बढ़कर (badhkar)
adverb/verb
The conjunctive-participle form of बढ़ना (badhnaa, 'to increase/advance'), used on its own as an adverb/adjective-like word meaning 'exceeding' or 'more than', especially in the fixed phrase से बढ़कर (se badhkar, 'more than, superior to').
Sense
1
:
exceeding, more than (in comparisons)
adverb Occurs almost always after से (se) attached to the thing being surpassed: X से बढ़कर Y (X se badhkar Y, 'Y is greater/better than X').
Synonyms: ज़्यादा (zyaadaa), अधिक (adhik, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear सबसे बढ़कर (sabse badhkar, 'most importantly, above all') constantly in spoken Hindi when someone is about to name the single most important point, much like English speakers say 'above all' or 'most importantly' -- it's a great phrase to have ready-made in your active vocabulary.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to build comparatives here the way they would with ज़्यादा (zyaadaa) alone, forgetting that बढ़कर (badhkar) needs से (se) on the noun being compared -- सबसे बढ़कर (sabse badhkar, 'above all, most of all') is the most common fixed pattern and is worth memorizing as a chunk. 2) Because it looks like a verb form, learners sometimes try to conjugate it for tense or agreement, but in this adverbial use it stays frozen regardless of subject.
Sample Sentences:
सबसे बढ़कर, उसने हमेशा सच बोला।
Most importantly, he always told the truth.
(sabse badhkar, usne hameshaa sach bolaa।)
मेरे लिए मेरे बच्चे किसी भी चीज़ से बढ़कर हैं।
For me, my children are more important than anything else.
(mere lie mere bachche kisii bhii chiiz se badhkar hain।)
सेहत से बढ़कर कुछ नहीं होता।
Nothing is more important than health.
(sehat se badhkar kuchh nahiin hotaa।)
सबसे बढ़कर, अपने माता-पिता का सम्मान करो।
Above all, respect your parents.
(sabse badhkar, apne maataa-pitaa kaa sammaan karo।)
क्या ईमानदारी से बढ़कर भी कोई गुण हो सकता है?
Could there even be a virtue greater than honesty?
(kyaa iimaandaarii se badhkar bhii koii gun ho saktaa hai?)
इस टीम का जोश बाकी सबसे बढ़कर था।
This team's enthusiasm exceeded everyone else's.
(is tiim kaa josh baakii sabse badhkar thaa।)
अगर मुझे मौका मिलता, तो मैं सबसे बढ़कर अपने गाँव की मदद करता।
If I got the chance, I would help my village above all else.
(agar mujhe maukaa miltaa, to main sabse badhkar apne gaanv kii madad kartaa।)
महोदय, आपकी सेवाएँ किसी भी पुरस्कार से बढ़कर हैं।
Sir, your services are worth more than any award.
(mahoday, aapkii sevaaen kisii bhii puraskaar se badhkar hain।)
उसकी बहादुरी सबसे बढ़कर याद रखी जाएगी।
Above all, his bravery will be remembered.
(uskii bahaadurii sabse badhkar yaad rakhii jaaegii।)
सबसे बढ़कर, समय की कीमत समझो।
Most importantly, understand the value of time.
(sabse badhkar, samay kii kiimat samjho।)
प्रेम से बढ़कर इस संसार में कोई शक्ति नहीं है।
There is no power in this world greater than love.
(prem se badhkar is sansaar men koii shakti nahiin hai।)
Sense
2
:
having increased, having advanced (conjunctive participle)
verb, intransitive This is the plain conjunctive-participle use of बढ़ना (badhnaa) -- 'having increased/advanced' -- linking two clauses, e.g. दाम बढ़कर दोगुने हो गए (daam badhkar dogune ho gae, 'the prices increased and doubled'). It shares its form with the adverbial sense above but functions as an ordinary verbal participle, not a fixed comparative marker.
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This use is just the ordinary participle of बढ़ना (badhnaa) doing normal verb work -- worth noticing that the same shape बढ़कर (badhkar) does double duty as both a literal 'having increased' and the fixed comparative adverb above, so context tells you which job it's doing.
