अलग (alag)

adjective/adverb अलग (alag) is a common invariant adjective meaning 'separate' or 'different'; it also functions as an adverb meaning 'separately/apart' and appears in several everyday compound-verb-like phrases such as अलग करना (alag karnaa) and अलग होना (alag honaa).

Sense 1 : different, distinct

adjective

Synonyms: भिन्न (bhinn, formal), विभिन्न (vibhinn, formal, used before plural/collective nouns)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: You'll hear this constantly in Delhi markets and homes: यह उससे अलग है (yah usse alag hai, 'this is different from that') is the everyday way to distinguish two options, whether it's two kurtas or two opinions in a family argument.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to inflect अलग (alag) like कड़ा (kadaa), giving wrong forms like अलगा (algaa) or अलगी (algii) -- it never changes form regardless of the noun's gender or number. 2) When comparing two things, the pattern is X से अलग (X se alag, 'different from X'), not X से अलग है की (X se alag hai kii) style constructions learners sometimes attempt by analogy with English 'different that'.

Sample Sentences:

यह किताब उस किताब से अलग है। This book is different from that book.

(yah kitaab us kitaab se alag hai।)

हर इंसान की सोच अलग होती है। Every person's thinking is different.

(har insaan kii soch alag hotii hai।)

दिल्ली और मुंबई की संस्कृति बिल्कुल अलग है। Delhi's and Mumbai's culture is completely different.

(dillii aur mumbaii kii sanskriti bilkul alag hai।)

पिछले साल हालात कुछ अलग थे। Last year the circumstances were a bit different.

(pichhle saal haalaat kuchh alag the।)

अगर तुम मेहनत करते तो नतीजा अलग होता। If you had worked hard, the result would have been different.

(agar tum mehnat karte to natiijaa alag hotaa।)

काश मेरी किस्मत थोड़ी अलग होती। If only my luck were a little different.

(kaash merii kismat thodii alag hotii।)

यह डिज़ाइन बाकी सबसे अलग लगेगा। This design will seem different from all the rest.

(yah dizaain baakii sabse alag lagegaa।)

मुझे कुछ अलग सा महसूस हो रहा है। I'm feeling something a bit different.

(mujhe kuchh alag saa mahsoos ho rahaa hai।)

दोनों भाइयों के विचार बचपन से ही अलग रहे हैं। The two brothers' opinions have been different since childhood.

(donon bhaaiyon ke vichaar bachpan se hii alag rahe hain।)

हर धर्म का रीति-रिवाज अलग माना जाता है। Every religion's customs are considered different.

(har dharm kaa riiti-rivaaj alag maanaa jaataa hai।)

यह उससे अलग है, इसमें कोई शक नहीं। This is different from that, there's no doubt about it.

(yah usse alag hai, ismen koii shak nahiin।)

Sense 2 : separate, apart (physically or in a group)

adjective

Synonyms: पृथक (prithak, literary/formal)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: This is the sense behind अलग रहना (alag rahnaa, 'to live separately'), often heard when a joint family discusses grown sons moving into their own homes -- a very real and common topic in North Indian households.

Sample Sentences:

शादी के बाद वह अपने माँ-बाप से अलग रहता है। After marriage, he lives separately from his parents.

(shaadii ke baad vah apne maan-baap se alag rahtaa hai।)

दोनों भाइयों ने फैसला किया कि वे अलग रहेंगे। Both brothers decided that they would live separately.

(donon bhaaiyon ne phaislaa kiyaa ki ve alag rahenge।)

इन दोनों कुर्सियों को थोड़ा अलग कर दो। Move these two chairs a little apart.

(in donon kursiyon ko thodaa alag kar do।)

अगर हम अलग रहते तो शायद इतने झगड़े न होते। If we had lived separately, maybe there wouldn't have been so many fights.

(agar ham alag rahte to shaayad itne jhagde n hote।)

बच्चों को उनके माँ-बाप से अलग कर दिया गया। The children were separated from their parents.

(bachchon ko unke maan-baap se alag kar diyaa gayaa।)

बेटा बड़ा हो गया है, अब वह अलग घर लेना चाहता है। The son has grown up; now he wants to take a separate house.

