गंदा (gandaa)

adjective Mainly means 'dirty' in a literal, physical sense, extending naturally to 'filthy/obscene' in speech and behavior, and figuratively to 'bad/messy' situations.

Sense 1 : physically dirty, unclean

adjective

Synonyms: मैला (mailaa), अशुद्ध (ashuddh, formal)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: This is the word every Indian mother uses on a daily basis: गंदे हाथ (gande haath, 'dirty hands'), गंदे कपड़े (gande kapde, 'dirty clothes'). It is one of the first adjectives kids learn because it comes attached to a scolding.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for अशुद्ध (ashuddh) in casual speech about a dirty room or dirty hands -- native speakers just say गंदा (gandaa); अशुद्ध (ashuddh) sounds bookish here.

Sample Sentences:

अपने गंदे हाथ धो लो, फिर खाना खाना। Wash your dirty hands, then eat your food.

(apne gande haath dho lo, phir khaanaa khaanaa।)

ये कपड़े कितने गंदे हैं, इन्हें धोना पड़ेगा। These clothes are so dirty, they'll need to be washed.

(ye kapde kitne gande hain, inhen dhonaa padegaa।)

बच्चा बाहर खेलकर पूरा गंदा हो गया। The kid got all dirty playing outside.

(bachchaa baahar khelkar pooraa gandaa ho gayaa।)

मम्मी हमेशा कहती हैं कि गंदे कपड़े कोने में मत डालो। Mom always says don't throw the dirty clothes in the corner.

(mammii hameshaa kahtii hain ki gande kapde kone men mat daalo।)

फर्श इतना गंदा था कि नंगे पैर चलना मुश्किल था। The floor was so dirty that it was hard to walk barefoot.

(pharsh itnaa gandaa thaa ki nange pair chalnaa mushkil thaa।)

गंदे बर्तन सिंक में मत छोड़ो, अभी धो दो। Don't leave the dirty dishes in the sink, wash them now.

(gande bartan sink men mat chhodo, abhii dho do।)

अगर तुम अपने कमरे को साफ रखते, तो वह इतना गंदा नहीं होता। If you kept your room clean, it wouldn't get this dirty.

(agar tum apne kamre ko saaph rakhte, to vah itnaa gandaa nahiin hotaa।)

नाली का पानी इतना गंदा है कि उसमें से बदबू आती है। The drain water is so dirty that it smells foul.

(naalii kaa paanii itnaa gandaa hai ki usmen se badboo aatii hai।)

गंदे हाथों से आँखें मत छुओ, वरना इन्फेक्शन हो जाएगा। Don't touch your eyes with dirty hands, or you'll get an infection.

(gande haathon se aankhen mat chhuo, varnaa inphekshan ho jaaegaa।)

उसकी वर्दी दिनभर की मेहनत से गंदी हो गई थी। His uniform had become dirty from a whole day's hard work.

(uskii vardii dinbhar kii mehnat se gandii ho gaii thii।)

कृपया गंदी सतहों को नियमित रूप से साफ करें ताकि संक्रमण न फैले। Please clean dirty surfaces regularly so that infection doesn't spread.

(kripyaa gandii satahon ko niymit roop se saaph karen taaki sankrman n phaile।)

Sense 2 : morally filthy, obscene, vulgar

adjective

Synonyms: अश्लील (ashliil, formal/explicit content), भद्दा (bhaddaa)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: गंदी सोच (gandii soch, 'dirty/perverted thinking') and गंदी बात (gandii baat, 'dirty talk') are common ways to call out someone's crude comment or joke without using a harsher word.

Common Mistakes: 1) गंदी बात (gandii baat) and गंदा मज़ाक (gandaa mazaak) refer to something crude or off-color, not literal dirt -- learners sometimes miss this figurative jump and take it too literally.

Sample Sentences:

उसकी सोच बहुत गंदी है। His thinking is very dirty (perverted).

(uskii soch bahut gandii hai।)

अपने दोस्तों के सामने गंदी बातें मत करो। Don't make dirty (obscene) remarks in front of your friends.

(apne doston ke saamne gandii baaten mat karo।)

वह हर बात में गंदा मतलब निकाल लेता है। He extracts a dirty (lewd) meaning from everything.

(vah har baat men gandaa matlab nikaal letaa hai।)

उस फिल्म में कुछ गंदे जोक्स थे जो मुझे पसंद नहीं आए। That film had some dirty jokes which I didn't like.

