ख़ाली (khaalii)
adjective/adverb
Mainly an adjective meaning 'empty' or 'vacant,' with a very common extended sense of 'free' (time, a person available) and an adverbial use meaning 'only, just.' Also spelled without the nuqta as खाली (khaalii).
Sense
1
:
empty, vacant
adjective
Synonyms: रिक्त (rikt, literary), सूना (soonaa, evokes emptiness/desolation)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly on the street: ख़ाली सीट (khaalii siit, 'empty seat') on a bus, or a shopkeeper saying बोतल ख़ाली है (botal khaalii hai, 'the bottle is empty'). It is one of those everyday, high-mileage adjectives every learner should nail early.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for रिक्त (rikt) in everyday speech; that word belongs to formal or written registers, while ख़ाली (khaalii) is what people actually say for an empty glass, room, or seat.
Sample Sentences:
यह बोतल ख़ाली है।
This bottle is empty.
(yah botal khaalii hai।)
बस में एक ख़ाली सीट थी।
There was an empty seat on the bus.
(bas men ek khaalii siit thii।)
कमरा पूरी तरह ख़ाली था, अंदर कुछ भी नहीं था।
The room was completely empty, there was nothing inside.
(kamraa poorii tarah khaalii thaa, andar kuchh bhii nahiin thaa।)
कृपया ख़ाली गिलास मुझे दे दीजिए।
Please give me the empty glass.
(kripyaa khaalii gilaas mujhe de diijie।)
मेज़ पर ख़ाली प्लेटें पड़ी हैं।
There are empty plates lying on the table.
(mez par khaalii pleten padii hain।)
अगर टंकी ख़ाली होती, तो पानी नहीं आता।
If the tank had been empty, the water wouldn't have come.
(agar tankii khaalii hotii, to paanii nahiin aataa।)
जब मैं घर पहुँचा, तो फ्रिज पूरी तरह ख़ाली हो चुका था।
By the time I got home, the fridge had become completely empty.
(jab main ghar pahunchaa, to phrij poorii tarah khaalii ho chukaa thaa।)
थैला ख़ाली मत छोड़ो, कुछ सामान भर दो।
Don't leave the bag empty, put some things in it.
(thailaa khaalii mat chhodo, kuchh saamaan bhar do।)
यह मैदान बरसों से ख़ाली पड़ा है।
This field has been lying empty for years.
(yah maidaan barson se khaalii padaa hai।)
सड़कें आधी रात को ख़ाली हो जाती हैं।
The streets become empty at midnight.
(sadken aadhii raat ko khaalii ho jaatii hain।)
मकान को ख़ाली करने के लिए एक महीने का नोटिस दिया गया।
A month's notice was given to vacate the house.
(makaan ko khaalii karne ke lie ek mahiine kaa notis diyaa gayaa।)
उम्मीद है कि जब हम पहुँचेंगे तो हॉल ख़ाली मिले।
Hopefully the hall will be found empty by the time we arrive.
(ummiid hai ki jab ham pahunchenge to hol khaalii mile।)
Sense
2
:
free, available (of time or a person)
adjective
Synonyms: फ़ारिग़ (faarigh, rare)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the natural way to ask a friend or shopkeeper if they have time for you: क्या तुम आज शाम को ख़ाली हो? (kyaa tum aaj shaam ko khaalii ho, 'are you free this evening?'). It extends the physical 'empty' sense to a person's schedule -- a very natural metaphor once you notice it.
Common Mistakes: 1) When asking if someone is free (not busy), ख़ाली (khaalii) is used with होना (honaa) plus the person marked in the nominative, e.g. आप ख़ाली हैं? (aap khaalii hain, 'are you free?') -- learners sometimes overreach and add को (ko) as if it needed dative marking, but it does not.
Sample Sentences:
क्या तुम आज शाम को ख़ाली हो?
Are you free this evening?
(kyaa tum aaj shaam ko khaalii ho?)
मैं कल दोपहर ख़ाली हूँ, मिल सकते हैं।
I'm free tomorrow afternoon, we can meet.
(main kal dopahar khaalii hoon, mil sakte hain।)
सर, क्या आप अभी थोड़ी देर के लिए ख़ाली हैं?
Sir, are you free for a little while right now?
(sar, kyaa aap abhii thodii der ke lie khaalii hain?)
अगर तुम ख़ाली होते तो हम साथ फ़िल्म देखने जाते।
If you were free, we would have gone to watch a movie together.