(betaa badaa ho gayaa hai, ab vah alag ghar lenaa chaahtaa hai।)

क्या तुम अपने पति से अलग रह रही हो? Are you living separately from your husband?

(kyaa tum apne pati se alag rah rahii ho?)

उसने अपना सामान बाकी सबसे अलग रखा हुआ है। He has kept his belongings apart from everyone else's.

(usne apnaa saamaan baakii sabse alag rakhaa huaa hai।)

परिवार की पंचायत में यह सुझाव आया कि बड़ा बेटा अलग रहे। In the family council, the suggestion came up that the eldest son should live separately.

(parivaar kii panchaayat men yah sujhaav aayaa ki badaa betaa alag rahe।)

जब बंटवारा हुआ, तो सारी जमीन दोनों भाइयों के बीच अलग-अलग बाँट दी गई। When the partition happened, all the land was divided up separately between the two brothers.

(jab bantvaaraa huaa, to saarii jamiin donon bhaaiyon ke biich alag-alag baant dii gaii।)

बहू चाहती थी कि ससुराल वालों से अलग एक छोटा-सा घर हो। The daughter-in-law wanted there to be a small house, separate from her in-laws.

(bahoo chaahtii thii ki sasuraal vaalon se alag ek chhotaa-saa ghar ho।)

Sense 3 : separately, apart, aside

adverb Functions adverbially with verbs like रखना (rakhnaa) and करना (karnaa), e.g. इसे अलग रख दो (ise alag rakh do, 'keep this aside').

Synonyms: अलग से (alag se, common variant with से)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: At a roadside dhaba you'll often hear रोटी अलग से लगेगी (rotii alag se lagegii, 'the roti will be charged separately/extra') -- a very practical, real-life use of this word every visitor to India should know.

Common Mistakes: 1) अलग से (alag se) often means 'additionally, on top of that' rather than just 'separately' -- e.g. ordering something अलग से (alag se) at a dhaba can mean 'as an extra item', which surprises learners expecting only a spatial meaning.

Sample Sentences:

रोटी अलग से लगेगी। The roti will be charged separately.

(rotii alag se lagegii।)

कृपया इस सामान को अलग रख दीजिए। Please keep this item aside.

(kripyaa is saamaan ko alag rakh diijie।)

मैं हर महीने कुछ पैसे अलग रखता हूँ। I set aside some money separately every month.

(main har mahiine kuchh paise alag rakhtaa hoon।)

बिल में टैक्स अलग से जोड़ा जाता है। Tax is added separately in the bill.

(bil men taiks alag se jodaa jaataa hai।)

उसने अपने कपड़े बाकी सामान से अलग रख दिए। He kept his clothes aside from the rest of the luggage.

(usne apne kapde baakii saamaan se alag rakh die।)

अगर डिलीवरी चार्ज अलग से लगता तो मैं यह ऑर्डर नहीं करता। If the delivery charge had been added separately, I would not have placed this order.

(agar diliivrii chaarj alag se lagtaa to main yah ordar nahiin kartaa।)

क्या आप मिठाई अलग से पैक कर सकते हैं? Can you pack the sweets separately?

(kyaa aap mithaaii alag se paik kar sakte hain?)

हो सकता है कि यह मुद्दा अलग से उठाया जाए। It's possible that this issue will be raised separately.

(ho saktaa hai ki yah muddaa alag se uthaayaa jaae।)

चावल और दाल को अलग-अलग बनाना बेहतर है। It's better to cook the rice and lentils separately.

(chaaval aur daal ko alag-alag banaanaa behtar hai।)

बच्चों और बड़ों के लिए बैठने की व्यवस्था अलग से की गई थी। Separate seating arrangements had been made for the children and the adults.

(bachchon aur badon ke lie baithne kii vyavasthaa alag se kii gaii thii।)

वह हमेशा काम और घर की बातें अलग रखती है। She always keeps work and home matters separate.

(vah hameshaa kaam aur ghar kii baaten alag rakhtii hai।)

Morphology

Adjective (invariant)

invariant: अलग (alag)