गोरा (goraa)
adjective/noun
Primarily an adjective describing fair/light skin tone; also used as a noun for a fair-skinned person, and colloquially (often plural गोरे (gore)) as a term for white/European people, especially the British in a historical context.
Sense
1
:
fair-skinned, light-colored (complexion)
adjective
Synonyms: गोरा-चिट्टा (goraa-chittaa, emphatic compound form), उजला (ujlaa, more about brightness/cleanliness than skin tone)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Fair skin carries strong positive associations in much of Hindi-speaking society, visible in the huge market for products marketed as 'fairness creams' and in matrimonial ads that mention गोरा रंग (goraa rang, 'fair complexion') as a selling point. As a teacher, I'd gently flag this to learners: the word itself is neutral, but its cultural weight is not, and conversations about it can get sensitive.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes treat गोरा (goraa) as a neutral descriptor the way 'fair' can be in English, but in everyday Hindi it is loaded with social meaning around beauty standards -- it is very frequently used as a compliment or a marker of desirability, especially in matrimonial and beauty-product contexts. 2) Do not confuse with गोल (gol, 'round') -- similar sound, unrelated meaning.
Sample Sentences:
उसका रंग बहुत गोरा है।
Her complexion is very fair.
(uskaa rang bahut goraa hai।)
शादी के विज्ञापन में लड़की का गोरा रंग खासतौर पर लिखा था।
In the matrimonial ad, the girl's fair complexion was specifically mentioned.
(shaadii ke vigyaapan men ladkii kaa goraa rang khaastaur par likhaa thaa।)
बचपन में वह इतनी गोरी नहीं थी, बड़े होकर रंग निखर गया।
As a child she wasn't so fair, but as she grew up her complexion brightened.
(bachpan men vah itnii gorii nahiin thii, bade hokar rang nikhar gayaa।)
यह क्रीम लगाओ, कहते हैं इससे त्वचा गोरी हो जाती है।
Use this cream, they say it makes your skin fair.
(yah kriim lagaao, kahte hain isse tvachaa gorii ho jaatii hai।)
अगर वह ज़्यादा धूप में न रहता तो शायद इतना गोरा ही रहता।
If he hadn't stayed in the sun so much, he might have stayed this fair.
(agar vah zyaadaa dhoop men n rahtaa to shaayad itnaa goraa hii rahtaa।)
मुझे नहीं लगता कि सिर्फ गोरा रंग किसी की सुंदरता तय करता है।
I don't think fair skin alone determines someone's beauty.
(mujhe nahiin lagtaa ki sirph goraa rang kisii kii sundartaa tay kartaa hai।)
क्या तुम्हें लगता है कि विज्ञापनों में गोरे रंग पर इतना ज़ोर देना ठीक है?
Do you think it's right to put so much emphasis on fair skin in advertisements?
(kyaa tumhen lagtaa hai ki vigyaapnon men gore rang par itnaa zor denaa thiik hai?)
काश मेरी त्वचा भी उसकी तरह गोरी होती।
I wish my skin were as fair as hers.
(kaash merii tvachaa bhii uskii tarah gorii hotii।)
समाज में गोरे रंग को इतनी अहमियत क्यों दी जाती है, यह सोचने वाली बात है।
Why society gives so much importance to fair skin is something worth thinking about.
(samaaj men gore rang ko itnii ahmiyat kyon dii jaatii hai, yah sochne vaalii baat hai।)
उसकी माँ चाहती थी कि बच्चा गोरा पैदा हो।
His mother wanted the baby to be born fair-skinned.
(uskii maan chaahtii thii ki bachchaa goraa paidaa ho।)
गोरी त्वचा वाली नायिकाओं को अक्सर फ़िल्मों में तरजीह दी जाती रही है।
Fair-skinned heroines have often been given preference in films.
(gorii tvachaa vaalii naayikaaon ko aksar filmon men tarjiih dii jaatii rahii hai।)
Sense
2
:
a fair-skinned person
noun, masculine Functions as a noun by using the adjective on its own, agreeing in gender/number with the person referred to (गोरा (goraa) for a man, गोरी (gorii) for a woman).
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear this used affectionately too, like calling a fair-skinned baby मेरा गोरा बेटा (meraa goraa betaa, 'my fair-skinned son') -- it is not always about race or foreignness, sometimes it is just describing someone in the family.
Sample Sentences:
मेरा गोरा बेटा सबका दिल जीत लेता है।
My fair-skinned son wins everyone's heart.
(meraa goraa betaa sabkaa dil jiit letaa hai।)
वह गोरा दरवाजे पर खड़ा था।
That fair-skinned person was standing at the door.
