मामूली (maamoolii)
adjective
An adjective meaning 'ordinary, common' or, depending on context, 'minor, trivial' -- both senses come from the same idea of something not being special or serious.
Sense
1
:
ordinary, common, unremarkable
adjective
Synonyms: साधारण (saadhaaran), सामान्य (saamaany), आम (aam)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly in everyday put-downs and modest disclaimers alike: a host might call an elaborate meal मामूली खाना (maamoolii khaanaa, 'ordinary food') out of politeness, while the same word aimed at a person -- मामूली आदमी (maamoolii aadmii, 'an ordinary/insignificant man') -- can sting a little.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for साधारण (saadhaaran) in every context, but मामूली (maamoolii) often carries a slightly more dismissive or belittling shade -- 'nothing special,' sometimes verging on 'not worth your attention' -- while साधारण (saadhaaran) is more neutral.
Sample Sentences:
यह तो बिल्कुल मामूली खाना है, आप बैठिए।
This is just ordinary food, please sit.
(yah to bilkul maamoolii khaanaa hai, aap baithie।)
वह कोई खास आदमी नहीं है, बिल्कुल मामूली आदमी है।
He's not anyone special, just a completely ordinary man.
(vah koii khaas aadmii nahiin hai, bilkul maamoolii aadmii hai।)
मेरा घर कोई महल नहीं है, बस एक मामूली सा मकान है।
My house is no palace, just an ordinary little home.
(meraa ghar koii mahal nahiin hai, bas ek maamoolii saa makaan hai।)
अगर तुम इसे मामूली समझोगे तो एक दिन पछताओगे।
If you consider him ordinary and unremarkable, you'll regret it one day.
(agar tum ise maamoolii samjhoge to ek din pachhtaaoge।)
पहले वह एक मामूली क्लर्क था, अब कंपनी का मालिक है।
He used to be an ordinary clerk before, now he's the owner of the company.
(pahle vah ek maamoolii klark thaa, ab kampnii kaa maalik hai।)
काश मैं भी कोई मामूली इंसान होता, इतनी जिम्मेदारियाँ न होतीं।
If only I were also some ordinary person, I wouldn't have so many responsibilities.
(kaash main bhii koii maamoolii insaan hotaa, itnii jimmedaariyaan n hotiin।)
उसे मामूली मत समझो, वह बड़े लोगों में उठता-बैठता है।
Don't think of him as an ordinary nobody, he moves in high circles.
(use maamoolii mat samjho, vah bade logon men uthtaa-baithtaa hai।)
यह मशीन दिखने में मामूली लगती है, मगर काम बहुत अच्छा करती है।
This machine looks quite ordinary, but it works very well.
(yah mashiin dikhne men maamoolii lagtii hai, magar kaam bahut achchhaa kartii hai।)
शायद वह कोई मामूली कारीगर हो, लेकिन उसका हुनर गैरमामूली है।
He might be some ordinary craftsman, but his skill is extraordinary.
(shaayad vah koii maamoolii kaariigar ho, lekin uskaa hunar gairmaamoolii hai।)
उस मामूली से गाँव में इतना बड़ा मंदिर देखकर सब हैरान रह गए।
Seeing such a huge temple in that ordinary little village, everyone was left astonished.
(us maamoolii se gaanv men itnaa badaa mandir dekhkar sab hairaan rah gae।)
एक मामूली परिवार से निकलकर वह इतना बड़ा नाम बना लेगा, किसी को उम्मीद नहीं थी।
No one expected that, coming from such an ordinary family, he would make such a big name for himself.
(ek maamoolii parivaar se nikalkar vah itnaa badaa naam banaa legaa, kisii ko ummiid nahiin thii।)
Sense
2
:
minor, slight, trivial (of a problem, injury, amount, etc.)
adjective
Synonyms: छोटा (chhotaa, covers only physical/quantity smallness), हल्का (halkaa, covers only severity of illness/injury)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the word you will hear from a doctor or a mechanic reassuring you: मामूली सी बात है (maamoolii sii baat hai, 'it's a trivial/minor matter'), a very common way to downplay a problem and put someone at ease.
Common Mistakes: 1) मामूली चोट (maamoolii chot, 'a minor injury') and मामूली बात (maamoolii baat, 'a trivial matter') are extremely common collocations; learners often default to छोटा (chhotaa) here, which sounds odd since छोटा (chhotaa) is about physical size, not severity or importance.
Sample Sentences:
चिंता मत करो, यह मामूली सी बात है।
Don't worry, it's a trivial matter.
(chintaa mat karo, yah maamoolii sii baat hai।)
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि चोट मामूली है, घबराने की कोई बात नहीं।
The doctor said the injury is minor, there's nothing to worry about.
(doktar ne kahaa ki chot maamoolii hai, ghabraane kii koii baat nahiin।)
गाड़ी में बस एक मामूली सी खराबी थी, मैकेनिक ने पाँच मिनट में ठीक कर दी।
There was just a minor fault in the car, the mechanic fixed it in five minutes.
(gaadii men bas ek maamoolii sii kharaabii thii, maikenik ne paanch minat men thiik kar dii।)
इतनी मामूली रकम के लिए इतना झगड़ा करने की क्या ज़रूरत है?
What's the need for such a fight over such a trivial amount?
(itnii maamoolii rakam ke lie itnaa jhagdaa karne kii kyaa zaroorat hai?)
अगर गलती इतनी मामूली होती, तो बॉस इतने गुस्से में नहीं होते।
If the mistake had been so minor, the boss wouldn't have been this angry.
(agar galtii itnii maamoolii hotii, to bos itne gusse men nahiin hote।)
रिपोर्ट में कुछ मामूली त्रुटियाँ पाई गईं, जिन्हें जल्द ठीक कर लिया जाएगा।
Some minor errors were found in the report, which will be corrected soon.
(riport men kuchh maamoolii trutiyaan paaii gaiin, jinhen jald thiik kar liyaa jaaegaa।)
यह कोई बड़ी समस्या नहीं है, सिर्फ एक मामूली सी तकनीकी दिक्कत है।
This isn't a big problem, it's just a minor technical glitch.
(yah koii badii samasyaa nahiin hai, sirph ek maamoolii sii takniikii dikkat hai।)
अध्यक्ष महोदय ने आश्वासन दिया कि यह केवल एक मामूली प्रशासनिक असुविधा है।
The chairman assured that this is merely a minor administrative inconvenience.
(adhyaksh mahoday ne aashvaasan diyaa ki yah keval ek maamoolii prashaasnik asuvidhaa hai।)
क्या तुम्हें लगता है कि यह सिरदर्द मामूली है, या डॉक्टर को दिखा लें?
Do you think this headache is minor, or should we show it to a doctor?
(kyaa tumhen lagtaa hai ki yah sirdard maamoolii hai, yaa doktar ko dikhaa len?)
काश यह चोट मामूली रहती और उसे अस्पताल न जाना पड़ता।
If only this injury had remained minor and he hadn't had to go to the hospital.
(kaash yah chot maamoolii rahtii aur use asptaal n jaanaa padtaa।)
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
मामूली
(maamoolii)