आदतन (aadtan)

adverb An adverb meaning 'habitually, out of habit' -- built from आदत (aadat, 'habit') with the Persian-style adverbial suffix -अन. Single-sense word.

Sense 1 : habitually, out of habit, as a matter of routine

adverb

Synonyms: अक्सर (aksar, often, broader than just habit), हमेशा (hameshaa, always, broader), स्वभाववश (svabhaavvash, literary, 'due to one's nature')

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: This word carries a slightly critical or resigned undertone in everyday speech -- Delhi parents and teachers love using it to describe someone's annoying but deeply ingrained tendencies, like वह आदतन देर से आता है (vah aadtan der se aataa hai, 'he habitually comes late'). It is related to आदत (aadat, 'habit') and आदी (aadii, 'accustomed/addicted to'), so once you know one, the others click into place.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for अक्सर (aksar) when they mean 'habitually,' but अक्सर (aksar) just means 'often' without the flavor of ingrained habit -- आदतन (aadtan) specifically frames the action as something done almost automatically, sometimes even involuntarily or unconsciously. 2) It usually sits right before the verb it modifies, e.g. वह आदतन झूठ बोलता है (vah aadtan jhooth boltaa hai, 'he habitually lies'), not at the start of the sentence.

Sample Sentences:

वह आदतन देर से आता है। He habitually comes late.

(vah aadtan der se aataa hai।)

मैं आदतन सुबह छह बजे उठ जाती हूँ। I habitually wake up at six in the morning.

(main aadtan subah chhah baje uth jaatii hoon।)

वह आदतन झूठ बोलता था, इसलिए किसी को उस पर भरोसा नहीं था। He used to lie habitually, so nobody trusted him.

(vah aadtan jhooth boltaa thaa, islie kisii ko us par bharosaa nahiin thaa।)

बच्चे आदतन अपना होमवर्क आखिरी वक्त पर करते हैं। The kids habitually do their homework at the last minute.

(bachche aadtan apnaa homvark aakhirii vakt par karte hain।)

आप आदतन सबकी बात काट देते हैं, यह अच्छी आदत नहीं है। You habitually interrupt everyone -- it's not a good habit.

(aap aadtan sabkii baat kaat dete hain, yah achchhii aadat nahiin hai।)

क्या तुम आदतन इतनी बहानेबाज़ी करते हो, या आज कोई खास वजह है? Do you habitually make so many excuses, or is there a special reason today?

(kyaa tum aadtan itnii bahaanebaazii karte ho, yaa aaj koii khaas vajah hai?)

यदि वह आदतन समय का पालन करता, तो उसकी नौकरी नहीं छूटती। If he had habitually kept to time, he wouldn't have lost his job.

(yadi vah aadtan samay kaa paalan kartaa, to uskii naukrii nahiin chhoottii।)

आदतन देर करने वालों को यह मीटिंग रास नहीं आएगी। Those who are habitually late won't take kindly to this meeting.

(aadtan der karne vaalon ko yah miiting raas nahiin aaegii।)

अपराधी को आदतन चोर घोषित किया गया। The offender was declared a habitual thief.

(apraadhii ko aadtan chor ghoshit kiyaa gayaa।)

वह आदतन शिकायत करने से बाज़ नहीं आती। She just can't stop habitually complaining.

(vah aadtan shikaayat karne se baaz nahiin aatii।)