तरह (tarah)
noun/postposition
A single high-frequency noun meaning 'way, manner, kind' -- almost always seen inside the postposition-like phrase की तरह (kii tarah, 'like') or as तरह तरह का (tarah tarah kaa, 'of various kinds').
Sense
1
:
manner, way, style
noun, feminine
Synonyms: ढंग (dhang), तौर (taur), प्रकार (prakaar, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is one of those small words that shows up constantly once you start listening for it -- इस तरह (is tarah) and उस तरह (us tarah) are the everyday way to say 'like this' and 'like that' in casual explanation, much more common in speech than a formal 'in this manner.'
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to say 'in this way' with a preposition-like structure borrowed from English; the natural pattern is इस तरह (is tarah, 'in this way/thus') with तरह (tarah) taking the oblique demonstrative directly, no extra postposition needed. 2) तरीका (tariikaa) is a close cousin meaning 'method' -- तरह (tarah) leans toward 'sort/manner' while तरीका (tariikaa) leans toward 'technique,' and the two are not always interchangeable.
Sample Sentences:
इस तरह मत बोलो।
Don't talk like this.
(is tarah mat bolo।)
उसने इस तरह जवाब दिया कि सब हैरान रह गए।
He answered in such a way that everyone was left stunned.
(usne is tarah javaab diyaa ki sab hairaan rah gae।)
मुझे समझ नहीं आता कि वह इस तरह क्यों सोचती है।
I don't understand why she thinks this way.
(mujhe samajh nahiin aataa ki vah is tarah kyon sochtii hai।)
अगर तुम उस तरह बात करते तो शायद वह मान जाता।
If you had spoken that way, he might have agreed.
(agar tum us tarah baat karte to shaayad vah maan jaataa।)
काम इस तरह किया जाना चाहिए कि किसी को शिकायत न हो।
The work should be done in such a way that no one has a complaint.
(kaam is tarah kiyaa jaanaa chaahie ki kisii ko shikaayat n ho।)
वह हमेशा किसी न किसी तरह अपना काम निकाल लेता है।
He always manages to get his work done, one way or another.
(vah hameshaa kisii n kisii tarah apnaa kaam nikaal letaa hai।)
कृपया इस तरह की भाषा का प्रयोग न करें।
Please do not use this kind of language.
(kripyaa is tarah kii bhaashaa kaa prayog n karen।)
हो सकता है कि उसे किसी तरह मदद मिल जाए।
It's possible he might somehow get help.
(ho saktaa hai ki use kisii tarah madad mil jaae।)
बच्चे तरह-तरह के सवाल पूछ रहे थे।
The children were asking all sorts of questions.
(bachche tarah-tarah ke savaal poochh rahe the।)
जिस तरह से उसने कहानी सुनाई, वह अद्भुत थी।
The manner in which he narrated the story was wonderful.
(jis tarah se usne kahaanii sunaaii, vah adbhut thii।)
हर किसी की सोचने की अपनी तरह होती है।
Everyone has their own way of thinking.
(har kisii kii sochne kii apnii tarah hotii hai।)
Sense
2
:
like, similar to (in the phrase X की तरह)
postposition Functions as a compound postposition in the frame X की तरह (kii tarah, 'like X'), with X in the genitive/oblique: वह मेरी माँ की तरह है (vah merii maan kii tarah hai, 'she is like my mother').
Synonyms: जैसा (jaisaa), समान (samaan, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear की तरह (kii tarah) everywhere in comparisons, compliments, and scoldings alike -- तुम बच्चों की तरह मत करो (tum bachchon kii tarah mat karo, 'don't act like children') is a classic parental line. It pairs naturally with the noun sense above; the postposition use grew directly out of 'in the manner of X.'
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes drop की (kii) and just say X तरह, which sounds broken -- the genitive की (kii) is required before तरह (tarah) in this comparative use. 2) Confusing की तरह (kii tarah) with जैसा (jaisaa): both mean 'like,' but जैसा (jaisaa) agrees in gender/number with what follows while की तरह (kii tarah) stays invariant, so learners overuse one where the other fits the sentence rhythm better.
Sample Sentences:
वह अपने पिता की तरह दिखता है।
He looks like his father.
(vah apne pitaa kii tarah dikhtaa hai।)
तुम बच्चों की तरह मत करो।
Don't act like children.
(tum bachchon kii tarah mat karo।)
वह शेर की तरह लड़ा।
He fought like a lion.
(vah sher kii tarah ladaa।)
मौसम आज बर्फ की तरह ठंडा है।
The weather is as cold as ice today.
(mausam aaj barph kii tarah thandaa hai।)
काश तुम भी उसकी तरह मेहनती होते।
I wish you were hardworking like him too.
(kaash tum bhii uskii tarah mehantii hote।)
अगर वह मेरी तरह सोचता, तो कभी हार न मानता।
If he thought like me, he would never accept defeat.
(agar vah merii tarah sochtaa, to kabhii haar n maantaa।)
बच्चे को परिवार के सदस्य की तरह रखा जाना चाहिए।
The child should be treated like a member of the family.
(bachche ko parivaar ke sadasy kii tarah rakhaa jaanaa chaahie।)
इस मामले को भी पिछले मामले की तरह सुलझाया जाएगा।
This case will also be resolved like the previous one.
(is maamle ko bhii pichhle maamle kii tarah suljhaayaa jaaegaa।)
वह हीरो की तरह अंदर आया और सबको चौंका दिया।
He walked in like a hero and surprised everyone.
(vah hiiro kii tarah andar aayaa aur sabko chaunkaa diyaa।)
क्या तुम हमेशा अपने बड़े भाई की तरह बनना चाहते हो?
Do you always want to be like your elder brother?
(kyaa tum hameshaa apne bade bhaaii kii tarah bannaa chaahte ho?)
समय पानी की तरह बहता जा रहा है।
Time is flowing away like water.
(samay paanii kii tarah bahtaa jaa rahaa hai।)
प्रभु, हमें अपने बच्चों की तरह अपनाइए।
O Lord, accept us like your own children.
(prabhu, hamen apne bachchon kii tarah apnaaie।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
तरह
(tarah)
(sg.f.oblique):
तरह
(tarah)
(pl.f.direct):
तरहें
(tarahen)
(pl.f.oblique):
तरहों
(tarahon)