रुपया (rupyaa)
noun
The name of India's currency unit, the rupee; also used loosely and figuratively to mean 'money' in general, the way English speakers say 'cash' or 'bucks'.
Sense
1
:
the rupee (currency unit)
noun, masculine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear रुपया (rupyaa) constantly in markets and taxis -- bargaining almost always happens in rupees, paise (paisaa) being so small now that it barely enters spoken transactions. The word itself comes from Sanskrit रूप्य (roopy, 'wrought silver'), a nice bit of history behind a coin that hasn't been silver for a long time.
Common Mistakes: 1) The plural for counting is रुपये (rupye) not रुपया (rupyaa) -- 'do sau rupaye' (do sau rupye, 'two hundred rupees'), never 'रुपया' after a number greater than one. 2) In casual speech the sum is often quoted with no explicit word for 'rupees' at all when the context is obvious, e.g. just a number, which can throw learners expecting the noun every time.
Sample Sentences:
एक किलो प्याज़ कितने रुपये का है?
How many rupees is one kilo of onions?
(ek kilo pyaaz kitne rupye kaa hai?)
मेरे पास सिर्फ़ पचास रुपये बचे हैं।
I only have fifty rupees left.
(mere paas sirf pachaas rupye bache hain।)
ऑटो वाले ने सौ रुपये माँगे।
The auto driver asked for a hundred rupees.
(oto vaale ne sau rupye maange।)
अगर तुम बीस रुपये कम करते तो मैं ले लेता।
If you had lowered it by twenty rupees, I would have taken it.
(agar tum biis rupye kam karte to main le letaa।)
कृपया पूरे रुपये में भुगतान करें, पैसे में नहीं।
Please pay in whole rupees, not in paise.
(kripyaa poore rupye men bhugtaan karen, paise men nahiin।)
डॉलर के मुक़ाबले रुपया कमज़ोर हो रहा है।
The rupee is weakening against the dollar.
(dolar ke muqaable rupyaa kamzor ho rahaa hai।)
यह घड़ी दो हज़ार रुपये में बिकती है।
This watch sells for two thousand rupees.
(yah ghadii do hazaar rupye men biktii hai।)
शायद टिकट के तीस रुपये लगें।
The ticket might cost thirty rupees.
(shaayad tikat ke tiis rupye lagen।)
रुपये की चमक कभी असली चाँदी से आती थी, अब सिर्फ़ काग़ज़ से आती है।
The rupee's shine once came from real silver; now it comes only from paper.
(rupye kii chamak kabhii aslii chaandii se aatii thii, ab sirf kaaghaz se aatii hai।)
अगले महीने से किराया पाँच सौ रुपये बढ़ जाएगा।
Starting next month, the rent will go up by five hundred rupees.
(agle mahiine se kiraayaa paanch sau rupye badh jaaegaa।)
सब्ज़ी वाले से दस रुपये कम करा लो, वह मान जाएगा।
Get the vegetable seller to knock off ten rupees, he'll agree.
(sabzii vaale se das rupye kam karaa lo, vah maan jaaegaa।)
Sense
2
:
money, cash (in general)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: पैसा (paisaa), धन (dhan, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Just as English speakers say 'I don't have the cash for that' without meaning literal paper bills, Hindi speakers say मेरे पास रुपया नहीं है (mere paas rupyaa nahiin hai, 'I don't have the money') to mean funds in general, not a specific rupee note.
Common Mistakes: 1) Used generically, रुपया (rupyaa) overlaps heavily with पैसा (paisaa) -- both can mean 'money' broadly, and learners often assume one is 'wrong,' but in everyday speech people swap them freely for this general sense.
Sample Sentences:
मेरे पास इस वक्त रुपया नहीं है।
I don't have any money right now.
(mere paas is vakt rupyaa nahiin hai।)
उसके पास इतना रुपया है कि वह कुछ भी खरीद सकता है।
He has so much money that he can buy anything.
(uske paas itnaa rupyaa hai ki vah kuchh bhii khariid saktaa hai।)
पिताजी हर महीने घर के लिए रुपया भेजते हैं।
Father sends money home every month.
(pitaajii har mahiine ghar ke lie rupyaa bhejte hain।)
अगर मेरे पास रुपया होता, तो मैं तुम्हारी मदद कर देता।
If I had the money, I would have helped you.
(agar mere paas rupyaa hotaa, to main tumhaarii madad kar detaa।)
रुपया कमाने के लिए उसने दिन-रात मेहनत की।
He worked hard day and night to earn money.
(rupyaa kamaane ke lie usne din-raat mehnat kii।)
कृपया मुझे थोड़ा रुपया उधार दे दीजिए।
Please lend me a little money.
(kripyaa mujhe thodaa rupyaa udhaar de diijie।)
बैंक में सारा रुपया सुरक्षित रखा जाता है।
All the money is kept safe in the bank.
(baink men saaraa rupyaa surakshit rakhaa jaataa hai।)
क्या तुम्हारे पास इतना रुपया है कि हम यह गाड़ी खरीद सकें?
Do you have enough money for us to be able to buy this car?
(kyaa tumhaare paas itnaa rupyaa hai ki ham yah gaadii khariid saken?)
उसने अपना सारा रुपया शेयर बाज़ार में डुबो दिया।
He sank all his money in the stock market.
(usne apnaa saaraa rupyaa sheyar baazaar men dubo diyaa।)
रुपया ही सब कुछ नहीं होता, समय भी कीमती है।
Money isn't everything; time is precious too.
(rupyaa hii sab kuchh nahiin hotaa, samay bhii kiimtii hai।)
जब तक हमारे पास रुपया रहेगा, हम आराम से रहेंगे।
As long as we have money, we will live comfortably.
(jab tak hamaare paas rupyaa rahegaa, ham aaraam se rahenge।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
रुपया
(rupyaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
रुपये
(rupye)
(pl.m.direct):
रुपये
(rupye)
(pl.m.oblique):
रुपयों
(rupyon)