चार (chaar)
numeral/adjective
The number 'four' -- used both as a counting numeral and, idiomatically, in a handful of set phrases meaning 'a few' or 'several'.
Sense
1
:
the number four
numeral
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear चार (chaar) constantly in daily bargaining and directions -- चार सौ (chaar sau, 'four hundred') at the sabzi mandi, or चार बज गए (chaar baj gae, 'it's already four o'clock') when someone is running late.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try to inflect चार (chaar) like an adjective before a noun -- it stays invariant regardless of the noun's gender or case: चार लड़के (chaar ladke, four boys), चार लड़कियाँ (chaar ladkiyaan, four girls).
Sample Sentences:
मुझे चार केले दे दो।
Give me four bananas.
(mujhe chaar kele de do।)
अभी चार बज गए हैं, मुझे निकलना होगा।
It's already four o'clock now, I'll have to leave.
(abhii chaar baj gae hain, mujhe nikalnaa hogaa।)
यह टोकरी चार सौ रुपये की है।
This basket costs four hundred rupees.
(yah tokrii chaar sau rupye kii hai।)
इस मेज़ के चार पैर टूटे हुए हैं।
This table's four legs are broken.
(is mez ke chaar pair toote hue hain।)
हम चार भाई-बहन हैं।
We are four siblings.
(ham chaar bhaaii-bahan hain।)
पहले हमारे यहाँ चार कमरे थे, अब छह हो गए हैं।
Earlier we had four rooms here, now there are six.
(pahle hamaare yahaan chaar kamre the, ab chhah ho gae hain।)
काश मेरे पास चार दिन और होते, तो मैं यह काम पूरा कर लेता।
If only I had four more days, I would have finished this work.
(kaash mere paas chaar din aur hote, to main yah kaam pooraa kar letaa।)
अगर चार लोग और आ जाएँ, तो टीम पूरी हो जाएगी।
If four more people come, the team will be complete.
(agar chaar log aur aa jaaen, to tiim poorii ho jaaegii।)
संविधान में चार मुख्य स्तंभ बताए गए हैं।
Four main pillars have been described in the constitution.
(sanvidhaan men chaar mukhy stambh bataae gae hain।)
साल के चार मौसम होते हैं।
There are four seasons in a year.
(saal ke chaar mausam hote hain।)
चार दिशाओं में से उसने पूर्व दिशा चुनी।
Out of the four directions, he chose the east.
(chaar dishaaon men se usne poorv dishaa chunii।)
Sense
2
:
a few, several (approximate small number)
adjective Used loosely, not as an exact count -- चार बातें (chaar baaten, 'a few words/things to say') doesn't mean literally four.
Synonyms: कुछ (kuchh), दो-चार (do-chaar, variant emphasizing 'a couple to a few')
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the चार (chaar) of everyday idiom: चार लोग (chaar log, 'a few people,' i.e. 'what will people think') is a classic line Indian parents use to invoke social judgment -- चार लोग क्या कहेंगे (chaar log kyaa kahenge, 'what will people say').
Common Mistakes: 1) This 'a few' sense is easy to miss because it looks identical to the literal numeral -- चार दिन (chaar din) in casual speech often just means 'a few days,' not exactly four.
Sample Sentences:
चार लोग क्या कहेंगे?
What will people say?
(chaar log kyaa kahenge?)
मुझे चार बातें समझानी हैं।
I need to explain a few things to you.
(mujhe chaar baaten samjhaanii hain।)
चार दिन की बात है, फिर सब ठीक हो जाएगा।
It's a matter of a few days, then everything will be fine.
(chaar din kii baat hai, phir sab thiik ho jaaegaa।)
अगर तुम ऐसा करोगे तो चार लोग क्या सोचेंगे, यह भी सोचो।
If you do that, think about what a few people will think too.
(agar tum aisaa karoge to chaar log kyaa sochenge, yah bhii socho।)
काश मैं चार शब्द भी ठीक से बोल पाता।
I wish I could speak even a few words properly.
(kaash main chaar shabd bhii thiik se bol paataa।)
उसने चार किताबें उठाईं और चला गया।
He picked up a few books and left.
(usne chaar kitaaben uthaaiin aur chalaa gayaa।)
थोड़ा रुक जाओ, चार मिनट में आ जाऊँगी।
Wait a bit, I'll be there in a few minutes.
(thodaa ruk jaao, chaar minat men aa jaaoongii।)
समाज में रहना है तो चार लोगों की सुननी पड़ती है।
If you want to live in society, you have to listen to what a few people say.
(samaaj men rahnaa hai to chaar logon kii sunnii padtii hai।)
बेटी, ऐसे मत घूमो, चार लोग क्या कहेंगे।
Daughter, don't wander around like this, what will people say.
(betii, aise mat ghoomo, chaar log kyaa kahenge।)
अच्छा होगा कि तुम चार दिन और रुक जाओ।
It would be good if you stayed a few more days.
(achchhaa hogaa ki tum chaar din aur ruk jaao।)
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
चार
(chaar)