के मारे (ke maare)
postposition
A postposition phrase meaning 'because of, on account of' -- almost always used for a negative or overwhelming cause, e.g. cold, fear, poverty, crowd. Related to मारना (maarnaa, 'to hit') but functions purely as a fixed grammatical frame here.
Sense
1
:
because of, on account of (a negative/overwhelming cause)
postposition Takes the oblique/genitive form of the noun before it: भूख के मारे (bhookh ke maare, 'because of hunger'), ठंड के मारे (thand ke maare, 'because of the cold'). Functions like के कारण (ke kaaran) but carries a stronger sense of being overwhelmed or afflicted by the cause.
Synonyms: की वजह से (kii vajah se), के कारण (ke kaaran, slightly more formal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this a lot in complaints about weather or crowds: ठंड के मारे हाथ सुन्न हो गए (thand ke maare haath sunn ho gae, 'my hands went numb because of the cold'). It has a slightly dramatic, folksy flavor compared to the more neutral के कारण (ke kaaran), so it fits everyday spoken complaints better than formal writing.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use के मारे (ke maare) for any neutral cause, but native speakers reserve it for causes that are painful, distressing, or overwhelming -- you would not say खुशी के मारे (khushii ke maare) for a mild pleasant reason unless the joy itself is overwhelming (e.g. crying from happiness). 2) It is a fixed phrase; do not try to conjugate मारे (maare) as if it were an active verb form here -- it no longer means 'hit' in this usage.
Sample Sentences:
ठंड के मारे हाथ सुन्न हो गए।
My hands went numb because of the cold.
(thand ke maare haath sunn ho gae।)
भीड़ के मारे मैं स्टेशन पर अपने दोस्त को ढूँढ नहीं पाया।
Because of the crowd, I couldn't find my friend at the station.
(bhiid ke maare main steshan par apne dost ko dhoondh nahiin paayaa।)
गर्मी के मारे रात में सोना मुश्किल हो जाता है।
Because of the heat, sleeping at night becomes difficult.
(garmii ke maare raat men sonaa mushkil ho jaataa hai।)
डर के मारे बच्चा रोने लगा।
The child started crying out of fear.
(dar ke maare bachchaa rone lagaa।)
शोर के मारे मैं ठीक से पढ़ ही नहीं पा रहा हूँ।
Because of the noise, I just can't manage to study properly.
(shor ke maare main thiik se padh hii nahiin paa rahaa hoon।)
बारिश के मारे सड़कें पूरी तरह जाम हो जाएँगी।
Because of the rain, the roads will be completely jammed.
(baarish ke maare sadken poorii tarah jaam ho jaaengii।)
अगर भूख के मारे तुम्हारी तबीयत खराब हो, तो कुछ खा लो।
If you're feeling unwell because of hunger, eat something.
(agar bhookh ke maare tumhaarii tabiiyat kharaab ho, to kuchh khaa lo।)
थकान के मारे वह कुर्सी पर ही सो गया।
Because of exhaustion, he fell asleep right there in the chair.
(thakaan ke maare vah kursii par hii so gayaa।)
मच्छरों के मारे इस मौसम में बाहर बैठना नामुमकिन है।
Because of the mosquitoes, sitting outside in this weather is impossible.
(machchhron ke maare is mausam men baahar baithnaa naamumkin hai।)
गुस्से के मारे उसने दरवाज़ा पटक दिया।
Out of anger, she slammed the door.
(gusse ke maare usne darvaazaa patak diyaa।)