पापी (paapii)
noun/adjective
Mainly an adjective/noun meaning 'sinful' or 'sinner,' rooted in पाप (paap, sin); it also carries a common figurative extension describing something troublesome or cursed, especially in the set phrase पापी पेट (paapii pet).
Sense
1
:
sinner
noun, masculine/feminine
Synonyms: गुनाहगार (gunaahgaar), अपराधी (apraadhii, more secular/legal), दोषी (doshii, guilty person)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This word sits squarely in the vocabulary of religious storytelling and moral scolding -- think of a grandmother or a priest saying it about someone's bad deeds, or characters in mythological TV serials being called पापी (paapii) for their sins. It is dramatic and moralistic, not the word you'd casually use for a minor mistake.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use this casually the way English speakers use 'sinner' jokingly, but पापी (paapii) as a noun still carries real moral/religious weight in Hindi and can sound harsh if used lightly about a person. 2) अपराधी (apraadhii) is the better word for a criminal/offender in a legal sense; पापी (paapii) is about moral or religious sin, not law.
Sample Sentences:
भगवान पापियों को भी माफ़ कर देते हैं।
God forgives even sinners.
(bhagvaan paapiyon ko bhii maaf kar dete hain।)
पंडित जी ने कहा कि हर पापी को अपने कर्मों का फल भुगतना पड़ता है।
The priest said that every sinner must bear the fruit of his deeds.
(pandit jii ne kahaa ki har paapii ko apne karmon kaa phal bhugatnaa padtaa hai।)
वह इतना बड़ा पापी था कि गाँव वाले उसका नाम सुनते ही थूक देते थे।
He was such a great sinner that the villagers would spit the moment they heard his name.
(vah itnaa badaa paapii thaa ki gaanv vaale uskaa naam sunte hii thook dete the।)
हे पापी, अब तुझे कोई नहीं बचा सकता!
O sinner, now no one can save you!
(he paapii, ab tujhe koii nahiin bachaa saktaa!)
अगर तू सच में इतना पापी होता तो देवी माँ तुझे इतनी संपत्ति क्यों देतीं?
If you were really such a sinner, why would the goddess mother have given you so much wealth?
(agar too sach men itnaa paapii hotaa to devii maan tujhe itnii sampatti kyon detiin?)
नानी हमेशा कहती थीं कि पापियों को नरक में सज़ा मिलती है।
Grandma always used to say that sinners are punished in hell.
(naanii hameshaa kahtii thiin ki paapiyon ko narak men sazaa miltii hai।)
क्या सच में एक पापी को भी मोक्ष मिल सकता है?
Can even a sinner truly attain salvation?
(kyaa sach men ek paapii ko bhii moksh mil saktaa hai?)
सीरियल में विलेन को बार-बार 'पापी' कहकर पुकारा जाता था।
In the serial, the villain was repeatedly called out as a 'sinner'.
(siiriyal men vilen ko baar-baar 'paapii' kahkar pukaaraa jaataa thaa।)
साधु ने पापी को अपने आश्रम में शरण दी।
The sage gave the sinner shelter in his ashram.
(saadhu ne paapii ko apne aashram men sharan dii।)
Sense
2
:
sinful, wicked
adjective
Synonyms: गुनाहगार (gunaahgaar), दुष्ट (dusht, wicked, broader sense), पापपूर्ण (paappoorn, literary)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Used to describe an act, thought, or life as sinful -- पापी जीवन (paapii jiivan, 'sinful life') or पापी विचार (paapii vichaar, 'sinful thoughts') -- and heard often in religious discourses, bhajans, and moral lectures rather than everyday chit-chat.
Sample Sentences:
यह एक पापी जीवन है।
This is a sinful life.
(yah ek paapii jiivan hai।)
मन में पापी विचार मत लाओ।
Do not bring sinful thoughts into your mind.
(man men paapii vichaar mat laao।)
स्वामी जी कहते हैं कि पापी कर्मों से मन कलुषित हो जाता है।
Swami ji says that the mind becomes tainted by sinful deeds.
(svaamii jii kahte hain ki paapii karmon se man kalushit ho jaataa hai।)
उसने अपना पापी जीवन त्याग दिया।
He renounced his sinful life.
(usne apnaa paapii jiivan tyaag diyaa।)
अगर तुम्हारे विचार पापी होते, तो भगवान तुम्हें दंड देते।
If your thoughts had been sinful, God would have punished you.
(agar tumhaare vichaar paapii hote, to bhagvaan tumhen dand dete।)
प्रवचन में बताया गया कि पापी कर्मों का फल अवश्य मिलता है।
It was explained in the discourse that sinful deeds definitely bear their fruit.
