पिछड़ा (pichhdaa)
adjective/verb
Primarily an adjective meaning 'backward' (in development, progress, or social/economic standing); also functions as the past participle of the verb पिछड़ना (pichhadnaa, 'to fall behind, lag behind').
Sense
1
:
backward (undeveloped, lagging in progress)
adjective
Synonyms: अविकसित (aviksit, underdeveloped, formal), पीछे (piichhe, behind)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In Indian public life, पिछड़ा वर्ग (pichhdaa varg, 'backward class') is a specific administrative and constitutional category -- OBC (Other Backward Classes) -- so this word carries real political weight beyond its plain dictionary sense, much like 'underprivileged' or 'disadvantaged' does in English policy talk. In everyday speech, though, it is used quite freely for anything lagging, from a पिछड़ा गाँव (pichhdaa gaanv, 'backward village') to a पिछड़ा हुआ सिस्टम (pichhdaa huaa sistam, 'an outdated/backward system').
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use this only for people, but it is applied broadly to regions, castes, communities, economies, and even individual subjects at school -- पिछड़ा इलाका (pichhdaa ilaakaa, 'backward area') is just as natural as पिछड़ा बच्चा (pichhdaa bachchaa, 'a child who is behind/lagging'). 2) In social and political contexts it is a loaded, semi-technical term (see cultural note) -- using it casually about a person's caste or community can come across as insensitive rather than merely descriptive.
Sample Sentences:
यह इलाका आज भी बहुत पिछड़ा है।
This area is still very backward even today.
(yah ilaakaa aaj bhii bahut pichhdaa hai।)
सरकार पिछड़ा वर्ग के छात्रों को छात्रवृत्ति देती है।
The government gives scholarships to students of the backward class.
(sarkaar pichhdaa varg ke chhaatron ko chhaatrvritti detii hai।)
यह एक पिछड़ा गाँव है, जहाँ अभी तक बिजली नहीं पहुँची है।
This is a backward village, where electricity has still not reached.
(yah ek pichhdaa gaanv hai, jahaan abhii tak bijlii nahiin pahunchii hai।)
हमारी कंपनी अभी भी पिछड़े हुए सिस्टम पर काम कर रही है।
Our company is still working on an outdated system.
(hamaarii kampnii abhii bhii pichhde hue sistam par kaam kar rahii hai।)
पिछड़े वर्गों के आरक्षण पर संसद में बहस चल रही थी।
A debate was going on in parliament over reservation for backward classes.
(pichhde vargon ke aarakshan par sansad men bahas chal rahii thii।)
अगर सही निवेश होता, तो यह इलाका इतना पिछड़ा नहीं होता।
If there had been proper investment, this area would not have been so backward.
(agar sahii nivesh hotaa, to yah ilaakaa itnaa pichhdaa nahiin hotaa।)
कोई नहीं चाहता कि उसका बच्चा पिछड़ा कहलाए।
No one wants their child to be called backward.
(koii nahiin chaahtaa ki uskaa bachchaa pichhdaa kahlaae।)
इस पिछड़े हुए तरीके से काम मत करो, नई तकनीक अपनाओ।
Don't work in this backward manner, adopt new technology.
(is pichhde hue tariike se kaam mat karo, naii takniik apnaao।)
देश के कई पिछड़े जिलों में शिक्षा का स्तर बहुत कमज़ोर है।
In many backward districts of the country, the level of education is very weak.
(desh ke kaii pichhde jilon men shikshaa kaa star bahut kamzor hai।)
उस समय हमारा समाज कई मामलों में पिछड़ा हुआ माना जाता था।
At that time our society was considered backward in many respects.
(us samay hamaaraa samaaj kaii maamlon men pichhdaa huaa maanaa jaataa thaa।)
पिछड़े वर्ग के उत्थान के बिना असली विकास संभव नहीं।
Without the upliftment of the backward class, real development is not possible.
(pichhde varg ke utthaan ke binaa aslii vikaas sambhav nahiin।)
Sense
2
:
fell behind, lagged (past participle used as adjective/predicate)
verb, intransitive This is the perfective participle of पिछड़ना (pichhadnaa), an intransitive verb; used predicatively as in वह दौड़ में पिछड़ गया (vah daud men pichhad gayaa, 'he fell behind in the race').
Synonyms: पीछे रह गया (piichhe rah gayaa, fell behind, phrase)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This verbal sense is the root from which the adjective sense grew -- someone or something that 'has fallen behind' (पिछड़ा, pichhdaa) becomes, by extension, simply 'backward.' The two senses are best learned together: one is an action, the other its lasting label.
Common Mistakes: 1) Because पिछड़ना (pichhadnaa) is intransitive, it never takes ने (ne) -- learners sometimes add it by habit since the word looks like a past-tense verb form.
