पेच (pech)
noun
Primarily a concrete noun for a screw or bolt, with an extended figurative sense meaning a tricky twist, complication, or hidden catch in a situation.
Sense
1
:
a tricky twist, complication, or hidden catch
noun, masculine Commonly used in phrases like पेच फँसना (pech phansnaa, 'for a snag/hitch to arise') and पेच निकालना (pech nikaalnaa, 'to find a loophole or clever trick').
Synonyms: उलझन (uljhan), पेचीदगी (pechiidgii)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the word you'll hear in office or family discussions when someone says इसमें एक पेच है (ismen ek pech hai, 'there's a catch in this') -- it evokes the image of a screw that won't turn smoothly, extended to any plan that has an unexpected hitch.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use this only in the singular even when speaking of multiple complications in a plan; native speakers freely say कई पेच (kaii pech, 'several catches') to mean multiple hidden snags. 2) Don't confuse this figurative सेंस with पेचीदा (pechiidaa, the adjective 'complicated') -- पेच (pech) is the noun naming the snag itself.
Sample Sentences:
इस मामले में एक पेच है।
There's a catch in this matter.
(is maamle men ek pech hai।)
योजना अच्छी लग रही थी, पर उसमें एक पेच निकल आया।
The plan seemed good, but a complication came up in it.
(yojnaa achchhii lag rahii thii, par usmen ek pech nikal aayaa।)
समझौते का हर पेच ध्यान से पढ़ लो, वरना बाद में फँस जाओगे।
Read every twist and catch of the agreement carefully, or you'll get stuck later.
(samjhaute kaa har pech dhyaan se padh lo, varnaa baad men phans jaaoge।)
अगर इसमें कोई पेच न होता, तो सौदा कब का हो चुका होता।
If there had been no catch in this, the deal would have been done long ago.
(agar ismen koii pech n hotaa, to saudaa kab kaa ho chukaa hotaa।)
वकील साहब ने बताया कि इस अनुबंध में कई कानूनी पेच छिपे हुए हैं।
The lawyer explained that several legal complications are hidden in this contract.
(vakiil saahab ne bataayaa ki is anubandh men kaii kaanoonii pech chhipe hue hain।)
क्या तुम्हें लगता है कि इस प्रस्ताव में कोई पेच हो सकता है?
Do you think there might be some catch in this proposal?
(kyaa tumhen lagtaa hai ki is prastaav men koii pech ho saktaa hai?)
हर बार जब हम कोई नई स्कीम बनाते हैं, कोई न कोई पेच निकल आता है।
Every time we make a new scheme, some catch or the other turns up.
(har baar jab ham koii naii skiim banaate hain, koii n koii pech nikal aataa hai।)
उस पुराने कानून का पेच अभी तक सुलझाया नहीं जा सका है।
The complication in that old law still hasn't been resolved.
(us puraane kaanoon kaa pech abhii tak suljhaayaa nahiin jaa sakaa hai।)
बात इतनी सीधी नहीं है जितनी दिख रही है, इसमें ज़रूर कोई पेच है।
The matter isn't as simple as it looks, there's definitely some catch in it.
(baat itnii siidhii nahiin hai jitnii dikh rahii hai, ismen zaroor koii pech hai।)
काश इस डील का पेच पहले ही समझ में आ जाता।
If only the catch in this deal had become clear earlier.
(kaash is diil kaa pech pahle hii samajh men aa jaataa।)
Sense
2
:
screw (the hardware fastener)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: स्क्रू (skroo)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this word at any hardware shop (हार्डवेयर की दुकान, haardveyar kii dukaan) in Delhi when asking for screws to fix furniture or fittings -- the word पेचकस (pechkas, 'screwdriver') is built directly from this noun plus a tool-suffix.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse पेच (pech) with कील (kiil, nail), but a पेच (pech) has threads and is turned in with a screwdriver (पेचकस, pechkas), while a कील (kiil) is hammered in straight.
Sample Sentences:
इस अलमारी में एक पेच ढीला है।
One screw is loose in this cupboard.
(is almaarii men ek pech dhiilaa hai।)
दुकानदार ने मुझे चार पेच और एक पेचकस दिया।
The shopkeeper gave me four screws and a screwdriver.
(dukaandaar ne mujhe chaar pech aur ek pechkas diyaa।)
ज़रा वह पेच कसकर देना।
Please tighten that screw for me.
