लायक़ (laayaq)
adjective
An adjective meaning 'worthy, deserving, capable' -- used both to praise someone's abilities and, in the negative, to dismiss someone as incompetent. Also spelled लायक (laayak) without the nuqta, which is just as common in everyday writing.
Sense
1
:
worthy, deserving (of something)
adjective Typically follows a noun or infinitive it governs: तारीफ़ के लायक़ (taariif ke laayaq, 'worthy of praise'), देखने लायक़ (dekhne laayaq, 'worth seeing'). The governed word takes के (ke) before लायक़ (laayaq), or the oblique infinitive directly.
Synonyms: योग्य (yogy), उपयुक्त (upyukt, formal), काबिल (kaabil)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly in praise: क्या बात है, आप तो तारीफ़ के लायक़ हैं (kyaa baat hai, aap to taariif ke laayaq hain, 'well done, you deserve praise'). It pairs naturally with काबिल (kaabil), and the two are largely interchangeable in casual speech, though काबिल (kaabil) leans slightly more toward 'capable/skilled' while लायक़ (laayaq) leans toward 'deserving/fit for.'
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often forget the के (ke) before लायक़ (laayaq) when the following word is a noun, saying तारीफ़ लायक़ (taariif laayaq) instead of तारीफ़ के लायक़ (taariif ke laayaq). 2) With an infinitive, no के (ke) is needed -- देखने लायक़ (dekhne laayaq), not देखने के लायक़ (dekhne ke laayaq) -- learners sometimes insert it by analogy with the noun case.
Sample Sentences:
आप तो तारीफ़ के लायक़ हैं।
You really deserve praise.
(aap to taariif ke laayaq hain।)
यह काम इनाम के लायक़ है।
This work is worthy of a reward.
(yah kaam inaam ke laayaq hai।)
वह इस पद के लायक़ नहीं था।
He was not worthy of this position.
(vah is pad ke laayaq nahiin thaa।)
अगर तुम मेहनत करते तो इस इनाम के लायक़ बनते।
If you had worked hard, you would have become worthy of this reward.
(agar tum mehnat karte to is inaam ke laayaq bante।)
क्या यह प्रस्ताव विचार के लायक़ है?
Is this proposal worthy of consideration?
(kyaa yah prastaav vichaar ke laayaq hai?)
उसकी बहादुरी सम्मान के लायक़ मानी जाती है।
His bravery is considered worthy of honor.
(uskii bahaadurii sammaan ke laayaq maanii jaatii hai।)
पहले खुद को इस भरोसे के लायक़ बनाओ।
First make yourself worthy of this trust.
(pahle khud ko is bharose ke laayaq banaao।)
मुझे नहीं लगता कि यह किताब पढ़ने के लायक़ है।
I don't think this book is worth reading.
(mujhe nahiin lagtaa ki yah kitaab padhne ke laayaq hai।)
शायद वह अब भरोसे के लायक़ हो गया हो।
Perhaps he has now become worthy of trust.
(shaayad vah ab bharose ke laayaq ho gayaa ho।)
जब तक तुम अपनी ग़लती नहीं मानोगे, तब तक माफ़ी के लायक़ नहीं बनोगे।
Until you admit your mistake, you won't become worthy of forgiveness.
(jab tak tum apnii ghaltii nahiin maanoge, tab tak maafii ke laayaq nahiin banoge।)
यह मंदिर देखने के लायक़ है।
This temple is worth seeing.
(yah mandir dekhne ke laayaq hai।)
Sense
2
:
capable, competent (of a person, often their general worth)
adjective Used standalone (without a governed noun) to describe a person's overall competence or worth, often in judgmental contexts: वह किसी लायक़ नहीं है (vah kisii laayaq nahiin hai, 'he isn't good for anything').
Synonyms: काबिल (kaabil), समर्थ (samarth, formal), नाकाबिल (naakaabil, antonym: incapable)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the sense behind a common scolding line from elders: तुम किसी लायक़ नहीं हो (tum kisii laayaq nahiin ho, 'you're good for nothing') -- a phrase many Hindi speakers will recognize from being told off as children or teenagers, whether in jest or in earnest.
Common Mistakes: 1) In the dismissive negative sense, किसी लायक़ नहीं (kisii laayaq nahiin) is a fixed put-down meaning 'good for nothing' -- learners sometimes try to translate 'good for nothing' more literally and miss this natural idiom.
Sample Sentences:
तुम किसी लायक़ नहीं हो।
You're good for nothing.
(tum kisii laayaq nahiin ho।)
वह बहुत लायक़ लड़का है, हर काम खुद कर लेता है।
He's a very capable boy, he manages every task on his own.
(vah bahut laayaq ladkaa hai, har kaam khud kar letaa hai।)
अगर तुम थोड़े और लायक़ होते तो यह नौकरी तुम्हें मिल जाती।
If you were a bit more capable, you would have gotten this job.
(agar tum thode aur laayaq hote to yah naukrii tumhen mil jaatii।)
बेटा, इतना लायक़ बन जाओ कि किसी के आगे हाथ न फैलाना पड़े।
Son, become capable enough that you never have to beg anyone for help.
(betaa, itnaa laayaq ban jaao ki kisii ke aage haath n phailaanaa pade।)
समिति को ऐसा उम्मीदवार चुनना है जो सचमुच लायक़ हो।
The committee has to select a candidate who is genuinely capable.
(samiti ko aisaa ummiidvaar chunnaa hai jo sachmuch laayaq ho।)
उसने इतना काम किया कि वह अब हर तरह से लायक़ माना जाता है।
He worked so hard that he is now considered capable in every way.
(usne itnaa kaam kiyaa ki vah ab har tarah se laayaq maanaa jaataa hai।)
दादी हमेशा कहती थीं कि पढ़ाई से इंसान लायक़ बनता है, अमीरी से नहीं।
Grandmother always used to say that education makes a person capable, not wealth.
(daadii hameshaa kahtii thiin ki padhaaii se insaan laayaq bantaa hai, amiirii se nahiin।)
क्या तुम इतने लायक़ हो कि यह ज़िम्मेदारी संभाल सको?
Are you capable enough to handle this responsibility?
(kyaa tum itne laayaq ho ki yah zimmedaarii sambhaal sako?)
जब वह छोटा था, कोई नहीं सोचता था कि वह इतना लायक़ इंसान बनेगा।
When he was young, no one thought he would become such a capable person.
(jab vah chhotaa thaa, koii nahiin sochtaa thaa ki vah itnaa laayaq insaan banegaa।)
आप जैसे लायक़ अधिकारी की हमें बहुत ज़रूरत है।
We badly need a capable officer like you.
(aap jaise laayaq adhikaarii kii hamen bahut zaroorat hai।)
अपने बच्चों को इतना लायक़ बनाओ कि वे मुश्किल वक़्त में खुद संभल सकें।
Make your children capable enough that they can manage on their own in difficult times.
(apne bachchon ko itnaa laayaq banaao ki ve mushkil vaqt men khud sambhal saken।)
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
लायक़
(laayaq)