पच्चीस (pachchiis)

numeral/noun The number twenty-five (pachchiis); used as a numeral adjective and, in a couple of common idioms, to mean 'a lot of small problems' or 'countless.'

Sense 1 : the number 25

numeral

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: You'll hear पच्चीस (pachchiis) constantly in markets for prices -- पच्चीस रुपये (pachchiis rupye, 'twenty-five rupees') is a classic haggling number for small items like a cup of chai or a bag of chips.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try to inflect पच्चीस (pachchiis) like an adjective for gender or number -- it doesn't change at all, whether counting मिनट (minat, minutes) or रुपये (rupye, rupees).

Sample Sentences:

यह कप चाय पच्चीस रुपये की है। This cup of tea is twenty-five rupees.

(yah kap chaay pachchiis rupye kii hai।)

भइया, पच्चीस रुपये में दे दो न। Brother, just give it for twenty-five rupees, come on.

(bhaiyaa, pachchiis rupye men de do n।)

मेरी उम्र पच्चीस साल है। My age is twenty-five years.

(merii umr pachchiis saal hai।)

कल हमने पच्चीस किलो आटा खरीदा था। Yesterday we bought twenty-five kilos of flour.

(kal hamne pachchiis kilo aataa khariidaa thaa।)

अगर दुकानदार पच्चीस रुपये में मान जाता, तो मैं वो कुर्ता ले लेता। If the shopkeeper had agreed to twenty-five rupees, I would have bought that kurta.

(agar dukaandaar pachchiis rupye men maan jaataa, to main vo kurtaa le letaa।)

हर महीने पच्चीस तारीख को उसकी तनख्वाह आती है। His salary comes on the twenty-fifth of every month.

(har mahiine pachchiis taariikh ko uskii tanakhvaah aatii hai।)

क्या तुम इसे पच्चीस रुपये में बेच सकते हो? Can you sell this for twenty-five rupees?

(kyaa tum ise pachchiis rupye men bech sakte ho?)

कक्षा में कुल पच्चीस बच्चे हैं। There are a total of twenty-five children in the class.

(kakshaa men kul pachchiis bachche hain।)

टिकट की कीमत बढ़ाकर पच्चीस रुपये कर दी गई। The ticket price was increased and made twenty-five rupees.

(tikat kii kiimat badhaakar pachchiis rupye kar dii gaii।)

पच्चीस से ज़्यादा मत देना उसे, वरना वो और मांगता रहेगा। Don't give him more than twenty-five, otherwise he'll keep asking for more.

(pachchiis se zyaadaa mat denaa use, varnaa vo aur maangtaa rahegaa।)

शायद पच्चीस लोग ही आएं इस बार पार्टी में। Maybe only twenty-five people will come to the party this time.

(shaayad pachchiis log hii aaen is baar paartii men।)

Sense 2 : a great number of (small troubles, questions, complaints)

noun, masculine Common in the idiom पच्चीस झमेले (pachchiis jhamele, 'twenty-five hassles') or पच्चीस सवाल (pachchiis savaal, 'twenty-five questions'), where पच्चीस functions loosely as 'so many/countless' rather than the literal number.

Synonyms: बीस (biis, used similarly in some idioms), अनगिनत (anginat, countless)

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: This is a lovely bit of Hindi color: just as English exaggerates with 'a million things to do,' Hindi often reaches for पच्चीस (pachchiis) to mean 'way too many small annoying things,' as in उसके पच्चीस नखरे हैं (uske pachchiis nakhre hain, 'he/she has a million fussy demands').

Common Mistakes: 1) Don't take पच्चीस सवाल (pachchiis savaal) literally as exactly 25 questions -- native speakers use it to mean 'a whole bunch of annoying questions,' much like English 'a hundred questions.'

Sample Sentences:

उसके पच्चीस नखरे हैं, किसी होटल में मन नहीं भरता। He has a million fussy demands, no hotel ever satisfies him.

(uske pachchiis nakhre hain, kisii hotal men man nahiin bhartaa।)

एक छोटे से काम में भी उसके पच्चीस सवाल होते हैं। Even for one small task, he has umpteen questions.

(ek chhote se kaam men bhii uske pachchiis savaal hote hain।)

दफ्तर पहुँचते ही मुझे पच्चीस काम याद आ गए। As soon as I reached the office, umpteen tasks came to mind.

(daphtar pahunchte hii mujhe pachchiis kaam yaad aa gae।)

इस प्रोजेक्ट में पच्चीस झंझट लगे हुए हैं, कोई आसान हिस्सा नहीं है। This project has a ton of hassles attached to it, no part of it is easy.

(is projekt men pachchiis jhanjhat lage hue hain, koii aasaan hissaa nahiin hai।)

अरे भई, इतने पच्चीस बहाने मत बनाओ, बस काम कर दो। Come on, stop making umpteen excuses, just get the work done.

(are bhaii, itne pachchiis bahaane mat banaao, bas kaam kar do।)

अगर वह इतने पच्चीस सवाल न पूछता तो हम कब का निकल गए होते। If he hadn't asked a million questions, we would have left long ago.

(agar vah itne pachchiis savaal n poochhtaa to ham kab kaa nikal gae hote।)

शादी की तैयारियों में पच्चीस झमेले लगे रहते हैं। There are always a dozen and one hassles going on in wedding preparations.

(shaadii kii taiyaariyon men pachchiis jhamele lage rahte hain।)

मुझे डर है कि इस स्कीम में पच्चीस अड़चनें आएँगी। I fear that umpteen obstacles will come up in this scheme.

(mujhe dar hai ki is skiim men pachchiis adachnen aaengii।)

काश उसके पच्चीस नखरे न होते, तो साथ रहना आसान होता। I wish he didn't have a million fussy demands, then living together would be easy.

(kaash uske pachchiis nakhre n hote, to saath rahnaa aasaan hotaa।)

छोटी सी बात पर भी उसके पच्चीस सवाल खड़े हो जाते हैं। Even over a tiny matter, a hundred and one questions crop up from him.

(chhotii sii baat par bhii uske pachchiis savaal khade ho jaate hain।)

Morphology

Noun

(sg.m.direct): पच्चीस (pachchiis)

(sg.m.oblique): पच्चीस (pachchiis)

(pl.m.direct): पच्चीस (pachchiis)

(pl.m.oblique): पच्चीसों (pachchiison)