दोनों (donon)

adjective A single-sense word meaning 'both' -- used to refer collectively to two previously mentioned or contextually clear items or people.
Sense 1 : both
adjective Always plural and always refers to exactly two items; used before a noun (दोनों लड़के (donon ladke, 'both boys')) or standing alone for 'both of them' (दोनों आ गए (donon aa gae, 'both [of them] came')).
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear दोनों (donon) constantly in everyday Delhi speech -- at a chaat stall someone might ask दोनों चटनी डाल दूँ? (donon chatnii daal doon?, 'shall I put both chutneys?'). It pairs naturally with ही (hii) for emphasis: दोनों ही अच्छे हैं (donon hii achchhe hain, 'both [of them] are good') -- a very common intensifying pattern worth noticing.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try to use दोनों (donon) for groups of more than two -- it strictly means 'both,' not 'all'; for three or more, use सारे (saare) or सभी (sabhii) instead. 2) दोनों (donon) itself never changes form for gender or case the way ordinary adjectives do -- it stays दोनों (donon) whether describing लड़के (ladke, 'boys') or लड़कियाँ (ladkiyaan, 'girls').
Sample Sentences:
मुझे दोनों रंग पसंद हैं। I like both colors.
(mujhe donon rang pasand hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
दोनों बच्चे स्कूल गए थे। Both children had gone to school.
(donon bachche skool gae the।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
दोनों चटनी डाल दूँ? Shall I put both chutneys?
(donon chatnii daal doon?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
दोनों ही अच्छे हैं, तुम कोई भी चुन लो। Both are good, you can pick either one.
(donon hii achchhe hain, tum koii bhii chun lo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
दोनों दरवाज़े बंद कर दो। Close both doors.
(donon darvaaze band kar do।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर दोनों टीमें मेहनत करतीं, तो मुकाबला बराबरी पर छूटता। If both teams had worked hard, the match would have ended in a draw.
(agar donon tiimen mehnat kartiin, to mukaablaa baraabrii par chhoottaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
दोनों भाइयों के बीच ज़मीन का बँटवारा हो गया। The land was divided between both brothers.
(donon bhaaiyon ke biich zamiin kaa bantvaaraa ho gayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
कृपया दोनों प्रतियों पर हस्ताक्षर कर दें। Please sign both copies.
(kripyaa donon pratiyon par hastaakshar kar den।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
मुझे उम्मीद है कि दोनों उम्मीदवार समय पर पहुँच जाएँ। I hope both candidates arrive on time.
(mujhe ummiid hai ki donon ummiidvaar samay par pahunch jaaen।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
दोनों देशों के बीच समझौता होता रहेगा। An agreement will keep happening between both countries.
(donon deshon ke biich samjhautaa hotaa rahegaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
वह दोनों हाथों से खाना खा रहा था, इतनी भूख लगी थी। He was eating with both hands, he was so hungry.
(vah donon haathon se khaanaa khaa rahaa thaa, itnii bhookh lagii thii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant: दोनों (donon)