जाली (jaalii)
adjective/noun
Two main threads: a noun meaning a net/mesh/lattice screen (jaalii as in a window screen or grille), and an adjective meaning fake/counterfeit/forged. The adjective sense is far more commonly encountered in everyday speech and news.
Sense
1
:
fake, counterfeit, forged
adjective
Synonyms: नकली (naklii), बनावटी (banaavtii, slightly more 'artificial/put-on' in feel)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the word you'll hear on the evening news whenever there's a story about counterfeit currency, fake degrees, or forged property papers -- जाली डिग्री (jaalii digrii, 'fake degree') and जाली नोट (jaalii not, 'counterfeit note') are everyday headline phrases in India. It carries a slightly more official/legal flavor than नकली (naklii), which leans more toward everyday fake goods (जाली सामान (jaalii saamaan) also happens, but नकली सामान (naklii saamaan) is more natural for market-stall knockoffs).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for नकली (naklii) as an automatic substitute in every context, but जाली (jaalii) is the strong default specifically for forged documents, currency, and signatures -- जाली नोट (jaalii not, 'fake/counterfeit note') and जाली हस्ताक्षर (jaalii hastaakshar, 'forged signature') are the collocations you'll hear constantly in news and police contexts. 2) Do not confuse this जाली with the noun जाली (jaalii) meaning a mesh screen -- they are unrelated in daily use despite being spelled identically.
Sample Sentences:
बाजार में जाली नोट पकड़े गए हैं।
Counterfeit notes have been caught in the market.
(baajaar men jaalii not pakde gae hain।)
उसने जाली डिग्री के सहारे नौकरी पा ली थी।
He had gotten the job with the help of a fake degree.
(usne jaalii digrii ke sahaare naukrii paa lii thii।)
पुलिस जाली पासपोर्ट बनाने वाले गिरोह की तलाश कर रही है।
The police are searching for the gang that makes fake passports.
(pulis jaalii paasport banaane vaale giroh kii talaash kar rahii hai।)
यह हस्ताक्षर जाली लगता है, ज़रा फिर से देखो।
This signature looks fake, take another look.
(yah hastaakshar jaalii lagtaa hai, zaraa phir se dekho।)
अगर संपत्ति के कागज़ जाली निकले तो सौदा रद्द हो जाएगा।
If the property papers turn out to be forged, the deal will be cancelled.
(agar sampatti ke kaagaz jaalii nikle to saudaa radd ho jaaegaa।)
काश उसके पास जाली मार्कशीट न होती तो आज यह मुसीबत न आती।
If only he hadn't had a fake marksheet, this trouble wouldn't have come today.
(kaash uske paas jaalii maarkshiit n hotii to aaj yah musiibat n aatii।)
जाली दस्तावेज़ों के आधार पर लोन मंज़ूर नहीं किया जाता।
Loans are not approved on the basis of forged documents.
(jaalii dastaavezon ke aadhaar par lon manzoor nahiin kiyaa jaataa।)
जाली नोट देखते ही दुकानदार ने ग्राहक को पकड़ लिया।
As soon as he saw the counterfeit note, the shopkeeper caught the customer.
(jaalii not dekhte hii dukaandaar ne graahak ko pakad liyaa।)
कृपया जाली दवाइयों से सावधान रहें।
Please stay alert about fake medicines.
(kripyaa jaalii davaaiyon se saavdhaan rahen।)
कंपनी पर जाली बिल बनाकर टैक्स चोरी करने का आरोप है।
The company is accused of evading tax by creating fake bills.
(kampnii par jaalii bil banaakar taiks chorii karne kaa aarop hai।)
इतनी सफ़ाई से जाली मुद्रा छापी गई थी कि असली-नकली पहचानना मुश्किल था।
The counterfeit currency had been printed so cleanly that it was hard to tell real from fake.
(itnii safaaii se jaalii mudraa chhaapii gaii thii ki aslii-naklii pahchaannaa mushkil thaa।)
Sense
2
:
net, mesh, lattice screen (e.g. window screen, grille)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: जालीदार खिड़की (jaaliidaar khidkii, specifically 'lattice window', narrower)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Think of the beautifully carved stone lattice screens at places like Fatehpur Sikri or Humayun's Tomb -- those are जाली (jaalii) work, and the word is still used today for the wire mesh on a window (खिड़की पर जाली लगी है, khidkii par jaalii lagii hai, 'there's a screen on the window') that keeps mosquitoes out in Delhi summers.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes mix this up with जाल (jaal, 'net/web/trap' as in a fishing net or spider's web) -- जाली (jaalii) is more the fine woven or perforated screen/lattice you see on windows, doors, or in mosque/tomb architecture (like the famous stone जालियाँ (jaaliyaan) at Mughal monuments), while जाल (jaal) is the broader/coarser net or trap.
Sample Sentences:
खिड़की पर जाली लगी है ताकि मच्छर अंदर न आएँ।
There's a mesh screen on the window so mosquitoes don't come inside.
(khidkii par jaalii lagii hai taaki machchhar andar n aaen।)
फतेहपुर सीकरी की पत्थर की जाली देखकर मैं दंग रह गया।
I was stunned seeing the stone lattice screen at Fatehpur Sikri.
(phatehpur siikrii kii patthar kii jaalii dekhkar main dang rah gayaa।)
गर्मियों में हर कमरे की खिड़की पर जाली लगवा लो।
Get a mesh screen fitted on every room's window in summer.
(garmiyon men har kamre kii khidkii par jaalii lagvaa lo।)
दरवाज़े की जाली में एक कीड़ा फँस गया है।
An insect has gotten stuck in the door's mesh screen.
(darvaaze kii jaalii men ek kiidaa phans gayaa hai।)
हुमायूँ के मक़बरे की जालियों से सूरज की रोशनी अंदर छनकर आती है।
Sunlight filters inside through the lattice screens of Humayun's Tomb.
(humaayoon ke maqabre kii jaaliyon se sooraj kii roshnii andar chhankar aatii hai।)
अगर बालकनी में जाली होती तो बच्चा गिरने से बच जाता।
If there had been a safety mesh on the balcony, the child would have avoided falling.
(agar baalaknii men jaalii hotii to bachchaa girne se bach jaataa।)
मिस्त्री ने रसोई की खिड़की पर नई जाली चढ़ा दी।
The workman fitted a new mesh screen on the kitchen window.
(mistrii ne rasoii kii khidkii par naii jaalii chadhaa dii।)
क्या तुम बाज़ार से जाली का एक टुकड़ा ला सकते हो?
Could you bring a piece of mesh from the market?
(kyaa tum baazaar se jaalii kaa ek tukdaa laa sakte ho?)
पुराने हवेली की जाली वाली खिड़कियाँ अब भी बहुत सुंदर लगती हैं।
The old mansion's lattice-screen windows still look very beautiful.
(puraane havelii kii jaalii vaalii khidkiyaan ab bhii bahut sundar lagtii hain।)
उस मस्जिद की संगमरमरी जाली सदियों से मौसम की मार सहती रही है।
That mosque's marble lattice screen has been enduring the ravages of weather for centuries.
(us masjid kii sangamramrii jaalii sadiyon se mausam kii maar sahtii rahii hai।)
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
जाली
(jaalii)
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
जाली
(jaalii)
(sg.f.oblique):
जाली
(jaalii)
(pl.f.direct):
जालियाँ
(jaaliyaan)
(pl.f.oblique):
जालियों
(jaaliyon)