ठंडा (thandaa)
adjective/noun
Basic adjective meaning 'cold/cool', with a common noun use for a cold drink and a figurative sense for calming down or losing intensity.
Sense
1
:
cold, cool (temperature)
adjective
Synonyms: शीतल (shiital, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: At a Delhi dhaba you will constantly hear ठंडा पानी (thandaa paanii, 'cold water') offered alongside गरम चाय (garam chaay, 'hot tea') -- the ठंडा/गरम (thandaa/garam) contrast is one of the first survival pairs learners pick up.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for ठंडा (thandaa) for weather and forget it must agree with the noun it describes -- पानी ठंडा है (paanii thandaa hai, 'the water is cold') but हवा ठंडी है (havaa thandii hai, 'the wind is cold').
Sample Sentences:
क्या यहाँ ठंडा पानी मिलेगा?
Will cold water be available here?
(kyaa yahaan thandaa paanii milegaa?)
सर्दियों में सुबह की हवा बहुत ठंडी होती है।
In winter, the morning air is very cold.
(sardiyon men subah kii havaa bahut thandii hotii hai।)
खाना ठंडा हो गया है, इसे गरम कर लो।
The food has gone cold, heat it up.
(khaanaa thandaa ho gayaa hai, ise garam kar lo।)
प्लीज़ मुझे थोड़ा ठंडा पानी दे दो।
Please give me a little cold water.
(pliiz mujhe thodaa thandaa paanii de do।)
अगर पानी ठंडा होता, तो मैं इसे पी लेता।
If the water were cold, I would have drunk it.
(agar paanii thandaa hotaa, to main ise pii letaa।)
कमरे का तापमान इतना ठंडा हो सकता है कि हमें हीटर चलाना पड़े।
The room's temperature might be so cold that we may have to turn on the heater.
(kamre kaa taapmaan itnaa thandaa ho saktaa hai ki hamen hiitar chalaanaa pade।)
पहाड़ों पर रातें बहुत ठंडी होती हैं।
Nights in the mountains are very cold.
(pahaadon par raaten bahut thandii hotii hain।)
जनाब, आपकी चाय ठंडी हो रही है, कृपया पी लीजिए।
Sir, your tea is getting cold, please drink it.
(janaab, aapkii chaay thandii ho rahii hai, kripyaa pii liijie।)
दही तो ठंडा ही खाया जाता है।
Yogurt is eaten cold, after all.
(dahii to thandaa hii khaayaa jaataa hai।)
उत्तर भारत की इस ठंडी शाम में दिल्ली की गलियाँ धुंध में डूबी रहती हैं।
In this cold North Indian evening, Delhi's lanes remain steeped in fog.
(uttar bhaarat kii is thandii shaam men dillii kii galiyaan dhundh men doobii rahtii hain।)
बर्फ पड़ने के बाद हवा और भी ठंडी हो गई थी।
After the snowfall, the air had become even colder.
(barph padne ke baad havaa aur bhii thandii ho gaii thii।)
Sense
2
:
a cold drink, something cold to drink
noun, masculine Used as a noun on its own, typically in casual requests like कुछ ठंडा लाओ (kuchh thandaa laao, 'bring something cold').
Synonyms: कोल्ड ड्रिंक (kold drink, colloquial)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: At weddings and parties in Delhi-NCR, a host will often ask गरम या ठंडा? (garam yaa thandaa, 'something hot or something cold?') -- ठंडा (thandaa) here just means a cold beverage, no noun needed after it.
Sample Sentences:
गरम या ठंडा?
Something hot or something cold?
(garam yaa thandaa?)
मेरे लिए एक ठंडा ले आओ।
Bring me a cold drink.
(mere lie ek thandaa le aao।)
क्या आप ठंडा लेंगे या चाय?
Will you have a cold drink or tea?
(kyaa aap thandaa lenge yaa chaay?)
शादी में वेटर पूछ रहा था, गरम या ठंडा?
At the wedding, the waiter was asking, 'something hot or something cold?'
(shaadii men vetar poochh rahaa thaa, garam yaa thandaa?)
गर्मियों में हम रोज़ शाम को ठंडा पीते हैं।
In summer, we drink a cold drink every evening.
(garmiyon men ham roz shaam ko thandaa piite hain।)
अगर पार्टी में ठंडा मिलता तो अच्छा रहता।
It would have been nice if a cold drink had been available at the party.
(agar paartii men thandaa miltaa to achchhaa rahtaa।)
काश कोई ठंडा दे देता, गला सूख रहा है।
I wish someone would give me a cold drink, my throat is parched.
