सगा (sagaa)
adjective/noun
Primarily an adjective meaning 'blood-related' (as opposed to relations by marriage or affection alone), most often heard in the fixed phrase सगा भाई (sagaa bhaaii, 'real/full brother'); also used as a noun for a close blood relative.
Sense
1
:
blood-related, related by blood (not by marriage or informal affection)
adjective Almost always modifies a kinship noun directly, e.g. सगा भाई (sagaa bhaaii, 'full brother'), सगी बहन (sagii bahan, 'full sister'), सगा चाचा (sagaa chaachaa, 'father's real younger brother') -- used to distinguish a true blood tie from a cousin-brother, step-relation, or someone called भाई (bhaaii) out of affection alone.
Synonyms: अपना (apnaa, broader sense of 'own'), खून का रिश्ता (khoon kaa rishtaa, phrase, 'blood relation')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In Hindi-speaking families, भाई (bhaaii) and बहन (bahan) get used very loosely -- for cousins, close friends, even neighborhood kids -- so सगा (sagaa) is the word that snaps things back into precision when it matters, like inheritance talk or introducing family to outsiders. You'll also hear it in the bitter idiom सगे भी पराए हो गए (sage bhii paraae ho gae, 'even blood relatives became like strangers'), used when family ties sour.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often skip सगा (sagaa) entirely since English 'brother' doesn't distinguish blood from cousin-brother, but in Hindi family talk this word is doing real work -- मेरा भाई (meraa bhaaii) alone can leave someone wondering if you mean a cousin, while मेरा सगा भाई (meraa sagaa bhaaii) removes all doubt. 2) Don't use सगा (sagaa) for relations by marriage (like a sister-in-law) -- it specifically marks a shared-blood tie, not a shared-family one.
Sample Sentences:
वह मेरा सगा भाई है, कोई चचेरा-वचेरा नहीं।
He is my real brother, not some cousin.
(vah meraa sagaa bhaaii hai, koii chacheraa-vacheraa nahiin।)
प्रॉपर्टी के मामले में सिर्फ सगे भाई-बहनों का हक़ होता है।
In property matters, only blood siblings have a legal right.
(propartii ke maamle men sirph sage bhaaii-bahnon kaa haq hotaa hai।)
क्या वह तुम्हारी सगी बहन है या मुँहबोली?
Is she your real sister or just someone you call sister?
(kyaa vah tumhaarii sagii bahan hai yaa munhbolii?)
पैसे के लालच में लोग अपने सगे रिश्तेदारों तक को धोखा दे देते हैं।
In greed for money, people even end up cheating their own blood relatives.
(paise ke laalach men log apne sage rishtedaaron tak ko dhokhaa de dete hain।)
जायदाद के बँटवारे के बाद सगे भी पराए हो गए।
After the division of property, even blood relatives became like strangers.
(jaaydaad ke bantvaare ke baad sage bhii paraae ho gae।)
अगर वह मेरी सगी माँ होती, तो ऐसा कभी नहीं कहती।
If she were my real mother, she would never have said such a thing.
(agar vah merii sagii maan hotii, to aisaa kabhii nahiin kahtii।)
बाहरवालों को समझाना ज़रूरी है कि हम सगे चचेरे भाई हैं, चाचा के बेटे।
It's important to explain to outsiders that we are actual paternal-uncle's-sons, real cousins.
(baaharvaalon ko samjhaanaa zaroorii hai ki ham sage chachere bhaaii hain, chaachaa ke bete।)
कृपया आवेदन में स्पष्ट करें कि नामांकित व्यक्ति आपका सगा संबंधी है या नहीं।
Please clarify in the application whether the nominee is your blood relative or not.
(kripyaa aavedan men spasht karen ki naamaankit vyakti aapkaa sagaa sambandhii hai yaa nahiin।)
सोचो, अगर वह सगा होता तो इस तरह मुँह न मोड़ता।
Just think, if he were a real blood relative he wouldn't have turned away like this.
(socho, agar vah sagaa hotaa to is tarah munh n modtaa।)
गोद लिया बच्चा भले सगा न हो, पर प्यार सगे से कम नहीं होता।
An adopted child may not be a blood relative, but the love is no less than for one's own.
(god liyaa bachchaa bhale sagaa n ho, par pyaar sage se kam nahiin hotaa।)
वकील ने पूछा कि गवाह वादी का सगा रिश्तेदार है या दूर का।
The lawyer asked whether the witness is the plaintiff's blood relative or a distant one.
(vakiil ne poochhaa ki gavaah vaadii kaa sagaa rishtedaar hai yaa door kaa।)
Sense
2
:
a close blood relative
noun, masculine Used on its own (without a following kinship noun) to mean 'a blood relative' in general, often in contrastive statements about who truly stood by someone.
Synonyms: रिश्तेदार (rishtedaar, broader, includes non-blood relations), खून का रिश्ता (khoon kaa rishtaa, phrase)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This noun use shows up in reflective or emotional speech -- न कोई सगा, न कोई पराया (n koii sagaa, n koii paraayaa, 'no one close, no one a stranger') is a common way to describe feeling utterly alone, showing how सगा (sagaa) sits at the emotional center of what 'family' means in Hindi.
Sample Sentences:
आज के ज़माने में कोई किसी का सगा नहीं है।
In today's world, no one is truly kin to anyone else.
(aaj ke zamaane men koii kisii kaa sagaa nahiin hai।)
उस बुढ़िया का न कोई सगा, न कोई पराया।
That old woman has no one close, no one a stranger -- she is utterly alone.
(us budhiyaa kaa n koii sagaa, n koii paraayaa।)
मुसीबत में पता चलता है कि कौन सगा है और कौन नहीं।
In times of trouble, you find out who is really kin and who is not.
(musiibat men pataa chaltaa hai ki kaun sagaa hai aur kaun nahiin।)
वह मेरा सगा नहीं है, फिर भी हमेशा साथ खड़ा रहता है।
He isn't my blood relative, yet he always stands by me.
(vah meraa sagaa nahiin hai, phir bhii hameshaa saath khadaa rahtaa hai।)
अगर वह मेरा सगा होता, तो मैं इतना दुखी न होता।
If he were my own blood, I wouldn't be so hurt.
(agar vah meraa sagaa hotaa, to main itnaa dukhii n hotaa।)
क्या दुनिया में सचमुच कोई किसी का सगा होता है?
Does anyone in this world truly belong to another as kin?
(kyaa duniyaa men sachmuch koii kisii kaa sagaa hotaa hai?)
उसने अपने सगों तक को धोखा दे दिया।
He even betrayed his own kin.
(usne apne sagon tak ko dhokhaa de diyaa।)
अस्पताल में उसके पास कोई सगा नहीं आया।
Not a single blood relative came to see him in the hospital.
(asptaal men uske paas koii sagaa nahiin aayaa।)
इस शहर में मेरा न कोई सगा, न कोई पराया, बस मैं अकेला हूँ।
In this city I have no one close, no one a stranger -- I am simply alone.
(is shahar men meraa n koii sagaa, n koii paraayaa, bas main akelaa hoon।)
Morphology
Adjective (variable)
(sg.m):
सगा
(sagaa)
(pl.m):
सगे
(sage)
(sg.f):
सगी
(sagii)
(pl.f):
सगी
(sagii)
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
सगा
(sagaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
सगे
(sage)
(pl.m.direct):
सगे
(sage)
(pl.m.oblique):
सगों
(sagon)