ईमानदार (iimaandaar)
adjective
A single-sense adjective meaning 'honest'; related to ईमान (iimaan, faith/integrity) and ईमानदारी (iimaandaarii, honesty, the abstract noun).
Sense
1
:
honest, trustworthy
adjective
Synonyms: सच्चा (sachchaa), खरा (kharaa, of a person's character or dealings), निष्ठावान (nishthaavaan, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: ईमान (iimaan) originally carries a sense of religious faith and moral conviction (from Arabic via Persian/Urdu), so ईमानदार (iimaandaar) literally frames honesty as 'holding onto one's faith/conviction' -- it's a word with real moral weight, often used for shopkeepers, officials, or employees who resist bribery or cheating, not just casual truth-telling. You'll hear it a lot in the context of सरकारी नौकरी (sarkaarii naukrii, government job) discussions, where an ईमानदार अफ़सर (iimaandaar afsar, honest officer) is practically a folk hero given how rare that reputation is perceived to be.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use सच्चा (sachchaa) and ईमानदार (iimaandaar) interchangeably, but सच्चा (sachchaa) leans towards 'truthful/genuine' while ईमानदार (iimaandaar) specifically praises integrity in dealings, money, or duty -- a शख्स (shakhs, person) who doesn't cheat or lie for gain. 2) The abstract noun is ईमानदारी (iimaandaarii, honesty) -- learners often wrongly add a feminine ending to ईमानदार (iimaandaar) itself, but as an adjective it is invariant and does not change for gender or number.
Sample Sentences:
वो दुकानदार बहुत ईमानदार है, कभी कम सामान नहीं देता।
That shopkeeper is very honest, he never gives less than the right amount.
(vo dukaandaar bahut iimaandaar hai, kabhii kam saamaan nahiin detaa।)
हमें एक ईमानदार अफ़सर की ज़रूरत है जो रिश्वत न ले।
We need an honest officer who doesn't take bribes.
(hamen ek iimaandaar afsar kii zaroorat hai jo rishvat n le।)
काश वो आदमी ईमानदार होता, तो हमारा इतना पैसा नहीं डूबता।
If only that man had been honest, our money wouldn't have been lost like this.
(kaash vo aadmii iimaandaar hotaa, to hamaaraa itnaa paisaa nahiin doobtaa।)
सरकारी नौकरी में ईमानदार रहना आज भी एक चुनौती माना जाता है।
Remaining honest in a government job is still considered a challenge today.
(sarkaarii naukrii men iimaandaar rahnaa aaj bhii ek chunautii maanaa jaataa hai।)
मेरे दादाजी हमेशा कहते थे कि ईमानदार रहो, चाहे कुछ भी हो जाए।
My grandfather always used to say, be honest, no matter what happens.
(mere daadaajii hameshaa kahte the ki iimaandaar raho, chaahe kuchh bhii ho jaae।)
क्या तुम सच में इतने ईमानदार हो कि पैसे लौटा दिए?
Are you really so honest that you returned the money?
(kyaa tum sach men itne iimaandaar ho ki paise lautaa die?)
इस कंपनी को एक ईमानदार अकाउंटेंट की सख़्त ज़रूरत थी।
This company badly needed an honest accountant.
(is kampnii ko ek iimaandaar akaauntent kii sakht zaroorat thii।)
अपने बच्चों को हमेशा ईमानदार बनाओ, चाहे ज़माना कैसा भी हो।
Always make your children honest, no matter how the world may be.
(apne bachchon ko hameshaa iimaandaar banaao, chaahe zamaanaa kaisaa bhii ho।)
एक सच में ईमानदार इंसान मिलना आजकल किसी नियामत से कम नहीं है।
Finding a truly honest person nowadays is nothing less than a blessing.
(ek sach men iimaandaar insaan milnaa aajkal kisii niyaamat se kam nahiin hai।)
अगर वो ईमानदार न होता, तो कब का पकड़ा जाता।
If he hadn't been honest, he would have been caught long ago.
(agar vo iimaandaar n hotaa, to kab kaa pakdaa jaataa।)
उसकी ईमानदारी की वजह से उसे 'ईमानदार बाबू' कहा जाता है।
Because of his honesty, he is called the 'honest clerk'.
(uskii iimaandaarii kii vajah se use 'iimaandaar baaboo' kahaa jaataa hai।)
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
ईमानदार
(iimaandaar)