(agar tum khaalii hote to ham saath film dekhne jaate।)
डॉक्टर साहब पूरे दिन ख़ाली नहीं रहेंगे, पहले अपॉइंटमेंट ले लो।
The doctor won't be free all day, take an appointment first.
(doktar saahab poore din khaalii nahiin rahenge, pahle apointment le lo।)
जब भी वह ख़ाली होती है, किताब पढ़ने लगती है।
Whenever she's free, she starts reading a book.
(jab bhii vah khaalii hotii hai, kitaab padhne lagtii hai।)
काश मैं इस हफ़्ते ख़ाली होता, तो तुम्हारी मदद कर देता।
I wish I were free this week, I would have helped you.
(kaash main is hafte khaalii hotaa, to tumhaarii madad kar detaa।)
क्या आप शुक्रवार को ख़ाली होंगे मीटिंग के लिए?
Will you be free on Friday for the meeting?
(kyaa aap shukrvaar ko khaalii honge miiting ke lie?)
मैनेजर साहब से मिलना है तो पहले पता कर लो कि वह ख़ाली हैं या नहीं।
If you want to meet the manager, first find out whether he's free or not.
(mainejar saahab se milnaa hai to pahle pataa kar lo ki vah khaalii hain yaa nahiin।)
अरे यार, आज तो बिल्कुल ख़ाली हूँ, चल कहीं घूम आते हैं।
Hey man, I'm totally free today, come on, let's go hang out somewhere.
(are yaar, aaj to bilkul khaalii hoon, chal kahiin ghoom aate hain।)
जब तक तुम ख़ाली न हो, यह काम मत छोड़ो।
Don't leave this work until you're free.
(jab tak tum khaalii n ho, yah kaam mat chhodo।)
Sense
3
:
just, only, merely
adverb Used before a noun or phrase to mean 'just/only,' as in ख़ाली बातें (khaalii baaten, 'just talk, empty words').
Synonyms: सिर्फ़ (sirf), केवल (keval, somewhat formal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear ख़ाली बातें (khaalii baaten, 'just talk / empty words') used dismissively, e.g. when someone makes promises with no substance -- a nice bridge between the literal 'empty' sense and this figurative 'merely' sense.
Common Mistakes: 1) In this adverbial sense ख़ाली (khaalii) sits right before the word it limits, much like सिर्फ़ (sirf) -- learners sometimes place it as if it were still the 'empty' adjective modifying a noun elsewhere in the sentence, which changes the meaning.
Sample Sentences:
मैं ख़ाली मज़ाक कर रहा था।
I was just joking.
(main khaalii mazaak kar rahaa thaa।)
उसकी बातें ख़ाली बातें हैं, उन पर यकीन मत करो।
His words are just empty talk, don't believe them.
(uskii baaten khaalii baaten hain, un par yakiin mat karo।)
यह ख़ाली एक सुझाव है, आदेश नहीं।
This is just a suggestion, not an order.
(yah khaalii ek sujhaav hai, aadesh nahiin।)
वह ख़ाली पैसे के लिए यह काम करता है।
He does this work just for the money.
(vah khaalii paise ke lie yah kaam kartaa hai।)
अगर वह ख़ाली माफ़ी माँग लेता, तो मैं मान जाता।
If he had just apologized, I would have agreed.
(agar vah khaalii maafii maang letaa, to main maan jaataa।)
ख़ाली इतना बता दो कि तुम कब आओगे।
Just tell me this much -- when will you come.
(khaalii itnaa bataa do ki tum kab aaoge।)
हो सकता है वह ख़ाली थकान की वजह से चिड़चिड़ा हो।
It's possible he's just irritable because of tiredness.
(ho saktaa hai vah khaalii thakaan kii vajah se chidchidaa ho।)
यह प्रस्ताव ख़ाली विचार के लिए भेजा गया था, मंज़ूरी के लिए नहीं।
This proposal was sent just for consideration, not for approval.
(yah prastaav khaalii vichaar ke lie bhejaa gayaa thaa, manzoorii ke lie nahiin।)
उसने ख़ाली एक बार फ़ोन किया था, फिर कभी नहीं।
He had called just once, never again after that.
(usne khaalii ek baar fon kiyaa thaa, phir kabhii nahiin।)
मंत्री जी की घोषणाएँ अक्सर ख़ाली बातें साबित होती हैं।
The minister's announcements often turn out to be just empty words.
(mantrii jii kii ghoshnaaen aksar khaalii baaten saabit hotii hain।)
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
ख़ाली
(khaalii)