पतला (patlaa)
adjective
Basic adjective meaning 'thin' -- covers physical thinness of people/things and thinness of liquids/consistency; also extends to a figurative 'weak/flimsy' sense for arguments or excuses.
Sense
1
:
thin (of a person or physical object)
adjective
Synonyms: दुबला (dublaa, of a person's build), छरहरा (chharahraa, slender/lithe, complimentary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear दुबला-पतला (dublaa-patlaa, 'thin, skinny') as a fixed pair describing someone's build -- Hindi loves these rhyming binomials, and this one is the default way to say 'he's a thin fellow' without sounding clinical.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for दुबला (dublaa) and पतला (patlaa) interchangeably, but दुबला (dublaa) is used only for people/animals (body build), while पतला (patlaa) works for people and objects alike (a thin book, a thin wire). 2) पतला (patlaa) describing a person is neutral to positive; it does not carry the slightly negative 'too skinny' connotation that दुबला (dublaa) can carry in casual speech.
Sample Sentences:
वह बहुत पतला लड़का है।
He is a very thin boy.
(vah bahut patlaa ladkaa hai।)
वह दुबला-पतला आदमी कोने में खड़ा था।
That thin, skinny man was standing in the corner.
(vah dublaa-patlaa aadmii kone men khadaa thaa।)
बीमारी के बाद वह बहुत पतला हो गया है।
He has become very thin after the illness.
(biimaarii ke baad vah bahut patlaa ho gayaa hai।)
मुझे एक पतला तार चाहिए इस काम के लिए।
I need a thin wire for this work.
(mujhe ek patlaa taar chaahie is kaam ke lie।)
अगर तुम रोज़ दौड़ते तो अब तक पतले हो जाते।
If you ran every day, you would have become thin by now.
(agar tum roz daudte to ab tak patle ho jaate।)
थोड़ा पतला हो जाओ, वरना डॉक्टर डांटेगा।
Get a little thinner, or the doctor will scold you.
(thodaa patlaa ho jaao, varnaa doktar daantegaa।)
उसकी उँगलियाँ बहुत पतली हैं, जैसे पियानो बजाने के लिए बनी हों।
Her fingers are very slender, as if they were made for playing the piano.
(uskii ungliyaan bahut patlii hain, jaise piyaano bajaane ke lie banii hon।)
डॉक्टर साहब का कहना है कि रोगी बहुत पतला हो चुका है।
The doctor says that the patient has already become very thin.
(doktar saahab kaa kahnaa hai ki rogii bahut patlaa ho chukaa hai।)
पतली कमर पाने के लिए वह जिम में बहुत मेहनत करती है।
She works very hard at the gym to get a slim waist.
(patlii kamar paane ke lie vah jim men bahut mehnat kartii hai।)
मॉडलिंग में अक्सर पतले शरीर को ही सुंदर माना जाता है।
In modeling, a slim body is often considered beautiful.
(modling men aksar patle shariir ko hii sundar maanaa jaataa hai।)
जब मैं कॉलेज में था, तब बहुत पतला था।
When I was in college, I was very thin.
(jab main kolej men thaa, tab bahut patlaa thaa।)
Sense
2
:
thin, watery (of a liquid or consistency)
adjective Used for the consistency of liquids like tea, daal, or batter -- पतली चाय (patlii chaay, 'weak/watery tea') is a common complaint, not a compliment.
Synonyms: गाढ़ा (gaadhaa, opposite: thick)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Ask for चाय थोड़ी कड़क बनाना, पतली मत बनाना (chaay thodii kadak banaanaa, patlii mat banaanaa, 'make the tea strong, not watery') at a dhaba and you'll get instant respect -- consistency of tea and daal is a real point of household pride in North Indian kitchens.
Common Mistakes: 1) In this sense पतला (patlaa) is often a mild criticism -- पतली दाल (patlii daal, 'watery daal') implies it needed more lentils or was rushed, so don't use it thinking it's neutral the way 'thin soup' might sound in English.
Sample Sentences:
चाय थोड़ी कड़क बनाना, पतली मत बनाना।
Make the tea a bit strong, don't make it watery.
(chaay thodii kadak banaanaa, patlii mat banaanaa।)
दाल बहुत पतली है, इसमें थोड़ा और डालो।
The daal is very watery, put some more into it.
(daal bahut patlii hai, ismen thodaa aur daalo।)
मेरी माँ हमेशा गाढ़ी लस्सी बनाती है, पतली नहीं।
My mother always makes thick lassi, not watery.
