मेहरबानी (meharbaanii)
noun
A feminine noun meaning 'kindness' or 'favor,' most commonly encountered in the fixed polite request मेहरबानी करके (meharbaanii karke, 'please, by doing a kindness').
Sense
1
:
kindness, favor, graciousness
noun, feminine
Synonyms: कृपा (kripaa, formal), दया (dayaa), अनुग्रह (anugrah, literary)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear मेहरबानी करके (meharbaanii karke) used the way English speakers say 'please' or 'kindly' when asking a stranger for something, like getting a shopkeeper's attention or asking someone to move aside on a crowded bus. It carries a slightly more formal, old-world courtesy than the plain कृपया (kripyaa), and older Delhi speakers often reach for it instinctively.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use this only in the fixed phrase मेहरबानी करके (meharbaanii karke) and forget it also stands alone as an ordinary noun, as in उसकी मेहरबानी है (uskii meharbaanii hai, 'it is his kindness/favor'). 2) Do not confuse with मेहरबान (meharbaan), the adjective 'kind, gracious' -- मेहरबानी (meharbaanii) is the noun form.
Sample Sentences:
मेहरबानी करके यह दरवाज़ा बंद कर दीजिए।
Kindly close this door.
(meharbaanii karke yah darvaazaa band kar diijie।)
मेहरबानी करके थोड़ा साइड हो जाइए, मुझे उतरना है।
Please move aside a little, I need to get off.
(meharbaanii karke thodaa saaid ho jaaie, mujhe utarnaa hai।)
उसने बड़ी मेहरबानी से मेरी मदद की।
He helped me with great kindness.
(usne badii meharbaanii se merii madad kii।)
आपकी मेहरबानी है कि आपने इतनी दूर आकर मुझसे मुलाकात की।
It's your kindness that you came so far to meet me.
(aapkii meharbaanii hai ki aapne itnii door aakar mujhse mulaakaat kii।)
अगर आपकी मेहरबानी हो तो मुझे थोड़ा पानी दे दीजिए।
If you would be so kind, please give me a little water.
(agar aapkii meharbaanii ho to mujhe thodaa paanii de diijie।)
बुज़ुर्ग हमेशा दुकानदार से मेहरबानी करके बात करने को कहते थे।
Elders would always ask to speak to the shopkeeper 'kindly'.
(buzurg hameshaa dukaandaar se meharbaanii karke baat karne ko kahte the।)
यह सब आपकी मेहरबानी से ही संभव हुआ है।
All this has become possible only because of your kindness.
(yah sab aapkii meharbaanii se hii sambhav huaa hai।)
काश आप पर भी कोई ऐसी मेहरबानी करता जैसी आपने दूसरों पर की।
If only someone had shown you the same kindness you showed others.
(kaash aap par bhii koii aisii meharbaanii kartaa jaisii aapne doosron par kii।)
मेहरबानी करके अपना नाम और पता यहाँ लिख दें।
Kindly write your name and address here.
(meharbaanii karke apnaa naam aur pataa yahaan likh den।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
मेहरबानी
(meharbaanii)
(sg.f.oblique):
मेहरबानी
(meharbaanii)
(pl.f.direct):
मेहरबानियाँ
(meharbaaniyaan)
(pl.f.oblique):
मेहरबानियों
(meharbaaniyon)