चौड़ा (chaudaa)

adjective A basic adjective meaning 'wide/broad', describing physical breadth of objects, spaces, or openings.
Sense 1 : wide, broad (physical dimension)
adjective
Synonyms: विस्तृत (vistrit, formal), फैला हुआ (phailaa huaa, spread out)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly about roads (सड़क चौड़ी है, sadak chaudii hai, 'the road is wide') and rivers -- Delhi-wallahs love complaining about roads that are not चौड़ी (chaudii) enough for the traffic. Its opposite, तंग (tang) or संकरा (sankraa), 'narrow', is a common pairing in everyday description.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse चौड़ा (chaudaa) with बड़ा (badaa, 'big') -- चौड़ा (chaudaa) is specifically about breadth/width, not overall size, so a road or river is चौड़ा (chaudaa) but a house is बड़ा (badaa).
Sample Sentences:
यह सड़क बहुत चौड़ी है। This road is very wide.
(yah sadak bahut chaudii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
गंगा यहाँ बहुत चौड़ी हो जाती है। The Ganga becomes very wide here.
(gangaa yahaan bahut chaudii ho jaatii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
सरकार ने सड़क को चौड़ा कर दिया। The government widened the road.
(sarkaar ne sadak ko chaudaa kar diyaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यह गली इतनी तंग है कि कोई इसे चौड़ी करने की सोच भी नहीं सकता। This lane is so narrow that no one could even think of widening it.
(yah galii itnii tang hai ki koii ise chaudii karne kii soch bhii nahiin saktaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर यह सड़क थोड़ी चौड़ी होती, तो इतना जाम नहीं लगता। If this road were a bit wider, there wouldn't be so much traffic jam.
(agar yah sadak thodii chaudii hotii, to itnaa jaam nahiin lagtaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
सड़क को और चौड़ा करो, वरना यह ट्रैफिक कभी कम नहीं होगा। Widen the road further, or this traffic will never decrease.
(sadak ko aur chaudaa karo, varnaa yah traiphik kabhii kam nahiin hogaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
नदी का यह हिस्सा आगे जाकर और चौड़ा हो जाएगा। This part of the river will become even wider further ahead.
(nadii kaa yah hissaa aage jaakar aur chaudaa ho jaaegaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
शायद अगले साल इस सड़क को चौड़ा किया जाए। Perhaps this road will be widened next year.
(shaayad agle saal is sadak ko chaudaa kiyaa jaae।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Passive
पिछले साल यह सड़क चौड़ी की गई थी, फिर भी जाम लगता है। This road was widened last year, and yet there is a traffic jam.
(pichhle saal yah sadak chaudii kii gaii thii, phir bhii jaam lagtaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
दिल्ली वाले हमेशा शिकायत करते हैं कि सड़कें ट्रैफिक के लिए चौड़ी नहीं हैं। Delhi-wallahs always complain that the roads aren't wide enough for the traffic.
(dillii vaale hameshaa shikaayat karte hain ki sadken traiphik ke lie chaudii nahiin hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
हिमालय की उन विशाल और चौड़ी घाटियों का सौंदर्य वर्णन से परे है। The beauty of those vast and wide valleys of the Himalayas is beyond description.
(himaalay kii un vishaal aur chaudii ghaatiyon kaa saundary varnan se pare hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : loose-fitting, roomy (of clothing)
adjective
Synonyms: ढीला (dhiilaa, overlaps for loose-fitting clothes)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Applied to clothes, चौड़ा (chaudaa) means roomy or loose rather than tight -- a tailor might describe a कुर्ता (kurtaa) as चौड़ा (chaudaa) if it has extra width at the chest or sleeves.
Sample Sentences:
यह कुर्ता मुझे थोड़ा चौड़ा लग रहा है। This kurta feels a bit loose to me.
(yah kurtaa mujhe thodaa chaudaa lag rahaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
दर्ज़ी ने कमीज़ छाती के पास चौड़ी सिल दी। The tailor stitched the shirt loose around the chest.
(darzii ne kamiiz chhaatii ke paas chaudii sil dii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
गर्मियों में मैं हमेशा चौड़े कपड़े पहनता हूँ। In summer I always wear loose clothes.
(garmiyon men main hameshaa chaude kapde pahantaa hoon।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यह पैंट थोड़ी चौड़ी कर दो, कमर में तंग लग रही है। Make these pants a little looser, they feel tight at the waist.
(yah paint thodii chaudii kar do, kamar men tang lag rahii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर आस्तीनें ज़्यादा चौड़ी हों तो हाथ आसानी से चलेगा। If the sleeves are a bit looser, the arm will move easily.
(agar aastiinen zyaadaa chaudii hon to haath aasaanii se chalegaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
काश यह ब्लाउज़ थोड़ा चौड़ा होता, अभी बहुत टाइट है। I wish this blouse were a bit loose, it's really tight right now.
(kaash yah blaauz thodaa chaudaa hotaa, abhii bahut taait hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
यह डिज़ाइन जानबूझकर चौड़ा रखा गया है ताकि पहनने वाले को आराम रहे। This design has been deliberately kept loose so that the wearer stays comfortable.
(yah dizaain jaanboojhkar chaudaa rakhaa gayaa hai taaki pahanne vaale ko aaraam rahe।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
बच्चों के कपड़े थोड़े चौड़े ही अच्छे रहते हैं, वे बढ़ते रहते हैं। It's better if children's clothes are a bit loose, since they keep growing.
(bachchon ke kapde thode chaude hii achchhe rahte hain, ve badhte rahte hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह हमेशा चौड़ी शर्ट पहनता था ताकि पेट न दिखे। He always used to wear a loose shirt so his belly wouldn't show.
(vah hameshaa chaudii shart pahantaa thaa taaki pet n dikhe।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Adjective (variable)
(sg.m): चौड़ा (chaudaa)
(pl.m): चौड़े (chaude)
(sg.f): चौड़ी (chaudii)
(pl.f): चौड़ी (chaudii)