नीचा (niichaa)

adjective An adjective meaning 'low' or 'short in height', with an important figurative extension into social/moral 'lowness' seen in common idioms like नीचा दिखाना (niichaa dikhaanaa, 'to humiliate/show down').

Sense 1 : low, not high (physical height/level)

adjective

Synonyms: छोटा (chhotaa, scope: short/small, not always about height alone)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: You'll hear this constantly around the house: नीचा तकिया (niichaa takiyaa, 'a low pillow') or दरवाज़ा नीचा है (darvaazaa niichaa hai, 'the door is low') when someone almost bangs their head walking through an old haveli doorway.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for छोटा (chhotaa) to mean 'low' in height, but नीचा (niichaa) is the natural word for something being low to the ground or low in level, e.g. a low wall or low table, while छोटा (chhotaa) is about overall size.

Sample Sentences:

यह तकिया बहुत नीचा है। This pillow is very low.

(yah takiyaa bahut niichaa hai।)

इस हवेली का दरवाज़ा बहुत नीचा है, सिर झुका कर अंदर जाना पड़ता है। This haveli's door is very low, you have to bend your head to go inside.

(is havelii kaa darvaazaa bahut niichaa hai, sir jhukaa kar andar jaanaa padtaa hai।)

मेज़ को थोड़ा नीचा कर दो, बच्चे के लिए ऊँची है। Lower the table a bit, it's too high for the child.

(mez ko thodaa niichaa kar do, bachche ke lie oonchii hai।)

छत इतनी नीची थी कि मुझे झुक कर चलना पड़ा। The ceiling was so low that I had to walk bent over.

(chhat itnii niichii thii ki mujhe jhuk kar chalnaa padaa।)

अगर दीवार इतनी नीची न होती, तो बंदर कूद कर अंदर न आ पाता। If the wall hadn't been so low, the monkey wouldn't have been able to jump in.

(agar diivaar itnii niichii n hotii, to bandar kood kar andar n aa paataa।)

बादल इतने नीचे थे कि लग रहा था हाथ से छू लेंगे। The clouds were so low that it felt like we could touch them with our hands.

(baadal itne niiche the ki lag rahaa thaa haath se chhoo lenge।)

यह कुर्सी उस वाली से नीची है। This chair is lower than that one.

(yah kursii us vaalii se niichii hai।)

क्या हवाई जहाज़ इतना नीचा उड़ सकता है? Can an airplane fly this low?

(kyaa havaaii jahaaz itnaa niichaa ud saktaa hai?)

पुराने मकानों में अक्सर दरवाज़े नीचे बनाए जाते थे। In old houses, doors were often built low.

(puraane makaanon men aksar darvaaze niiche banaae jaate the।)

बिस्तर इतना नीचा रखो कि बच्चा गिर भी जाए तो चोट न लगे। Keep the bed so low that even if the child falls, they don't get hurt.

(bistar itnaa niichaa rakho ki bachchaa gir bhii jaae to chot n lage।)

सूरज अब काफ़ी नीचा हो चुका था। The sun had by now sunk quite low.

(sooraj ab kaafii niichaa ho chukaa thaa।)

Sense 2 : downcast, lowered (of eyes, head -- in fixed idiomatic phrases)

adjective Mainly appears fixed with सिर (sir, 'head') or आँखें (aankhen, 'eyes') and the verb करना/होना, as in सिर नीचा करना (sir niichaa karnaa, 'to lower one's head in shame').

Synonyms: झुका हुआ (jhukaa huaa)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: This is the emotional heart of the word: नीचा दिखाना (niichaa dikhaanaa, 'to make someone look down, i.e. to humiliate them') and सिर नीचा होना (sir niichaa honaa, 'to feel ashamed, head hung low') both frame shame as a physical lowering, exactly like English 'to be shamefaced', but Hindi builds it right into this one adjective.

Common Mistakes: 1) This is not really a free-standing sense on its own but shows up glued to fixed idioms about shame or humility; using नीचा (niichaa) loosely to mean 'sad' or 'depressed' outside these set phrases will sound off to a native speaker.

Sample Sentences:

उसने मुझे सबके सामने नीचा दिखाया। He humiliated me in front of everyone.

(usne mujhe sabke saamne niichaa dikhaayaa।)

यह हार करके मेरा सिर नीचा हो गया। This defeat made me hang my head in shame.

(yah haar karke meraa sir niichaa ho gayaa।)

वह शर्म से आँखें नीची किए बैठा था। He was sitting with his eyes lowered in shame.

(vah sharm se aankhen niichii kie baithaa thaa।)

कभी किसी को नीचा दिखाने की कोशिश मत करो। Never try to humiliate someone.

