माथा (maathaa)
noun
Means 'forehead' -- both the literal body part and the figurative site of worry, frowning, and fate in common idioms.
Sense
1
:
forehead (body part)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: ललाट (lalaat, literary), भाल (bhaal, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the spot where a tilak (tilak) or bindi (bindii) is applied, so माथा (maathaa) carries a small ceremonial weight beyond plain anatomy -- think of an elder pressing kumkum (kumkum) onto a child's माथा (maathaa) before an exam or a journey.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for सिर (sir) when they mean specifically the forehead; सिर (sir) is the whole head, माथा (maathaa) is just the front-top part where a tikaa (tilak) or bindi (bindii) goes.
Sample Sentences:
उसके माथे पर पसीने की बूँदें चमक रही थीं।
Drops of sweat were glistening on his forehead.
(uske maathe par pasiine kii boonden chamak rahii thiin।)
दादी ने परीक्षा से पहले उसके माथे पर कुमकुम लगाया।
Grandmother applied kumkum on his forehead before the exam.
(daadii ne pariikshaa se pahle uske maathe par kumkum lagaayaa।)
पंडित जी ने उसके माथे पर तिलक लगाया।
The priest applied a tilak on his forehead.
(pandit jii ne uske maathe par tilak lagaayaa।)
अपना माथा मत छुओ, हाथ गंदे हैं।
Don't touch your forehead, your hands are dirty.
(apnaa maathaa mat chhuo, haath gande hain।)
बुखार में उसका माथा तप रहा था।
His forehead was burning with fever.
(bukhaar men uskaa maathaa tap rahaa thaa।)
अगर वह टोपी न पहनता तो उसका माथा धूप से झुलस जाता।
If he hadn't worn a cap, his forehead would have gotten scorched by the sun.
(agar vah topii n pahantaa to uskaa maathaa dhoop se jhulas jaataa।)
बच्चे का माथा चौड़ा और साफ है।
The child's forehead is broad and clear.
(bachche kaa maathaa chaudaa aur saaph hai।)
मंदिर के दर्शन के बाद वह माथा टेककर बाहर आया।
After the temple visit, he bowed his forehead down and came out.
(mandir ke darshan ke baad vah maathaa tekkar baahar aayaa।)
क्या तुम्हारा माथा किसी चीज़ से टकराया है?
Did your forehead hit something?
(kyaa tumhaaraa maathaa kisii chiiz se takraayaa hai?)
डॉक्टर ने मरीज़ का माथा छूकर उसका तापमान जाँचा।
The doctor touched the patient's forehead and checked his temperature.
(doktar ne mariiz kaa maathaa chhookar uskaa taapmaan jaanchaa।)
माथे पर लगी चोट का निशान अभी भी दिखता है।
The mark of the injury on the forehead is still visible.
(maathe par lagii chot kaa nishaan abhii bhii dikhtaa hai।)
Sense
2
:
to worry/rack one's brains (in idiom माथा खपाना)
noun, masculine Occurs mainly inside the fixed idiom माथा खपाना (maathaa khapaanaa, 'to rack one's brains') and माथापच्ची (maathaapachchii, 'a headache of an effort') -- listed here as the idiomatic sense of the noun rather than as a separate compound verb.
Synonyms: दिमाग़ (dimaagh, used in a parallel idiom दिमाग़ खपाना)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear this in everyday complaints like इस काम में बहुत माथा खपाना पड़ा (is kaam men bahut maathaa khapaanaa padaa, 'I had to really rack my brains over this work') -- it paints thinking hard as something that wears down the very forehead itself.
Common Mistakes: 1) माथा खपाना (maathaa khapaanaa) is about mental effort or frustration over a problem, not physical pain in the forehead -- do not confuse it with सिरदर्द (sirdard, 'headache').
Sample Sentences:
इस समस्या को सुलझाने में मुझे बहुत माथा खपाना पड़ा।
I had to rack my brains a lot to solve this problem.
(is samasyaa ko suljhaane men mujhe bahut maathaa khapaanaa padaa।)
क्यों अपना माथा खपा रहे हो, वह खुद ही सब समझ जाएगा।
Why are you racking your brains, he will understand everything on his own.
(kyon apnaa maathaa khapaa rahe ho, vah khud hii sab samajh jaaegaa।)
इस तरह की बेकार बातों पर माथा मत खपाओ।
Don't rack your brains over such useless matters.
