ग़लत (ghalat)
adjective/adverb/interjection
A single core sense meaning 'wrong/incorrect,' used as an adjective for facts, actions, and choices, and also very common as a standalone exclamation or short reply.
Sense
1
:
wrong, incorrect, mistaken
adjective
Synonyms: ग़लत (ghalat) खराब (kharaab), sometimes used loosely for 'wrong/bad', अशुद्ध (ashuddh, formal, used for language/pronunciation errors)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear यह ग़लत है (yah ghalat hai, 'this is wrong') constantly in Delhi -- from a teacher marking homework to a friend correcting your Hindi to an auto driver disputing a fare. It is a mild, everyday word, not a harsh judgment; calling something ग़लत (ghalat) is much gentler in tone than calling a person बुरा (buraa).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for बुरा (buraa, 'bad') when they mean 'incorrect' -- ग़लत (ghalat) is about correctness/accuracy, बुरा (buraa) is about moral or emotional quality; मत बताओ ग़लत बात (mat bataao ghalat baat, 'don't say something wrong/incorrect') versus बुरी बात (burii baat, 'a bad/improper thing to say'). 2) Note the nuqta: ग़लत (ghalat) with the dot under ग is standard; dropping it to गलत (galat) is extremely common in casual writing and still perfectly understood.
Sample Sentences:
यह जवाब ग़लत है।
This answer is wrong.
(yah javaab ghalat hai।)
मेरा नंबर ग़लत लिख दिया गया था।
My number was written down wrong.
(meraa nambar ghalat likh diyaa gayaa thaa।)
अगर तुम्हारा पता ग़लत होगा, तो पैकेट कभी नहीं पहुँचेगा।
If your address is wrong, the package will never arrive.
(agar tumhaaraa pataa ghalat hogaa, to paiket kabhii nahiin pahunchegaa।)
अगर मेरा अंदाज़ा ग़लत होता, तो हम अभी तक भूखे बैठे होते।
If my guess had been wrong, we would still be sitting here hungry.
(agar meraa andaazaa ghalat hotaa, to ham abhii tak bhookhe baithe hote।)
क्या मेरी गिनती ग़लत थी?
Was my counting wrong?
(kyaa merii gintii ghalat thii?)
शायद मेरी सोच ही ग़लत हो।
Maybe my thinking itself is wrong.
(shaayad merii soch hii ghalat ho।)
टीचर ने कहा कि तुम्हारा तरीक़ा ग़लत है, पर जवाब सही है।
The teacher said your method is wrong, but the answer is right.
(tiichar ne kahaa ki tumhaaraa tariiqaa ghalat hai, par javaab sahii hai।)
यह बिल ग़लत बनाया गया है, ज़रा फिर से देखिए।
This bill has been made incorrectly, please check it again.
(yah bil ghalat banaayaa gayaa hai, zaraa phir se dekhie।)
उसका फ़ैसला बिल्कुल ग़लत निकला।
His decision turned out to be completely wrong.
(uskaa faislaa bilkul ghalat niklaa।)
ऑटो वाला बोला कि मैंने पता ही ग़लत बताया था।
The auto driver said that I had given the wrong address.
(oto vaalaa bolaa ki mainne pataa hii ghalat bataayaa thaa।)
इस फ़ॉर्म में एक भी जानकारी ग़लत नहीं होनी चाहिए।
Not even one piece of information in this form should be wrong.
(is form men ek bhii jaankaarii ghalat nahiin honii chaahie।)
Sense
2
:
wrongly, incorrectly, mistakenly
adverb Functions adverbially in fixed phrases like ग़लत समझना (ghalat samajhnaa, 'to misunderstand') and ग़लत बोलना (ghalat bolnaa, 'to say/pronounce incorrectly'), where it modifies the verb rather than a noun.
Synonyms: ग़लती से (ghaltii se, 'by mistake', often preferred in this adverbial sense)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: आपने मुझे ग़लत समझा (aapne mujhe ghalat samjhaa, 'you misunderstood me') is a classic line in arguments and dramatic Hindi TV moments alike -- ग़लत समझना (ghalat samajhnaa) is the standard, go-to way to say 'to misunderstand' in everyday speech.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes insert से (se) after ग़लत (ghalat) by analogy with ग़लती से (ghaltii se), producing the unnatural ग़लत से (ghalat se); in this adverbial sense ग़लत (ghalat) is simply placed right before the verb with no postposition.