Sample Sentences:
कीमतें बढ़कर दोगुनी हो गई हैं।
Prices have increased and become double.
(kiimten badhkar dogunii ho gaii hain।)
नदी का पानी बढ़कर सड़कों पर आ गया।
The river's water rose and came onto the streets.
(nadii kaa paanii badhkar sadkon par aa gayaa।)
उसका बुखार बढ़कर एक सौ चार डिग्री तक पहुँच गया।
His fever rose and reached one hundred and four degrees.
(uskaa bukhaar badhkar ek sau chaar digrii tak pahunch gayaa।)
कंपनी का मुनाफा बढ़कर पिछले साल से कहीं ज़्यादा हो गया है।
The company's profit has increased and become much more than last year.
(kampnii kaa munaaphaa badhkar pichhle saal se kahiin zyaadaa ho gayaa hai।)
अगर महँगाई बढ़कर इस स्तर तक पहुँच जाती, तो लोग परेशान हो जाते।
If inflation had increased and reached this level, people would have been troubled.
(agar mahangaaii badhkar is star tak pahunch jaatii, to log pareshaan ho jaate।)
बच्चे की लंबाई बढ़कर अब उसके पिता के बराबर हो गई है।
The child's height has increased and is now equal to his father's.
(bachche kii lambaaii badhkar ab uske pitaa ke baraabar ho gaii hai।)
शायद जनसंख्या बढ़कर अगले दस सालों में दोगुनी हो जाए।
Perhaps the population will increase and become double in the next ten years.
(shaayad jansankhyaa badhkar agle das saalon men dogunii ho jaae।)
शेयर बाज़ार में तेज़ी बढ़कर एक नया रिकॉर्ड बना गई।
The rally in the stock market increased and set a new record.
(sheyar baazaar men tezii badhkar ek nayaa rikord banaa gaii।)
गर्मी बढ़कर असहनीय हो जाती है, इसलिए हम दोपहर में बाहर नहीं निकलते।
The heat increases and becomes unbearable, so we don't go out in the afternoon.
(garmii badhkar asahniiy ho jaatii hai, islie ham dopahar men baahar nahiin nikalte।)
Morphology
Verb
infinitive:
बढ़कर
(badhkar)
infinitive oblique:
बढ़कने
(badhakne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
बढ़कता
(badhaktaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
बढ़कते
(badhakte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
बढ़कती
(badhaktii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
बढ़कतीं
(badhaktiin)
continuous (sg.m):
बढ़क रहा
(badhak rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
बढ़क रहे
(badhak rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
बढ़क रही
(badhak rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
बढ़क रहीं
(badhak rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
बढ़का
(badhkaa)
perfective (pl.m):
बढ़के
(badhke)
perfective (sg.f):
बढ़की
(badhkii)
perfective (pl.f):
बढ़कीं
(badhkiin)
imperative (informal):
बढ़क
(badhak)
imperative (neutral):
बढ़को
(badhko)
imperative (formal):
बढ़किए
(badhkie)
future (1sg.m):
बढ़कूँगा
(badhkoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
बढ़कूँगी
(badhkoongii)
future (1pl.m):
बढ़केंगे
(badhkenge)
future (1pl.f):
बढ़केंगी
(badhkengii)
future (2sg.m):
बढ़केगा
(badhkegaa)
future (2sg.f):
बढ़केगी
(badhkegii)
future (2pl.m):
बढ़कोगे
(badhkoge)
future (2pl.f):
बढ़कोगी
(badhkogii)
future (3sg.m):
बढ़केगा
(badhkegaa)
future (3sg.f):
बढ़केगी
(badhkegii)
future (3pl.m):
बढ़केंगे
(badhkenge)
future (3pl.f):
बढ़केंगी
(badhkengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
बढ़कूँ
(badhkoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
बढ़कें
(badhken)
subjunctive (2sg):
बढ़के
(badhke)
subjunctive (2pl):
बढ़को
(badhko)
subjunctive (3sg):
बढ़के
(badhke)
subjunctive (3pl):
बढ़कें
(badhken)