राजा (raajaa)
noun
राजा (raajaa) is the everyday word for 'king' -- used literally for a monarch, for the king piece/card in games, and affectionately as a term of endearment for a son.
Sense
1
:
king, monarch
noun, masculine
Synonyms: सम्राट (samraat, emperor), नरेश (naresh, literary), महाराजा (mahaaraajaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Hindi folk tales almost always open with राजा और रानी (raajaa aur raanii, 'the king and queen'), the Hindi equivalent of 'once upon a time.' The idiom अंधों में काना राजा (andhon men kaanaa raajaa, 'among the blind, the one-eyed man is king') is a very common way to say someone stands out only because everyone else is worse.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use राजा (raajaa) for any powerful or rich person; in ordinary speech it is reserved for actual kings, royalty, or figurative/affectionate use -- for a rich person, use अमीर (amiir) or धनवान (dhanvaan) instead.
Sample Sentences:
एक समय की बात है, एक राजा था जो अपने राज्य में बहुत न्याय से शासन करता था।
Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled his kingdom very justly.
(ek samay kii baat hai, ek raajaa thaa jo apne raajy men bahut nyaay se shaasan kartaa thaa।)
राजा और रानी एक सुंदर महल में रहते थे।
The king and queen lived in a beautiful palace.
(raajaa aur raanii ek sundar mahal men rahte the।)
राजा ने अपने सैनिकों को दुश्मन पर हमला करने का आदेश दिया।
The king ordered his soldiers to attack the enemy.
(raajaa ne apne sainikon ko dushman par hamlaa karne kaa aadesh diyaa।)
प्रजा राजा से बहुत डरती थी।
The subjects were very afraid of the king.
(prajaa raajaa se bahut dartii thii।)
अगर वह राजा होता, तो वह गरीबों की मदद करता।
If he were king, he would help the poor.
(agar vah raajaa hotaa, to vah gariibon kii madad kartaa।)
इस देश में सदियों पहले एक शक्तिशाली राजा हुआ करता था।
Centuries ago, there used to be a powerful king in this country.
(is desh men sadiyon pahle ek shaktishaalii raajaa huaa kartaa thaa।)
राजा द्वारा नए मंदिर का निर्माण करवाया गया।
A new temple was built by the king.
(raajaa dvaaraa nae mandir kaa nirmaan karvaayaa gayaa।)
क्या राजा युद्ध जीत पाएगा?
Will the king be able to win the war?
(kyaa raajaa yuddh jiit paaegaa?)
उस अनपढ़ गाँव में वह अकेला पढ़ा-लिखा आदमी था, यानी अंधों में काना राजा।
In that illiterate village, he was the only educated man -- like the one-eyed man who is king among the blind.
(us anpadh gaanv men vah akelaa padhaa-likhaa aadmii thaa, yaanii andhon men kaanaa raajaa।)
राजा साहब, प्रजा आपके दरबार में न्याय की गुहार लगाने आई है।
Your Majesty, the subjects have come to your court seeking justice.
(raajaa saahab, prajaa aapke darbaar men nyaay kii guhaar lagaane aaii hai।)
काश वह राजा होता और अपनी प्रजा का दुख समझता।
If only he were king and understood his subjects' suffering.
(kaash vah raajaa hotaa aur apnii prajaa kaa dukh samajhtaa।)
Sense
2
:
king (in chess or playing cards)
noun, masculine Used in शतरंज (shatranj, chess) for the king piece, and in card games for the King card, parallel to रानी (raanii, queen) and इक्का (ikkaa, ace).
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: In a Delhi tea-stall game of ताश (taash, cards), you will hear players call out राजा (raajaa) the same casual way English speakers say 'king' -- no royal solemnity attached, it is just game vocabulary.
Sample Sentences:
मेरे पास राजा और रानी दोनों हैं।
I have both the king and the queen.
(mere paas raajaa aur raanii donon hain।)
शतरंज में राजा को मात देने पर खेल खत्म हो जाता है।
In chess, the game ends when the king is checkmated.
(shatranj men raajaa ko maat dene par khel khatm ho jaataa hai।)
उसने पत्ते फेंके तो सबसे ऊपर राजा निकला।
When he threw the cards, the king came out on top.
