के चारों तरफ़ (ke chaaron taraf)

postposition A fixed postpositional phrase meaning 'all around' or 'on all sides of' something; built from चारों (chaaron, 'all four,' i.e. every direction) plus तरफ़ (taraf, 'side/direction').
Sense 1 : all around, on all sides of
postposition Takes a preceding noun in the oblique case, like other compound postpositions ending in तरफ़ (taraf); the noun + के (ke) comes first, then चारों तरफ़ (chaaron taraf).
Synonyms: के इर्द-गिर्द (ke ird-gird), के आस-पास (ke aas-paas, broader, 'in the vicinity of')
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Picture standing in the middle of a mela (melaa, fair) and describing the stalls चारों तरफ़ (chaaron taraf) -- literally 'on all four sides' -- this phrase carries a strong physical, 360-degree sense that plain आस-पास (aas-paas, 'nearby') doesn't quite capture.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes drop the ों ending on चारों (chaaron) and say चार तरफ़ (chaar taraf) instead -- चारों (chaaron) is the fixed form used in this phrase, not the plain number चार (chaar). 2) के (ke) is required before चारों तरफ़ (chaaron taraf) when a noun precedes it (घर के चारों तरफ़ (ghar ke chaaron taraf, 'all around the house')); dropping के (ke) sounds broken.
Sample Sentences:
घर के चारों तरफ़ ऊँची दीवार है। There is a high wall all around the house.
(ghar ke chaaron taraf oonchii diivaar hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मेले के चारों तरफ़ दुकानें सजी हुई थीं। Stalls were decorated all around the fair.
(mele ke chaaron taraf dukaanen sajii huii thiin।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
पहाड़ी के चारों तरफ़ घना जंगल फैला हुआ है। Dense forest is spread all around the hill.
(pahaadii ke chaaron taraf ghanaa jangal phailaa huaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बच्चे मेरे चारों तरफ़ दौड़ रहे थे। The children were running all around me.
(bachche mere chaaron taraf daud rahe the।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर हम मैदान के चारों तरफ़ बाड़ लगा दें, तो जानवर अंदर नहीं आएँगे। If we put up a fence all around the field, the animals won't get in.
(agar ham maidaan ke chaaron taraf baad lagaa den, to jaanvar andar nahiin aaenge।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
मंदिर के चारों तरफ़ मोमबत्तियाँ जलाई जाती हैं। Candles are lit all around the temple.
(mandir ke chaaron taraf mombattiyaan jalaaii jaatii hain।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
अगर तुम अपने चारों तरफ़ नज़र डालते तो खतरा पहले ही दिख जाता। If you had looked all around yourself, you would have spotted the danger sooner.
(agar tum apne chaaron taraf nazar daalte to khatraa pahle hii dikh jaataa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
अपने चारों तरफ़ देखो, कितनी खूबसूरत जगह है! Look all around you, what a beautiful place this is!
(apne chaaron taraf dekho, kitnii khoobsoorat jagah hai!)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
नगर के चारों तरफ़ प्राचीन काल में एक खाई हुआ करती थी। In ancient times, there used to be a moat all around the city.
(nagar ke chaaron taraf praachiin kaal men ek khaaii huaa kartii thii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
पुलिस ने अपराधी के चारों तरफ़ घेरा बना लिया। The police formed a ring all around the criminal.
(pulis ne apraadhii ke chaaron taraf gheraa banaa liyaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active