साढ़े (saadhe)
numeral
A fixed word used only in front of a number to mean 'and a half' (as in three and a half, five and a half). It always precedes the number it modifies -- साढ़े तीन (saadhe tiin, 'three and a half') -- and does not change form.
Sense
1
:
and a half (used before a number)
numeral Placed immediately before the number it modifies: साढ़े चार (saadhe chaar, 'four and a half'), साढ़े नौ बजे (saadhe nau baje, 'at half past nine'). Note the special forms डेढ़ (dedh, 'one and a half') and ढाई (dhaaii, 'two and a half') replace साढ़े for one and two -- there is no साढ़े एक (saadhe ek) or साढ़े दो (saadhe do) in standard usage.
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear this constantly around clock time and prices in daily Delhi life -- साढ़े आठ बजे (saadhe aath baje, 'at half past eight') for a meeting time, or साढ़े तीन सौ रुपये (saadhe tiin sau rupye, 'three hundred fifty rupees') while bargaining at a market. Once you have डेढ़ (dedh) and ढाई (dhaaii) down for one and a half and two and a half, साढ़े is simply the regular pattern for everything above that.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try साढ़े एक (saadhe ek) or साढ़े दो (saadhe do) for 'one and a half' and 'two and a half' -- these are wrong; Hindi uses the irregular words डेढ़ (dedh) and ढाई (dhaaii) instead, and साढ़े only kicks in from three onward. 2) Word order surprises learners at first: साढ़े comes before the number, not after, matching neither literal English word order nor a postposition pattern.
Sample Sentences:
हमारी मीटिंग साढ़े आठ बजे है।
Our meeting is at half past eight.
(hamaarii miiting saadhe aath baje hai।)
दुकानदार ने साढ़े तीन सौ रुपये माँगे।
The shopkeeper asked for three hundred fifty rupees.
(dukaandaar ne saadhe tiin sau rupye maange।)
क्या तुम साढ़े छह बजे तक तैयार हो जाओगे?
Will you be ready by half past six?
(kyaa tum saadhe chhah baje tak taiyaar ho jaaoge?)
ट्रेन साढ़े नौ बजे स्टेशन से निकलती है।
The train leaves the station at half past nine.
(tren saadhe nau baje steshan se nikaltii hai।)
अगर वह साढ़े पाँच बजे निकलता, तो समय पर पहुँच जाता।
If he had left at half past five, he would have arrived on time.
(agar vah saadhe paanch baje nikaltaa, to samay par pahunch jaataa।)
कृपया साढ़े दस बजे तक रिपोर्ट जमा कर दें।
Please submit the report by half past ten.
(kripyaa saadhe das baje tak riport jamaa kar den।)
यह मकान साढ़े बीस लाख में बिका था।
This house was sold for twenty and a half lakh.
(yah makaan saadhe biis laakh men bikaa thaa।)
शायद फ्लाइट साढ़े ग्यारह बजे उड़े।
Perhaps the flight will take off at half past eleven.
(shaayad phlaait saadhe gyaarah baje ude।)
बच्चे रोज़ साढ़े सात बजे स्कूल जाते हैं।
The children go to school at half past seven every day.
(bachche roz saadhe saat baje skool jaate hain।)
जब मैं पहुँचा, घड़ी साढ़े बारह बजा रही थी।
When I arrived, the clock was striking half past twelve.
(jab main pahunchaa, ghadii saadhe baarah bajaa rahii thii।)
इस साड़ी की कीमत साढ़े चार हज़ार रुपये रखी गई है।
The price of this saree has been set at four thousand five hundred rupees.
(is saadii kii kiimat saadhe chaar hazaar rupye rakhii gaii hai।)