Sample Sentences:
दौड़ में वह शुरू में आगे था, पर बाद में पिछड़ गया।
He was ahead at the start of the race, but later he fell behind.
(daud men vah shuroo men aage thaa, par baad men pichhad gayaa।)
पढ़ाई में ध्यान न देने की वजह से वह अपनी क्लास में पिछड़ गई।
Because she didn't pay attention to her studies, she fell behind in her class.
(padhaaii men dhyaan n dene kii vajah se vah apnii klaas men pichhad gaii।)
अगर तुम रोज़ अभ्यास नहीं करोगे, तो बाकी बच्चों से पिछड़ जाओगे।
If you don't practice every day, you will fall behind the other kids.
(agar tum roz abhyaas nahiin karoge, to baakii bachchon se pichhad jaaoge।)
हमारी कंपनी तकनीक के मामले में बाकी कंपनियों से पिछड़ रही है।
Our company is falling behind other companies in terms of technology.
(hamaarii kampnii takniik ke maamle men baakii kampniyon se pichhad rahii hai।)
समय पर काम शुरू न करने के कारण यह प्रोजेक्ट कई हफ्तों पिछड़ गया।
Because the work wasn't started on time, this project fell behind by several weeks.
(samay par kaam shuroo n karne ke kaaran yah projekt kaii haphton pichhad gayaa।)
काश वह इस दौड़ में इतना न पिछड़ता।
I wish he hadn't fallen so far behind in this race.
(kaash vah is daud men itnaa n pichhadtaa।)
यदि वह चोटिल न होता, तो शायद पिछड़ता ही नहीं।
If he hadn't gotten injured, he probably wouldn't have fallen behind at all.
(yadi vah chotil n hotaa, to shaayad pichhadtaa hii nahiin।)
देखना, इतनी सुस्ती से चलोगे तो सब से पिछड़ जाओगे।
Watch out -- if you move this slowly, you'll fall behind everyone.
(dekhnaa, itnii sustii se chaloge to sab se pichhad jaaoge।)
उस क्षेत्र में उचित निवेश न होने के कारण वह पिछड़ गया।
That region fell behind due to the lack of proper investment.
(us kshetr men uchit nivesh n hone ke kaaran vah pichhad gayaa।)
Morphology
Adjective (variable)
(sg.m):
पिछड़ा
(pichhdaa)
(pl.m):
पिछड़े
(pichhde)
(sg.f):
पिछड़ी
(pichhdii)
(pl.f):
पिछड़ी
(pichhdii)
Verb
infinitive:
पिछड़ा
(pichhdaa)
infinitive oblique:
पिछड़ने
(pichhadne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
पिछड़ता
(pichhadtaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
पिछड़ते
(pichhadte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
पिछड़ती
(pichhadtii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
पिछड़तीं
(pichhadtiin)
continuous (sg.m):
पिछड़ रहा
(pichhad rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
पिछड़ रहे
(pichhad rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
पिछड़ रही
(pichhad rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
पिछड़ रहीं
(pichhad rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
पिछड़ा
(pichhdaa)
perfective (pl.m):
पिछड़े
(pichhde)
perfective (sg.f):
पिछड़ी
(pichhdii)
perfective (pl.f):
पिछड़ीं
(pichhdiin)
imperative (informal):
पिछड़
(pichhad)
imperative (neutral):
पिछड़ो
(pichhdo)
imperative (formal):
पिछड़िए
(pichhdie)
future (1sg.m):
पिछड़ूँगा
(pichhdoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
पिछड़ूँगी
(pichhdoongii)
future (1pl.m):
पिछड़ेंगे
(pichhdenge)
future (1pl.f):
पिछड़ेंगी
(pichhdengii)
future (2sg.m):
पिछड़ेगा
(pichhdegaa)
future (2sg.f):
पिछड़ेगी
(pichhdegii)
future (2pl.m):
पिछड़ोगे
(pichhdoge)
future (2pl.f):
पिछड़ोगी
(pichhdogii)
future (3sg.m):
पिछड़ेगा
(pichhdegaa)
future (3sg.f):
पिछड़ेगी
(pichhdegii)
future (3pl.m):
पिछड़ेंगे
(pichhdenge)
future (3pl.f):
पिछड़ेंगी
(pichhdengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
पिछड़ूँ
(pichhdoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
पिछड़ें
(pichhden)
subjunctive (2sg):
पिछड़े
(pichhde)
subjunctive (2pl):
पिछड़ो
(pichhdo)
subjunctive (3sg):
पिछड़े
(pichhde)
subjunctive (3pl):
पिछड़ें
(pichhden)