घंटी (ghantii)
noun
Mainly means a small bell or a buzzer/ringer -- the thing that makes a ringing sound, as on a door, bicycle, or phone. Related to the larger word घंटा (ghantaa, 'bell' or 'hour').
Sense
1
:
bell (small, e.g. door, bicycle, temple)
noun, feminine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Picture a Delhi household: a guest arrives and presses the दरवाज़े की घंटी (darvaaze kii ghantii, 'the doorbell'), or a cyclist rings उसकी घंटी (uskii ghantii, 'his/her bicycle bell') to warn pedestrians. In schools, घंटी (ghantii) also informally means the school bell that marks period changes -- so a student might say अगली घंटी (aglii ghantii, 'the next bell/period') to mean the next class.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse घंटी (ghantii) with घंटा (ghantaa) -- घंटी is the small bell/buzzer sound-object, while घंटा is both the large temple bell and the word for 'hour'. 2) घंटी बजाना (ghantii bajaanaa, 'to ring the bell') is the standard collocation; बजाना (bajaanaa) is the verb used for making any instrument or bell sound, not मारना (maarnaa) or कोई और verb learners might guess.
Sample Sentences:
दरवाज़े की घंटी बज रही है।
The doorbell is ringing.
(darvaaze kii ghantii baj rahii hai।)
कृपया घंटी बजाइए और अंदर आइए।
Please ring the bell and come inside.
(kripyaa ghantii bajaaie aur andar aaie।)
साइकिल वाले ने घंटी बजाई ताकि लोग रास्ता दे दें।
The cyclist rang his bell so that people would make way.
(saaikil vaale ne ghantii bajaaii taaki log raastaa de den।)
मंदिर की घंटी सुबह-सुबह बजती है।
The temple bell rings early in the morning.
(mandir kii ghantii subah-subah bajtii hai।)
अगर घंटी टूटी नहीं होती, तो हमें दरवाज़ा खटखटाना नहीं पड़ता।
If the bell hadn't been broken, we wouldn't have had to knock on the door.
(agar ghantii tootii nahiin hotii, to hamen darvaazaa khatakhtaanaa nahiin padtaa।)
उसकी घंटी की आवाज़ इतनी तेज़ थी कि सब पीछे मुड़ गए।
His bicycle bell's sound was so loud that everyone turned around.
(uskii ghantii kii aavaaz itnii tez thii ki sab piichhe mud gae।)
शायद घंटी की बैटरी खत्म हो गई हो, इसलिए आवाज़ नहीं आ रही।
Maybe the bell's battery has run out, that's why there's no sound.
(shaayad ghantii kii baitrii khatm ho gaii ho, islie aavaaz nahiin aa rahii।)
पुरानी हवेलियों में अक्सर पीतल की घंटियाँ लगी होती हैं।
Old mansions often have brass bells installed.
(puraanii haveliyon men aksar piital kii ghantiyaan lagii hotii hain।)
जब भी घंटी बजाई जाती है, कुत्ता भौंकने लगता है।
Whenever the bell is rung, the dog starts barking.
(jab bhii ghantii bajaaii jaatii hai, kuttaa bhaunkne lagtaa hai।)
मैंने नई साइकिल में एक चमकदार घंटी लगवाई है।
I've had a shiny bell fitted on my new bicycle.
(mainne naii saaikil men ek chamakdaar ghantii lagvaaii hai।)
देवी के मंदिर में घंटियों की झंकार दूर तक सुनाई देती थी।
The chime of bells in the goddess's temple could be heard far and wide.
(devii ke mandir men ghantiyon kii jhankaar door tak sunaaii detii thii।)
Sense
2
:
telephone ring / call (informal)
noun, feminine Used in the colloquial phrase घंटी मारना/करना (ghantii maarnaa / ghantii karnaa, 'to give a ring/missed call'), especially among friends to signal without actually talking.
Synonyms: मिस्ड कॉल (misd kol, missed call, related but not identical)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Very common among Delhi youth: कॉलेज में पैसे नहीं थे तो सिर्फ़ घंटी मारते थे (kolej men paise nahiin the to sirf ghantii maarte the, 'we didn't have money in college so we'd just give a missed call') -- a whole generation communicated 'call me back' this way before unlimited call plans became common.
Common Mistakes: 1) घंटी मारना (ghantii maarnaa) sounds odd translated literally ('to hit a bell') but is completely normal slang for giving someone a quick ring or missed call to get their attention -- don't overthink the verb choice here.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे घंटी मार देना, मैं वापस कॉल करूँगा।
Give me a missed call, I'll call you back.
