा है एग्ज़ाम में।
Only half an hour is left in the exam.
तीन पाव पनीर ले लो, ज़्यादा नहीं चाहिए।
Take 750g paneer, we don’t need more.
उसने पौना घंटा फोन पर बात की।
He talked on the phone for 45 minutes.
सवा दो लाख का बजट है इस महीने।
The budget for this month is ₹2.25 lakh.
साढ़े छह बजे ट्रेन है।
The train is at 6:30.
ढाई इंच का पाइप लाना है।
We need a 2.5-inch pipe.
पौना लीटर तेल डालना है सब्ज़ी में।
Add 750ml of oil to the curry.
सवा सात बजे अलार्म लगा दो।
Set the alarm for 7:15.
साढ़े आठ बजे तक खाना तैयार कर देना।
Have the food ready by 8:30.
बच्चा सिर्फ ढाई साल का है, अभी छोटा है।
The child is only two and a half years old, still small.
हमें सवा तीन घंटे लगे वहां पहुंचने में।
It took us three and a quarter hours to get there.
मुझे आधा दर्जन अंडे चाहिए।
I need half a dozen eggs.
सवा किलो सेब हैं बस, ज़्यादा नहीं है।
There are just 1.25 kg of apples, not more.
उसने साढ़े तीन लाख में कार खरीदी।
He bought the car for ₹3.5 lakh.
आधा पाव धनिया दे दीजिए।
Give me 125g of coriander.
सवा पाँच बजे पिक-अप करना मुझे।
Pick me up at 5:15.
डेढ़ घंटे का मूवी है
The movie is 1.5 hours long.
पौने दो बजे मिलना
Meet at 1:45 PM.
साढ़े तीन हज़ार देना
Give 3,500 rupees.
सवा किलो प्याज़ चाहिए
Need 1.25 kg of onions.
साढ़े तीन बजे मिलते हैं
Let’s meet at 3:30 PM. (Saade teen = 3.5 hours)
पौने दो बजे जाना है
I need to leave at 1:45 PM. (Pone do = 15 minutes before 2)
सवा किलो चावल चाहिए
I need 1.25 kg rice.
डेढ़ घंटे का लेक्चर था
The lecture was one and a half hours long.
मुझे डेढ़ किलो प्याज़ देना
Give me 1.5 kg of onions.
Conclusion
Dedh” isn’t just a number — it’s part of the way millions of Indians speak every day. Whether you’re cooking, bargaining at the sabzi mandi, or just telling time, knowing these Hindi fractional words like Dedh, Sawa, Pone, and Saade helps you stay connected to both language and culture.
So the next time you hear “Dedh kilo aloo”, don’t reach for your calculator — just remember: it means 1.5.
