नमक (namak)
noun
A common kitchen and table noun meaning 'salt', with a well-known figurative extension (loyalty/gratitude owed for sustenance) that lives mainly in idioms.
Sense
1
:
salt (the mineral/seasoning)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: लवण (lavan, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In an Indian kitchen, नमक (namak) is the taste-test word above all others -- 'नमक ठीक है?' (namak thiik hai?, 'Is the salt right?') is practically a ritual line while cooking is being tasted. It is grammatically masculine, so you will hear 'नमक कम है' (namak kam hai, 'the salt is less/not enough'), never a feminine agreement.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try को-marking with चाहिए-type constructions (e.g. 'मुझे नमक चाहिए' (mujhe namak chaahie, 'I need salt')) but forget that नमक (namak) itself stays unmarked as the thing needed, not the needer. 2) थोड़ा सा नमक (thodaa saa namak, 'a little salt') is the natural way to say 'a bit of salt' -- learners often over-translate 'some' as कुछ (kuchh), which sounds off with नमक (namak).
Sample Sentences:
सब्ज़ी में नमक कम है।
There isn't enough salt in the vegetable dish.
(sabzii men namak kam hai।)
ज़रा चखकर बताओ, नमक ठीक है?
Just taste it and tell me, is the salt right?
(zaraa chakhkar bataao, namak thiik hai?)
माँ हमेशा दाल में नमक बाद में डालती हैं।
Mom always adds the salt to the lentils later.
(maan hameshaa daal men namak baad men daaltii hain।)
मैंने गलती से नमक ज़्यादा डाल दिया।
I accidentally put in too much salt.
(mainne galtii se namak zyaadaa daal diyaa।)
अगर नमक थोड़ा और होता तो सब्ज़ी और स्वादिष्ट लगती।
If there had been a bit more salt, the vegetable dish would have tasted even better.
(agar namak thodaa aur hotaa to sabzii aur svaadisht lagtii।)
डॉक्टर ने कहा है कि नमक कम खाया जाए।
The doctor has said that salt should be eaten in less quantity.
(doktar ne kahaa hai ki namak kam khaayaa jaae।)
पराठे के आटे में एक चुटकी नमक भी डालेंगे।
We'll also add a pinch of salt to the paratha dough.
(paraathe ke aate men ek chutkii namak bhii daalenge।)
नमक इतना ज़रूरी है कि उसके बिना कोई भी खाना अच्छा नहीं लगता।
Salt is so essential that no food tastes good without it.
(namak itnaa zaroorii hai ki uske binaa koii bhii khaanaa achchhaa nahiin lagtaa।)
पुराने ज़माने में नमक व्यापार के लिए दूर-दूर से लोग आते थे।
In olden times, people used to come from far and wide for the salt trade.
(puraane zamaane men namak vyaapaar ke lie door-door se log aate the।)
इतना नमक मत डालो, बच्चों के लिए तीखा हो जाएगा।
Don't put in so much salt, it'll become too strong for the kids.
(itnaa namak mat daalo, bachchon ke lie tiikhaa ho jaaegaa।)
जब तक नमक न मिले, यह घोल असर नहीं करेगा।
Until salt is mixed in, this solution won't work.
(jab tak namak n mile, yah ghol asar nahiin karegaa।)
Sense
2
:
loyalty/debt owed for sustenance received (figurative)
noun, masculine Occurs almost exclusively inside fixed idiomatic phrases rather than as a freestanding noun with this meaning.
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This sense reflects an old feudal-era idea: eating someone's नमक (namak) -- i.e., being fed or employed by them -- created a moral debt of loyalty. You still hear नमक हराम (namak haraam) hurled as a serious insult at someone seen as a traitor to their boss, family, or benefactor, and नमक हलाल (namak halaal) praising a devoted employee or servant.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense cannot be used outside its set idioms -- you cannot say a plain sentence like 'उसका नमक अच्छा है' to mean 'he is loyal'; the meaning only surfaces in fixed phrases like नमक हराम (namak haraam, 'ungrateful/disloyal [to one who fed/employed you]') and नमक हलाल (namak halaal, 'loyal/faithful [to one's employer/benefactor]').
Sample Sentences:
वह सालों से इस घर का नमक खा रहा है, फिर भी मालिक के खिलाफ साज़िश कर रहा है।
He has been eating this household's salt for years, and yet he is conspiring against the master.
(vah saalon se is ghar kaa namak khaa rahaa hai, phir bhii maalik ke khilaaph saazish kar rahaa hai।)
इतने सालों की नौकरी के बाद कंपनी को धोखा देना तो नमक हराम होना है।
Betraying the company after so many years of service is nothing but being a traitor to the salt one has eaten.
(itne saalon kii naukrii ke baad kampnii ko dhokhaa denaa to namak haraam honaa hai।)
मुंशी जी ने ज़मींदार का नमक हलाल करते हुए अपनी पूरी ज़िंदगी उनकी सेवा में लगा दी।
True to the salt he had eaten, the clerk devoted his entire life to serving the landlord.
(munshii jii ne zamiindaar kaa namak halaal karte hue apnii poorii zindgii unkii sevaa men lagaa dii।)
अगर तुम सच में उनका नमक मानते तो ऐसे बुरे वक्त में उन्हें कभी अकेला न छोड़ते।
If you truly honored the debt of his salt, you would never have left him alone in such hard times.
(agar tum sach men unkaa namak maante to aise bure vakt men unhen kabhii akelaa n chhodte।)
गद्दार! तुम उसी थाली में छेद कर रहे हो जिसका नमक खाया है।
Traitor! You're making a hole in the very plate whose salt you have eaten.
(gaddaar! tum usii thaalii men chhed kar rahe ho jiskaa namak khaayaa hai।)
नौकर से इतनी वफ़ादारी की उम्मीद मत करो, आख़िर उसने हमारा नमक नहीं खाया।
Don't expect that much loyalty from the servant -- after all, he hasn't eaten our salt.
(naukar se itnii vafaadaarii kii ummiid mat karo, aakhir usne hamaaraa namak nahiin khaayaa।)
कहा जाता है कि जिस थाली का नमक खाओ, उसी में छेद मत करो।
It is said that you should not make a hole in the very plate whose salt you have eaten.
(kahaa jaataa hai ki jis thaalii kaa namak khaao, usii men chhed mat karo।)
सिपाही ने राजा का नमक हलाल करते हुए अपनी जान तक दे दी।
Honoring the debt of the king's salt, the soldier even gave up his life.
(sipaahii ne raajaa kaa namak halaal karte hue apnii jaan tak de dii।)
क्या तुझे शर्म नहीं आती, जिसका नमक खाया उसी की पीठ में छुरा घोंप दिया?
Aren't you ashamed -- you stabbed in the back the very person whose salt you ate?
(kyaa tujhe sharm nahiin aatii, jiskaa namak khaayaa usii kii piith men chhuraa ghomp diyaa?)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
नमक
(namak)
(sg.m.oblique):
नमक
(namak)
(pl.m.direct):
नमक
(namak)
(pl.m.oblique):
नमकों
(namkon)