अमीर (amiir)
adjective/noun
Mainly an adjective meaning 'rich, wealthy'; also used as a noun for a wealthy person, and historically as a title for a Muslim noble or chieftain.
Sense
1
:
rich, wealthy
adjective
Synonyms: धनी (dhanii), दौलतमंद (daulatmand), संपन्न (sampann, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the everyday word Delhi-ites reach for when gossiping about someone's money -- अमीर लोग (amiir log, 'rich people') is a very common phrase. It pairs naturally in the classic contrast अमीर और गरीब (amiir aur gariib, 'rich and poor'), a phrase you'll hear constantly in news, songs, and everyday moralizing about inequality.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse अमीर (amiir) with बड़ा (badaa, 'big/great') when trying to say someone is 'well-off' -- अमीर (amiir) specifically points to money/wealth, not size, status, or greatness in general. 2) It describes people (or their lifestyle), not objects being expensive -- for an expensive item, महँगा (mahangaa) is used instead, not अमीर (amiir).
Sample Sentences:
वह बहुत अमीर आदमी है।
He is a very rich man.
(vah bahut amiir aadmii hai।)
इस शहर में अमीर लोग बड़े-बड़े घरों में रहते हैं।
In this city, rich people live in huge houses.
(is shahar men amiir log bade-bade gharon men rahte hain।)
अमीर और गरीब के बीच फर्क दिन-ब-दिन बढ़ रहा है।
The gap between rich and poor is growing day by day.
(amiir aur gariib ke biich phark din-b-din badh rahaa hai।)
शादी के बाद उसकी किस्मत बदल गई और वह अमीर बन गया।
After the marriage his luck changed and he became rich.
(shaadii ke baad uskii kismat badal gaii aur vah amiir ban gayaa।)
अगर मैं अमीर होता तो दुनिया घूमता।
If I were rich, I would travel the world.
(agar main amiir hotaa to duniyaa ghoomtaa।)
काश हम भी अमीर होते।
I wish we were rich too.
(kaash ham bhii amiir hote।)
सरकार को अमीर और गरीब दोनों के लिए बराबर नीतियाँ बनानी चाहिए।
The government should make equal policies for both the rich and the poor.
(sarkaar ko amiir aur gariib donon ke lie baraabar niitiyaan banaanii chaahie।)
मेहनत करो, शायद तुम भी एक दिन अमीर बन जाओ।
Work hard, maybe you'll become rich too someday.
(mehnat karo, shaayad tum bhii ek din amiir ban jaao।)
इस मुहल्ले में सिर्फ अमीर परिवारों के बच्चे इस स्कूल में पढ़ते हैं।
In this neighborhood, only children from rich families study at this school.
(is muhalle men sirph amiir parivaaron ke bachche is skool men padhte hain।)
फिल्मों में अक्सर अमीर लोगों को घमंडी दिखाया जाता है।
In movies, rich people are often shown as arrogant.
(philmon men aksar amiir logon ko ghamandii dikhaayaa jaataa hai।)
पहले वह मामूली दुकानदार था, अब बहुत अमीर हो गया है।
He used to be an ordinary shopkeeper before, now he has become very rich.
(pahle vah maamoolii dukaandaar thaa, ab bahut amiir ho gayaa hai।)
Sense
2
:
a rich person, a wealthy man
noun, masculine Used as a noun when referring to 'the rich' or 'a rich man' as a category of person, often in the plural अमीर लोग (amiir log, 'rich people') or contrastively with गरीब (gariib, 'poor person').
Synonyms: धनी व्यक्ति (dhanii vyakti), दौलतमंद (daulatmand)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll often hear this noun use in the same breath as its adjective use, since अमीर (amiir) slides easily between describing a person and naming them as a type -- much like 'rich' can work as both adjective and noun in casual English ('the rich and the poor').
Sample Sentences:
अमीर हमेशा खुश नहीं होते।
Rich people are not always happy.
(amiir hameshaa khush nahiin hote।)
इस शहर में अमीरों की कोई कमी नहीं है।
There is no shortage of rich people in this city.
(is shahar men amiiron kii koii kamii nahiin hai।)
गरीब और अमीर के बीच फासला बढ़ता जा रहा है।
The gap between the poor and the rich is widening.
