दरबार (darbaar)
noun
A noun referring to a royal court or formal assembly, and by extension the crowd of people or hangers-on gathered around an important person; also used for a divine 'court' in devotional contexts (e.g. a saint's shrine).
Sense
1
:
royal court / formal assembly held by a ruler or high official
noun, masculine
Synonyms: राजसभा (raajasbhaa, formal/historical), सभा (sabhaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Think of Mughal or Rajput history classes: the emperor holding दरबार (darbaar) meant nobles, petitioners, and officials all gathered to seek favor or give reports. The word still carries that flavor of formal, hierarchical audience-granting.
Common Mistakes: 1) दरबार (darbaar) refers to the institution or the assembly itself, not a physical palace building -- learners sometimes use it where महल (mahal, 'palace') is meant.
Sample Sentences:
मुग़ल बादशाह हर सुबह दरबार लगाता था।
The Mughal emperor used to hold court every morning.
(mughal baadshaah har subah darbaar lagaataa thaa।)
राजा के दरबार में सभी दरबारी चुपचाप बैठे थे।
In the king's court, all the courtiers sat silently.
(raajaa ke darbaar men sabhii darbaarii chupchaap baithe the।)
आज दरबार में एक विदेशी दूत आया है।
A foreign envoy has come to the court today.
(aaj darbaar men ek videshii doot aayaa hai।)
दरबार में जाओ और अपनी शिकायत सम्राट के सामने रखो।
Go to the court and present your complaint before the emperor.
(darbaar men jaao aur apnii shikaayat samraat ke saamne rakho।)
अगर राजा दरबार न बुलाता तो न्याय कैसे होता?
If the king had not summoned the court, how would justice have happened?
(agar raajaa darbaar n bulaataa to nyaay kaise hotaa?)
दरबार में फैसला सुनाया गया।
The verdict was announced in the court.
(darbaar men phaislaa sunaayaa gayaa।)
शायद कल राजा नया दरबार आयोजित करे।
Perhaps the king will hold a new court tomorrow.
(shaayad kal raajaa nayaa darbaar aayojit kare।)
प्रधानमंत्री ने अपने दरबार में सभी मंत्रियों को बुलाया।
The prime minister summoned all the ministers to his court.
(pradhaanmantrii ne apne darbaar men sabhii mantriyon ko bulaayaa।)
इतिहास की किताब में लिखा है कि अकबर का दरबार बहुत भव्य था।
The history book states that Akbar's court was very grand.
(itihaas kii kitaab men likhaa hai ki akbar kaa darbaar bahut bhavy thaa।)
जब तक राजा दरबार में न पहुँचे, कोई फैसला नहीं लिया जा सकता था।
Until the king arrived at the court, no decision could be made.
(jab tak raajaa darbaar men n pahunche, koii phaislaa nahiin liyaa jaa saktaa thaa।)
Sense
2
:
a saint's or deity's shrine, viewed as their court
noun, masculine
Synonyms: दरगाह (dargaah, specific to Sufi shrines), मंदिर (mandir, not interchangeable, general 'temple')
Frequency: devotional
Cultural Note: You will hear devotees say चलो दरबार में चलते हैं (chalo darbaar men chalte hain, 'let's go to the shrine/court') about a Sufi dargah or a revered saint's resting place -- the idea is that the saint still 'holds court' spiritually, receiving petitioners just like a king would.
Sample Sentences:
चलो, आज दरबार में चलते हैं।
Come on, let's go to the shrine today.
(chalo, aaj darbaar men chalte hain।)
यह दरबार सैकड़ों साल पुराना है।
This shrine is hundreds of years old.
(yah darbaar saikdon saal puraanaa hai।)
हर गुरुवार को दरबार में लंगर लगता है।
Every Thursday, a free community meal is held at the shrine.
(har guruvaar ko darbaar men langar lagtaa hai।)
दरबार में मत्था टेको, तुम्हारी मुराद पूरी होगी।
Bow your head at the shrine, and your wish will be fulfilled.
(darbaar men matthaa teko, tumhaarii muraad poorii hogii।)
काश मैं भी उस दरबार में हाज़िरी दे पाता।
If only I too could attend that shrine.
(kaash main bhii us darbaar men haazirii de paataa।)
दरबार में हज़ारों लोग हर रोज़ आते हैं और अपनी अर्ज़ी लगाते हैं।
Thousands of people come to the shrine every day and present their petitions.