(mujhe ghantii maar denaa, main vaapas kol karoongaa।)
कॉलेज में पैसे नहीं थे तो सिर्फ़ घंटी मारते थे।
We didn't have money in college so we'd just give a missed call.
(kolej men paise nahiin the to sirf ghantii maarte the।)
उसने रात को दो बार घंटी मारी पर मैंने उठाया नहीं।
He gave me a missed call twice at night but I didn't pick up.
(usne raat ko do baar ghantii maarii par mainne uthaayaa nahiin।)
मेरा फ़ोन साइलेंट पर था इसलिए घंटी पता ही नहीं चली।
My phone was on silent so I didn't even notice the call.
(meraa fon saailent par thaa islie ghantii pataa hii nahiin chalii।)
अगर तेरे पास बैलेंस नहीं है तो घंटी मार दे, मैं कर लूँगा कॉल।
If you don't have balance, just give me a missed call, I'll call.
(agar tere paas bailens nahiin hai to ghantii maar de, main kar loongaa kol।)
अगर उसने घंटी मारी होती तो मैं तुरंत कॉल बैक करता।
If he had given me a missed call, I would have called back right away.
(agar usne ghantii maarii hotii to main turant kol baik kartaa।)
जब भी उसे पैसे की ज़रूरत होती, वो बस घंटी मार देता था।
Whenever he needed money, he'd just give a missed call.
(jab bhii use paise kii zaroorat hotii, vo bas ghantii maar detaa thaa।)
यार, घंटी मार दी थी न, तूने कॉल क्यों नहीं किया?
Dude, I gave you a missed call, why didn't you call?
(yaar, ghantii maar dii thii n, toone kol kyon nahiin kiyaa?)
पहुँचते ही घंटी मार देना, मैं गेट पर आ जाऊँगा।
Give me a missed call as soon as you arrive, I'll come to the gate.
(pahunchte hii ghantii maar denaa, main get par aa jaaoongaa।)
Sense
3
:
class period (school, informal)
noun, feminine By metonymy from the bell that signals period changes -- घंटी (ghantii) itself comes to mean the class period.
Synonyms: पीरियड (piiriyad, loanword, common in schools)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: A student complaining about a long day might say आज छह घंटी हैं (aaj chhah ghantii hain, 'there are six periods today') -- here घंटी stands in for the class itself, not the sound.
Sample Sentences:
आज छह घंटी हैं।
There are six periods today.
(aaj chhah ghantii hain।)
पहली घंटी गणित की है।
The first period is math.
(pahlii ghantii ganit kii hai।)
मुझे आज की आखिरी घंटी बहुत बोरिंग लगी।
I found today's last period really boring.
(mujhe aaj kii aakhirii ghantii bahut boring lagii।)
हम लोग हर रोज़ सात घंटी पढ़ते हैं।
We study for seven periods every day.
(ham log har roz saat ghantii padhte hain।)
कल विज्ञान की घंटी नहीं होगी क्योंकि टीचर छुट्टी पर हैं।
There won't be a science period tomorrow because the teacher is on leave.
(kal vigyaan kii ghantii nahiin hogii kyonki tiichar chhuttii par hain।)
अगर आज छह घंटी न होतीं तो हम जल्दी घर चले जाते।
If there weren't six periods today, we would have gone home early.
(agar aaj chhah ghantii n hotiin to ham jaldii ghar chale jaate।)
तीसरी घंटी में इतिहास पढ़ाया जाता है।
History is taught in the third period.
(tiisrii ghantii men itihaas padhaayaa jaataa hai।)
अगली घंटी में मत सोना, वरना डाँट पड़ेगी।
Don't fall asleep in the next period, or you'll get scolded.
(aglii ghantii men mat sonaa, varnaa daant padegii।)
शायद आज पाँचवीं घंटी खाली हो।
Maybe the fifth period is free today.
(shaayad aaj paanchviin ghantii khaalii ho।)
दो घंटी लगातार बैठे रहने से सिर दर्द होने लगा।
Sitting through two periods continuously gave me a headache.
(do ghantii lagaataar baithe rahne se sir dard hone lagaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
घंटी
(ghantii)
(sg.f.oblique):
घंटी
(ghantii)
(pl.f.direct):
घंटियाँ
(ghantiyaan)
(pl.f.oblique):
घंटियों
(ghantiyon)