तकिया (takiyaa)
noun
Primarily the everyday word for 'pillow'; also has a lesser but real use meaning a small shrine or resting place of a Sufi saint (as in the place name तकिया).
Sense
1
:
pillow, cushion
noun, masculine
Synonyms: गद्दी (gaddii, cushion, meaning overlap only), मसनद (masnad, literary, bolster/cushion)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: A staple word from daily domestic life -- you will hear it constantly in the phrase तकिया लगाकर बैठना (takiyaa lagaakar baithnaa, 'to sit propped up against a pillow'), a very common way of relaxing on a diwan or bed in North Indian homes.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse तकिया (takiyaa) with गद्दा (gaddaa), which is the mattress, not the pillow -- the two are separate items on a Hindi bed. 2) तकिया (takiyaa) is masculine, so possessive agreement is मेरा तकिया (meraa takiyaa, 'my pillow'), not मेरी तकिया (merii takiyaa).
Sample Sentences:
मुझे सोने के लिए एक नरम तकिया चाहिए।
I need a soft pillow to sleep.
(mujhe sone ke lie ek naram takiyaa chaahie।)
दादी दीवान पर तकिया लगाकर बैठी थीं।
Grandma was sitting propped up against a pillow on the diwan.
(daadii diivaan par takiyaa lagaakar baithii thiin।)
कृपया मेरे लिए एक और तकिया ला दीजिए।
Please bring me another pillow.
(kripyaa mere lie ek aur takiyaa laa diijie।)
बच्चा तकिया गले से लगाकर सो रहा है।
The child is sleeping with the pillow hugged close.
(bachchaa takiyaa gale se lagaakar so rahaa hai।)
अगर तकिया इतना सख्त न होता तो मुझे नींद आ जाती।
If the pillow weren't so hard, I would have fallen asleep.
(agar takiyaa itnaa sakht n hotaa to mujhe niind aa jaatii।)
हर शाम वह तकिया लगाकर बैठता है और अखबार पढ़ता है।
Every evening he sits propped against a pillow and reads the newspaper.
(har shaam vah takiyaa lagaakar baithtaa hai aur akhbaar padhtaa hai।)
तकिये का कवर धूप में सुखाया गया।
The pillow cover was dried in the sun.
(takiye kaa kavar dhoop men sukhaayaa gayaa।)
शायद उसने तकिया सोफे पर रख दिया हो।
Maybe he has put the pillow on the sofa.
(shaayad usne takiyaa sophe par rakh diyaa ho।)
मैं चाहता हूँ कि तुम तकिया थोड़ा ऊँचा रखो।
I want you to keep the pillow a bit higher.
(main chaahtaa hoon ki tum takiyaa thodaa oonchaa rakho।)
मरीज़ को दो तकियों के सहारे बैठाया गया।
The patient was seated propped up with the support of two pillows.
(mariiz ko do takiyon ke sahaare baithaayaa gayaa।)
वह हमेशा तकिया लगाकर बैठकर ही किताब पढ़ती है।
She always reads books only while sitting propped against a pillow.
(vah hameshaa takiyaa lagaakar baithkar hii kitaab padhtii hai।)
Sense
2
:
a habitual prop, crutch, mainstay (figurative, mainly in the idiom तकिया कलाम)
noun, masculine Almost exclusively encountered in the fixed compound तकिया कलाम (takiyaa kalaam), meaning a person's verbal tic or pet phrase -- literally 'pillow of speech,' something one leans on while talking.
Synonyms: सहारा (sahaaraa, support, broader meaning)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This figurative sense survives mainly in the one compound तकिया कलाम (takiyaa kalaam) -- Hindi speakers love pointing out a friend's तकिया कलाम (takiyaa kalaam) as a bit of gentle teasing.
Common Mistakes: 1) तकिया कलाम (takiyaa kalaam) is a fixed noun phrase and should not be split or reordered -- it refers to a filler phrase someone overuses, like 'you know' or 'basically' in English.
Sample Sentences:
हर किसी का एक तकिया कलाम होता है।
Everyone has a pet phrase they keep repeating.
(har kisii kaa ek takiyaa kalaam hotaa hai।)
उसका तकिया कलाम है, "क्या बात है!"
His pet phrase is, "What a thing!"
(uskaa takiyaa kalaam hai, "kyaa baat hai!")
मेरे दादाजी का तकिया कलाम था, "सब्र का फल मीठा होता है।"
My grandfather's favorite saying was, "The fruit of patience is sweet."
(mere daadaajii kaa takiyaa kalaam thaa, "sabr kaa phal miithaa hotaa hai।")
दोस्त उसका तकिया कलाम सुनकर हमेशा हँस पड़ते हैं।
Friends always burst out laughing on hearing his pet phrase.
(dost uskaa takiyaa kalaam sunkar hameshaa hans padte hain।)
क्या तुम्हारा भी कोई तकिया कलाम है?
Do you also have some pet phrase of yours?
(kyaa tumhaaraa bhii koii takiyaa kalaam hai?)
उसे अपने तकिया कलाम का पता ही नहीं चलता, दूसरे उसकी नकल करते रहते हैं।
He doesn't even realize his own pet phrase, while others keep imitating it.
(use apne takiyaa kalaam kaa pataa hii nahiin chaltaa, doosre uskii nakal karte rahte hain।)
यह मुहावरा उसका इतना पुराना तकिया कलाम बन गया है कि लोग उसे उसी नाम से याद करते हैं।
This phrase has become such an old pet expression of his that people remember him by it.
(yah muhaavraa uskaa itnaa puraanaa takiyaa kalaam ban gayaa hai ki log use usii naam se yaad karte hain।)
काश उसका तकिया कलाम कोई और होता, यह सुनकर कान पक जाते हैं।
If only his pet phrase were something else -- one's ears grow tired of hearing it.
(kaash uskaa takiyaa kalaam koii aur hotaa, yah sunkar kaan pak jaate hain।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
तकिया
(takiyaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
तकिये
(takiye)
(pl.m.direct):
तकिये
(takiye)
(pl.m.oblique):
तकियों
(takiyon)