(darbaar men hazaaron log har roz aate hain aur apnii arzii lagaate hain।)
बाबा का दरबार शहर के बाहर एक पहाड़ी पर बना है।
The saint's shrine is built on a hill outside the city.
(baabaa kaa darbaar shahar ke baahar ek pahaadii par banaa hai।)
अगर दरबार में सच्चे दिल से माँगोगे, तो सुनी जाएगी।
If you ask with a true heart at the shrine, it will be heard.
(agar darbaar men sachche dil se maangoge, to sunii jaaegii।)
इस दरबार में सबकी सुनी जाती है, चाहे वह राजा हो या भिखारी।
At this shrine, everyone is heard, whether they be a king or a beggar.
(is darbaar men sabkii sunii jaatii hai, chaahe vah raajaa ho yaa bhikhaarii।)
जब से यह दरबार बना है, यहाँ कभी चादर ख़ाली नहीं गई।
Ever since this shrine was built, the ceremonial cloth-offering has never gone unfulfilled here.
(jab se yah darbaar banaa hai, yahaan kabhii chaadar khaalii nahiin gaii।)
Sense
3
:
the retinue or crowd of followers/flatterers around an important person
noun, masculine Often used with a slight edge, implying sycophancy -- e.g. describing the flatterers who surround a politician or boss as their दरबार (darbaar).
Synonyms: चेले-चमचे (chele-chamche, colloquial, mildly derogatory), जमघट (jamghat, gathering, less specific)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: In everyday office or political gossip, someone might say उसका अपना दरबार है (uskaa apnaa darbaar hai, 'he has his own court') about a boss surrounded by yes-men -- a wry, modern extension of the old royal-court image.
Sample Sentences:
मैनेजर का अपना एक दरबार है जो हर बात में उसकी हाँ में हाँ मिलाता है।
The manager has his own little entourage that agrees with everything he says.
(mainejar kaa apnaa ek darbaar hai jo har baat men uskii haan men haan milaataa hai।)
नेता जहाँ भी जाता है, उसका दरबार साथ चलता है।
Wherever the leader goes, his coterie moves along with him.
(netaa jahaan bhii jaataa hai, uskaa darbaar saath chaltaa hai।)
उसका अपना दरबार है, इसलिए उसे कोई सच नहीं बताता।
He has his own court, so nobody tells him the truth.
(uskaa apnaa darbaar hai, islie use koii sach nahiin bataataa।)
अफसर के दरबार में बैठे चमचे उसकी हर बात पर वाह-वाह करते थे।
The flatterers sitting in the officer's entourage used to praise his every word.
(aphsar ke darbaar men baithe chamche uskii har baat par vaah-vaah karte the।)
अगर उसके दरबार में कोई सच बोलने वाला होता, तो शायद यह गलती न होती।
If there had been someone in his entourage willing to speak the truth, perhaps this mistake wouldn't have happened.
(agar uske darbaar men koii sach bolne vaalaa hotaa, to shaayad yah galtii n hotii।)
अपने दरबार से घिरा रहकर उसे असली दुनिया की खबर ही नहीं रहती।
Surrounded by his own coterie all the time, he has no idea about the real world.
(apne darbaar se ghiraa rahkar use aslii duniyaa kii khabar hii nahiin rahtii।)
इस तरह अपने चारों तरफ दरबार मत जमाओ, वरना सच सुनना बंद हो जाएगा।
Don't build such an entourage around yourself like this, or you'll stop hearing the truth.
(is tarah apne chaaron taraph darbaar mat jamaao, varnaa sach sunnaa band ho jaaegaa।)
उसके दरबार में शामिल होने के लिए लोग किसी भी हद तक जाने को तैयार थे।
People were willing to go to any lengths to join his entourage.
(uske darbaar men shaamil hone ke lie log kisii bhii had tak jaane ko taiyaar the।)
क्या तुम भी उसके दरबार का हिस्सा बन गए हो?
Have you also become part of his coterie now?
(kyaa tum bhii uske darbaar kaa hissaa ban gae ho?)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
दरबार
(darbaar)
(sg.m.oblique):
दरबार
(darbaar)
(pl.m.direct):
दरबार
(darbaar)
(pl.m.oblique):
दरबारों
(darbaaron)