वापस (vaapas)
adverb/adjective
One core meaning, 'back/return', used mainly as an adverb (वापस आना (vaapas aanaa, 'to come back'), वापस जाना (vaapas jaanaa, 'to go back')) and occasionally as an invariant adjective before a noun.
Sense
1
:
back, in return, again (to a previous place/state)
adverb Pairs with motion and transfer verbs (आना (aanaa), जाना (jaanaa), देना (denaa), लेना (lenaa), करना (karnaa)) to add the sense of 'back/again'; it sits right before the verb it modifies.
Synonyms: लौट कर (laut kar, phrase variant), पुनः (punah, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the word you'll hear constantly at shops and homes: पैसे वापस दो (paise vaapas do, 'give the money back') or सामान वापस कर दो (saamaan vaapas kar do, 'return the item'). It is also the everyday partner of लौटना (lautnaa), which means the same 'return' idea but as a full verb rather than an adverb riding on another verb.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often add फिर से (phir se) alongside वापस (vaapas) thinking both are needed for 'again' -- but वापस (vaapas) already carries the 'back' sense, so वापस करना (vaapas karnaa) alone means 'to give back', not just 'to do again'. 2) वापस (vaapas) implies returning to a prior state or place, while फिर से (phir se) or दोबारा (dobaaraa) mean plain repetition -- वापस पढ़ना (vaapas padhnaa) sounds odd to a native ear, since reading doesn't 'return' anywhere; दोबारा पढ़ना (dobaaraa padhnaa) is what's meant.
Sample Sentences:
वह हर शाम काम से घर वापस आता है।
He comes back home from work every evening.
(vah har shaam kaam se ghar vaapas aataa hai।)
Listen: M85
मैंने किताब उसे वापस कर दी।
I returned the book to him.
(mainne kitaab use vaapas kar dii।)
Listen: M85
सामान वापस कर दो, दुकानदार पैसे लौटा देगा।
Return the item, the shopkeeper will give the money back.
(saamaan vaapas kar do, dukaandaar paise lautaa degaa।)
Listen: F85
अगर वह वापस आ जाता तो मुझे इतनी चिंता न होती।
If he had come back, I wouldn't have worried so much.
(agar vah vaapas aa jaataa to mujhe itnii chintaa n hotii।)
Listen: M85
चोरी का सामान पुलिस ने वापस दिला दिया।
The police got the stolen goods returned.
(chorii kaa saamaan pulis ne vaapas dilaa diyaa।)
Listen: M85
कृपया यह फॉर्म भरकर वापस भेज दें।
Please fill out this form and send it back.
(kripyaa yah phorm bharkar vaapas bhej den।)
Listen: F85
शायद वह अपनी बात वापस ले ले।
Maybe he will take back his words.
(shaayad vah apnii baat vaapas le le।)
Listen: M85
खोया हुआ पर्स आखिरकार उसे वापस मिल गया।
The lost wallet finally got back to him.
(khoyaa huaa pars aakhirkaar use vaapas mil gayaa।)
Listen: F85
Sense
2
:
return (used attributively, as in 'return ticket')
adjective Used invariantly before a noun in set phrases like वापस टिकट (vaapas tikat, 'return ticket') or वापसी टिकट (vaapsii tikat, the more common noun-derived form); the adjectival use of वापस (vaapas) itself is less common than the adverbial one.
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: In practice, most people reach for the noun वापसी (vaapsii, 'return, homecoming') in compounds like वापसी टिकट (vaapsii tikat) rather than using वापस (vaapas) directly as an adjective -- worth knowing both exist, but वापसी (vaapsii) is your safer everyday choice here.
Sample Sentences:
क्या आपने वापस यात्रा की तारीख तय कर ली है?
Have you fixed the date for the return journey?
(kyaa aapne vaapas yaatraa kii taariikh tay kar lii hai?)
Listen: M85
एजेंट ने कहा कि वापस टिकट अलग से बुक करानी होगी।
The agent said the return ticket would have to be booked separately.
(ejent ne kahaa ki vaapas tikat alag se buk karaanii hogii।)
Listen: M85
अगर वापस उड़ान का समय बदल जाए, तो मुझे बताना।
If the return flight's time changes, let me know.
(agar vaapas udaan kaa samay badal jaae, to mujhe bataanaa।)
Listen: F85
वापस रास्ते में हमने एक ढाबे पर खाना खाया।
On the way back, we ate at a roadside dhaba.
(vaapas raaste men hamne ek dhaabe par khaanaa khaayaa।)
Listen: F85
वापस यात्रा के लिए बीमा करा लेना बेहतर होता है।
It's better to get insurance done for the return journey.
(vaapas yaatraa ke lie biimaa karaa lenaa behtar hotaa hai।)
Listen: F85
यदि वापस टिकट पहले ही बुक होता, तो इतनी परेशानी न होती।
If the return ticket had already been booked, there wouldn't have been so much trouble.
(yadi vaapas tikat pahle hii buk hotaa, to itnii pareshaanii n hotii।)
Listen: M85
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
वापस
(vaapas)