दोषी (doshii)

adjective/noun Mainly an adjective meaning 'guilty/at fault,' also used as a noun for 'the guilty person/culprit'; related to दोष (dosh, 'fault, flaw, blame').

Sense 1 : guilty, at fault

adjective Commonly used with होना (honaa) as दोषी होना (doshii honaa, 'to be guilty') and with पाना (paanaa) in दोषी पाया जाना (doshii paayaa jaanaa, 'to be found guilty'), and with ठहराना (thahraanaa) in दोषी ठहराना (doshii thahraanaa, 'to declare/hold guilty').

Synonyms: कसूरवार (kasoorvaar), अपराधी (apraadhii, leans toward 'criminal/offender')

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly in courtroom dramas and news reports -- अदालत ने उसे दोषी ठहराया (adaalat ne use doshii thahraayaa, 'the court held him guilty') is standard legal-register phrasing. But it is just as at home in a family argument: माँ हमेशा मुझे ही दोषी ठहराती है (maan hameshaa mujhe hii doshii thahraatii hai, 'mom always blames only me') -- a very relatable line for anyone with siblings.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for अपराधी (apraadhii) when they mean दोषी (doshii) -- अपराधी (apraadhii) suggests a criminal/offender by identity, while दोषी (doshii) is about being at fault in a specific matter, which can be minor (like a domestic argument) as easily as a court case. 2) The postposition of blame is का (kaa), not की (kii) or को (ko): वह इस गलती का दोषी है (vah is galtii kaa doshii hai, 'he is guilty of this mistake') -- learners sometimes wrongly say इस गलती को दोषी (is galtii ko doshii).

Sample Sentences:

अदालत ने उसे दोषी ठहराया। The court held him guilty.

(adaalat ne use doshii thahraayaa।)

माँ हमेशा मुझे ही दोषी ठहराती है। Mom always blames only me.

(maan hameshaa mujhe hii doshii thahraatii hai।)

मुझे नहीं लगता कि वह इस मामले में दोषी है। I don't think he is guilty in this matter.

(mujhe nahiin lagtaa ki vah is maamle men doshii hai।)

अगर तुम सच में दोषी होते, तो पुलिस अब तक तुम्हें पकड़ चुकी होती। If you were really guilty, the police would have caught you by now.

(agar tum sach men doshii hote, to pulis ab tak tumhen pakad chukii hotii।)

जब तक जुर्म साबित न हो, किसी को भी दोषी मत समझो। Don't consider anyone guilty until the crime is proven.

(jab tak jurm saabit n ho, kisii ko bhii doshii mat samjho।)

हो सकता है कि इस हादसे में दोनों पक्ष दोषी हों। It's possible that both parties are at fault in this accident.

(ho saktaa hai ki is haadse men donon paksh doshii hon।)

उसे हत्या के जुर्म में दोषी पाया गया। He was found guilty of the crime of murder.

(use hatyaa ke jurm men doshii paayaa gayaa।)

क्या तुम भी इस झूठ के लिए उतने ही दोषी नहीं हो जितना वह? Aren't you just as guilty for this lie as he is?

(kyaa tum bhii is jhooth ke lie utne hii doshii nahiin ho jitnaa vah?)

बच्चे अक्सर बिना सोचे-समझे खुद को दोषी मान लेते हैं। Children often consider themselves guilty without thinking it through.

(bachche aksar binaa soche-samjhe khud ko doshii maan lete hain।)

जांच पूरी होने तक वह दोषी नहीं माना जाएगा। He will not be considered guilty until the investigation is complete.

(jaanch poorii hone tak vah doshii nahiin maanaa jaaegaa।)

इस टूटी हुई फूलदान के लिए कौन दोषी है? Who is at fault for this broken vase?

(is tootii huii phooldaan ke lie kaun doshii hai?)

Sense 2 : the guilty one, culprit

noun, masculine/feminine

Synonyms: अपराधी (apraadhii, criminal/offender), कसूरवार (kasoorvaar)

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: This noun use is basically the adjective standing on its own as 'the guilty person' -- असली दोषी कौन है? (aslii doshii kaun hai?, 'who is the real culprit?') is a very natural, everyday-sounding question, not just legal jargon.

Sample Sentences:

असली दोषी कौन है? Who is the real culprit?

(aslii doshii kaun hai?)

पुलिस ने असली दोषी को पकड़ लिया है। The police have caught the real culprit.

(pulis ne aslii doshii ko pakad liyaa hai।)

दोषी को कड़ी सजा दी जाएगी। The guilty party will be given a harsh punishment.

(doshii ko kadii sajaa dii jaaegii।)

अगर दोषी पकड़ा जाता तो हमें इतना डर नहीं लगता। If the culprit had been caught, we wouldn't have been so scared.

(agar doshii pakdaa jaataa to hamen itnaa dar nahiin lagtaa।)

दोषी को ढूँढो, वरना यह सिलसिला रुकेगा नहीं। Find the culprit, otherwise this cycle won't stop.

(doshii ko dhoondho, varnaa yah silsilaa rukegaa nahiin।)

हो सकता है कि असली दोषी कोई और हो। It's possible that the real culprit is someone else.

(ho saktaa hai ki aslii doshii koii aur ho।)

जब तक दोषी की पहचान न हो, हम किसी पर उंगली नहीं उठा सकते। Until the culprit's identity is known, we can't point fingers at anyone.

(jab tak doshii kii pahchaan n ho, ham kisii par unglii nahiin uthaa sakte।)

अदालत ने माना कि दोषी वही व्यक्ति था जिसने चोरी की थी। The court accepted that the culprit was the very person who had committed the theft.

(adaalat ne maanaa ki doshii vahii vyakti thaa jisne chorii kii thii।)

गवाहों के बयान से दोषी की पहचान हो गई। The culprit's identity was established from the witnesses' statements.

(gavaahon ke bayaan se doshii kii pahchaan ho gaii।)

इतने बड़े घोटाले का दोषी कौन होगा, यह अभी तय नहीं है। Who will be found the culprit of such a huge scam is not yet decided.

(itne bade ghotaale kaa doshii kaun hogaa, yah abhii tay nahiin hai।)

Morphology

Adjective (invariant)

invariant: दोषी (doshii)

Noun

(sg.m/f.direct): दोषी (doshii)

(sg.m/f.oblique): दोषी (doshii)

(pl.m/f.direct): दोषियाँ (doshiyaan)

(pl.m/f.oblique): दोषियों (doshiyon)