घटिया (ghatiyaa)
adjective
One core sense: an invariant adjective meaning 'low-quality, shoddy, inferior' -- used for both objects and, by extension, people's behavior or character.
Sense
1
:
of poor quality, cheaply made
adjective
Synonyms: सस्ता (sastaa, can mean 'cheap' with the same negative shade), बेकार (bekaar, useless), निम्न स्तर का (nimn star kaa, formal, 'low-grade')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly in markets and homes across Delhi-NCR -- a shopkeeper's rival product is घटिया माल (ghatiyaa maal, 'shoddy goods'), and a mother might call a friend's advice घटिया (ghatiyaa) with real disdain. It is a blunt, opinionated word; using it about someone's work or taste can sting, so save it for genuine complaints rather than mild criticism.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for सस्ता (sastaa) to mean 'cheap' in the neutral price sense, but घटिया (ghatiyaa) always carries a negative judgment about quality, not just a low price -- a सस्ता (sastaa) phone might be a great deal, but a घटिया (ghatiyaa) phone is simply bad. 2) As an invariant adjective, it does not change form before masculine or feminine nouns -- learners sometimes wrongly try to inflect it like कड़ा (kadaa).
Sample Sentences:
यह फोन बहुत घटिया है, दो दिन में खराब हो गया।
This phone is really shoddy, it broke in two days.
(yah phon bahut ghatiyaa hai, do din men kharaab ho gayaa।)
दुकानदार ने घटिया माल बेच दिया।
The shopkeeper sold shoddy goods.
(dukaandaar ne ghatiyaa maal bech diyaa।)
इतने घटिया कपड़े मत खरीदो, कुछ दिन में फट जाएंगे।
Don't buy such shoddy clothes, they'll tear within a few days.
(itne ghatiyaa kapde mat khariido, kuchh din men phat jaaenge।)
अगर सामान घटिया न होता, तो इतना सस्ता क्यों बिकता?
If the stuff weren't shoddy, why would it sell so cheap?
(agar saamaan ghatiyaa n hotaa, to itnaa sastaa kyon biktaa?)
बाजार में इतना घटिया माल भरा पड़ा है कि अच्छी चीज़ ढूँढना मुश्किल हो गया है।
The market is so full of shoddy goods that it's become hard to find anything good.
(baajaar men itnaa ghatiyaa maal bharaa padaa hai ki achchhii chiiz dhoondhnaa mushkil ho gayaa hai।)
यह निर्माण सामग्री बहुत घटिया मानी जाती है।
This construction material is considered very inferior.
(yah nirmaan saamagrii bahut ghatiyaa maanii jaatii hai।)
काश मैंने उस घटिया कंपनी से सामान न लिया होता।
I wish I hadn't bought stuff from that inferior company.
(kaash mainne us ghatiyaa kampnii se saamaan n liyaa hotaa।)
मुझे लगता है यह क्वालिटी घटिया है, तुम क्या कहते हो?
I feel this quality is shoddy, what do you think?
(mujhe lagtaa hai yah kvaalitii ghatiyaa hai, tum kyaa kahte ho?)
सरकारी जाँच में पता चला कि सड़क बनाने में घटिया सामान इस्तेमाल हुआ था।
The government inquiry revealed that shoddy material had been used in building the road.
(sarkaarii jaanch men pataa chalaa ki sadak banaane men ghatiyaa saamaan istemaal huaa thaa।)
अरे यह तो एकदम घटिया चीज़ है, पैसे बर्बाद हो गए!
Ugh, this is totally shoddy stuff, my money's gone to waste!
(are yah to ekdam ghatiyaa chiiz hai, paise barbaad ho gae!)
यदि उत्पाद की गुणवत्ता घटिया पाई जाए, तो उसे वापस कर दिया जाएगा।
If the product's quality is found to be inferior, it will be returned.
(yadi utpaad kii gunvattaa ghatiyaa paaii jaae, to use vaapas kar diyaa jaaegaa।)
Sense
2
:
morally low, mean-spirited (of a person or their behavior)
adjective
Synonyms: नीच (niich, stronger, more insulting), कमीना (kamiinaa, vulgar/slang, much harsher), बुरा (buraa, milder, general 'bad')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the extended, figurative use: a घटिया आदमी (ghatiyaa aadmii, 'a low-down person') or घटिया हरकत (ghatiyaa harkat, 'a shabby/mean act') describes someone's character or conduct, not an object's build quality. It is the same underlying idea of 'low-grade' simply projected onto ethics rather than manufacturing.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense is much more cutting than the 'poor quality' sense -- calling a person घटिया (ghatiyaa) (rather than their work or an object) is a real insult about character, not a mild critique, so learners should use it carefully in conversation.
Sample Sentences:
वो इतना घटिया आदमी है कि दोस्तों को भी धोखा दे देता है।
He's such a low-down man that he even cheats his friends.
(vo itnaa ghatiyaa aadmii hai ki doston ko bhii dhokhaa de detaa hai।)
उसने पीठ पीछे मेरे बारे में झूठ बोला, कितनी घटिया हरकत है।
He lied about me behind my back -- what a shabby thing to do.
(usne piith piichhe mere baare men jhooth bolaa, kitnii ghatiyaa harkat hai।)
इतनी घटिया सोच मत रखो, थोड़ा दिल बड़ा करो।
Don't have such a mean-spirited mindset, be a little big-hearted.
(itnii ghatiyaa soch mat rakho, thodaa dil badaa karo।)
अगर वो थोड़ा भी शरीफ होता तो अपने साझेदार के साथ ऐसी घटिया हरकत न करता।
If he were even a little decent, he wouldn't have pulled such a low-down stunt with his partner.
(agar vo thodaa bhii shariiph hotaa to apne saajhedaar ke saath aisii ghatiyaa harkat n kartaa।)
समिति ने उसके आचरण को इतना घटिया माना कि उसे पद से हटा दिया गया।
The committee considered his conduct so despicable that he was removed from his post.
(samiti ne uske aachran ko itnaa ghatiyaa maanaa ki use pad se hataa diyaa gayaa।)
मुझे नहीं लगता कि कोई इंसान इतना घटिया हो सकता है।
I don't think any person could possibly be that base.
(mujhe nahiin lagtaa ki koii insaan itnaa ghatiyaa ho saktaa hai।)
उसकी घटिया हरकतों की वजह से पूरे परिवार की बदनामी हो रही थी।
Because of his despicable acts, the whole family's reputation was being ruined.
(uskii ghatiyaa harakton kii vajah se poore parivaar kii badnaamii ho rahii thii।)
कृपया ऐसी घटिया भाषा का प्रयोग सार्वजनिक मंच पर न करें।
Please do not use such vile language on a public platform.
(kripyaa aisii ghatiyaa bhaashaa kaa prayog saarvajnik manch par n karen।)
यार, वो बंदा बड़ा घटिया निकला, पैसे लेकर भाग गया।
Dude, that guy turned out to be really low-down, he took the money and ran off.
(yaar, vo bandaa badaa ghatiyaa niklaa, paise lekar bhaag gayaa।)
जो व्यक्ति गरीबों का हक मारे, उससे घटिया इंसान कोई नहीं होता।
There is no baser person than one who robs the poor of their due.
(jo vyakti gariibon kaa hak maare, usse ghatiyaa insaan koii nahiin hotaa।)
काश वो इतना घटिया न होता, तो हम आज भी दोस्त होते।
If only he weren't so despicable, we would still be friends today.
(kaash vo itnaa ghatiyaa n hotaa, to ham aaj bhii dost hote।)
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
घटिया
(ghatiyaa)