(kabhii kisii ko niichaa dikhaane kii koshish mat karo।)

अगर वह हार जाता, तो उसका सिर नीचा हो जाता। If he had lost, he would have been left hanging his head in shame.

(agar vah haar jaataa, to uskaa sir niichaa ho jaataa।)

बेटी की शादी में कोई कमी रह गई तो पिता का सिर नीचा हो जाएगा। If there is any shortfall at the daughter's wedding, the father's head will hang in shame.

(betii kii shaadii men koii kamii rah gaii to pitaa kaa sir niichaa ho jaaegaa।)

मैं नहीं चाहता कि तुम्हारी वजह से मेरा सिर नीचा हो। I don't want my head to hang in shame because of you.

(main nahiin chaahtaa ki tumhaarii vajah se meraa sir niichaa ho।)

प्रतियोगिता में हारने पर टीम का सिर नीचा कर दिया गया। Upon losing the competition, the team was made to hang its head in shame.

(pratiyogitaa men haarne par tiim kaa sir niichaa kar diyaa gayaa।)

वह अक्सर दूसरों को नीचा दिखाकर खुश होता है। He often finds happiness by humiliating others.

(vah aksar doosron ko niichaa dikhaakar khush hotaa hai।)

उसकी नज़रें नीची थीं, जैसे वह कुछ छिपा रहा हो। His eyes were lowered, as if he was hiding something.

(uskii nazren niichii thiin, jaise vah kuchh chhipaa rahaa ho।)

माँ-बाप का नाम मत डुबाना, वरना समाज में सिर नीचा हो जाएगा। Don't tarnish your parents' name, or your head will hang in shame before society.

(maan-baap kaa naam mat dubaanaa, varnaa samaaj men sir niichaa ho jaaegaa।)

Sense 3 : lowly, inferior, base (social/moral standing)

adjective

Synonyms: तुच्छ (tuchchh, formal), घटिया (ghatiyaa, colloquial)

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: This sense carries real social weight in Hindi -- नीच (niich, a related but distinct word) is the harsher caste-tinged insult, while नीचा (niichaa) used this way is milder, more about someone's conduct or standing feeling 'small' or 'base' than a fixed slur.

Sample Sentences:

उसने ऐसी नीची हरकत की कि सब हैरान रह गए। He did such a base thing that everyone was left stunned.

(usne aisii niichii harkat kii ki sab hairaan rah gae।)

पैसों के लिए दोस्तों को धोखा देना बहुत नीची बात है। Betraying friends for money is a very lowly thing to do.

(paison ke lie doston ko dhokhaa denaa bahut niichii baat hai।)

वह अपने आपको नीचा मत समझ, तूने कुछ गलत नहीं किया। Don't think of yourself as lowly, you haven't done anything wrong.

(vah apne aapko niichaa mat samajh, toone kuchh galat nahiin kiyaa।)

अगर वह ऐसा नीचा काम करता तो उसका परिवार उसे कभी माफ नहीं करता। If he had done such a base deed, his family would never have forgiven him.

(agar vah aisaa niichaa kaam kartaa to uskaa parivaar use kabhii maaph nahiin kartaa।)

समाज में उसे नीचा समझा जाता था, फिर भी उसने हार नहीं मानी। He was considered lowly in society, yet he did not give up.

(samaaj men use niichaa samjhaa jaataa thaa, phir bhii usne haar nahiin maanii।)

शायद उसकी परवरिश ऐसी रही हो कि वह इतनी नीची सोच रखता है। Maybe his upbringing was such that he holds such a base mindset.

(shaayad uskii paravrish aisii rahii ho ki vah itnii niichii soch rakhtaa hai।)

उसकी नीची हरकतों की वजह से उसे परिवार से बेदखल कर दिया गया। Because of his base actions, he was cast out from the family.

(uskii niichii harakton kii vajah se use parivaar se bedkhal kar diyaa gayaa।)

इतनी नीची राजनीति करना उसे शोभा नहीं देता। Playing such lowly politics does not suit him.

(itnii niichii raajniiti karnaa use shobhaa nahiin detaa।)

जो लोग दूसरों की मजबूरी का फायदा उठाते हैं, वे बड़े नीचे इंसान होते हैं। People who take advantage of others' helplessness are truly base human beings.

(jo log doosron kii majboorii kaa phaaydaa uthaate hain, ve bade niiche insaan hote hain।)

Morphology

Adjective (variable)

(sg.m): नीचा (niichaa)

(pl.m): नीचे (niiche)

(sg.f): नीची (niichii)

(pl.f): नीची (niichii)