उलटा (ultaa)
adjective/adverb/verb
Covers three related uses: an adjective meaning 'inverted/reverse/wrong-side-out', an adverb meaning 'instead, on the contrary', and a verb sense (from उलटना, ulatnaa) meaning 'to overturn/reverse'. Also spelled उल्टा (ultaa) with a hard 'l' -- both spellings are common.
Sense
1
:
inverted, upside-down, wrong-side-out
adjective
Synonyms: विपरीत (vipriit, more formal), उल्टा (ultaa, variant spelling)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the word every mother uses when your shirt is on inside-out: कमीज़ उलटी है (kamiiz ultii hai, 'the shirt is inside-out') -- notice it agrees in gender/number with the noun since it's a variable adjective. It pairs naturally with सीधा (siidhaa, 'straight/right-side'), and Hindi speakers reach for this सीधा-उलटा (siidhaa-ultaa) pair constantly, the way English pairs 'right side up' and 'upside down'.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use सीधा (siidhaa) and उलटा (ultaa) only for physical orientation, missing the very common extended use for 'the opposite/wrong' way of doing something, e.g. उलटा जवाब (ultaa javaab, 'a contrary/back-answer').
Sample Sentences:
तुम्हारी कमीज़ उलटी है।
Your shirt is inside-out.
(tumhaarii kamiiz ultii hai।)
यह तस्वीर उलटी लगी हुई है।
This picture is hung upside down.
(yah tasviir ultii lagii huii hai।)
किताब मेज़ पर उलटी रखी थी।
The book was lying face-down on the table.
(kitaab mez par ultii rakhii thii।)
अपनी जुराबें उलटी मत पहनो।
Don't wear your socks inside-out.
(apnii juraaben ultii mat pahno।)
अगर जूते उलटे पहन लो तो पैरों में दर्द होता है।
If you wear your shoes on the wrong feet, your feet hurt.
(agar joote ulte pahan lo to pairon men dard hotaa hai।)
बच्चे को सीधा-उलटा समझाना पड़ा कि पहले कौन-सा पहनना है।
I had to explain right-side-up and upside-down to the child, which one to wear first.
(bachche ko siidhaa-ultaa samjhaanaa padaa ki pahle kaun-saa pahannaa hai।)
नक्शा उलटा टँगा हुआ था, इसलिए सब कन्फ्यूज़ हो गए।
The map was hung upside down, so everyone got confused.
(nakshaa ultaa tangaa huaa thaa, islie sab kanphyooz ho gae।)
यदि तस्वीर उलटी होती तो मुझे तुरंत दिख जाता।
If the picture had been upside down, I would have noticed it right away.
(yadi tasviir ultii hotii to mujhe turant dikh jaataa।)
कृपया सुनिश्चित करें कि दस्तावेज़ उलटा न लगाया जाए।
Please make sure the document is not attached upside down.
(kripyaa sunishchit karen ki dastaavez ultaa n lagaayaa jaae।)
पन्ना उलटा छप गया, प्रिंटर में शायद कोई गड़बड़ थी।
The page got printed upside down; there was probably some glitch in the printer.
(pannaa ultaa chhap gayaa, printar men shaayad koii gadbad thii।)
टोपी उलटी पहनकर वह बहुत अजीब लग रहा था।
Wearing his cap backwards, he looked really odd.
(topii ultii pahankar vah bahut ajiib lag rahaa thaa।)
Sense
2
:
on the contrary, instead, the other way around
adverb Used to flip an expected outcome: 'instead of X happening, the opposite happened' -- often placed at the start of the second clause.
Synonyms: बल्कि (balki, different nuance: 'rather'), इसके विपरीत (iske vipriit, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the classic 'I tried to help and it backfired' word: मैंने मदद की, उलटा वो नाराज़ हो गया (mainne madad kii, ultaa vo naaraaz ho gayaa, 'I helped, and instead he got angry'). Every Hindi speaker has a story that starts this way.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners translate 'instead' reflexively with बल्कि (balki), but उलटा (ultaa) specifically signals a reversal of expectation or outcome, not just an alternative choice. 2) In this adverbial use उलटा (ultaa) stays invariant -- it does not agree with anything, unlike the adjective sense.
