बेहतर (behtar)

adjective A single-sense borrowed adjective meaning 'better'; used constantly in comparisons and advice.
Sense 1 : better
adjective Used with से (se) to mark the point of comparison: X, Y से बेहतर है (X, Y se behtar hai, 'X is better than Y').
Synonyms: अच्छा (achchhaa, plain 'good,' used comparatively with से (se)), उत्तम (uttam, formal/literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: बेहतर (behtar) comes from Persian and has a slightly more polished, considered feel than plain अच्छा (achchhaa) -- you will hear it a lot in advice-giving, like बेहतर होगा अगर तुम... (behtar hogaa agar tum..., 'it would be better if you...'), which is a very common, gentle way elders and teachers suggest a course of action without sounding bossy.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to inflect बेहतर (behtar) like a native adjective (बेहतरा, बेहतरे); it never changes form regardless of the noun's gender or number. 2) Forgetting से (se) when comparing -- Hindi needs यह उससे बेहतर है (yah usse behtar hai, 'this is better than that'), not just two adjectives placed side by side.
Sample Sentences:
यह किताब उससे बेहतर है। This book is better than that one.
(yah kitaab usse behtar hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बेहतर होगा अगर तुम अभी घर चले जाओ। It would be better if you went home now.
(behtar hogaa agar tum abhii ghar chale jaao।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
अगर तुमने पहले तैयारी की होती, तो नतीजा बेहतर होता। If you had prepared earlier, the result would have been better.
(agar tumne pahle taiyaarii kii hotii, to natiijaa behtar hotaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि अब उसकी हालत पहले से बेहतर है। The doctor said that his condition is better than before now.
(doktar ne kahaa ki ab uskii haalat pahle se behtar hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्या इससे बेहतर कोई तरीका नहीं है? Isn't there any better way than this?
(kyaa isse behtar koii tariikaa nahiin hai?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
हर साल कंपनी के प्रदर्शन में बेहतर सुधार होता रहा है। Every year the company's performance has kept improving for the better.
(har saal kampnii ke pradarshan men behtar sudhaar hotaa rahaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बेहतर है कि आप अपनी बात सीधे बॉस से कह दें। It's better that you tell your boss directly.
(behtar hai ki aap apnii baat siidhe bos se kah den।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इस बार की फसल पिछली बार से कहीं बेहतर रही। This time's harvest was far better than the last one.
(is baar kii phasal pichhlii baar se kahiin behtar rahii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
सरकार द्वारा बेहतर सुविधाएँ मुहैया कराई जा रही हैं। Better facilities are being provided by the government.
(sarkaar dvaaraa behtar suvidhaaen muhaiyaa karaaii jaa rahii hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
बेहतर होता कि हम पहले ही सतर्क हो जाते। It would have been better if we had become alert earlier.
(behtar hotaa ki ham pahle hii satark ho jaate।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Voice: Active
बेटा, कोशिश करो कि हर दिन कल से बेहतर हो। Son, try to make every day better than yesterday.
(betaa, koshish karo ki har din kal se behtar ho।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant: बेहतर (behtar)