बदमाश (badmaash)
adjective/noun
A common everyday word covering both a serious sense (crook, scoundrel, habitual troublemaker) and a much softer, affectionate sense (naughty, mischievous, cheeky), especially with kids. Also used as a noun for the person and as an adjective describing behavior.
Sense
1
:
naughty, mischievous
adjective
Synonyms: शरारती (sharaartii), नटखट (natkhat)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Ask any parent in Delhi about their toddler and you will likely hear बदमाश (badmaash) said with pure love -- 'ये बहुत बदमाश है' (ye bahut badmaash hai, 'this one is very naughty') is practically a badge of honor for a lively kid. The same word said about a stranger in a market, though, carries real suspicion.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often assume बदमाश (badmaash) is always an insult, but with children or close friends it is frequently said with a smile and affection, similar to calling someone a 'little rascal' in English. 2) Tone and context (smiling face, indulgent voice) matter more than the dictionary meaning in deciding whether it is teasing or truly critical.
Sample Sentences:
मेरा बेटा बहुत बदमाश है।
My son is very naughty.
(meraa betaa bahut badmaash hai।)
ये बच्चे बहुत बदमाश हैं, पूरे घर में उधम मचाते रहते हैं।
These kids are very naughty, they keep creating a ruckus all over the house.
(ye bachche bahut badmaash hain, poore ghar men udham machaate rahte hain।)
कल वो इतना बदमाश हो गया था कि सबका सिर घूम गया।
Yesterday he got so naughty that everyone's head was spinning.
(kal vo itnaa badmaash ho gayaa thaa ki sabkaa sir ghoom gayaa।)
अरे बदमाश, इधर आ तो!
Hey you naughty little thing, come here!
(are badmaash, idhar aa to!)
अगर वो थोड़ा भी बदमाश न होता तो जिंदगी में मज़ा ही न रहता।
If he weren't even a little naughty, life would have no fun left in it at all.
(agar vo thodaa bhii badmaash n hotaa to jindgii men mazaa hii n rahtaa।)
स्कूल में मेरी बेटी को सब बदमाश बुलाते हैं, पर टीचर उससे बहुत प्यार करती है।
Everyone calls my daughter naughty at school, but the teacher loves her a lot.
(skool men merii betii ko sab badmaash bulaate hain, par tiichar usse bahut pyaar kartii hai।)
इतना बदमाश मत बनो, थोड़ा शांत बैठो।
Don't be so naughty, sit still for a bit.
(itnaa badmaash mat bano, thodaa shaant baitho।)
उम्मीद है कि यह बच्चा बड़ा होकर इतना बदमाश न रहे।
I hope this child doesn't stay this naughty when he grows up.
(ummiid hai ki yah bachchaa badaa hokar itnaa badmaash n rahe।)
आपका बच्चा जितना बदमाश है, उतना ही प्यारा भी है।
Your child is as naughty as he is adorable.
(aapkaa bachchaa jitnaa badmaash hai, utnaa hii pyaaraa bhii hai।)
क्लास में सबसे बदमाश बच्चा टीचर के आगे एकदम शांत बन जाता है।
The naughtiest kid in class becomes totally quiet in front of the teacher.
(klaas men sabse badmaash bachchaa tiichar ke aage ekdam shaant ban jaataa hai।)
बचपन में मैं भी बहुत बदमाश हुआ करता था।
In my childhood, I too used to be very naughty.
(bachpan men main bhii bahut badmaash huaa kartaa thaa।)
Sense
2
:
a crook, scoundrel, or hoodlum
noun, masculine/feminine
Synonyms: गुंडा (gundaa), शरारती (sharaartii, mild, means merely mischievous), दुष्ट (dusht, stronger, implies wickedness)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the word you will hear in a local news report about a neighborhood troublemaker, or in a Bollywood dialogue when a hero warns off a villain's henchmen -- it sits comfortably between 'rogue' and 'goon' in tone.
Common Mistakes: 1) In this sense बदमाश (badmaash) is stronger than 'naughty' and implies actual bad character or petty criminality -- context (calling the police, describing a news story) signals this serious reading rather than the affectionate one.
Sample Sentences:
वो आदमी बहुत बड़ा बदमाश है।
That man is a real scoundrel.
(vo aadmii bahut badaa badmaash hai।)
पुलिस ने कल रात दो बदमाशों को पकड़ा।
The police caught two crooks last night.
(pulis ne kal raat do badmaashon ko pakdaa।)
इस मोहल्ले में बदमाशों का आना-जाना लगा रहता है।
Scoundrels are always coming and going in this neighborhood.
(is mohalle men badmaashon kaa aanaa-jaanaa lagaa rahtaa hai।)
अरे बदमाश, यहाँ से निकल जा!
Hey scoundrel, get out of here!
(are badmaash, yahaan se nikal jaa!)
फिल्म का हीरो उन बदमाशों को धमका रहा था।
The movie's hero was threatening those goons.
(philm kaa hiiro un badmaashon ko dhamkaa rahaa thaa।)
खबरों में बताया गया कि इलाके का एक बदमाश गिरफ्तार किया गया।
It was reported in the news that a local hoodlum was arrested.
(khabron men bataayaa gayaa ki ilaake kaa ek badmaash giraphtaar kiyaa gayaa।)
अगर वो सच में बदमाश होता, तो अब तक जेल में होता।
If he really were a scoundrel, he would have been in jail by now.
(agar vo sach men badmaash hotaa, to ab tak jel men hotaa।)
हो सकता है वो बदमाश निकले, इसलिए सावधान रहना।
He might turn out to be a crook, so stay careful.
(ho saktaa hai vo badmaash nikle, islie saavdhaan rahnaa।)
शहर के सबसे बड़े बदमाश को आज कोर्ट में पेश किया जाएगा।
The city's biggest crook will be presented in court today.
(shahar ke sabse bade badmaash ko aaj kort men pesh kiyaa jaaegaa।)
बदमाशों की एक टोली रात को गली में घूम रही थी।
A gang of goons was roaming the street at night.
(badmaashon kii ek tolii raat ko galii men ghoom rahii thii।)
उस बदमाश ने दुकानदार से जबरन पैसे वसूले।
That hoodlum extorted money from the shopkeeper by force.
(us badmaash ne dukaandaar se jabran paise vasoole।)
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
बदमाश
(badmaash)
Noun
(sg.m/f.direct):
बदमाश
(badmaash)
(sg.m/f.oblique):
बदमाश
(badmaash)
(pl.m/f.direct):
बदमाशें
(badmaashen)
(pl.m/f.oblique):
बदमाशों
(badmaashon)