माहिर (maahir)
adjective
A single-sense adjective meaning 'expert' or 'skilled' at something, always paired with a domain via the postposition में (men).
Sense
1
:
expert, skilled, adept
adjective Used with the pattern X ... में माहिर है (men maahir hai, 'is expert in X') to name the domain of expertise.
Synonyms: निपुण (nipun, formal), दक्ष (daksh, formal), कुशल (kushal), उस्ताद (ustaad, colloquial)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly in everyday praise -- वो खाना बनाने में बहुत माहिर है (vo khaanaa banaane men bahut maahir hai, 'he/she is very skilled at cooking') is the kind of line an aunty might say about a favorite cook in the family. It carries a slightly more polished, almost admiring tone than the plain कुशल (kushal) or अच्छा (achchhaa), making it a nice word for complimenting someone's talent.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often say माहिर पर (maahir par) or माहिर को (maahir ko) by analogy with English 'expert at/in' -- the domain always takes में (men), never पर (par) or को (ko). 2) माहिर (maahir) itself is invariant in form, but learners sometimes try to make it agree like a variable adjective (e.g. adding आ/ई endings) -- it stays माहिर (maahir) regardless of gender or number.
Sample Sentences:
वो खाना बनाने में बहुत माहिर है।
She is very skilled at cooking.
(vo khaanaa banaane men bahut maahir hai।)
मेरा भाई कंप्यूटर ठीक करने में माहिर है।
My brother is an expert at fixing computers.
(meraa bhaaii kampyootar thiik karne men maahir hai।)
वे जासूसी उपन्यास लिखने में माहिर थे।
He was an expert at writing detective novels.
(ve jaasoosii upanyaas likhne men maahir the।)
अगर मैं बातचीत करने में माहिर होता, तो यह डील पक्की हो जाती।
If I were skilled at negotiating, this deal would have gone through.
(agar main baatchiit karne men maahir hotaa, to yah diil pakkii ho jaatii।)
क्या तुम सच में गिटार बजाने में इतने माहिर हो?
Are you really that skilled at playing the guitar?
(kyaa tum sach men gitaar bajaane men itne maahir ho?)
डॉक्टर साहब सर्जरी में माहिर माने जाते हैं।
The doctor is considered an expert in surgery.
(doktar saahab sarjrii men maahir maane jaate hain।)
इतने साल के अनुभव के बाद वह इस काम में पूरी तरह माहिर हो गया है।
After so many years of experience, he has become completely expert at this work.
(itne saal ke anubhav ke baad vah is kaam men poorii tarah maahir ho gayaa hai।)
काश मैं भी नाच में इतना माहिर होता।
I wish I were as skilled at dancing too.
(kaash main bhii naach men itnaa maahir hotaa।)
यह टीम रणनीति बनाने में माहिर मानी जाती है।
This team is considered expert at making strategies.
(yah tiim ranniiti banaane men maahir maanii jaatii hai।)
शायद वह पेंटिंग में उतना माहिर न हो जितना लोग कहते हैं।
Perhaps he is not as expert at painting as people say.
(shaayad vah penting men utnaa maahir n ho jitnaa log kahte hain।)
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
माहिर
(maahir)