Sample Sentences:
मैंने उसकी मदद की, उलटा वो मुझसे नाराज़ हो गया।
I helped him, and instead he got angry with me.
(mainne uskii madad kii, ultaa vo mujhse naaraaz ho gayaa।)
बारिश रुकने के बजाय उलटा और तेज़ हो गई।
Instead of stopping, the rain got even heavier.
(baarish rukne ke bajaay ultaa aur tez ho gaii।)
डॉक्टर के पास जाने से वो उलटा और ज़्यादा घबरा जाता है।
Going to the doctor makes him, on the contrary, even more nervous.
(doktar ke paas jaane se vo ultaa aur zyaadaa ghabraa jaataa hai।)
अगर तुम अभी बोलो, तो उलटा मामला और बिगड़ सकता है।
If you speak now, the situation might, on the contrary, get even worse.
(agar tum abhii bolo, to ultaa maamlaa aur bigad saktaa hai।)
अभी मत बोलो, नहीं तो उलटा वो सबके सामने शर्मिंदा हो जाएगी।
Don't say anything now, or she'll instead end up embarrassed in front of everyone.
(abhii mat bolo, nahiin to ultaa vo sabke saamne sharmindaa ho jaaegii।)
अगर मैं वहाँ जाता, तो उलटा और झगड़ा होता।
If I had gone there, it would instead have caused an even bigger fight.
(agar main vahaan jaataa, to ultaa aur jhagdaa hotaa।)
सरकार ने टैक्स कम करने का वादा किया था, पर उलटा उसे बढ़ा दिया।
The government had promised to reduce taxes, but instead it raised them.
(sarkaar ne taiks kam karne kaa vaadaa kiyaa thaa, par ultaa use badhaa diyaa।)
दवा से उसे आराम नहीं मिला, उलटा तबीयत और बिगड़ गई।
The medicine didn't give her relief; instead, her health got even worse.
(davaa se use aaraam nahiin milaa, ultaa tabiiyat aur bigad gaii।)
मीटिंग में सब चाहते थे कि प्रोजेक्ट रुक जाए, पर उलटा उसे और फंडिंग मिल गई।
Everyone in the meeting wanted the project to stop, but instead it got even more funding.
(miiting men sab chaahte the ki projekt ruk jaae, par ultaa use aur phanding mil gaii।)
समझाने से बच्चा शांत नहीं हुआ, उलटा और ज़ोर से रोने लगा।
Explaining didn't calm the child down; on the contrary, he started crying even louder.
(samjhaane se bachchaa shaant nahiin huaa, ultaa aur zor se rone lagaa।)
जितना वो सफाई देता है, उलटा उतना ही लोगों को शक होता है।
The more he offers explanations, the more, on the contrary, people become suspicious.
(jitnaa vo saphaaii detaa hai, ultaa utnaa hii logon ko shak hotaa hai।)
Sense
3
:
to overturn, knock over, reverse (something)
verb, transitive This is the transitive counterpart of उलटना (ulatnaa, intransitive: 'to overturn/topple'); the causative-like pairing is worth noting to the learner even though they are technically the same verb root used transitively/intransitively.
Synonyms: पलटना (palatnaa, very close synonym), गिराना (giraanaa, focuses on knocking down/spilling)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this in kitchen mishaps: चाय उलट गई (chaay ulat gaii, 'the tea spilled') -- note the intransitive form takes ने-less agreement, while the transitive 'someone spilled it' version needs ने (ne) with the agent.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for पलटना (palatnaa) in every context, but उलटा (ultaa) verb forms carry more of a 'spilled/knocked over by accident' flavor, especially with liquids or containers, e.g. दूध का गिलास उलट दिया (doodh kaa gilaas ulat diyaa, 'knocked over the glass of milk').
Sample Sentences:
बच्चे ने गलती से दूध का गिलास उलटा दिया।
The child accidentally knocked over the glass of milk.
(bachche ne galtii se doodh kaa gilaas ultaa diyaa।)
चाय उलट गई और मेज़ पर फैल गई।
The tea spilled and spread over the table.
