नीच (niich)
adjective/noun
An adjective (and derived noun use) meaning 'low, base, vile' -- almost always about a person's moral character or social standing, not physical height.
Sense
1
:
morally base, vile, despicable
adjective
Synonyms: कमीना (kamiinaa, colloquial), घटिया (ghatiyaa), दुष्ट (dusht, wicked), नीचा (niichaa, related but distinct: usually 'low/inferior' rather than 'vile')
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: नीच (niich) carries real social weight in India -- historically it was used to demean people by caste or class, so calling someone नीच (niich) today still echoes that ugly hierarchy, not just a personal insult about bad behavior. A Delhi parent scolding a child for cheating might say उसकी सोच बहुत नीच है (uskii soch bahut niich hai, 'his thinking is very base'), keeping it about character rather than status, which is the safer, more common modern usage.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse नीच (niich) with नीचा (niichaa) -- नीच (niich) is a strong moral insult about character, while नीचा (niichaa) is a regular variable adjective meaning 'low' (height, position, sound) with a milder, more literal sense. 2) This is a harsh, insulting word -- do not use it lightly the way English speakers might toss around 'lowly'; in Hindi it can genuinely wound or provoke.
Sample Sentences:
उसकी सोच बहुत नीच है।
His thinking is very base.
(uskii soch bahut niich hai।)
यह इतना नीच काम है कि मैं सोच भी नहीं सकता।
This is such a vile act that I can't even imagine it.
(yah itnaa niich kaam hai ki main soch bhii nahiin saktaa।)
दोस्तों के साथ धोखा करना बहुत नीच हरकत है।
Betraying your friends is a very despicable thing to do.
(doston ke saath dhokhaa karnaa bahut niich harkat hai।)
उसने अपने भाई के साथ इतनी नीच हरकत की कि सब हैरान रह गए।
He did such a vile thing to his own brother that everyone was stunned.
(usne apne bhaaii ke saath itnii niich harkat kii ki sab hairaan rah gae।)
कभी नीच विचारों को अपने मन में जगह मत दो।
Never give base thoughts a place in your mind.
(kabhii niich vichaaron ko apne man men jagah mat do।)
अगर वह इतना नीच न होता, तो अपने ही परिवार को न ठगता।
If he weren't so vile, he wouldn't have cheated his own family.
(agar vah itnaa niich n hotaa, to apne hii parivaar ko n thagtaa।)
समाज में ऐसे नीच विचारों को बढ़ावा नहीं दिया जाना चाहिए।
Such vile ideas should not be encouraged in society.
(samaaj men aise niich vichaaron ko badhaavaa nahiin diyaa jaanaa chaahie।)
यह इतना नीच कृत्य था कि इतिहास में इसे कभी माफ नहीं किया जाएगा।
It was such a vile deed that history will never forgive it.
(yah itnaa niich krity thaa ki itihaas men ise kabhii maaph nahiin kiyaa jaaegaa।)
उसकी नीच बुद्धि ने उसे बार-बार गलत रास्ते पर धकेला।
His base mind pushed him onto the wrong path again and again.
(uskii niich buddhi ne use baar-baar galat raaste par dhakelaa।)
क्या इतनी नीच सोच रखना ज़रूरी था?
Was it really necessary to hold such a base mindset?
(kyaa itnii niich soch rakhnaa zaroorii thaa?)
Sense
2
:
a base/vile person (used as an epithet)
noun, masculine Used as a standalone noun of address or reference, e.g. वह नीच है (vah niich hai, 'he is a scoundrel'), rather than modifying another noun.
Synonyms: कमीना (kamiinaa, colloquial), दुष्ट (dusht)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: You'll hear this in old Hindi films and mythological dramas hurled at villains -- it has a slightly dramatic, stagey flavor in everyday speech, so using it casually among friends can sound almost theatrical or old-fashioned.
Common Mistakes: 1) This noun use is essentially the adjective standing alone as a label for a person -- learners should treat it as a strong personal insult, not a neutral descriptor.
Sample Sentences:
वह नीच किसी की भी इज़्ज़त नहीं करता।
That scoundrel doesn't respect anyone.
(vah niich kisii kii bhii izzat nahiin kartaa।)
अरे नीच! तूने मेरे भाई को धोखा दिया?
You scoundrel! You betrayed my brother?
(are niich! toone mere bhaaii ko dhokhaa diyaa?)
उस नीच ने राजा के खिलाफ़ साज़िश रची थी।
That vile man had plotted against the king.
(us niich ne raajaa ke khilaaf saazish rachii thii।)
इस नीच को अभी बंदी बना लो!
Capture this scoundrel right now!
(is niich ko abhii bandii banaa lo!)
फ़िल्म में विलेन को हर कोई नीच कह कर बुलाता है।
In the movie, everyone calls the villain a scoundrel.
(film men vilen ko har koii niich kah kar bulaataa hai।)
यदि वह सच में इतना नीच होता, तो गाँव वाले उसे कभी माफ़ न करते।
If he were really such a vile person, the villagers would never have forgiven him.
(yadi vah sach men itnaa niich hotaa, to gaanv vaale use kabhii maaf n karte।)
क्या तुम सच में उस नीच पर भरोसा करोगे?
Will you really trust that scoundrel?
(kyaa tum sach men us niich par bharosaa karoge?)
उस नीच के द्वारा रचा गया षड्यंत्र आखिरकार उजागर हो गया।
The conspiracy hatched by that vile man was finally exposed.
(us niich ke dvaaraa rachaa gayaa shadyantr aakhirkaar ujaagar ho gayaa।)
यार, तुम भी उसे नीच बोल रहे हो? कितना पुराना ज़माना वाला शब्द है!
Dude, you're calling him a scoundrel too? What an old-fashioned word to use!
(yaar, tum bhii use niich bol rahe ho? kitnaa puraanaa zamaanaa vaalaa shabd hai!)
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
नीच
(niich)
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
नीच
(niich)
(sg.m.oblique):
नीच
(niich)
(pl.m.direct):
नीच
(niich)
(pl.m.oblique):
नीचों
(niichon)