सवा (savaa)
numeral
सवा (savaa) is an invariant numeral meaning 'one and a quarter' -- used before a unit (time, weight, currency, number) to mean 'that unit plus a quarter more.' It pairs naturally with साढ़े (saadhe, 'and a half') and पौने (paune, 'a quarter less than') in the same time/quantity system.
Sense
1
:
one and a quarter (of a unit)
numeral Placed directly before the unit noun or number it modifies: सवा घंटा (savaa ghantaa, 'an hour and a quarter'), सवा दो किलो (savaa do kilo, 'two and a quarter kilos'). Unlike ordinary numerals, सवा (savaa) itself never inflects.
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This word lives mostly in everyday talk about time and shopping: सवा बजे है (savaa baje hai, 'it's a quarter past the hour') is something you hear constantly in Delhi markets and offices when people are fixing a meeting time. It belongs to a neat little family with साढ़े (saadhe, 'half past/plus') and पौने (paune, 'quarter to') -- once you learn all three, telling time and quantities in Hindi becomes much more natural than doing the math yourself.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to say 'one and a quarter' as एक और चौथाई (ek aur chauthaaii) instead of the single word सवा (savaa) -- Hindi has a dedicated word here, so the literal English calque sounds foreign. 2) When used with numbers above one, सवा (savaa) attaches to the *next* whole number, not the current one -- सवा दो (savaa do) means 2.25, not 1.25, which trips learners doing quick math in their head.
Sample Sentences:
अभी सवा दस बजे हैं।
It's a quarter past ten right now.
(abhii savaa das baje hain।)
मीटिंग सवा तीन बजे शुरू होगी।
The meeting will start at a quarter past three.
(miiting savaa tiin baje shuroo hogii।)
उसने मुझे सवा पाँच किलो आटा दिया।
He gave me five and a quarter kilos of flour.
(usne mujhe savaa paanch kilo aataa diyaa।)
कृपया सवा नौ बजे तक पहुँच जाइए।
Please arrive by a quarter past nine.
(kripyaa savaa nau baje tak pahunch jaaie।)
अगर ट्रेन सवा दो बजे आती तो हम समय पर पहुँच जाते।
If the train had come at a quarter past two, we would have arrived on time.
(agar tren savaa do baje aatii to ham samay par pahunch jaate।)
दुकानदार ने सवा किलो चीनी तोल दी।
The shopkeeper weighed out a quarter more than a kilo of sugar.
(dukaandaar ne savaa kilo chiinii tol dii।)
क्या तुम सवा सात बजे तैयार रहोगे?
Will you be ready at a quarter past seven?
(kyaa tum savaa saat baje taiyaar rahoge?)
मुझे लगता है अभी सवा बारह बज रहे होंगे।
I think it must be a quarter past twelve right now.
(mujhe lagtaa hai abhii savaa baarah baj rahe honge।)
पंडित जी ने कहा कि पूजा सवा ग्यारह बजे शुरू होनी चाहिए।
The priest said the worship should begin at a quarter past eleven.
(pandit jii ne kahaa ki poojaa savaa gyaarah baje shuroo honii chaahie।)
बस सवा एक बजे निकलती है, ऐसा उसने बताया।
The bus leaves at a quarter past one, that's what he told me.
(bas savaa ek baje nikaltii hai, aisaa usne bataayaa।)
गेहूँ सवा मन बिका था इस बार।
The wheat sold for a quarter mound more this time.
(gehoon savaa man bikaa thaa is baar।)