किताब (kitaab)

noun A book -- one of the first nouns every learner meets, and the everyday word Hindi speakers actually reach for in conversation.
Sense 1 : book
noun, feminine
Synonyms: पुस्तक (pustak, formal), ग्रंथ (granth, a weighty or scholarly volume)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: किताब (kitaab) comes from Arabic via Urdu and sits right at the heart of everyday Hindustani -- you will hear it in homes, schools, and markets far more than its Sanskrit-rooted cousin पुस्तक (pustak), which leans slightly more bookish or official. A common childhood phrase is किताब पढ़ना (kitaab padhnaa, 'to read a book'), and कहानी की किताब (kahaanii kii kitaab, 'storybook') is a phrase every Hindi-speaking kid grows up with.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for पुस्तक (pustak) by default because it looks more like a 'dictionary word' -- in real conversation किताब (kitaab) is what people actually say, from schoolbags to bookstores. 2) Gender agreement trips people up early on: किताब (kitaab) is feminine, so it takes अच्छी (achchhii) not अच्छा (achchhaa), even though nothing in its spelling signals gender the way आ (aa)-ending nouns often do.
Sample Sentences:
मेरे बैग में तीन किताबें हैं। There are three books in my bag.
(mere baig men tiin kitaaben hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह रोज़ रात को सोने से पहले किताब पढ़ता है। He reads a book every night before sleeping.
(vah roz raat ko sone se pahle kitaab padhtaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मुझे कहानी की किताब बहुत पसंद है। I really like storybooks.
(mujhe kahaanii kii kitaab bahut pasand hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसने पूरी किताब एक ही दिन में पढ़ ली। She finished reading the whole book in a single day.
(usne poorii kitaab ek hii din men padh lii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यह किताब मेज़ पर रखी है। This book is placed on the table.
(yah kitaab mez par rakhii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अपनी किताब निकालो और पेज बारह खोलो। Take out your book and open to page twelve.
(apnii kitaab nikaalo aur pej baarah kholo।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
काश मेरे पास वह किताब होती। I wish I had that book.
(kaash mere paas vah kitaab hotii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
यह किताब बहुत ही सुंदर ढंग से लिखी गई है। This book has been written in a very beautiful way.
(yah kitaab bahut hii sundar dhang se likhii gaii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
क्या तुम मुझे अपनी किताब उधार दे सकते हो? Could you lend me your book?
(kyaa tum mujhe apnii kitaab udhaar de sakte ho?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बच्चे कक्षा में अपनी-अपनी किताबें पढ़ रहे थे। The children were reading their books in the classroom.
(bachche kakshaa men apnii-apnii kitaaben padh rahe the।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर वह किताब समय पर आ जाए तो अच्छा होगा। It would be good if that book arrives on time.
(agar vah kitaab samay par aa jaae to achchhaa hogaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
मैं कल नई किताब खरीदूँगा। I will buy a new book tomorrow.
(main kal naii kitaab khariidoongaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): किताब (kitaab)
(sg.f.oblique): किताब (kitaab)
(pl.f.direct): किताबें (kitaaben)
(pl.f.oblique): किताबों (kitaabon)