दर (dar)
noun
A common noun meaning 'rate' -- used for prices, interest, speed, and similar measures. It also survives as a bound element in the fixed phrase दर-दर (dar-dar), where it means 'door', but that is a separate, much rarer usage.
Sense
1
:
rate, price ratio
noun, feminine
Synonyms: भाव (bhaav), मूल्य (mooly, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will meet this word constantly in the news and in banks: ब्याज दर (byaaj dar, 'interest rate'), विकास दर (vikaas dar, 'growth rate'), विनिमय दर (vinimay dar, 'exchange rate'). It has a formal, almost bureaucratic flavor compared to the market-stall word भाव (bhaav) you would use haggling for vegetables.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse दर (dar) with दाम (daam) or भाव (bhaav); दर (dar) is used specifically for a fixed, often official or calculated ratio (interest rate, exchange rate, growth rate), while दाम (daam)/भाव (bhaav) refer to the everyday selling price of goods.
Sample Sentences:
रिज़र्व बैंक ने ब्याज दर बढ़ा दी है।
The Reserve Bank has increased the interest rate.
(rizarv baink ne byaaj dar badhaa dii hai।)
पिछले साल देश की विकास दर सात प्रतिशत थी।
Last year the country's growth rate was seven percent.
(pichhle saal desh kii vikaas dar saat pratishat thii।)
डॉलर की विनिमय दर हर दिन बदलती रहती है।
The exchange rate of the dollar keeps changing every day.
(dolar kii vinimay dar har din badaltii rahtii hai।)
अगर महंगाई दर कम हो जाए, तो जनता को राहत मिलेगी।
If the inflation rate were to come down, the public would get some relief.
(agar mahangaaii dar kam ho jaae, to jantaa ko raahat milegii।)
बैंक द्वारा नई दर की घोषणा कल की जाएगी।
The new rate will be announced by the bank tomorrow.
(baink dvaaraa naii dar kii ghoshnaa kal kii jaaegii।)
यदि दरें इतनी ऊँची न होतीं, तो लोग ज़्यादा कर्ज़ लेते।
If rates were not so high, people would take out more loans.
(yadi daren itnii oonchii n hotiin, to log zyaadaa karz lete।)
कृपया इस योजना की ब्याज दर की जानकारी दें।
Please give me information about this scheme's interest rate.
(kripyaa is yojnaa kii byaaj dar kii jaankaarii den।)
बेरोज़गारी दर पिछले तीन महीनों से लगातार बढ़ रही है।
The unemployment rate has been continuously rising for the last three months.
(berozgaarii dar pichhle tiin mahiinon se lagaataar badh rahii hai।)
क्या आपको पता है कि इस समय होम लोन की दर क्या है?
Do you know what the home loan rate is right now?
(kyaa aapko pataa hai ki is samay hom lon kii dar kyaa hai?)
साक्षरता दर बढ़ाने के लिए सरकार ने कई कदम उठाए हैं।
The government has taken several steps to increase the literacy rate.
(saakshartaa dar badhaane ke lie sarkaar ne kaii kadam uthaae hain।)
मुझे संदेह है कि अगली तिमाही में विकास दर सुधरे।
I doubt that the growth rate will improve in the next quarter.
(mujhe sandeh hai ki aglii timaahii men vikaas dar sudhre।)
Sense
2
:
door, threshold (in the fixed expression दर-दर)
noun, feminine Almost always seen in the doubled idiom दर-दर (dar-dar, 'door to door'), as in दर-दर भटकना (dar-dar bhataknaa, 'to wander from door to door, to be reduced to begging/searching desperately'). It is not used as a freestanding word for 'door' in ordinary speech.
Synonyms: दरवाज़ा (darvaazaa, everyday word for 'door')
Frequency: literary
Cultural Note: दर-दर भटकना (dar-dar bhataknaa, 'to wander from door to door') paints a vivid image of someone going house to house in desperation, whether looking for work, justice, or shelter. It carries real pathos and shows up often in film dialogue and poetry about hardship.
Common Mistakes: 1) Do not use दर (dar) alone to mean 'door' in a normal sentence like 'close the door' -- that is always दरवाज़ा (darvaazaa). This sense of दर (dar) survives only inside the fixed phrase दर-दर (dar-dar) and similar idioms.
Sample Sentences:
गरीब आदमी इंसाफ के लिए दर-दर भटकता रहा।
The poor man kept wandering from door to door for justice.
(gariib aadmii insaaph ke lie dar-dar bhataktaa rahaa।)
काम की तलाश में वह दर-दर की खाक छानता है।
In search of work, he wanders from door to door in vain.
(kaam kii talaash men vah dar-dar kii khaak chhaantaa hai।)
एक बूँद पानी के लिए वे दर-दर भटके।
They wandered from door to door for a single drop of water.
(ek boond paanii ke lie ve dar-dar bhatke।)
अगर उसकी मदद न होती, तो मैं आज दर-दर भटक रहा होता।
If not for his help, I would be wandering from door to door today.
(agar uskii madad n hotii, to main aaj dar-dar bhatak rahaa hotaa।)
इस शहर में दर-दर मत भटको, यहाँ किसी को किसी की परवाह नहीं।
Don't wander from door to door in this city, nobody here cares about anyone.
(is shahar men dar-dar mat bhatko, yahaan kisii ko kisii kii parvaah nahiin।)
शायद किस्मत ही उसे दर-दर भटकाती रहे।
Perhaps fate itself will keep making him wander from door to door.
(shaayad kismat hii use dar-dar bhatkaatii rahe।)
उसकी कहानी दर-दर भटकते एक शरणार्थी की कहानी है।
His story is the story of a refugee wandering from door to door.
(uskii kahaanii dar-dar bhatakte ek sharnaarthii kii kahaanii hai।)
बँटवारे के बाद लाखों लोग दर-दर भटकने पर मजबूर हुए।
After the Partition, millions of people were forced to wander from door to door.
(bantvaare ke baad laakhon log dar-dar bhatakne par majboor hue।)
कवि ने अपनी नज़्म में एक विधवा के दर-दर भटकने का दर्द बयान किया।
In his poem, the poet expressed the pain of a widow wandering from door to door.
(kavi ne apnii nazm men ek vidhvaa ke dar-dar bhatakne kaa dard bayaan kiyaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
दर
(dar)
(sg.f.oblique):
दर
(dar)
(pl.f.direct):
दरें
(daren)
(pl.f.oblique):
दरों
(daron)