जोकर (jokar)
noun
A loanword from English 'joker,' used literally for a circus/clown figure (or the playing card) and, very commonly, as a figurative insult for someone acting foolish.
Sense
1
:
fool, buffoon (insult)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: बेवकूफ़ (bevkoof), मसखरा (masakhraa, can be gentler/less harsh)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the sense you hear most in daily life, often thrown at someone who has said or done something silly: तुम तो बड़े जोकर हो (tum to bade jokar ho, 'you're such a joker/fool'). It shares the same word as the circus sense because the underlying image -- someone whose behavior invites laughter or ridicule -- is the same, just redirected as an insult.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use जोकर (jokar) as a neutral synonym for 'funny person,' but in everyday speech it more often lands as a put-down -- calling someone जोकर (jokar) implies they are acting ridiculous or not to be taken seriously, closer to 'clown' used insultingly in English than to 'comedian.'
Sample Sentences:
तुम तो बड़े जोकर हो!
You're such a joker/fool!
(tum to bade jokar ho!)
वह क्लास में सबके सामने जोकर बन गया।
He made a fool of himself in front of everyone in class.
(vah klaas men sabke saamne jokar ban gayaa।)
उसे जोकर मत बनाओ, वह सच में शर्मिंदा हो जाएगा।
Don't make a fool of him, he'll actually get embarrassed.
(use jokar mat banaao, vah sach men sharmindaa ho jaaegaa।)
अगर तुम ऐसी हरकतें करते रहे तो लोग तुम्हें जोकर समझेंगे।
If you keep doing such stupid things, people will think you're a fool.
(agar tum aisii harakten karte rahe to log tumhen jokar samjhenge।)
वह हर मीटिंग में बेतुकी बातें करके जोकर बना रहता है।
He acts like a fool in every meeting by saying ridiculous things.
(vah har miiting men betukii baaten karke jokar banaa rahtaa hai।)
अरे जोकर, चुप बैठ जा, किसी ने तुझसे कुछ नहीं पूछा।
Hey fool, sit down and shut up, nobody asked you anything.
(are jokar, chup baith jaa, kisii ne tujhse kuchh nahiin poochhaa।)
मुझे जोकर मत समझो, मुझे सब पता है क्या चल रहा है।
Don't take me for a fool, I know exactly what's going on.
(mujhe jokar mat samjho, mujhe sab pataa hai kyaa chal rahaa hai।)
अगर मैं वहाँ वैसा बोल देता तो सब मुझे जोकर समझते।
If I had said that there, everyone would have thought I was a fool.
(agar main vahaan vaisaa bol detaa to sab mujhe jokar samajhte।)
उस नेता को मीडिया ने पूरी तरह जोकर बना कर पेश किया।
The media completely portrayed that politician as a fool.
(us netaa ko miidiyaa ne poorii tarah jokar banaa kar pesh kiyaa।)
इस देश में ईमानदार आदमी को जोकर समझा जाता है।
In this country, an honest man is regarded as a fool.
(is desh men iimaandaar aadmii ko jokar samjhaa jaataa hai।)
काश वह इतना जोकर न बनता तो लोग उसे गंभीरता से लेते।
I wish he hadn't made such a fool of himself, then people would take him seriously.
(kaash vah itnaa jokar n bantaa to log use gambhiirtaa se lete।)
Sense
2
:
clown, circus performer
noun, masculine
Synonyms: मसखरा (masakhraa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the straightforward circus sense -- a बच्चों (bachchon, 'children') की पसंदीदा जोकर (jokar, 'children's favorite clown') at a सर्कस (sarkas) is exactly the image most learners already carry over from English.
Sample Sentences:
सर्कस में एक जोकर सबको हँसा रहा था।
A clown at the circus was making everyone laugh.
(sarkas men ek jokar sabko hansaa rahaa thaa।)
बच्चों को जोकर बहुत पसंद होते हैं।
Children like clowns a lot.
(bachchon ko jokar bahut pasand hote hain।)
जोकर ने लाल नाक और बड़े जूते पहने थे।
The clown was wearing a red nose and big shoes.
(jokar ne laal naak aur bade joote pahne the।)
जोकर मत बनो, बच्चों को डराओ मत!
