दस (das)

numeral/adjective The number ten; used both as a counting numeral and in set phrases about round numbers and general quantities.

Sense 1 : the number 10

numeral

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: दस (das) shows up constantly in everyday money and time talk -- दस रुपये (das rupye, 'ten rupees') and दस बजे (das baje, 'at ten o'clock') are two of the most common phrases a learner will hear on the street.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try to inflect दस (das) like an adjective before a noun, but numerals stay invariant regardless of the noun's gender or number: दस लड़के (das ladke, 'ten boys') and दस लड़कियाँ (das ladkiyaan, 'ten girls') both use the same form.

Sample Sentences:

मुझे दस रुपये दे दो। Give me ten rupees.

(mujhe das rupye de do।)

ट्रेन दस बजे आती है। The train arrives at ten o'clock.

(tren das baje aatii hai।)

हम दस बजे मिलेंगे। We will meet at ten o'clock.

(ham das baje milenge।)

उसने दस किताबें खरीदी थीं। He had bought ten books.

(usne das kitaaben khariidii thiin।)

अगर मेरे पास दस हज़ार रुपये होते, तो मैं वह फोन खरीद लेता। If I had ten thousand rupees, I would buy that phone.

(agar mere paas das hazaar rupye hote, to main vah phon khariid letaa।)

यह कमरा दस फ़ुट लंबा है। This room is ten feet long.

(yah kamraa das fut lambaa hai।)

टिकट के दस रुपये लगते हैं। The ticket costs ten rupees.

(tikat ke das rupye lagte hain।)

कक्षा में दस बच्चे मौजूद थे। Ten children were present in the class.

(kakshaa men das bachche maujood the।)

आवेदन दस दिनों के भीतर स्वीकार कर लिया जाएगा। The application will be accepted within ten days.

(aavedan das dinon ke bhiitar sviikaar kar liyaa jaaegaa।)

काश मेरे पास दस मिनट और होते। I wish I had ten more minutes.

(kaash mere paas das minat aur hote।)

पाँच और पाँच मिलकर दस होते हैं। Five and five together make ten.

(paanch aur paanch milkar das hote hain।)

Sense 2 : a round/approximate number, 'several, a good few'

adjective Used loosely, not as an exact count, in phrases like दस बातें (das baaten, 'a good few things/points') or दस काम (das kaam, 'a bunch of tasks').

Synonyms: कई (kaii, several)

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: You'll hear this in complaints like मुझे दस काम करने हैं (mujhe das kaam karne hain, 'I have a ton of things to do') -- the exaggeration is deliberately vague, much like English's 'a million things.'

Common Mistakes: 1) When दस (das) is used this way it does not mean exactly ten -- it signals 'quite a few' or 'a lot to deal with,' similar to how English speakers say 'a dozen things to do' without meaning exactly twelve.

Sample Sentences:

मुझे दस काम करने हैं। I have a ton of things to do.

(mujhe das kaam karne hain।)

उसे दस बार बताया, फिर भी वह भूल गया। I told him a good few times, and he still forgot.

(use das baar bataayaa, phir bhii vah bhool gayaa।)

इस मामले में दस पेच हैं, एक भी आसान नहीं है। There are a bunch of complications in this matter, not one of them is simple.

(is maamle men das pech hain, ek bhii aasaan nahiin hai।)

मुझसे दस सवाल मत पूछो, एक-एक करके पूछो। Don't fire off a dozen questions at me, ask them one at a time.

(mujhse das savaal mat poochho, ek-ek karke poochho।)

अगर उसे दस बहाने न बनाने होते, तो काम कब का हो गया होता। If he didn't have to invent so many excuses, the work would have been done long ago.

(agar use das bahaane n banaane hote, to kaam kab kaa ho gayaa hotaa।)

दफ्तर पहुँचते ही उसके सामने दस फाइलें रख दी गईं। As soon as he reached the office, a whole stack of files was placed in front of him.

(daphtar pahunchte hii uske saamne das phaailen rakh dii gaiin।)

इतना पैसा कमाकर भी उसके दस ठिकाने हैं जहाँ वह खर्च करता है। Even after earning so much money, he has a good few places where he spends it.

(itnaa paisaa kamaakar bhii uske das thikaane hain jahaan vah kharch kartaa hai।)

काश मुझे दस झमेलों से एक साथ न जूझना पड़े। I wish I didn't have to deal with a dozen hassles all at once.

(kaash mujhe das jhamelon se ek saath n joojhnaa pade।)

एक छोटी सी गलती की वजह से उसे दस लोगों के सामने सफाई देनी पड़ी। Because of one small mistake, he had to explain himself in front of I-don't-know-how-many people.

(ek chhotii sii galtii kii vajah se use das logon ke saamne saphaaii denii padii।)

Morphology

Adjective (invariant)

invariant: दस (das)