CBSE Class 8 Hindi: Syllabus, Chapters & Sample Practice

The 10 Chapters of Malhar (मल्हार)

• Ch 1 स्वदेश

  Poem (कविता): "Swadesh" (Homeland) by Gayaprasad Shukla ‘Sanehi’.

• Ch 2 दो गौरैया

  Story (कहानी): "Do Gauraiya" (Two Sparrows) by Bhishma Sahni. Paired reading piece: "मित्रलाभ" (from the Panchatantra).

• Ch 3 एक आशीर्वाद

  Poem (कविता): "Ek Aashirwad" (A Blessing) by Dushyant Kumar.

• Ch 4 हरिद्वार

  Letter (पत्र): "Haridwar" by Bharatendu Harishchandra.

• Ch 5 कबीर के दोहे

  Couplets (दोहे): "Kabir ke Dohe" by Kabir. Paired reading piece: "कदम मिलाकर चलना होगा" by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

• Ch 6 एक टोकरी भर मिट्टी

  Story (कहानी): "Ek Tokri Bhar Mitti" (A Basketful of Earth) by Madhavrao Sapre.

• Ch 7 मत बाँधो

  Poem (कविता): "Mat Baandho" by Mahadevi Varma.

• Ch 8 नए मेहमान

  One-act play (एकांकी): "Naye Mehmaan" (New Guests) by Udayshankar Bhatt.

• Ch 9 आदमी का अनुपात

  Poem (कविता): "Aadmi ka Anupaat" by Girija Kumar Mathur.

• Ch 10 तरुण के स्वप्न

  Address / exhortation (उद्बोधन): "Tarun ke Swapna" (Dreams of the Youth) by Subhash Chandra Bose. Paired reading piece: "भारति, जय, विजय करे!" by Suryakant Tripathi ‘Nirala’.

Language Skills This Year Builds

• Ch 1 पठन (Reading)

  Reading poems, stories, a letter and a one-act play closely; inferring meaning and responding to texts.

• Ch 2 लेखन (Writing)

  Paragraphs, formal and informal letters (पत्र-लेखन), descriptions and short creative writing in Hindi.

• Ch 3 व्याकरण (Grammar & Vocabulary)

  संज्ञा, सर्वनाम, विशेषण, क्रिया, काल, संधि, समास, पर्यायवाची and विलोम, and word building (शब्द-रचना).

• Ch 4 श्रवण-वाचन (Listening & Speaking)

  Discussion, recitation (सस्वर पाठ) and listening tasks drawn from the reader.

Point to the Method

Names the idea to use (e.g. "A synonym means the same meaning") without giving the answer.

Guided Reasoning Prompt

Prompts the key step (e.g. "Which of these words also means water?").

Complete Worked Solution

Explains the reasoning and the finished answer so the thinking is clear.

Read Aloud, Then Talk

The Malhar poems, stories and the one-act play reward reading aloud — reciting and then discussing a piece deepens comprehension far more than silent reading alone.

Practise Grammar a Little, Often

Short, regular work on संधि, समास, पर्यायवाची and विलोम keeps the rules fresh and shows what still needs work.

Write From the Reading

Using a chapter’s theme as a writing prompt links reading and writing and builds real fluency in Hindi.

How many chapters are in the CBSE Class 8 Hindi syllabus?

The NCERT Class 8 Hindi reader "Malhar" (मल्हार) has 10 chapters, bringing together poems, stories, a letter, a one-act play and classical couplets, along with supplementary "पढ़ने के लिए" reading pieces. Always confirm the current list with NCERT or your school.

What is the Class 8 Hindi NCERT book called?

It is "Malhar" (मल्हार), the Class 8 Hindi reader written for the NCF-SE 2023 curriculum, which replaced the older Vasant reader. "Malhar" is the name of a classical raga associated with the rainy season.

Is there a board exam in CBSE Class 8 Hindi?

No. Class 8 is assessed through school-based internal assessment, not a board examination — board exams begin at Class 10.

What does Class 8 Hindi cover?

Reading comprehension (पठन), writing (लेखन) such as letters and paragraphs, grammar and vocabulary (व्याकरण, including संधि, समास, पर्यायवाची and विलोम), and listening and speaking (श्रवण-वाचन) — all developed through the poems, stories, letter and one-act play in the Malhar reader.