Don't act like a clown, don't scare the children!
(jokar mat bano, bachchon ko daraao mat!)
अगर मैं जोकर होता तो मुझे भी सर्कस में काम मिल जाता।
If I were a clown, I would have gotten work at the circus too.
(agar main jokar hotaa to mujhe bhii sarkas men kaam mil jaataa।)
सर्कस के जोकर हर शहर में घूम-घूम कर प्रदर्शन करते हैं।
Circus clowns travel from city to city performing shows.
(sarkas ke jokar har shahar men ghoom-ghoom kar pradarshan karte hain।)
मेरी बेटी को उस सर्कस की जोकर याद आती है जिसने साइकिल पर करतब दिखाया था।
My daughter remembers that circus clown who did tricks on a bicycle.
(merii betii ko us sarkas kii jokar yaad aatii hai jisne saaikil par kartab dikhaayaa thaa।)
जोकर द्वारा किया गया करतब देखकर सारा हॉल तालियों से गूँज उठा।
Seeing the trick performed by the clown, the whole hall erupted in applause.
(jokar dvaaraa kiyaa gayaa kartab dekhkar saaraa hol taaliyon se goonj uthaa।)
शायद वह लड़का बड़ा होकर सर्कस का जोकर बन जाए, उसे बहुत मज़ा आता है यह सब देखकर।
Maybe that boy will grow up to become a circus clown, he enjoys watching all this so much.
(shaayad vah ladkaa badaa hokar sarkas kaa jokar ban jaae, use bahut mazaa aataa hai yah sab dekhkar।)
जोकर की टोपी और रंग-बिरंगे कपड़े देखकर बच्चा तालियाँ बजाने लगा।
Seeing the clown's hat and colorful clothes, the child started clapping.
(jokar kii topii aur rang-birange kapde dekhkar bachchaa taaliyaan bajaane lagaa।)
Sense
3
:
joker (playing card)
noun, masculine
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Straight from card games like रम्मी (rammii, 'rummy') -- if you have played cards with a Hindi-speaking family, you have likely already heard जोकर (jokar) called out at the table exactly as in English.
Sample Sentences:
रम्मी में जोकर सबसे काम का पत्ता होता है।
In rummy, the joker is the most useful card.
(rammii men jokar sabse kaam kaa pattaa hotaa hai।)
मुझे तीन जोकर मिल गए, आज तो मेरी जीत पक्की है।
I got three jokers -- my win is guaranteed today.
(mujhe tiin jokar mil gae, aaj to merii jiit pakkii hai।)
पहले पत्ते बांटो, फिर जोकर तय करो।
First deal the cards, then decide the joker.
(pahle patte baanto, phir jokar tay karo।)
अगर मेरे पास जोकर होता, तो मैं यह हाथ जीत जाता।
If I had the joker, I would have won this hand.
(agar mere paas jokar hotaa, to main yah haath jiit jaataa।)
इस डेक में जोकर छूट गया है, कोई और पत्ता ला दो।
The joker got left out of this deck, bring another card.
(is dek men jokar chhoot gayaa hai, koii aur pattaa laa do।)
हर राउंड में एक नया जोकर तय किया जाता है।
A new joker is decided in every round.
(har raaund men ek nayaa jokar tay kiyaa jaataa hai।)
शायद इस बार जोकर हुकुम का इक्का हो।
Maybe this time the joker is the ace of spades.
(shaayad is baar jokar hukum kaa ikkaa ho।)
जब तक जोकर नहीं निकलेगा, खेल पूरा नहीं होगा।
Until the joker comes out, the game won't be complete.
(jab tak jokar nahiin niklegaa, khel pooraa nahiin hogaa।)
वह जोकर छुपाकर बैठा है ताकि आखिर में चौंका सके।
He is sitting with the joker hidden so he can surprise everyone at the end.
(vah jokar chhupaakar baithaa hai taaki aakhir men chaunkaa sake।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
जोकर
(jokar)
(sg.m.oblique):
जोकर
(jokar)
(pl.m.direct):
जोकर
(jokar)
(pl.m.oblique):
जोकरों
(jokron)