उनचास (unchaas)
numeral
A cardinal number meaning 'forty-nine' (unchaas); used in counting and quantities exactly like any other Hindi numeral.
Sense
1
:
the number 49
numeral
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Like most Hindi numbers from 21 to 99, उनचास (unchaas) is a fossilized, irregular form rather than a compositional one -- Hindi numerals historically fused a base number with a modifier (here, roughly 'one less than fifty') into a single unpredictable word. Native speakers simply memorize these as a block, the same way English speakers just know 'eleven' isn't 'onety-one'.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often mix up उनचास (unchaas, 49) with उनचालीस (unchaaliis, 39) and उनसठ (unsath, 59) since Hindi numerals 41-99 do not follow a predictable additive pattern like English and must simply be learned as individual words. 2) The initial उन- (un) sound (a contraction meaning 'one less than fifty') gives no obvious clue to its value, unlike English 'forty-nine', so learners should not try to derive it logically from parts.
Sample Sentences:
इस गली में उनचास मकान हैं।
There are forty-nine houses in this lane.
(is galii men unchaas makaan hain।)
मेरे दादाजी की उम्र उनचास साल थी जब उन्होंने यह घर खरीदा।
My grandfather was forty-nine years old when he bought this house.
(mere daadaajii kii umr unchaas saal thii jab unhonne yah ghar khariidaa।)
परीक्षा में कुल उनचास सवाल पूछे गए थे।
A total of forty-nine questions were asked in the exam.
(pariikshaa men kul unchaas savaal poochhe gae the।)
अगले महीने तक यह इमारत उनचास साल पुरानी हो जाएगी।
By next month, this building will be forty-nine years old.
(agle mahiine tak yah imaarat unchaas saal puraanii ho jaaegii।)
अगर टिकट उनचास रुपए का होता तो मैं जरूर खरीद लेता।
If the ticket had cost forty-nine rupees, I would definitely have bought it.
(agar tikat unchaas rupae kaa hotaa to main jaroor khariid letaa।)
क्या तुम्हें याद है कि पिछली बार बस में उनचास लोग बैठे थे?
Do you remember that forty-nine people were sitting in the bus last time?
(kyaa tumhen yaad hai ki pichhlii baar bas men unchaas log baithe the?)
कृपया सुनिश्चित करें कि सूची में उनचास नाम ही रहें, एक भी कम या ज़्यादा नहीं।
Please make sure the list has exactly forty-nine names, not one more or less.
(kripyaa sunishchit karen ki soochii men unchaas naam hii rahen, ek bhii kam yaa zyaadaa nahiin।)
शायद उनचास पन्नों की यह किताब एक हफ्ते में पूरी पढ़ी जा सके।
Perhaps this forty-nine-page book could be read fully in a week.
(shaayad unchaas pannon kii yah kitaab ek haphte men poorii padhii jaa sake।)
उनचास डिग्री तक पहुँच गया तापमान, और सब लोग घरों में दुबक गए।
The temperature reached forty-nine degrees, and everyone huddled indoors.
(unchaas digrii tak pahunch gayaa taapmaan, aur sab log gharon men dubak gae।)