The Mehendi Ceremony
A day before the wedding, Priya and her friends gather for the mehendi ceremony, getting intricate henna designs applied while singing traditional songs.
Key words and phrases
Useful sentences
- Ask How long will the mehendi take to apply?
- Answer It usually takes about two to three hours.
- Ask Should I keep my hands still while it dries?
- Answer Yes, try not to move them too much.
- Ask Did the artist hide my initials in the design?
- Answer Yes, look closely near her wrist.
- Ask Why do people sing during the mehendi ceremony?
- Answer It's a traditional way to celebrate the occasion together.
- Ask How dark did the mehendi turn out?
- Answer It turned a beautiful dark shade by the next morning.
- Ask Can you put a little mehendi on my palm too?
- Answer Of course, come sit next to me.
- Ask Should I let the paste flake off by itself?
- Answer Yes, don't wash it off — just let it fall away naturally.
- Ask Who's playing the dholki over there?
- Answer That's Priya's cousin, she plays so well.
- Ask Is mehendi a natural dye or does it have chemicals?
- Answer The good ones are completely natural.
- Ask Are you keeping a photo of your mehendi as a keepsake?
- Answer Yes, I want to remember this design forever.
Dialogue
FriendPriya, your mehendi looks absolutely stunning!
PriyaThank you! The artist did such intricate work.
Henna ArtistI've hidden Rahul's initials somewhere in this design, can you find them?
PriyaOh, that's so sweet! I'll look for them later.
FriendLet's sing a few traditional songs while it dries.
PriyaYes, this is such a beautiful tradition to be part of.
Henna ArtistI'll fill a fresh cone and do your palms next.
PriyaPlease make sure it leaves a nice dark stain.
FriendOnce it dries, just let the paste flake off — don't wash it too soon.
PriyaI'll take a photo of it first, as a keepsake.
Common mistakes
- Saying "put mehendi" instead of "apply mehendi" or "get mehendi done."
- Saying "the mehendi become dark" instead of "the mehendi turned dark" or "the mehendi darkened."
- Saying "design is intricate a lot" instead of "the design is very intricate."
- Saying "remove the mehendi" instead of "let the mehendi flake off" — henna is not scrubbed or peeled forcefully.
- Saying "mehendi colour" instead of "mehendi stain" when talking about the mark left on the skin.
- Saying "dholki is playing" instead of "someone is playing the dholki" — the drum itself does not play on its own.
Quick quiz
1. What is "mehendi"?
2. Close friends who support the bride during wedding events are called ___.
3. Complete: "Mehendi is ___ of love and good fortune."
4. A small paper roll used to apply henna paste in fine lines is called a ___.
5. Which word means "to fall away in small dry pieces"?
6. A small hand drum played during festive occasions is a ___.
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.