केला (kelaa)
noun
A simple, everyday noun meaning 'banana' -- the fruit itself and, by extension, the plant it grows on.
Sense
1
:
banana (the fruit)
noun, masculine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will see केले (kele) piled high on carts (ठेला, thelaa) at almost every street corner in Delhi -- vendors often sell them by the दर्जन (darjan, dozen) rather than by weight. It is also a common, cheap breakfast or post-meal fruit in North Indian households.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes forget that केला (kelaa) is masculine, so adjectives and verbs agreeing with it take masculine forms, e.g. यह केला मीठा है (yah kelaa miithaa hai, 'this banana is sweet'), not मीठी (miithii).
Sample Sentences:
मुझे केला बहुत पसंद है।
I really like bananas.
(mujhe kelaa bahut pasand hai।)
ठेले वाला एक दर्जन केले बीस रुपये में दे रहा था।
The cart vendor was selling a dozen bananas for twenty rupees.
(thele vaalaa ek darjan kele biis rupye men de rahaa thaa।)
रोज़ सुबह नाश्ते में एक केला खा लो।
Eat a banana every morning for breakfast.
(roz subah naashte men ek kelaa khaa lo।)
मेज़ पर तीन केले रखे हैं।
Three bananas are placed on the table.
(mez par tiin kele rakhe hain।)
अगर बाज़ार खुला होता तो मैं ताज़े केले ले आता।
If the market had been open, I would have brought fresh bananas.
(agar baazaar khulaa hotaa to main taaze kele le aataa।)
खाने के बाद अक्सर लोग केला खाते हैं।
People often eat a banana after their meal.
(khaane ke baad aksar log kelaa khaate hain।)
क्या आप चाहते हैं कि मैं आपके लिए केले खरीद लाऊँ?
Would you like me to bring you some bananas?
(kyaa aap chaahte hain ki main aapke lie kele khariid laaoon?)
कल शाम तक सारे केले पक चुके होंगे।
By tomorrow evening, all the bananas will have ripened.
(kal shaam tak saare kele pak chuke honge।)
बाज़ार में केले वज़न से नहीं, दर्जन से बिकते हैं।
In the market, bananas are sold by the dozen, not by weight.
(baazaar men kele vazan se nahiin, darjan se bikte hain।)
उस थैले में सड़े हुए केले भरे थे।
That bag was full of rotten bananas.
(us thaile men sade hue kele bhare the।)
महाराज, प्रसाद में केला भी चढ़ाया जाए।
Sir, let a banana also be offered as prasad.
(mahaaraaj, prasaad men kelaa bhii chadhaayaa jaae।)
Sense
2
:
banana plant/tree
noun, masculine The same word केला (kelaa) can refer to the whole plant, not just the fruit, when context makes it clear (e.g. talking about something growing in a garden).
Synonyms: केले का पेड़ (kele kaa ped, 'banana tree', more explicit compound form)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: In many North Indian homes and temples, a केले का पेड़ (kele kaa ped, 'banana tree') is planted near the entrance or courtyard, since banana leaves and the plant itself are used in पूजा (poojaa, worship) and festival decorations.
Sample Sentences:
हमारे घर के आंगन में एक केला लगा है।
There is a banana plant in the courtyard of our house.
(hamaare ghar ke aangan men ek kelaa lagaa hai।)
मेरी दादी ने मंदिर के पास एक केला लगाया था।
My grandmother had planted a banana plant near the temple.
(merii daadii ne mandir ke paas ek kelaa lagaayaa thaa।)
बरसात में केले बहुत तेज़ी से बढ़ते हैं।
Banana plants grow very fast during the monsoon.
(barsaat men kele bahut tezii se badhte hain।)
पूजा के लिए आंगन में केला लगाओ।
Plant a banana tree in the courtyard for the worship.
(poojaa ke lie aangan men kelaa lagaao।)
अगर धूप ज़्यादा न होती, तो यह केला और बड़ा हो जाता।
If there hadn't been so much sun, this banana plant would have grown even bigger.
(agar dhoop zyaadaa n hotii, to yah kelaa aur badaa ho jaataa।)
घर के पिछवाड़े में तीन केले लगाए गए हैं।
Three banana plants have been planted in the backyard of the house.
(ghar ke pichhvaade men tiin kele lagaae gae hain।)
शादी के मंडप को सजाने के लिए दो केले लाए गए।
Two banana plants were brought to decorate the wedding canopy.
(shaadii ke mandap ko sajaane ke lie do kele laae gae।)
क्या तुमने कभी घर में केला लगाया है?
Have you ever planted a banana tree at home?
(kyaa tumne kabhii ghar men kelaa lagaayaa hai?)
उत्सव के दिनों में द्वार के दोनों ओर केले के वृक्ष सजाए जाते हैं, ताकि घर मंगलमय दिखे।
On festival days, banana trees are decorated on both sides of the doorway, so that the house looks auspicious.
(utsav ke dinon men dvaar ke donon or kele ke vriksh sajaae jaate hain, taaki ghar mangalmay dikhe।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
केला
(kelaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
केले
(kele)
(pl.m.direct):
केले
(kele)
(pl.m.oblique):
केलों
(kelon)