(chaay ulat gaii aur mez par phail gaii।)
मत उलटाओ उस कटोरे को, अभी उसमें दाल है।
Don't overturn that bowl, there's still dal in it.
(mat ultaao us katore ko, abhii usmen daal hai।)
वह हर बार कुर्सी से उठते हुए मेज़ की चीज़ें उलटा देता है।
He knocks over the things on the table every time he gets up from the chair.
(vah har baar kursii se uthte hue mez kii chiizen ultaa detaa hai।)
अगर तुमने वह डिब्बा उलटा दिया, तो सारा सामान बिखर जाएगा।
If you overturn that box, everything will scatter.
(agar tumne vah dibbaa ultaa diyaa, to saaraa saamaan bikhar jaaegaa।)
मैंने तेज़ी से मोड़ लिया और गाड़ी उलट गई।
I took the turn too fast and the car overturned.
(mainne tezii se mod liyaa aur gaadii ulat gaii।)
काश उसने वह बर्तन न उलटाया होता।
If only he hadn't overturned that pot.
(kaash usne vah bartan n ultaayaa hotaa।)
तूफ़ान में नाव उलट गई और सब पानी में गिर पड़े।
The boat capsized in the storm and everyone fell into the water.
(toofaan men naav ulat gaii aur sab paanii men gir pade।)
ध्यान रखना, यह ट्रे मत उलट देना।
Be careful, don't let this tray tip over.
(dhyaan rakhnaa, yah tre mat ulat denaa।)
मेज़ ऐसे धक्के से उलटी गई कि सारे कागज़ हवा में उड़ गए।
The table was knocked over with such a jolt that all the papers flew into the air.
(mez aise dhakke se ultii gaii ki saare kaagaz havaa men ud gae।)
शायद हवा से गमला उलट जाए, इसे अंदर रख दो।
The pot might tip over in the wind, keep it inside.
(shaayad havaa se gamlaa ulat jaae, ise andar rakh do।)
Morphology
Adjective (variable)
(sg.m):
उलटा
(ultaa)
(pl.m):
उलटे
(ulte)
(sg.f):
उलटी
(ultii)
(pl.f):
उलटी
(ultii)
Verb
infinitive:
उलटा
(ultaa)
infinitive oblique:
उलटने
(ulatne)
habitual/simple (sg.m):
उलटता
(ulattaa)
habitual/simple (pl.m):
उलटते
(ulatte)
habitual/simple (sg.f):
उलटती
(ulattii)
habitual/simple (pl.f):
उलटतीं
(ulattiin)
continuous (sg.m):
उलट रहा
(ulat rahaa)
continuous (pl.m):
उलट रहे
(ulat rahe)
continuous (sg.f):
उलट रही
(ulat rahii)
continuous (pl.f):
उलट रहीं
(ulat rahiin)
perfective (sg.m):
उलटा
(ultaa)
perfective (pl.m):
उलटे
(ulte)
perfective (sg.f):
उलटी
(ultii)
perfective (pl.f):
उलटीं
(ultiin)
imperative (informal):
उलट
(ulat)
imperative (neutral):
उलटो
(ulto)
imperative (formal):
उलटिए
(ultie)
future (1sg.m):
उलटूँगा
(ultoongaa)
future (1sg.f):
उलटूँगी
(ultoongii)
future (1pl.m):
उलटेंगे
(ultenge)
future (1pl.f):
उलटेंगी
(ultengii)
future (2sg.m):
उलटेगा
(ultegaa)
future (2sg.f):
उलटेगी
(ultegii)
future (2pl.m):
उलटोगे
(ultoge)
future (2pl.f):
उलटोगी
(ultogii)
future (3sg.m):
उलटेगा
(ultegaa)
future (3sg.f):
उलटेगी
(ultegii)
future (3pl.m):
उलटेंगे
(ultenge)
future (3pl.f):
उलटेंगी
(ultengii)
subjunctive (1sg):
उलटूँ
(ultoon)
subjunctive (1pl):
उलटें
(ulten)
subjunctive (2sg):
उलटे
(ulte)
subjunctive (2pl):
उलटो
(ulto)
subjunctive (3sg):
उलटे
(ulte)
subjunctive (3pl):
उलटें
(ulten)