(pravchan men bataayaa gayaa ki paapii karmon kaa phal avashy miltaa hai।)
गुरु जी ने कहा कि पापी बुद्धि को त्याग दो।
The guru said, give up your sinful intellect.
(guru jii ne kahaa ki paapii buddhi ko tyaag do।)
क्या ऐसा पापी कार्य करना उचित है?
Is it right to do such a sinful act?
(kyaa aisaa paapii kaary karnaa uchit hai?)
भजन में गाया जाता है कि पापी मन को शुद्ध करो, प्रभु का नाम लो।
The bhajan sings that you should purify your sinful mind and take the Lord's name.
(bhajan men gaayaa jaataa hai ki paapii man ko shuddh karo, prabhu kaa naam lo।)
संत ने समझाया कि पापी संसार में भी भक्ति की राह है।
The saint explained that even in this sinful world, there is a path of devotion.
(sant ne samjhaayaa ki paapii sansaar men bhii bhakti kii raah hai।)
Sense
3
:
wretched, cursed (figurative, of a thing/body part causing trouble)
adjective This figurative sense almost always appears fixed to a noun it's scolding, most famously पेट (pet, stomach/belly), as in the idiom पापी पेट का सवाल है (paapii pet kaa savaal hai, 'it's a matter of this wretched stomach [i.e., earning a living]').
Synonyms: कमबख्त (kambakht, colloquial), बेचारा (bechaaraa, sympathetic rather than cursing tone)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: पापी पेट (paapii pet) is a beloved, very Delhi kind of grumble -- an auto driver working in the rain or a clerk taking a bribe might sigh 'पापी पेट का सवाल है' (paapii pet kaa savaal hai, 'what to do, it's this wretched stomach's demand') as a half-joking excuse for doing something you'd rather not, purely to make ends meet.
Common Mistakes: 1) पापी पेट (paapii pet) does not literally mean the stomach is sinful -- it's an affectionate/resigned grumble about having to work or compromise just to survive, so don't translate it literally as 'sinful stomach' in conversation.
Sample Sentences:
यह पापी पेट किसी की नहीं सुनता।
This wretched stomach doesn't listen to anyone.
(yah paapii pet kisii kii nahiin suntaa।)
क्या करें, पापी पेट का सवाल है।
What to do, it's this wretched stomach's demand.
(kyaa karen, paapii pet kaa savaal hai।)
इस पापी पेट के लिए उसने बारिश में भी रिक्शा चलाया।
For this wretched stomach, he even drove the rickshaw in the rain.
(is paapii pet ke lie usne baarish men bhii rikshaa chalaayaa।)
यह पापी टांग हर सर्दी में दर्द करने लगती है।
This wretched leg starts aching every winter.
(yah paapii taang har sardii men dard karne lagtii hai।)
अगर यह पापी पेट न होता, तो कौन इतनी मेहनत करता।
If it weren't for this wretched stomach, who would work this hard.
(agar yah paapii pet n hotaa, to kaun itnii mehnat kartaa।)
इस पापी पेट को भरने के लिए वह रोज़ रिश्वत लेता था।
To feed this wretched stomach, he used to take bribes every day.
(is paapii pet ko bharne ke lie vah roz rishvat letaa thaa।)
पापी पेट के आगे इज्ज़त की भी क्या बात करें।
In front of this wretched stomach, what even is there to say about dignity.
(paapii pet ke aage ijzat kii bhii kyaa baat karen।)
इस पापी पेट की खातिर घर से इतनी दूर आना पड़ा।
For the sake of this wretched stomach, I had to come so far from home.
(is paapii pet kii khaatir ghar se itnii door aanaa padaa।)
इस पापी हाथ ने कब मेरा साथ छोड़ दिया, पता ही नहीं चला।
When this wretched hand gave up on me, I didn't even realize.
(is paapii haath ne kab meraa saath chhod diyaa, pataa hii nahiin chalaa।)
पापी पेट को कोसने से कुछ नहीं होगा, काम पर चलो।
Cursing this wretched stomach won't get us anywhere, let's get to work.
(paapii pet ko kosne se kuchh nahiin hogaa, kaam par chalo।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m/f.direct):
पापी
(paapii)
(sg.m/f.oblique):
पापी
(paapii)
(pl.m/f.direct):
पापियाँ
(paapiyaan)
(pl.m/f.oblique):
पापियों
(paapiyon)
Adjective (variable)
(sg.m):
पापी
(paapii)
(pl.m):
पापीे
([[पापीे]])
(sg.f):
पापीी
([[पापीी]])
(pl.f):
पापीी
([[पापीी]])