नया (nayaa)
adjective
The everyday adjective for 'new,' used constantly across contexts from clothes to relationships; it also has a common figurative sense meaning 'inexperienced' or 'unfamiliar with something.'
Sense
1
:
new (freshly made, acquired, or recent)
adjective
Synonyms: नवीन (naviin, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: नया साल (nayaa saal, 'new year') is the phrase you will hear everywhere around January 1, and नई दिल्ली (naii dillii, 'New Delhi') is a name every Delhi-ite says daily without a second thought. Note that this adjective is fully variable, so its form shifts constantly with the noun it describes -- pay close attention to those endings, they are what native ears listen for.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often forget to inflect the ending: नया (nayaa) becomes नई (naii) before feminine nouns and नए (nae) before masculine plural/oblique nouns -- e.g. नई किताब (naii kitaab, 'new book'), नए कपड़े (nae kapde, 'new clothes'). 2) For 'What's new?' Hindi speakers say क्या नया है? (kyaa nayaa hai, 'what's new'), not a literal translation of English small talk phrasing.
Sample Sentences:
मैंने कल एक नया फ़ोन ख़रीदा।
I bought a new phone yesterday.
(mainne kal ek nayaa fon khariidaa।)
यह मेरी नई किताब है।
This is my new book.
(yah merii naii kitaab hai।)
हम हर साल नया साल बहुत धूमधाम से मनाते हैं।
We celebrate the new year with great festivity every year.
(ham har saal nayaa saal bahut dhoomdhaam se manaate hain।)
नई दिल्ली भारत की राजधानी है।
New Delhi is the capital of India.
(naii dillii bhaarat kii raajdhaanii hai।)
अगले महीने हमारा नया घर बन जाएगा।
Our new house will be ready next month.
(agle mahiine hamaaraa nayaa ghar ban jaaegaa।)
अगर पैसे होते, तो मैं नई गाड़ी लेता।
If I had had the money, I would have bought a new car.
(agar paise hote, to main naii gaadii letaa।)
कृपया मुझे एक नया पेन दे दीजिए, यह वाला नहीं चल रहा।
Please give me a new pen, this one is not working.
(kripyaa mujhe ek nayaa pen de diijie, yah vaalaa nahiin chal rahaa।)
शायद वे कोई नया प्रोजेक्ट शुरू करें।
Perhaps they will start a new project.
(shaayad ve koii nayaa projekt shuroo karen।)
इस फ़ैक्टरी में नई मशीनें लगाई गई हैं।
New machines have been installed in this factory.
(is faiktrii men naii mashiinen lagaaii gaii hain।)
बाज़ार में नए-नए फ़ैशन आते रहते हैं।
Newer and newer fashions keep coming into the market.
(baazaar men nae-nae faishan aate rahte hain।)
मेज़ पर एक नया अख़बार रखा है।
A new newspaper is lying on the table.
(mez par ek nayaa akhbaar rakhaa hai।)
क्या तुमने अपना नया इरादा किसी को बताया?
Did you tell anyone about your new plan?
(kyaa tumne apnaa nayaa iraadaa kisii ko bataayaa?)
Sense
2
:
new/inexperienced (person unfamiliar with a role, place, or activity)
adjective Often used with में (men) to mark the domain of inexperience, as in इस काम में नया (is kaam men nayaa, 'new to this work').
Synonyms: अनजान (anjaan, unfamiliar), अनुभवहीन (anubhvahiin, lacks experience)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: A boss might say नया लड़का है, सिखाना पड़ेगा (nayaa ladkaa hai, sikhaanaa padegaa, 'he's new, we'll have to teach him') -- this figurative use of नया (nayaa) for 'the new guy' at work or in a neighborhood is extremely common in everyday Delhi speech.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for अनजान (anjaan) when they mean 'inexperienced' -- नया (nayaa) specifically frames someone as a newcomer to a role or skill, while अनजान (anjaan) leans toward simply not knowing a fact or person.
Sample Sentences:
वो यहाँ नया है, इसलिए उसे सब कुछ समझाना पड़ता है।
He's new here, so we have to explain everything to him.
(vo yahaan nayaa hai, islie use sab kuchh samjhaanaa padtaa hai।)
नया लड़का है, सिखाना पड़ेगा।
He's the new guy, we'll have to teach him.
(nayaa ladkaa hai, sikhaanaa padegaa।)
मैं इस काम में बिल्कुल नया हूँ, गलती हो जाए तो माफ़ करना।
I'm completely new to this work, forgive me if I make a mistake.
(main is kaam men bilkul nayaa hoon, galtii ho jaae to maaf karnaa।)
अगर वो नया न होता तो इतनी गलतियाँ न करता।
If he weren't new, he wouldn't make so many mistakes.
(agar vo nayaa n hotaa to itnii galtiyaan n kartaa।)
नए लड़कों को थोड़ा समय दो, वो जल्दी सीख जाएँगे।
Give the new boys a little time, they'll learn quickly.
(nae ladkon ko thodaa samay do, vo jaldii siikh jaaenge।)
क्या तुम इस मोहल्ले में नए हो?
Are you new to this neighborhood?
(kyaa tum is mohalle men nae ho?)
शायद वो अभी नया हो, इसलिए इतना घबराया हुआ लग रहा है।
Maybe he's still new, that's why he looks so nervous.
(shaayad vo abhii nayaa ho, islie itnaa ghabraayaa huaa lag rahaa hai।)
नए कर्मचारियों को कंपनी की नीतियों की पूरी जानकारी दी जाती है।
New employees are given full information about the company's policies.
(nae karmchaariyon ko kampnii kii niitiyon kii poorii jaankaarii dii jaatii hai।)
जब मैं इस शहर में नया था, तो मुझे रास्ते तक नहीं पता थे।
When I was new to this city, I didn't even know the roads.
(jab main is shahar men nayaa thaa, to mujhe raaste tak nahiin pataa the।)
नए स्टाफ़ के साथ थोड़ा नरमी से बात करो, वो अभी सीख रहे हैं।
Talk a bit gently with the new staff, they're still learning.
(nae staaf ke saath thodaa narmii se baat karo, vo abhii siikh rahe hain।)
नए खिलाड़ी को टीम में जगह बनाने में वक्त लगेगा।
It will take time for the new player to find his place on the team.
(nae khilaadii ko tiim men jagah banaane men vakt lagegaa।)
Morphology
Adjective (variable)
(sg.m):
नया
(nayaa)
(pl.m):
नये
(naye)
(sg.f):
नयी
(nayii)
(pl.f):
नयी
(nayii)