बकरी (bakrii)

noun Means 'goat' (female goat, or the animal generically in everyday speech); बकरी (bakrii) also appears in a couple of common idioms about meekness.

Sense 1 : goat (the animal)

noun, feminine

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: Goats are a common sight tied up outside homes or grazing on roadside patches in both villages and city neighborhoods across North India, so बकरी (bakrii) is a word children learn very early, often in nursery rhymes and animal-sound games (बकरी क्या बोलती है? -- bakrii kyaa boltii hai?, 'what sound does the goat make?').

Common Mistakes: 1) बकरी (bakrii) is grammatically feminine and is used for the animal in general in casual speech, even when the specific animal's sex is not being emphasized; बकरा (bakraa) specifically means 'male goat' (and is the word used for goat meat/sacrifice contexts), so swapping them changes the meaning, not just the gender.

Sample Sentences:

बकरी घास खा रही है। The goat is eating grass.

(bakrii ghaas khaa rahii hai।)

बकरी क्या बोलती है? What sound does the goat make?

(bakrii kyaa boltii hai?)

हमारे घर के बाहर एक बकरी बंधी है। A goat is tied up outside our house.

(hamaare ghar ke baahar ek bakrii bandhii hai।)

गाँव में हर घर में एक बकरी पाली जाती है। In the village, a goat is kept in every household.

(gaanv men har ghar men ek bakrii paalii jaatii hai।)

कल शाम को बकरी सड़क किनारे घास चर रही थी। Yesterday evening, the goat was grazing on grass by the roadside.

(kal shaam ko bakrii sadak kinaare ghaas char rahii thii।)

बकरी को रस्सी से बाँध दो, वरना वह भाग जाएगी। Tie the goat with a rope, otherwise it will run away.

(bakrii ko rassii se baandh do, varnaa vah bhaag jaaegii।)

अगर बकरी खुली रहती तो अब तक खेत में घुस गई होती। If the goat had been left loose, it would have entered the field by now.

(agar bakrii khulii rahtii to ab tak khet men ghus gaii hotii।)

उसने बकरी का दूध पीने के लिए उबाला। She boiled the goat's milk to drink it.

(usne bakrii kaa doodh piine ke lie ubaalaa।)

त्योहार के लिए बकरी की कुर्बानी दी जाती है। The goat is sacrificed for the festival.

(tyohaar ke lie bakrii kii kurbaanii dii jaatii hai।)

शायद वह बकरी खरीदने बाज़ार गया हो। Perhaps he has gone to the market to buy a goat.

(shaayad vah bakrii khariidne baazaar gayaa ho।)

बकरी पेड़ के नीचे बैठी है। The goat is sitting under the tree.

(bakrii ped ke niiche baithii hai।)

Sense 2 : meek, timid person (figurative)

noun, feminine Used predicatively or as a comparison, often in the set phrase बकरी जैसा (bakrii jaisaa, 'like a goat/sheep' -- meek).

Frequency: low

Cultural Note: Calling someone बकरी (bakrii) or saying वह तो बकरी है (vah to bakrii hai, 'he/she is such a pushover') paints them as someone who never argues back or gets bullied around -- a mildly teasing, affectionate jab rather than a harsh insult.

Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense leans on the goat's image as a docile, easily-led animal, similar to how English uses 'sheep' rather than 'goat' for meekness -- so a direct word-for-word translation from English idioms about sheep will not land the same way.

Sample Sentences:

वह तो बकरी है, कभी किसी से नहीं लड़ता। He's such a pushover, he never fights with anyone.

(vah to bakrii hai, kabhii kisii se nahiin ladtaa।)

इतनी बकरी मत बनो, अपनी बात रखो। Don't be such a pushover, speak up for yourself.

(itnii bakrii mat bano, apnii baat rakho।)

दफ्तर में वह बकरी बना रहता है, बॉस जो कहे मान लेता है। He stays a pushover at the office, agreeing to whatever the boss says.

(daphtar men vah bakrii banaa rahtaa hai, bos jo kahe maan letaa hai।)

अगर तुम बकरी बने रहे, तो लोग तुम्हारा फायदा उठाते रहेंगे। If you keep being a pushover, people will keep taking advantage of you.

(agar tum bakrii bane rahe, to log tumhaaraa phaaydaa uthaate rahenge।)

पहले तो वह बकरी जैसा था, पर अब जवाब देना सीख गया है। He used to be such a meek pushover before, but now he's learned to answer back.

(pahle to vah bakrii jaisaa thaa, par ab javaab denaa siikh gayaa hai।)

काश वह बकरी न होता, कभी तो अपने हक के लिए बोलता। I wish he weren't such a pushover, if only he'd speak up for his rights sometimes.

(kaash vah bakrii n hotaa, kabhii to apne hak ke lie boltaa।)

क्या तू बकरी है कि हर कोई तुझसे मन-मुताबिक काम करा लेता है? Are you such a pushover that everyone gets you to do whatever they want?

(kyaa too bakrii hai ki har koii tujhse man-mutaabik kaam karaa letaa hai?)

मीटिंग में वह बकरी बनकर बैठा रहा, किसी बात का विरोध नहीं किया। He just sat there like a pushover in the meeting, not objecting to anything.

(miiting men vah bakrii bankar baithaa rahaa, kisii baat kaa virodh nahiin kiyaa।)

यार, तू तो बकरी निकला, भाई ने डाँटा और तू चुप हो गया। Dude, you turned out to be such a pushover -- your brother scolded you and you just went quiet.

(yaar, too to bakrii niklaa, bhaaii ne daantaa aur too chup ho gayaa।)

Morphology

Noun

(sg.f.direct): बकरी (bakrii)

(sg.f.oblique): बकरी (bakrii)

(pl.f.direct): बकरियाँ (bakriyaan)

(pl.f.oblique): बकरियों (bakriyon)