(kaash koii thandaa de detaa, galaa sookh rahaa hai।)
फ्रिज में ठंडा रखा है, जब चाहो ले लो।
There's a cold drink kept in the fridge, take it whenever you want.
(phrij men thandaa rakhaa hai, jab chaaho le lo।)
समारोह में मेहमानों को ठंडा परोसा गया।
Cold drinks were served to the guests at the function.
(samaaroh men mehmaanon ko thandaa parosaa gayaa।)
दुकान वाले ने पूछा कि ठंडा चाहिए या कुछ और।
The shopkeeper asked whether I wanted a cold drink or something else.
(dukaan vaale ne poochhaa ki thandaa chaahie yaa kuchh aur।)
Sense
3
:
calm, subdued, lacking intensity (figurative)
adjective Applies to mood, atmosphere, or a situation that has lost its heat, e.g. माहौल ठंडा हो गया (maahaul thandaa ho gayaa, 'the atmosphere cooled down/fizzled out').
Synonyms: शांत (shaant)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Elders often tell an angry youngster दिमाग ठंडा करो (dimaag thandaa karo, 'cool your head') -- the same hot/cold metaphor for temper that English uses, which makes this sense easy for learners to grab onto.
Common Mistakes: 1) दिमाग ठंडा रखो (dimaag thandaa rakho, 'keep your head cool') is a set expression for staying calm -- learners sometimes translate 'cool-headed' with शांत (shaant) alone and miss this very common idiom.
Sample Sentences:
दिमाग ठंडा करो, गुस्सा करने से कुछ नहीं होगा।
Cool your head, getting angry won't achieve anything.
(dimaag thandaa karo, gussaa karne se kuchh nahiin hogaa।)
वह बहुत ठंडे दिमाग का इंसान है, कभी जल्दी गुस्सा नहीं करता।
He is a very cool-headed person, he never gets angry quickly.
(vah bahut thande dimaag kaa insaan hai, kabhii jaldii gussaa nahiin kartaa।)
इतना बड़ा फैसला लेने से पहले अपना दिमाग ठंडा रखो।
Before making such a big decision, keep your head cool.
(itnaa badaa phaislaa lene se pahle apnaa dimaag thandaa rakho।)
मीटिंग में माहौल ठंडा हो गया जब सबने अपनी बात रख दी।
The atmosphere in the meeting calmed down once everyone had had their say.
(miiting men maahaul thandaa ho gayaa jab sabne apnii baat rakh dii।)
अगर तुम थोड़ा ठंडे होकर बात करते तो झगड़ा नहीं बढ़ता।
If you had spoken a bit more calmly, the quarrel wouldn't have escalated.
(agar tum thodaa thande hokar baat karte to jhagdaa nahiin badhtaa।)
पापा गुस्से में तो आ जाते हैं, लेकिन थोड़ी देर में ठंडे पड़ जाते हैं।
Dad does get angry, but he cools down after a little while.
(paapaa gusse men to aa jaate hain, lekin thodii der men thande pad jaate hain।)
बॉस को समझाने का सबसे अच्छा तरीका है कि पहले उन्हें ठंडा किया जाए।
The best way to reason with the boss is to first calm him down.
(bos ko samjhaane kaa sabse achchhaa tariikaa hai ki pahle unhen thandaa kiyaa jaae।)
उसकी आवाज़ में वो पुरानी तेज़ी नहीं रही, अब सब कुछ ठंडा-सा लगता है।
His voice no longer has that old sharpness, everything now feels subdued.
(uskii aavaaz men vo puraanii tezii nahiin rahii, ab sab kuchh thandaa-saa lagtaa hai।)
जब से नौकरी बदली है, वह पहले से ज़्यादा ठंडा और शांत रहता है।
Ever since he changed jobs, he has stayed calmer and more subdued than before.
(jab se naukrii badlii hai, vah pahle se zyaadaa thandaa aur shaant rahtaa hai।)
थोड़ा ठंडा हो जाओ, फिर बैठकर बात करेंगे।
Calm down a little, then we'll sit and talk.
(thodaa thandaa ho jaao, phir baithkar baat karenge।)
Morphology
Adjective (variable)
(sg.m):
ठंडा
(thandaa)
(pl.m):
ठंडे
(thande)
(sg.f):
ठंडी
(thandii)
(pl.f):
ठंडी
(thandii)
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
ठंडा
(thandaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
ठंडे
(thande)
(pl.m.direct):
ठंडे
(thande)
(pl.m.oblique):
ठंडों
(thandon)