सौ (sau)
numeral/adjective
सौ (sau) is the number 'hundred' -- used as a numeral adjective and, idiomatically, to mean 'a great many' or 'countless.'
Sense
1
:
the number 100
numeral
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Money and prices are where you will hear सौ (sau) constantly -- a सौ का नोट (sau kaa not, 'hundred-rupee note') is the everyday bill people reach for at the सब्ज़ी वाला (sabzii vaalaa, 'vegetable vendor') or auto-rickshaw stand, so this number becomes second nature very fast for anyone living in India.
Common Mistakes: 1) सौ (sau) itself never changes form regardless of the noun's gender or number -- unlike एक (ek) or दो (do), there is no agreement to worry about here. 2) Learners sometimes try to say 'one hundred' as एक सौ (ek sau) when just सौ (sau) alone already means 'a hundred' -- both are heard, but सौ (sau) alone is more natural for the round number itself, while एक सौ (ek sau) is normal when it is followed by more, e.g. एक सौ एक (ek sau ek, 'one hundred one').
Sample Sentences:
मेरे पास सिर्फ़ एक सौ का नोट है।
I only have a hundred-rupee note.
(mere paas sirf ek sau kaa not hai।)
सब्ज़ी वाले ने कहा कि टमाटर सौ रुपये किलो हो गए हैं।
The vegetable vendor said tomatoes have become a hundred rupees a kilo.
(sabzii vaale ne kahaa ki tamaatar sau rupye kilo ho gae hain।)
क्या तुम मुझे सौ रुपये दे सकते हो?
Can you give me a hundred rupees?
(kyaa tum mujhe sau rupye de sakte ho?)
ऑटो वाले को सौ रुपये दे दो।
Give the auto-rickshaw driver a hundred rupees.
(oto vaale ko sau rupye de do।)
अगर मेरे पास सौ रुपये होते, तो मैं यह किताब खरीद लेता।
If I had a hundred rupees, I would have bought this book.
(agar mere paas sau rupye hote, to main yah kitaab khariid letaa।)
इस थैले में सौ आम रखे गए हैं।
A hundred mangoes have been placed in this bag.
(is thaile men sau aam rakhe gae hain।)
स्कूल में लगभग सौ बच्चे पढ़ते हैं।
About a hundred children study in the school.
(skool men lagbhag sau bachche padhte hain।)
अगले महीने तक हमारी कंपनी में सौ कर्मचारी हो जाएंगे।
By next month, our company will have a hundred employees.
(agle mahiine tak hamaarii kampnii men sau karmchaarii ho jaaenge।)
जब मैं छोटा था, तब सौ रुपये में पूरे हफ़्ते का राशन आ जाता था।
When I was young, a hundred rupees used to get an entire week's groceries.
(jab main chhotaa thaa, tab sau rupye men poore hafte kaa raashan aa jaataa thaa।)
शायद इस काम में सौ रुपये और खर्च हो जाएं।
Perhaps another hundred rupees will be spent on this work.
(shaayad is kaam men sau rupye aur kharch ho jaaen।)
परीक्षा में सौ में से सौ अंक लाना आसान नहीं है।
Scoring a hundred out of a hundred marks in the exam is not easy.
(pariikshaa men sau men se sau ank laanaa aasaan nahiin hai।)
Sense
2
:
countless, a great many (idiomatic use)
adjective Used before a plural noun to mean 'so many/countless,' not a literal count, e.g. सौ बातें (sau baaten, 'a hundred things/complaints').
Synonyms: अनेक (anek, many), हज़ार (hazaar, used similarly for 'countless')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Every language has its favorite number for exaggeration -- Hindi reaches for सौ (sau) the way English reaches for 'a million' or 'a thousand.' You will hear parents say सौ बार बोला है (sau baar bolaa hai, 'I have told you a hundred times') in nearly every Delhi household when a kid forgets to do something -- pure hyperbole, delivered with real feeling.
Common Mistakes: 1) This is not meant literally -- सौ बार कहा (sau baar kahaa, 'told you a hundred times') means 'told you many, many times,' not exactly 100. 2) Learners sometimes hunt for a 'real' number nearby in context, but this sense is purely exaggeration for emphasis, much like English 'a hundred times' or 'a million reasons.'
Sample Sentences:
मैंने तुझे सौ बार बोला है कि होमवर्क पहले करो।
I have told you a hundred times to finish your homework first.
(mainne tujhe sau baar bolaa hai ki homvark pahle karo।)
इस शहर में सौ दिक्कतें हैं, पर लोग फिर भी खुश रहते हैं।
This city has a hundred problems, but people still stay happy.
(is shahar men sau dikkten hain, par log phir bhii khush rahte hain।)
मेरे मन में सौ सवाल घूम रहे थे जब मैं इंटरव्यू के लिए बैठी थी।
A hundred questions were swirling in my mind while I sat for the interview.
(mere man men sau savaal ghoom rahe the jab main intravyoo ke lie baithii thii।)
सौ बार समझा दो, फिर भी वो अपनी ही करेगा।
Explain it to him a hundred times, and he'll still do it his own way.
(sau baar samjhaa do, phir bhii vo apnii hii karegaa।)
अगर वो सौ बार भी माफी माँगता, तो मैं उसे माफ नहीं करती।
Even if he had apologized a hundred times, I still wouldn't have forgiven him.
(agar vo sau baar bhii maaphii maangtaa, to main use maaph nahiin kartii।)
यार, सौ बार बोल चुका हूँ, अब और मत टोक।
Dude, I've already said it a hundred times, don't interrupt me again.
(yaar, sau baar bol chukaa hoon, ab aur mat tok।)
सौ जतन करने पर भी उसकी किस्मत नहीं बदली।
Even after countless efforts, his fortune didn't change.
(sau jatan karne par bhii uskii kismat nahiin badlii।)
सौ बात की एक बात, तुम्हें ईमानदार रहना चाहिए।
To cut a long story short, you should just stay honest.
(sau baat kii ek baat, tumhen iimaandaar rahnaa chaahie।)
दादी कहती थीं कि एक बेटी सौ बेटों के बराबर होती है।
Grandmother used to say that one daughter is worth a hundred sons.
(daadii kahtii thiin ki ek betii sau beton ke baraabar hotii hai।)
इतनी सौ बातें मत बनाओ, बस सच बता दो।
Don't make up so many excuses, just tell me the truth.
(itnii sau baaten mat banaao, bas sach bataa do।)
उसने सौ जगह नौकरी के लिए अर्ज़ी दी, फिर भी कहीं बात नहीं बनी।
He applied for jobs in a hundred places, yet nothing worked out anywhere.
(usne sau jagah naukrii ke lie arzii dii, phir bhii kahiin baat nahiin banii।)
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
सौ
(sau)