Sample Sentences:
आपने मुझे ग़लत समझा।
You misunderstood me.
(aapne mujhe ghalat samjhaa।)
प्लीज़ मुझे ग़लत मत समझो, मेरा वो मतलब नहीं था।
Please don't misunderstand me, that's not what I meant.
(pliiz mujhe ghalat mat samjho, meraa vo matlab nahiin thaa।)
उसने मेरा नाम ग़लत लिख दिया।
He wrote my name incorrectly.
(usne meraa naam ghalat likh diyaa।)
मैं हमेशा उसकी बातें ग़लत समझ लेता हूँ।
I always end up misunderstanding what he says.
(main hameshaa uskii baaten ghalat samajh letaa hoon।)
अगर तुम मेरी बात ग़लत समझोगी तो हमारी लड़ाई हो जाएगी।
If you misunderstand what I'm saying, we'll end up fighting.
(agar tum merii baat ghalat samjhogii to hamaarii ladaaii ho jaaegii।)
यह पता ग़लत लिखा गया है, इसलिए चिट्ठी वापस आ गई।
This address has been written incorrectly, so the letter came back.
(yah pataa ghalat likhaa gayaa hai, islie chitthii vaapas aa gaii।)
काश मैंने उसकी बात ग़लत न समझी होती।
I wish I hadn't misunderstood what he said.
(kaash mainne uskii baat ghalat n samjhii hotii।)
डर है कि लोग मेरी नीयत ग़लत न समझ लें।
I'm afraid people might misunderstand my intentions.
(dar hai ki log merii niiyat ghalat n samajh len।)
फॉर्म में तारीख़ ग़लत भरी गई थी, इसलिए आवेदन रद्द हो गया।
The date was filled in incorrectly on the form, so the application got rejected.
(phorm men taariikh ghalat bharii gaii thii, islie aavedan radd ho gayaa।)
मीटिंग में मैनेजर ने मेरी चुप्पी को ग़लत समझ लिया।
In the meeting, the manager misunderstood my silence.
(miiting men mainejar ne merii chuppii ko ghalat samajh liyaa।)
मैं सालों से सोचता था कि उसने मुझे ग़लत समझा था, पर असल में गलती मेरी थी।
For years I thought he had misunderstood me, but actually the fault was mine.
(main saalon se sochtaa thaa ki usne mujhe ghalat samjhaa thaa, par asal men galtii merii thii।)
Sense
3
:
wrong! (as an exclamatory correction or reply)
interjection Used alone as a one-word reaction, often in quiz-like or corrective contexts, similar to shouting 'wrong!' in English.
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Think of a game show host or a teacher snapping back ग़लत! (ghalat!) the instant a wrong answer is given -- short, punchy, and instantly understood without needing a full sentence.
Sample Sentences:
ग़लत! फिर से सोचो।
Wrong! Think again.
(ghalat! phir se socho।)
ग़लत! ये जवाब नहीं है।
Wrong! That's not the answer.
(ghalat! ye javaab nahiin hai।)
ग़लत! अगला सवाल।
Wrong! Next question.
(ghalat! aglaa savaal।)
टीचर ने कहा, "ग़लत! बैठ जाओ।"
The teacher said, "Wrong! Sit down."
(tiichar ne kahaa, "ghalat! baith jaao।")
ग़लत! ये तो बच्चों को भी पता है।
Wrong! Even kids know this.
(ghalat! ye to bachchon ko bhii pataa hai।)
क्या मैंने सही कहा? नहीं, ग़लत!
Did I say it right? No, wrong!
(kyaa mainne sahii kahaa? nahiin, ghalat!)
होस्ट चिल्लाया, "ग़लत! समय खत्म।"
The host shouted, "Wrong! Time's up."
(host chillaayaa, "ghalat! samay khatm।")
अरे नहीं, ग़लत! दोबारा कोशिश करो।
Oh no, wrong! Try again.
(are nahiin, ghalat! dobaaraa koshish karo।)
ग़लत! ये पेरिस नहीं, लंदन है।
Wrong! This isn't Paris, it's London.
(ghalat! ye peris nahiin, landan hai।)
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
ग़लत
(ghalat)