Raksha Bandhan with His Sister

On Raksha Bandhan, Rahul's sister ties a rakhi on his wrist, and he promises to always protect and support her.

Meanings in Rahul, Sister

Key words and phrases

Raksha Bandhana festival celebrating the bond between brothers and sistersRaksha Bandhan falls in August this year.

rakhia decorative thread tied by a sister on her brother's wristShe tied a beautiful rakhi on his wrist.

promisea firm commitment to do somethingHe made a promise to always protect her.

bonda close connection between peopleRaksha Bandhan celebrates the bond between siblings.

wristthe joint connecting the hand and armShe tied the rakhi gently around his wrist.

siblinga brother or sisterEvery sibling shares a special bond.

giftsomething given to mark a special occasionHe gave his sister a lovely gift in return.

protectto keep someone safe from harmBrothers promise to protect their sisters.

ceremonya formal event marking something significantThe rakhi-tying ceremony took only a few minutes.

cherishto value and care for something deeplyThey both cherish this yearly tradition.

mithaisweets exchanged during the rakhi ceremonyRahul fed his sister a piece of mithai after tying the rakhi.

aartia ritual of waving a lit lamp before someone as a blessingHis sister performed aarti before tying the rakhi.

tilaka mark applied on the forehead as part of a blessing ritualShe applied a tilak on his forehead before the rakhi.

threada thin string, the material a rakhi is made fromThe rakhi was made of a colourful silk thread.

elderan older family member, often shown respectThey touched their elder's feet to seek blessings.

foreheadthe part of the face above the eyebrowsShe gently placed the tilak on his forehead.

distancethe space or gap between two places or peopleDistance couldn't stop them from celebrating together.

video calla call that lets people see and talk to each other over the internetThey made a video call to their cousins living abroad.

reunioncoming together again after being apartRaksha Bandhan often brings the family together for a reunion.

blessinggood wishes given during the ceremonyTheir parents gave them their blessings after the rakhi ceremony.

Useful sentences

Ask Are you ready to tie my rakhi?
Answer Yes, I picked a beautiful one for you this year.
Ask What do you promise on Raksha Bandhan?
Answer I promise to always protect and support her.
Ask Did you get her a gift this year?
Answer Yes, I gave her a lovely bracelet.
Ask How long does the ceremony usually take?
Answer Just a few minutes, but it means so much.
Ask Do you cherish this tradition every year?
Answer Yes, it's one of my favourite days with my sibling.
Ask Will you do the aarti before tying the rakhi?
Answer Yes, and I'll put a tilak on your forehead too.
Ask Did you bring some mithai for after the ceremony?
Answer Yes, I bought your favourite sweets this morning.
Ask Should we video call our cousin who lives far away?
Answer Yes, distance shouldn't stop us from celebrating together.
Ask Will Grandma give us her blessings too?
Answer Of course, she never misses this family reunion.
Ask What is the rakhi thread made of this year?
Answer It's a soft silk thread with tiny beads on it.

Dialogue

SisterRahul, come here, it's time to tie your rakhi.

RahulI'm ready! I got you a gift too.

SisterThat's so sweet of you! Here, hold out your wrist.

RahulI promise I'll always protect you, no matter what.

SisterAnd I'll always be there for you too. Happy Raksha Bandhan!

RahulThis is my favourite day of the year.

SisterWait, let me do the aarti and put a tilak on your forehead first.

RahulOkay, and after that, let's eat the mithai you brought.

SisterWe should also video call our cousin, she's missing us today.

RahulGood idea, distance can't keep us from this reunion.

Common mistakes

Saying "put rakhi" instead of "tie a rakhi" or "tie the rakhi."
Saying "promise for protecting" instead of "promise to protect."
Saying "bond of brother and sister" instead of "the bond between siblings" or "the bond between brother and sister."
Saying "do aarti to someone" instead of "perform aarti for someone" or "do someone's aarti."
Saying "put tilak" instead of "apply a tilak" or "put a tilak on the forehead."
Saying "call on video" instead of "make a video call" or "video call someone."

Quick quiz

1. What is a "rakhi"?

2. What does Raksha Bandhan celebrate?

3. Complete: "They both ___ this yearly tradition."

4. What is 'aarti'?

5. Where is a tilak usually applied?

6. What did the siblings use to stay connected with their far-away cousin?

Practise speaking and listening

The free Day to Day English app turns every lesson into practice with audio, a story you follow and more than 1680 words to learn.

Free for AndroidPractise in the app

menu_book Key words and phrases

forum Useful sentences

chat Dialogue

error Common mistakes

quiz Quick quiz