(usne patte phenke to sabse oopar raajaa niklaa।)
अपना राजा बचाकर रख, वरना हार जाएगा।
Save your king, or you'll lose.
(apnaa raajaa bachaakar rakh, varnaa haar jaaegaa।)
अगर तू राजा को यहाँ ले आता तो मैं मात दे देता।
If you had brought the king here, I would have checkmated you.
(agar too raajaa ko yahaan le aataa to main maat de detaa।)
चाय की दुकान पर लड़के ताश खेलते हुए चिल्ला रहे थे, "राजा! राजा आ गया!"
At the tea stall, the boys playing cards were shouting, "King! The king has come!"
(chaay kii dukaan par ladke taash khelte hue chillaa rahe the, "raajaa! raajaa aa gayaa!")
क्या तुम्हारे पास इक्का और राजा है?
Do you have the ace and the king?
(kyaa tumhaare paas ikkaa aur raajaa hai?)
शायद इस बार राजा उसके पत्तों में हो।
Maybe the king is in his cards this time.
(shaayad is baar raajaa uske patton men ho।)
बिशप ने राजा को घेर लिया था।
The bishop had trapped the king.
(bishap ne raajaa ko gher liyaa thaa।)
Sense
3
:
term of affection for a boy/son ('little prince')
noun, masculine Functions almost like an adjective of endearment before बेटा (betaa) or a child's name, rather than a claim about actual royalty.
Synonyms: बेटा (betaa, son -- often paired as मेरा राजा बेटा (meraa raajaa betaa, 'my darling son'))
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Any Delhi mother coaxing a fussy child to eat might say मेरा राजा बेटा है, खाना खा लो (meraa raajaa betaa hai, khaanaa khaa lo, 'be my good prince and eat your food') -- राजा (raajaa) here carries no throne, just pure affection.
Common Mistakes: 1) This affectionate sense is used for boys/sons; for a girl the parallel endearment is रानी (raanii), not राजा (raajaa).
Sample Sentences:
मेरा राजा बेटा है, खाना खा लो।
Be my good prince and eat your food.
(meraa raajaa betaa hai, khaanaa khaa lo।)
अरे मेरे राजा, रोना बंद करो।
Oh my darling boy, stop crying.
(are mere raajaa, ronaa band karo।)
वो अपने दादाजी का राजा बेटा है।
He is his grandfather's darling boy.
(vo apne daadaajii kaa raajaa betaa hai।)
मम्मी हमेशा उसे राजा बेटा बुलाती थी।
Mom always used to call him her little prince.
(mammii hameshaa use raajaa betaa bulaatii thii।)
चलो राजा, स्कूल के लिए तैयार हो जाओ।
Come on, prince, get ready for school.
(chalo raajaa, skool ke lie taiyaar ho jaao।)
अगर तुम अच्छे से सो जाओ तो तुम सच में मेरे राजा बेटे लगोगे।
If you go to sleep nicely, you'll really seem like my darling boy.
(agar tum achchhe se so jaao to tum sach men mere raajaa bete lagoge।)
नानी हमेशा कहती है, 'मेरा राजा बड़ा होकर बहुत नाम करेगा'।
Grandma always says, 'My darling boy will make a great name for himself when he grows up.'
(naanii hameshaa kahtii hai, 'meraa raajaa badaa hokar bahut naam karegaa'।)
जब वो रो रहा था, तो पापा ने प्यार से कहा, 'मेरा राजा है, चुप हो जा'।
When he was crying, Dad said lovingly, 'You're my darling boy, hush now.'
(jab vo ro rahaa thaa, to paapaa ne pyaar se kahaa, 'meraa raajaa hai, chup ho jaa'।)
उसकी दादी उसे हमेशा 'राजा' कहकर बुलाती हैं।
His grandmother always calls him by the pet name 'prince'.
(uskii daadii use hameshaa 'raajaa' kahkar bulaatii hain।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
राजा
(raajaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
राजा
(raajaa)
(pl.m.direct):
राजा
(raajaa)
(pl.m.oblique):
राजाओं
(raajaaon)