(gariib aur amiir ke biich phaaslaa badhtaa jaa rahaa hai।)
वह अपनी मेहनत से अमीर बन गया।
He became a rich man through his hard work.
(vah apnii mehnat se amiir ban gayaa।)
काश मैं भी उन अमीरों में से एक होता।
If only I too were one of those rich men.
(kaash main bhii un amiiron men se ek hotaa।)
अगर वह अमीर होता, तो अपना पैसा दिखाने से नहीं चूकता।
If he were a rich man, he wouldn't miss a chance to show off his money.
(agar vah amiir hotaa, to apnaa paisaa dikhaane se nahiin chooktaa।)
क्या तुम सच में सोचते हो कि वह अमीर है?
Do you really think he's a rich man?
(kyaa tum sach men sochte ho ki vah amiir hai?)
समाज के अमीरों पर टैक्स बढ़ा दिया गया।
Taxes were increased on the rich of society.
(samaaj ke amiiron par taiks badhaa diyaa gayaa।)
अमीरों की मदद करना उनका फर्ज़ नहीं, ज़रूरतमंदों का साथ देना ज़्यादा ज़रूरी है।
Helping the rich isn't their duty; supporting the needy is far more important.
(amiiron kii madad karnaa unkaa pharz nahiin, zarooratmandon kaa saath denaa zyaadaa zaroorii hai।)
सरकार को चाहिए कि वह अमीरों और गरीबों दोनों का ख़याल रखे।
The government should take care of both the rich and the poor.
(sarkaar ko chaahie ki vah amiiron aur gariibon donon kaa khayaal rakhe।)
Sense
3
:
a Muslim nobleman, chieftain, or high official (historical title)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: सरदार (sardaar, literary), नवाब (navaab)
Frequency: literary
Cultural Note: This older sense comes from Arabic amir, the same root as English 'emir,' and echoes back to Mughal- and Delhi Sultanate-era courts. You'll meet it in history books, period dramas, or Urdu poetry more than in daily conversation.
Sample Sentences:
मुगल दरबार में कई अमीर हुआ करते थे।
There used to be many emirs in the Mughal court.
(mugal darbaar men kaii amiir huaa karte the।)
वह अमीर दिल्ली के सुल्तान का करीबी सलाहकार था।
That emir was a close advisor to the Sultan of Delhi.
(vah amiir dillii ke sultaan kaa kariibii salaahkaar thaa।)
इतिहासकार बताते हैं कि उस अमीर ने अपनी सेना खुद खड़ी की थी।
Historians say that emir had raised his own army.
(itihaaskaar bataate hain ki us amiir ne apnii senaa khud khadii kii thii।)
अगर वह अमीर बादशाह के प्रति वफादार रहता, तो उसका पूरा वंश सुरक्षित रहता।
If that emir had remained loyal to the emperor, his whole lineage would have stayed safe.
(agar vah amiir baadshaah ke prati vaphaadaar rahtaa, to uskaa pooraa vansh surakshit rahtaa।)
काश कोई अमीर उस कवि को अपने दरबार में जगह देता।
If only some emir had given that poet a place in his court.
(kaash koii amiir us kavi ko apne darbaar men jagah detaa।)
ऐ अमीर, इस नाचीज़ शायर की फरियाद सुन लीजिए।
O emir, please hear this humble poet's plea.
(ai amiir, is naachiiz shaayar kii phariyaad sun liijie।)
उस अमीर की हवेली को बाद में एक संग्रहालय बना दिया गया।
That emir's mansion was later turned into a museum.
(us amiir kii havelii ko baad men ek sangrahaalay banaa diyaa gayaa।)
क्या उस अमीर ने कभी दिल्ली के तख्त पर बैठने की कोशिश की थी?
Did that emir ever try to sit on the throne of Delhi?
(kyaa us amiir ne kabhii dillii ke takht par baithne kii koshish kii thii?)
उस ज़माने में एक अमीर की मर्ज़ी पूरे इलाके का कानून हुआ करती थी।
In those days, an emir's wish used to be the law of the whole region.
(us zamaane men ek amiir kii marzii poore ilaake kaa kaanoon huaa kartii thii।)
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
अमीर
(amiir)
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
अमीर
(amiir)
(sg.m.oblique):
अमीर
(amiir)
(pl.m.direct):
अमीर
(amiir)
(pl.m.oblique):
अमीरों
(amiiron)