(us philm men kuchh gande joks the jo mujhe pasand nahiin aae।)

अगर वह गंदी बात कहेगा तो मैं वहाँ से चली जाऊँगी। If he says something dirty (vulgar), I'll walk away from there.

(agar vah gandii baat kahegaa to main vahaan se chalii jaaoongii।)

क्या तुम्हें अपनी गंदी सोच पर शर्म नहीं आती? Aren't you ashamed of your dirty (perverted) thinking?

(kyaa tumhen apnii gandii soch par sharm nahiin aatii?)

अगर उसकी सोच इतनी गंदी न होती, तो कोई उससे बात करना ही न छोड़ता। If his thinking weren't so dirty, no one would have stopped talking to him.

(agar uskii soch itnii gandii n hotii, to koii usse baat karnaa hii n chhodtaa।)

बच्चों के सामने गंदी बातें नहीं कही जानी चाहिए। Dirty (vulgar) talk should not be spoken in front of children.

(bachchon ke saamne gandii baaten nahiin kahii jaanii chaahie।)

उसने मुझसे इतनी गंदी बात कही कि मुझे गुस्सा आ गया। He said such a dirty (vulgar) thing to me that I got angry.

(usne mujhse itnii gandii baat kahii ki mujhe gussaa aa gayaa।)

समाज में गंदी बातों को बढ़ावा नहीं देना चाहिए। Vulgar talk should not be encouraged in society.

(samaaj men gandii baaton ko badhaavaa nahiin denaa chaahie।)

Sense 3 : bad, messy, unpleasant (of a situation, habit, or feeling)

adjective

Synonyms: बुरा (buraa), बदतर (badtar, worse, comparative use only)

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: Think of गंदा (gandaa) as carrying a little extra emotional charge over बुरा (buraa) -- गंदी आदत (gandii aadat) sounds more disgusted than just बुरी आदत (burii aadat), closer to 'nasty habit' than plain 'bad habit'.

Common Mistakes: 1) गंदी आदत (gandii aadat, 'bad/nasty habit') and गंदी हालत (gandii haalat, 'messy state/condition') use गंदा (gandaa) far beyond physical dirt -- learners often default to बुरा (buraa) here instead, but गंदा (gandaa) is what a native speaker reaches for to add extra disgust or disapproval.

Sample Sentences:

उसकी यह आदत बहुत गंदी है। This habit of his is really nasty.

(uskii yah aadat bahut gandii hai।)

आज का दिन बहुत गंदा रहा। Today was a really bad day.

(aaj kaa din bahut gandaa rahaa।)

मुझे बहुत गंदा लग रहा है, जैसे सब कुछ बिगड़ गया हो। I feel really nasty, like everything has fallen apart.

(mujhe bahut gandaa lag rahaa hai, jaise sab kuchh bigad gayaa ho।)

अगर तुम समय पर नहीं पहुँचे, तो मामला और गंदा हो जाएगा। If you don't get there on time, the situation will get even messier.

(agar tum samay par nahiin pahunche, to maamlaa aur gandaa ho jaaegaa।)

यह तो बड़ा गंदा मज़ाक था। That was a really nasty joke.

(yah to badaa gandaa mazaak thaa।)

काश उसका मूड इतना गंदा न होता। I wish his mood weren't so foul.

(kaash uskaa mood itnaa gandaa n hotaa।)

पूरा प्रोजेक्ट इतना गंदा हो गया कि किसी को समझ ही नहीं आया कि क्या करें। The whole project got so messed up that no one could figure out what to do.

(pooraa projekt itnaa gandaa ho gayaa ki kisii ko samajh hii nahiin aayaa ki kyaa karen।)

उम्मीद है कि यह गंदा दौर जल्दी खत्म हो जाए। Hopefully this rough patch ends soon.

(ummiid hai ki yah gandaa daur jaldii khatm ho jaae।)

तलाक का पूरा मामला बहुत गंदा हो गया था। The whole divorce case had turned really ugly.

(talaak kaa pooraa maamlaa bahut gandaa ho gayaa thaa।)

इतनी गंदी हरकतें मत करो, लोग क्या सोचेंगे। Don't do such nasty things, what will people think.

(itnii gandii harakten mat karo, log kyaa sochenge।)

Morphology

Adjective (variable)

(sg.m): गंदा (gandaa)

(pl.m): गंदे (gande)

(sg.f): गंदी (gandii)

(pl.f): गंदी (gandii)