क़रीब (qariib)
postposition/adverb
Two main uses: as a postposition/adverb meaning 'near, close to' (physical or relational), and as an approximator meaning 'approximately, about' before quantities. Often spelled without the nuqta as करीब (kariib) in casual writing.
Sense
1
:
near, close to (place or relationship)
postposition Takes के (ke) before it, like most compound postpositions: घर के क़रीब (ghar ke qariib, 'near the house').
Synonyms: पास (paas), नज़दीक (nazdiik)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: करीब (kariib) and पास (paas) overlap heavily for physical nearness, but क़रीब (qariib) is the word you reach for when talking about being close to someone emotionally -- दिल के क़रीब (dil ke qariib, 'close to the heart') carries a tenderness that पास (paas) doesn't quite have.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners forget the के (ke) link and say घर क़रीब (ghar qariib) instead of घर के क़रीब (ghar ke qariib). 2) क़रीब (qariib) can also describe emotional closeness (दिल के क़रीब (dil ke qariib, 'close to the heart')), not just physical distance -- learners sometimes use only पास (paas) for this and miss this word's warmer, more literary shade.
Sample Sentences:
मेरा घर बाज़ार के क़रीब है।
My house is near the market.
(meraa ghar baazaar ke qariib hai।)
वह हमेशा अपने दादा के क़रीब रहता था।
He always used to stay close to his grandfather.
(vah hameshaa apne daadaa ke qariib rahtaa thaa।)
तुम मेरे दिल के क़रीब हो, चाहे कितनी भी दूर रहो।
You are close to my heart, no matter how far away you live.
(tum mere dil ke qariib ho, chaahe kitnii bhii door raho।)
स्टेशन के क़रीब मत खड़े हो, ट्रेन आने वाली है।
Don't stand close to the station, the train is about to come.
(steshan ke qariib mat khade ho, tren aane vaalii hai।)
अगर तुम मेरे क़रीब होते, तो मैं इतना नहीं डरता।
If you were near me, I wouldn't be so scared.
(agar tum mere qariib hote, to main itnaa nahiin dartaa।)
उम्मीद है कि हम एक-दूसरे के क़रीब आएँ।
I hope we come close to one another.
(ummiid hai ki ham ek-doosre ke qariib aaen।)
स्कूल के क़रीब एक बड़ा पार्क बनाया गया है।
A big park has been built near the school.
(skool ke qariib ek badaa paark banaayaa gayaa hai।)
जब से वह शहर आई है, हम दोनों काफ़ी क़रीब आ गए हैं।
Ever since she came to the city, the two of us have grown quite close.
(jab se vah shahar aaii hai, ham donon kaafii qariib aa gae hain।)
समुद्र के क़रीब रहते हुए उसे हवा की खुशबू पसंद आ गई।
Living near the sea, she came to love the smell of the breeze.
(samudr ke qariib rahte hue use havaa kii khushboo pasand aa gaii।)
मुझे उसके क़रीब जाकर बात करनी होगी।
I will have to go close to him and talk.
(mujhe uske qariib jaakar baat karnii hogii।)
भगवान हर उस दिल के क़रीब होते हैं जो सच्चा हो।
God stays close to every heart that is true.
(bhagvaan har us dil ke qariib hote hain jo sachchaa ho।)
Sense
2
:
approximately, about (with numbers/quantities)
adverb Placed directly before the quantity: क़रीब दस लोग (qariib das log, 'about ten people') -- no postposition needed here, unlike the 'near' sense.
Synonyms: लगभग (lagbhag), तक़रीबन (taqriiban)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In everyday speech, लगभग (lagbhag) and क़रीब (qariib) are near-perfect substitutes when estimating a number -- क़रीब (qariib) just feels slightly more conversational, the kind of word you'd use haggling over price at a market: क़रीब सौ रुपये (qariib sau rupye, 'about a hundred rupees').
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes insert के (ke) here by analogy with the 'near' sense -- क़रीब के दस लोग (qariib ke das log) is wrong; it should be क़रीब दस लोग (qariib das log) with no postposition.
Sample Sentences:
यहाँ क़रीब सौ लोग होंगे।
There will be about a hundred people here.
(yahaan qariib sau log honge।)
इस दुकान में क़रीब पचास किस्म के मसाले मिलते हैं।
This shop has about fifty kinds of spices.
(is dukaan men qariib pachaas kism ke masaale milte hain।)
मैंने क़रीब दो घंटे इंतज़ार किया।
I waited for about two hours.
(mainne qariib do ghante intzaar kiyaa।)
भाई, ये मटर क़रीब सौ रुपये किलो के हिसाब से दे दो।
Brother, give me these peas for about a hundred rupees a kilo.
(bhaaii, ye matar qariib sau rupye kilo ke hisaab se de do।)
शादी में क़रीब पाँच सौ मेहमान बुलाए गए थे।
About five hundred guests were invited to the wedding.
(shaadii men qariib paanch sau mehmaan bulaae gae the।)
अगर क़रीब बीस हज़ार रुपये और होते, तो हम ये गाड़ी खरीद लेते।
If we had about twenty thousand rupees more, we would have bought this car.
(agar qariib biis hazaar rupye aur hote, to ham ye gaadii khariid lete।)
हो सकता है क़रीब तीस लोग आएँ।
It's possible about thirty people will come.
(ho saktaa hai qariib tiis log aaen।)
रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक़, देश में क़रीब बारह करोड़ लोग इस योजना से लाभान्वित हुए हैं।
According to the report, about one hundred twenty million people in the country have benefited from this scheme.
(riport ke mutaabiq, desh men qariib baarah karod log is yojnaa se laabhaanvit hue hain।)
वह क़रीब चालीस साल का लग रहा था।
He looked about forty years old.
(vah qariib chaaliis saal kaa lag rahaa thaa।)
इस काम में क़रीब एक हफ़्ता लगेगा।
This work will take about a week.
(is kaam men qariib ek haftaa lagegaa।)