(zaraa vah pech kaskar denaa।)
यह पेच लकड़ी में ठीक से नहीं घुस रहा है।
This screw isn't going into the wood properly.
(yah pech lakdii men thiik se nahiin ghus rahaa hai।)
अगर पेच थोड़ा बड़ा होता तो टेबल हिलती नहीं।
If the screw had been a bit bigger, the table wouldn't wobble.
(agar pech thodaa badaa hotaa to tebal hiltii nahiin।)
हो सकता है कि दरवाज़े का पेच निकल गया हो।
It's possible that the door's screw has come out.
(ho saktaa hai ki darvaaze kaa pech nikal gayaa ho।)
हार्डवेयर की दुकान से जंग-रोधी पेच लाना, क्योंकि ये बालकनी में लगेंगे।
Bring rust-resistant screws from the hardware shop, since these will be fitted on the balcony.
(haardveyar kii dukaan se jang-rodhii pech laanaa, kyonki ye baalaknii men lagenge।)
पेच को पेचकस से पूरी तरह कस दिया गया था।
The screw had been fully tightened with the screwdriver.
(pech ko pechkas se poorii tarah kas diyaa gayaa thaa।)
मैं हर हफ़्ते खिड़कियों के पेच जाँचता हूँ, कहीं ढीले तो नहीं हो गए।
I check the screws on the windows every week, in case they've become loose.
(main har hafte khidkiyon ke pech jaanchtaa hoon, kahiin dhiile to nahiin ho gae।)
Sense
3
:
a wrestling or kite-flying maneuver/trick
noun, masculine Seen especially in the fixed phrase पेच लड़ाना (pech ladaanaa, 'to lock kite-strings/wrestle skillfully' -- used for both kite-flying duels and wrestling bouts).
Synonyms: दाँव (daanv, wrestling move)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: During Basant/kite season you'll hear kite-flyers shout पेच लड़ाना (pech ladaanaa) as they try to cut a rival's kite string with a clever maneuver -- the same phrase carries over into kushti (wrestling, kushtii) commentary for a skillful hold or move.
Sample Sentences:
पतंगबाज़ आसमान में एक-दूसरे से पेच लड़ा रहे हैं।
The kite-flyers are locked in a maneuver against each other in the sky.
(patangbaaz aasmaan men ek-doosre se pech ladaa rahe hain।)
उस पहलवान ने ऐसा पेच लगाया कि सामने वाला चित हो गया।
That wrestler applied such a move that his opponent was pinned flat.
(us pahalvaan ne aisaa pech lagaayaa ki saamne vaalaa chit ho gayaa।)
बसंत पंचमी पर छत पर चढ़कर पेच लड़ाना हर बच्चे का सपना होता है।
Climbing onto the roof on Basant Panchami and dueling kites is every child's dream.
(basant panchmii par chhat par chadhkar pech ladaanaa har bachche kaa sapnaa hotaa hai।)
गुरुजी ने अपने चेले को एक नया पेच सिखाया।
The guru taught his disciple a new wrestling move.
(gurujii ne apne chele ko ek nayaa pech sikhaayaa।)
अगर वह वह पेच समय पर लगा देता तो मुकाबला जीत जाता।
If he had applied that move in time, he would have won the bout.
(agar vah vah pech samay par lagaa detaa to mukaablaa jiit jaataa।)
पेच लड़ाते वक्त डोर को हल्का ढीला छोड़ो।
While dueling kites, leave the string a little slack.
(pech ladaate vakt dor ko halkaa dhiilaa chhodo।)
कुश्ती के इस अखाड़े में हर पहलवान का अपना खास पेच होता है।
In this wrestling arena, every wrestler has his own signature move.
(kushtii ke is akhaade men har pahalvaan kaa apnaa khaas pech hotaa hai।)
शायद इस बार वह अपना पुराना पेच फिर से आज़माए।
Perhaps this time he will try his old move again.
(shaayad is baar vah apnaa puraanaa pech phir se aazmaae।)
उस्ताद के इशारे पर पहलवान ने फौरन पेच बदल दिया।
At the coach's signal, the wrestler instantly switched his move.
(ustaad ke ishaare par pahalvaan ne phauran pech badal diyaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
पेच
(pech)
(sg.m.oblique):
पेच
(pech)
(pl.m.direct):
पेच
(pech)
(pl.m.oblique):
पेचों
(pechon)