चिथड़ा (chithdaa)
noun
A noun meaning a rag or tattered scrap of cloth, most often met in its plural form describing worn-out, torn clothing; also lives inside a common idiom about poverty.
Sense
1
:
rag, tattered piece of cloth
noun, masculine
Synonyms: कपड़ा (kapdaa, scrap of cloth, broader meaning), टुकड़ा (tukdaa, generic piece/scrap)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this word most in the set phrase चिथड़े पहनना (chithde pahannaa, 'to wear rags') or चिथड़ों में (chithdon men, 'in rags'), painting a vivid picture of poverty -- much like English 'dressed in rags.' It carries real emotional weight in stories and songs about hardship, so it's a word with color, not just a neutral term for damaged cloth.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use कपड़ा (kapdaa) for any old cloth, but चिथड़ा (chithdaa) specifically implies something torn, worn-out, or in shreds -- not just old or used. 2) It is almost always heard in its plural form चिथड़े (chithde) when describing someone's ragged clothes, even when referring to a single garment's state.
Sample Sentences:
उस भिखारी ने फटे-पुराने चिथड़े पहन रखे थे।
That beggar was wearing old, torn rags.
(us bhikhaarii ne phate-puraane chithde pahan rakhe the।)
गरीबी में वह बच्चा चिथड़ों में घूमता था।
In poverty, that child used to wander around in rags.
(gariibii men vah bachchaa chithdon men ghoomtaa thaa।)
माँ ने पुरानी साड़ी के चिथड़े बना दिए ताकि उनसे पोंछा लगाया जा सके।
Mother tore the old sari into rags so they could be used for mopping.
(maan ne puraanii saadii ke chithde banaa die taaki unse ponchhaa lagaayaa jaa sake।)
फर्श पर पड़ा वह चिथड़ा किसी के काम का नहीं था।
That rag lying on the floor was of no use to anyone.
(pharsh par padaa vah chithdaa kisii ke kaam kaa nahiin thaa।)
उन दिनों लोग सर्दी में चिथड़े ओढ़कर सोते थे।
In those days people used to sleep wrapped in rags during winter.
(un dinon log sardii men chithde odhkar sote the।)
अगर उसके पास पैसे होते, तो वह चिथड़ों में न रहता।
If he had had money, he would not have lived in rags.
(agar uske paas paise hote, to vah chithdon men n rahtaa।)
यह पुराना कुर्ता अब चिथड़ा बन चुका है, इसे फेंक दो।
This old kurta has now become a rag, throw it away.
(yah puraanaa kurtaa ab chithdaa ban chukaa hai, ise phenk do।)
कवि ने अपनी कविता में गरीबों के चिथड़ों का बड़ा मार्मिक वर्णन किया है।
The poet has given a very poignant description of the poor's rags in his poem.
(kavi ne apnii kavitaa men gariibon ke chithdon kaa badaa maarmik varnan kiyaa hai।)
क्या तुम इन चिथड़ों को सिलकर कोई गुड़िया बना सकती हो?
Can you stitch these rags together and make a doll?
(kyaa tum in chithdon ko silkar koii gudiyaa banaa saktii ho?)
Sense
2
:
figurative: something torn to shreds, ruined or destroyed (reputation, hope, etc.)
noun, masculine Used almost exclusively in the idiom चिथड़े कर देना/उड़ जाना (chithde kar denaa or chithde ud jaanaa) to mean something abstract -- hope, honor, plans -- has been utterly destroyed.
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the same image as English 'torn to shreds,' but Hindi leans on it more colorfully: इज़्ज़त के चिथड़े उड़ गए (izzat ke chithde ud gae, 'his honor was torn to shreds') is a phrase you'll hear in dramatic conversation, news commentary, or films whenever someone's reputation is publicly destroyed.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense only works with abstract nouns like इज़्ज़त (izzat, honor) or उम्मीद (ummiid, hope) as the thing being destroyed -- it doesn't extend to physical objects other than cloth itself, where you'd stay literal.
Sample Sentences:
उस एक झूठ से उसकी इज़्ज़त के चिथड़े उड़ गए।
That one lie tore his reputation to shreds.
(us ek jhooth se uskii izzat ke chithde ud gae।)
मीडिया ने चंद घंटों में उसकी छवि के चिथड़े कर दिए।
The media tore his image to shreds within a few hours.
(miidiyaa ne chand ghanton men uskii chhavi ke chithde kar die।)
अगर यह बात बाहर निकली तो उसकी साख के चिथड़े उड़ जाएँगे।
If this gets out, his credibility will be torn to shreds.
(agar yah baat baahar niklii to uskii saakh ke chithde ud jaaenge।)
कोर्ट में जिरह के दौरान गवाह के बयान के चिथड़े उड़ गए।
During the cross-examination, the witness's statement was torn to shreds.
(kort men jirah ke dauraan gavaah ke bayaan ke chithde ud gae।)
काश उसने वो बयान न दिया होता, वरना उसके सपनों के चिथड़े न होते।
If only he hadn't given that statement, otherwise his dreams wouldn't have been torn to shreds.
(kaash usne vo bayaan n diyaa hotaa, varnaa uske sapnon ke chithde n hote।)
एक गलत फैसले ने पूरे कारोबार को चिथड़ों में बदल दिया।
One wrong decision turned the entire business into tatters.
(ek galat phaisle ne poore kaarobaar ko chithdon men badal diyaa।)
उसकी उम्मीदों के चिथड़े होते देख सब खामोश रह गए।
Watching his hopes torn to shreds, everyone fell silent.
(uskii ummiidon ke chithde hote dekh sab khaamosh rah gae।)
इतना झूठ मत बोलो, वरना एक दिन तुम्हारी इज़्ज़त के चिथड़े हो जाएँगे।
Don't lie so much, or one day your reputation will be torn to shreds.
(itnaa jhooth mat bolo, varnaa ek din tumhaarii izzat ke chithde ho jaaenge।)
उस घोटाले ने सरकार की साख के चिथड़े उड़ा दिए।
That scandal tore the government's credibility to shreds.
(us ghotaale ne sarkaar kii saakh ke chithde udaa die।)
डर है कि इस विवाद से पार्टी की एकता के चिथड़े न उड़ जाएँ।
There is a fear that this controversy might tear the party's unity to shreds.
(dar hai ki is vivaad se paartii kii ektaa ke chithde n ud jaaen।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
चिथड़ा
(chithdaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
चिथड़े
(chithde)
(pl.m.direct):
चिथड़े
(chithde)
(pl.m.oblique):
चिथड़ों
(chithdon)