(merii maan hameshaa gaadhii lassii banaatii hai, patlii nahiin।)
सूप पतला हो गया था क्योंकि मैंने बहुत पानी डाल दिया था।
The soup had become watery because I'd added too much water.
(soop patlaa ho gayaa thaa kyonki mainne bahut paanii daal diyaa thaa।)
अगर तुम इसमें और दूध मिलाओगी तो पेंट पतला हो जाएगा।
If you mix in more milk, the batter will turn watery.
(agar tum ismen aur doodh milaaogii to pent patlaa ho jaaegaa।)
काश यह सांभर इतना पतला न होता।
I wish this sambar weren't so watery.
(kaash yah saambhar itnaa patlaa n hotaa।)
अगर घोल थोड़ा पतला होता तो डोसा और बढ़िया बनता।
If the batter had been a bit more watery, the dosa would have turned out even better.
(agar ghol thodaa patlaa hotaa to dosaa aur badhiyaa bantaa।)
पतला घोल तवे पर फैलाना आसान होता है।
A thin batter is easy to spread on the griddle.
(patlaa ghol tave par phailaanaa aasaan hotaa hai।)
पेंट को पतला करने के लिए उसमें थिनर मिलाया जाता है।
To thin out the paint, thinner is mixed into it.
(pent ko patlaa karne ke lie usmen thinar milaayaa jaataa hai।)
हलवाई से कहना कि खीर पतली न बनाए।
Tell the sweet-maker not to make the kheer watery.
(halvaaii se kahnaa ki khiir patlii n banaae।)
शरबत में इतना पानी डाल दिया कि वह पूरी तरह पतला हो गया।
So much water was added to the sherbet that it became completely watery.
(sharbat men itnaa paanii daal diyaa ki vah poorii tarah patlaa ho gayaa।)
Sense
3
:
flimsy, weak (of an excuse, argument, or plan)
adjective Used figuratively for excuses, arguments, or plots that don't hold up -- पतला बहाना (patlaa bahaanaa, 'a flimsy excuse').
Synonyms: कमज़ोर (kamzor, weak)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: यह बहाना बहुत पतला है (yah bahaanaa bahut patlaa hai, 'this excuse is very thin') is exactly the sarcastic tone an Indian parent or boss uses when they've caught you out -- the physical image of thinness (easy to see through) carries over neatly into English's own 'thin excuse,' so this figurative leap feels intuitive once pointed out.
Sample Sentences:
यह बहाना बहुत पतला है।
This excuse is very thin.
(yah bahaanaa bahut patlaa hai।)
उसकी दलील बहुत पतली थी, किसी को यकीन नहीं हुआ।
His argument was very flimsy, nobody believed it.
(uskii daliil bahut patlii thii, kisii ko yakiin nahiin huaa।)
इतना पतला बहाना बनाओगे तो पकड़े जाओगे।
If you make such a lame excuse, you'll get caught.
(itnaa patlaa bahaanaa banaaoge to pakde jaaoge।)
बॉस ने कहा कि यह योजना बहुत पतली है, इसमें कोई ठोस आधार नहीं।
The boss said that this plan is very flimsy, there's no solid basis to it.
(bos ne kahaa ki yah yojnaa bahut patlii hai, ismen koii thos aadhaar nahiin।)
अगर तुम्हारी दलील इतनी पतली न होती, तो शायद टीचर मान जाते।
If your argument hadn't been so flimsy, the teacher might have agreed.
(agar tumhaarii daliil itnii patlii n hotii, to shaayad tiichar maan jaate।)
कोई ऐसा बहाना मत बनाना जो इतना पतला लगे।
Don't make an excuse that seems this weak.
(koii aisaa bahaanaa mat banaanaa jo itnaa patlaa lage।)
मुझे शक है कि उसकी सफ़ाई पतली निकलेगी।
I suspect his explanation will turn out to be weak.
(mujhe shak hai ki uskii safaaii patlii niklegii।)
इस केस में सरकारी वकील की दलीलें बहुत पतली पाई गईं।
In this case, the government lawyer's arguments were found to be very weak.
(is kes men sarkaarii vakiil kii daliilen bahut patlii paaii gaiin।)
हर बार वह इतना पतला बहाना देता है कि हम हँस पड़ते हैं।
Every time he gives such a lame excuse that we burst out laughing.
(har baar vah itnaa patlaa bahaanaa detaa hai ki ham hans padte hain।)
Morphology
Adjective (variable)
(sg.m):
पतला
(patlaa)
(pl.m):
पतले
(patle)
(sg.f):
पतली
(patlii)
(pl.f):
पतली
(patlii)