सभ्य (sabhy)

adjective A single core sense: 'civilized' or 'cultured/well-mannered,' describing people, societies, or behavior.
Sense 1 : civilized, cultured, well-mannered
adjective
Synonyms: शिष्ट (shisht, formal), सुसंस्कृत (susanskrit, formal), भला (bhalaa, decent/polite, informal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Indian parents and teachers use सभ्य (sabhy) a lot when talking about raising children well: सभ्य बच्चे (sabhy bachche, 'well-mannered children') is a phrase you'll hear praising a child's behavior in front of guests. It's also common in slightly bookish contrast pairs like सभ्य समाज (sabhy samaaj, 'civilized society'), often invoked rhetorically when criticizing bad behavior in public life.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use सभ्य (sabhy) where they mean simply 'polite' in a small interpersonal sense (like saying 'please/thank you'); सभ्य (sabhy) carries a broader sense of being cultured or well brought up, closer to describing someone's overall upbringing or a society's level of development than a single polite act. 2) Do not confuse with सक्षम (saksham, capable) or सफल (saphal, successful) -- similar-sounding स-words with unrelated meanings.
Sample Sentences:
मेहमानों के सामने बच्चे कितने सभ्य लग रहे थे। The children looked so well-mannered in front of the guests.
(mehmaanon ke saamne bachche kitne sabhy lag rahe the।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मेरी माँ हमेशा कहती है कि सभ्य बच्चे बड़ों का सम्मान करते हैं। My mother always says that well-mannered children respect their elders.
(merii maan hameshaa kahtii hai ki sabhy bachche badon kaa sammaan karte hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
किसी सभ्य समाज में इस तरह की हिंसा की कोई जगह नहीं होनी चाहिए। In a civilized society, there should be no place for this kind of violence.
(kisii sabhy samaaj men is tarah kii hinsaa kii koii jagah nahiin honii chaahie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर वह थोड़ा सभ्य होता तो सबके सामने ऐसे बात नहीं करता। If he were a bit more civilized, he wouldn't talk like that in front of everyone.
(agar vah thodaa sabhy hotaa to sabke saamne aise baat nahiin kartaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
बेटा, मेहमानों के सामने सभ्य बनकर रहो। Son, behave in a civilized manner in front of the guests.
(betaa, mehmaanon ke saamne sabhy bankar raho।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
क्या हम सच में इतने सभ्य समाज में रहते हैं जितना हम दावा करते हैं? Do we really live in as civilized a society as we claim to?
(kyaa ham sach men itne sabhy samaaj men rahte hain jitnaa ham daavaa karte hain?)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसे स्कूल में सभ्य व्यवहार सिखाया गया। He was taught civilized behavior in school.
(use skool men sabhy vyavahaar sikhaayaa gayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
पड़ोसी हमेशा कहते हैं कि हमारे बच्चे बहुत सभ्य और शालीन हैं। The neighbors always say that our children are very well-mannered and polite.
(padosii hameshaa kahte hain ki hamaare bachche bahut sabhy aur shaaliin hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मुझे उम्मीद है कि वह और सभ्य बनेगा जब वह बड़ा होगा। I hope he will become more civilized as he grows up.
(mujhe ummiid hai ki vah aur sabhy banegaa jab vah badaa hogaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
सभ्य समाज के तथाकथित रक्षक अक्सर सबसे असभ्य निकलते हैं। The so-called guardians of civilized society often turn out to be the most uncivilized.
(sabhy samaaj ke tathaakthit rakshak aksar sabse asabhy nikalte hain।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant: सभ्य (sabhy)