शरीफ़ (shariif)
adjective
A borrowed adjective (from Arabic-Persian via Urdu) describing a person as decent, respectable, and well-behaved -- one sense covers this everyday usage.
Sense
1
:
decent, well-behaved, respectable (of a person)
adjective
Synonyms: सीधा (siidhaa, simple/mild-mannered), भला (bhalaa), नेक (nek, formal/literary), सज्जन (sajjan, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly in the phrase शरीफ़ आदमी (shariif aadmii, 'a decent/respectable man') or शरीफ़ लड़की (shariif ladkii, 'a respectable/well-behaved girl') -- it is the go-to word Delhi parents and neighbors use to vouch for someone's character, especially in the context of arranged marriage talk or vetting a new tenant or son-in-law. Note the nuqta under फ़ (borrowed from Persian/Arabic) -- dropping it (शरीफ) is common in casual writing and still understood.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use शरीफ़ (shariif) to mean 'clever' or 'good at something' -- it only describes moral/behavioral decency, not skill or intelligence. 2) It carries a slight connotation of being harmless or even a bit naive/pushover-ish in some contexts (e.g. शरीफ़ आदमी (shariif aadmii, 'decent/harmless man')) -- tone in context matters, it is not purely a compliment like 'virtuous.'
Sample Sentences:
वह बहुत शरीफ़ आदमी है।
He is a very decent man.
(vah bahut shariif aadmii hai।)
हमें अपनी बेटी के लिए एक शरीफ़ लड़का चाहिए।
We need a decent boy for our daughter.
(hamen apnii betii ke lie ek shariif ladkaa chaahie।)
पड़ोसी बता रहे थे कि लड़की बहुत शरीफ़ है।
The neighbors were saying that the girl is very respectable.
(padosii bataa rahe the ki ladkii bahut shariif hai।)
किराएदार शरीफ़ होना चाहिए, वरना बाद में झगड़ा होता है।
The tenant should be decent, otherwise there are fights later.
(kiraaedaar shariif honaa chaahie, varnaa baad men jhagdaa hotaa hai।)
अगर वह इतना शरीफ़ न होता, तो कब का यहाँ से भाग गया होता।
If he weren't so decent, he would have run away from here long ago.
(agar vah itnaa shariif n hotaa, to kab kaa yahaan se bhaag gayaa hotaa।)
शरीफ़ बनो, यहाँ शोर मत मचाओ।
Behave decently, don't make noise here.
(shariif bano, yahaan shor mat machaao।)
समाज में एक शरीफ़ आदमी की तरह पेश आना चाहिए।
One should conduct oneself like a respectable man in society.
(samaaj men ek shariif aadmii kii tarah pesh aanaa chaahie।)
उसकी शराफ़त की वजह से सब उसे पसंद करते हैं।
Because of his decency, everyone likes him.
(uskii sharaafat kii vajah se sab use pasand karte hain।)
रिश्ता तय होने से पहले लड़के के शरीफ़ होने की पूरी जांच की जाती है।
Before the match is finalized, the boy's decent character is thoroughly checked.
(rishtaa tay hone se pahle ladke ke shariif hone kii poorii jaanch kii jaatii hai।)
क्या वह लड़का सच में इतना शरीफ़ है जितना दिखता है?
Is that boy really as decent as he looks?
(kyaa vah ladkaa sach men itnaa shariif hai jitnaa dikhtaa hai?)
काश वह भी अपने भाई जैसा शरीफ़ होता।
I wish he were decent like his brother too.
(kaash vah bhii apne bhaaii jaisaa shariif hotaa।)
Morphology
Adjective (variable)
(sg.m):
शरीफ़
(shariif)
(pl.m):
शरीफ़े
(shariife)
(sg.f):
शरीफ़ी
(shariifii)
(pl.f):
शरीफ़ी
(shariifii)