हरामज़ादा (haraamzaadaa)

noun/adjective A strong, vulgar insult meaning 'bastard'; also used loosely (often among close friends, in anger or jest) as a rough term of abuse. Feminine form is हरामज़ादी (haraamzaadii).
Sense 1 : bastard (vulgar insult, literal and general abuse)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: कमीना (kamiinaa), नीच (niich, literary/formal register), सुअर (suar, colloquial insult)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This word literally breaks down as हराम (haraam, 'forbidden/illegitimate') + ज़ादा (zaadaa, 'born of'), a Persian-origin compound meaning 'born of something forbidden' -- i.e., illegitimate birth. It is genuinely offensive in Hindi, roughly on par with its English equivalent, and shows up constantly in Bollywood villain dialogue and street fights, but is not something to use lightly with people you don't know well.
Common Mistakes: 1) This is a genuine vulgarity, not a mild word like बदमाश (badmaash) -- do not use it thinking it is just casual teasing unless you are certain of the social context. 2) Learners sometimes treat it as a fixed noun label, but it also works as a hurled address -- ऐ हरामज़ादे (ai haraamzaade, 'hey, you bastard') -- taking the oblique vocative ending -े (-े) rather than the dictionary -आ (-aa) form.
Sample Sentences:
साले हरामज़ादे, यहाँ से निकल जा! You bastard, get out of here!
(saale haraamzaade, yahaan se nikal jaa!)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
उस हरामज़ादे ने मेरे पैसे चुरा लिए। That bastard stole my money.
(us haraamzaade ne mere paise churaa lie।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
तू हरामज़ादा निकला! You turned out to be a bastard!
(too haraamzaadaa niklaa!)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वो हरामज़ादा हमेशा दूसरों को धोखा देता है। That bastard always cheats others.
(vo haraamzaadaa hameshaa doosron ko dhokhaa detaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अरे हरामज़ादे, तुझे शर्म नहीं आती? Hey bastard, don't you feel any shame?
(are haraamzaade, tujhe sharm nahiin aatii?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
फिल्म का विलेन हीरो को हरामज़ादा कहकर धमकाता है। The film's villain threatens the hero, calling him a bastard.
(philm kaa vilen hiiro ko haraamzaadaa kahkar dhamkaataa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर वो हरामज़ादा दुबारा यहाँ आया, तो मैं उसे नहीं छोड़ूँगा। If that bastard comes here again, I won't spare him.
(agar vo haraamzaadaa dubaaraa yahaan aayaa, to main use nahiin chhodoongaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
गली में लड़ाई के दौरान वो चिल्लाया, "हरामज़ादे, रुक जा!" During the street fight he shouted, "Stop right there, bastard!"
(galii men ladaaii ke dauraan vo chillaayaa, "haraamzaade, ruk jaa!")
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उस हरामज़ादे को पुलिस ने पकड़ लिया था। That bastard had been caught by the police.
(us haraamzaade ko pulis ne pakad liyaa thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
Sense 2 : bastardly, rotten, despicable (describing a person's character or an action)
adjective
Synonyms: कमीना (kamiinaa), नीच (niich, literary/formal register)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: Used the way English speakers might say 'that rotten so-and-so' -- हरामज़ादी हरकत (haraamzaadii harkat, 'a rotten/underhanded act') -- describing sneaky, treacherous, or contemptible behavior rather than literal illegitimacy.
Sample Sentences:
यह उसकी हरामज़ादी हरकत थी। That was a rotten, underhanded move of his.
(yah uskii haraamzaadii harkat thii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
पीठ पीछे शिकायत करना कितनी हरामज़ादी हरकत है। Complaining behind someone's back is such a despicable thing to do.
(piith piichhe shikaayat karnaa kitnii haraamzaadii harkat hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसकी हरामज़ादी चाल में फँसकर मैंने सब कुछ खो दिया। Caught in his rotten scheme, I lost everything.
(uskii haraamzaadii chaal men phanskar mainne sab kuchh kho diyaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर वो ऐसी हरामज़ादी हरकत न करता, तो हम अब भी दोस्त होते। If he hadn't done something so rotten, we'd still be friends.
(agar vo aisii haraamzaadii harkat n kartaa, to ham ab bhii dost hote।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
ऐसी हरामज़ादी सोच रखने वाला आदमी कभी किसी का भला नहीं चाहता। A man with such a rotten mindset never wishes anyone well.
(aisii haraamzaadii soch rakhne vaalaa aadmii kabhii kisii kaa bhalaa nahiin chaahtaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्या हरामज़ादी बात कह दी तुमने! What a rotten thing to say!
(kyaa haraamzaadii baat kah dii tumne!)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उसके पीछे इतनी हरामज़ादी साज़िश थी कि किसी को शक भी नहीं हुआ। There was such a rotten conspiracy behind it that no one even suspected.
(uske piichhe itnii haraamzaadii saazish thii ki kisii ko shak bhii nahiin huaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
कभी हरामज़ादी हरकत मत करना, वरना बाद में पछताओगे। Never pull a rotten stunt like that, or you'll regret it later.
(kabhii haraamzaadii harkat mat karnaa, varnaa baad men pachhtaaoge।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): हरामज़ादा (haraamzaadaa)
(sg.m.oblique): हरामज़ादे (haraamzaade)
(pl.m.direct): हरामज़ादे (haraamzaade)
(pl.m.oblique): हरामज़ादों (haraamzaadon)
Adjective (variable)
(sg.m): हरामज़ादा (haraamzaadaa)
(pl.m): हरामज़ादे (haraamzaade)
(sg.f): हरामज़ादी (haraamzaadii)
(pl.f): हरामज़ादी (haraamzaadii)