(vah goraa darvaaje par khadaa thaa।)
पड़ोस वाली गोरी अपने बच्चे को गोद में लिए बैठी है।
The fair-skinned lady from next door is sitting with her child in her lap.
(pados vaalii gorii apne bachche ko god men lie baithii hai।)
क्या तुमने उस गोरे को कल बाजार में देखा था?
Did you see that fair-skinned person in the market yesterday?
(kyaa tumne us gore ko kal baajaar men dekhaa thaa?)
अगर वह गोरा होता, तो भी मुझे कोई फर्क नहीं पड़ता।
Even if he were a fair-skinned person, it wouldn't matter to me.
(agar vah goraa hotaa, to bhii mujhe koii phark nahiin padtaa।)
उस गोरे से पूछो, शायद उसे रास्ता पता हो।
Ask that fair-skinned person, maybe he knows the way.
(us gore se poochho, shaayad use raastaa pataa ho।)
परिवार में सबसे गोरा तो यही बच्चा है।
This child here is the fairest-skinned one in the family.
(parivaar men sabse goraa to yahii bachchaa hai।)
हो सकता है वह गोरा ही तुम्हारा नया पड़ोसी हो।
It's possible that fair-skinned person is your new neighbor.
(ho saktaa hai vah goraa hii tumhaaraa nayaa padosii ho।)
उस गोरे को स्कूल के फंक्शन में सम्मानित किया गया।
That fair-skinned person was honored at the school function.
(us gore ko skool ke phankshan men sammaanit kiyaa gayaa।)
Sense
3
:
a white/European person (especially historically, the British)
noun, masculine Almost always heard in the plural, गोरे (gore), when referring to white people or the British collectively (e.g. in the colonial context).
Synonyms: अंग्रेज़ (angrez, specifically 'Englishman/Briton', narrower in scope), विदेशी (videshii, 'foreigner', broader and not about skin color)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: In conversations about India's independence movement, गोरों का राज (goron kaa raaj, 'the rule of the whites') is a common way older generations and history textbooks refer to British rule -- it carries a distinct historical charge beyond simply describing someone's skin color.
Common Mistakes: 1) In historical or political speech, गोरे (gore) often specifically means the British colonizers, not just 'white people' in general -- context from independence-era history often narrows the meaning this way.
Sample Sentences:
अंग्रेजों के जमाने में यहाँ बहुत गोरे रहते थे।
In the time of the British, many white people used to live here.
(angrejon ke jamaane men yahaan bahut gore rahte the।)
हमारे दादा जी कहते थे कि गोरों का राज बहुत सख्त था।
Our grandfather used to say that the rule of the whites was very strict.
(hamaare daadaa jii kahte the ki goron kaa raaj bahut sakht thaa।)
इस किले पर पहले गोरों का कब्जा था।
This fort was once under the control of the British.
(is kile par pahle goron kaa kabjaa thaa।)
इतिहास की किताब में लिखा है कि गोरों ने भारत पर लंबे समय तक शासन किया।
It is written in the history book that the British ruled India for a long time.
(itihaas kii kitaab men likhaa hai ki goron ne bhaarat par lambe samay tak shaasan kiyaa।)
अगर गोरों का राज न होता तो देश की कहानी कुछ और होती।
If the rule of the whites had not happened, the country's story would have been different.
(agar goron kaa raaj n hotaa to desh kii kahaanii kuchh aur hotii।)
स्वतंत्रता संग्राम में कई गोरे अधिकारी भी भारतीयों का साथ देते थे।
During the freedom struggle, some white officers also supported the Indians.
(svatantrtaa sangraam men kaii gore adhikaarii bhii bhaartiiyon kaa saath dete the।)
पुरानी हवेली की दीवारों पर एक गोरे साहब की तस्वीर टंगी है।
On the walls of the old mansion hangs a picture of a white sahib.
(puraanii havelii kii diivaaron par ek gore saahab kii tasviir tangii hai।)
सोचिए, गोरों के राज में आम आदमी की क्या हालत रही होगी।
Just imagine what condition the common man must have been in under the rule of the whites.
(sochie, goron ke raaj men aam aadmii kii kyaa haalat rahii hogii।)
गोरों के जाने के बाद भी उनकी बनाई कई इमारतें आज भी खड़ी हैं।
Even after the whites left, many buildings they built are still standing today.
(goron ke jaane ke baad bhii unkii banaaii kaii imaarten aaj bhii khadii hain।)
Morphology
Adjective (variable)
(sg.m):
गोरा
(goraa)
(pl.m):
गोरे
(gore)
(sg.f):
गोरी
(gorii)
(pl.f):
गोरी
(gorii)
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
गोरा
(goraa)
(sg.m.oblique):
गोरे
(gore)
(pl.m.direct):
गोरे
(gore)
(pl.m.oblique):
गोरों
(goron)