(is tarah kii bekaar baaton par maathaa mat khapaao।)
वह हर छोटी-छोटी बात पर माथा खपाता रहता है।
He keeps fretting over every little thing.
(vah har chhotii-chhotii baat par maathaa khapaataa rahtaa hai।)
अगर तुम शुरू से ही ध्यान देते, तो अब इतना माथा नहीं खपाना पड़ता।
If you had paid attention from the start, you wouldn't have to rack your brains so much now.
(agar tum shuroo se hii dhyaan dete, to ab itnaa maathaa nahiin khapaanaa padtaa।)
इस काम में बहुत माथा खपाना पड़ा।
I had to really rack my brains over this work.
(is kaam men bahut maathaa khapaanaa padaa।)
इतना मुश्किल सवाल है कि माथा खपाए बिना जवाब नहीं मिलेगा।
The question is so difficult that you won't get the answer without racking your brains.
(itnaa mushkil savaal hai ki maathaa khapaae binaa javaab nahiin milegaa।)
मैंने पूरी रात इस गणित के सवाल पर माथा खपाया।
I racked my brains over this math problem the whole night.
(mainne poorii raat is ganit ke savaal par maathaa khapaayaa।)
शायद इतना माथा खपाने की ज़रूरत ही न हो, अगर हम किसी विशेषज्ञ से पूछ लें।
Perhaps there won't even be a need to rack our brains this much, if we just ask an expert.
(shaayad itnaa maathaa khapaane kii zaroorat hii n ho, agar ham kisii visheshagy se poochh len।)
बजट बनाने में सबका माथा खपाया गया, फिर भी हिसाब नहीं मिला।
Everyone's brains were racked in making the budget, yet the accounts didn't add up.
(bajat banaane men sabkaa maathaa khapaayaa gayaa, phir bhii hisaab nahiin milaa।)
Sense
3
:
fate/destiny written on the forehead (as in idiom माथे पर लिखा होना)
noun, masculine Appears in the idiom माथे पर लिखा होना (maathe par likhaa honaa, 'to be written on one's forehead/fate') -- the oblique माथे (maathe) form is standard here, covered further in the morphology table.
Synonyms: भाग्य (bhaagy), किस्मत (kismat)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Hindi shares with much of North Indian folk belief the image that one's fate is literally inscribed on the माथा (maathaa) by a divine hand -- so जो माथे पर लिखा है वही होगा (jo maathe par likhaa hai vahii hogaa, 'whatever is written on the forehead will happen') is a common fatalistic saying, often heard from grandparents consoling someone after a setback.
Sample Sentences:
जो माथे पर लिखा है वही होगा।
Whatever is written on the forehead will happen.
(jo maathe par likhaa hai vahii hogaa।)
दादी कहती थीं कि माथे का लिखा कोई नहीं मिटा सकता।
Grandma used to say that no one can erase what is written on the forehead.
(daadii kahtii thiin ki maathe kaa likhaa koii nahiin mitaa saktaa।)
शायद यही उसके माथे पर लिखा था।
Maybe this is what was written on his forehead.
(shaayad yahii uske maathe par likhaa thaa।)
अगर यह उसके माथे पर लिखा होता, तो कोई कुछ नहीं कर सकता था।
If this had been written on his forehead, no one could have done anything.
(agar yah uske maathe par likhaa hotaa, to koii kuchh nahiin kar saktaa thaa।)
किसी के माथे का लिखा टाला नहीं जा सकता।
What is written on someone's forehead cannot be avoided.
(kisii ke maathe kaa likhaa taalaa nahiin jaa saktaa।)
रोना मत, यह तो तेरे माथे पर लिखा था।
Don't cry, this was written on your forehead after all.
(ronaa mat, yah to tere maathe par likhaa thaa।)
पंडित जी ने कहा कि उसके माथे पर राजयोग लिखा है।
The pandit said that a fortune of kingship is written on his forehead.
(pandit jii ne kahaa ki uske maathe par raajyog likhaa hai।)
हो सकता है कि उसके माथे पर यही दुख लिखा हो।
It's possible that this very sorrow is written on his forehead.
(ho saktaa hai ki uske maathe par yahii dukh likhaa ho।)
विधाता ने उसके माथे पर संघर्ष का जीवन लिख दिया था।
The creator had written a life of struggle on his forehead.
(vidhaataa ne uske maathe par sangharsh kaa jiivan likh diyaa thaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
माथा
(maathaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
माथे
(maathe)
(pl.m.direct):
माथे
(maathe)
(pl.m.oblique):
माथों
(maathon)