अँग्रेज़ (angrez)
noun/adjective
A person of English or British nationality/ethnicity; also used adjectivally to mean 'English/British' in a nationality sense. Often seen spelled without the chandrabindu as अंग्रेज़ (angrez).
Sense
1
:
an English or British person
noun, masculine/feminine
Synonyms: गोरा (goraa, colloquial, refers to white foreigners generally)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This word carries real historical weight in Delhi and North India generally, since it's the standard term for the British colonizers in phrases like अँग्रेज़ों का ज़माना (angrezon kaa zamaanaa, 'the era of the British/colonial times'). Older relatives will often use it with a mix of resentment and grudging respect when talking about colonial-era discipline, trains, or bureaucracy.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use अँग्रेज़ (angrez) loosely for any white foreigner, but native speakers reserve it specifically for English/British people (or, historically, colonial-era British rulers); other Europeans and Americans are usually called by their own nationality or the informal umbrella term गोरा (goraa). 2) The word is variable for gender in the plural/oblique but the singular masculine form is used generically; don't assume it needs feminine marking for a woman -- अँग्रेज़ औरत (angrez aurat, 'English woman') is the natural phrasing, not a separate feminine noun form.
Sample Sentences:
मेरे दादा जी अँग्रेज़ों के ज़माने की बातें सुनाते थे।
My grandfather used to tell stories about the era of the British.
(mere daadaa jii angrezon ke zamaane kii baaten sunaate the।)
वह अँग्रेज़ दिल्ली में पिछले पाँच साल से रह रहा है।
That Englishman has been living in Delhi for the last five years.
(vah angrez dillii men pichhle paanch saal se rah rahaa hai।)
स्टेशन पर एक अँग्रेज़ महिला अपना रास्ता पूछ रही थी।
An Englishwoman was asking for directions at the station.
(steshan par ek angrez mahilaa apnaa raastaa poochh rahii thii।)
यह रेलवे लाइन अँग्रेज़ों ने बनवाई थी।
This railway line was built by the British.
(yah relve laain angrezon ne banvaaii thii।)
अगर वह अँग्रेज़ हिंदी बोल पाता, तो हमारी बात आसान हो जाती।
If that Englishman could speak Hindi, our conversation would become easier.
(agar vah angrez hindii bol paataa, to hamaarii baat aasaan ho jaatii।)
क्या तुम्हें पता है कि वह अँग्रेज़ कब वापस लंदन जाएगा?
Do you know when that Englishman is going back to London?
(kyaa tumhen pataa hai ki vah angrez kab vaapas landan jaaegaa?)
दादी कहती हैं कि अँग्रेज़ों के ज़माने में ट्रेनें समय पर चलती थीं।
Grandma says that in the era of the British, trains used to run on time.
(daadii kahtii hain ki angrezon ke zamaane men trenen samay par chaltii thiin।)
उस अँग्रेज़ अफ़सर ने कभी किसी की रिश्वत नहीं ली।
That English officer never took anyone's bribe.
(us angrez afsar ne kabhii kisii kii rishvat nahiin lii।)
क्या आप उन अँग्रेज़ों को जानते हैं जो पिछले हफ़्ते हमारे यहाँ आए थे?
Do you know those British people who came to our place last week?
(kyaa aap un angrezon ko jaante hain jo pichhle hafte hamaare yahaan aae the?)
अँग्रेज़ों ने भारत पर लगभग दो सौ साल राज किया।
The British ruled over India for nearly two hundred years.
(angrezon ne bhaarat par lagbhag do sau saal raaj kiyaa।)
उस अँग्रेज़ को हिंदी सिखाओ ताकि वह यहाँ आसानी से रह सके।
Teach that Englishman Hindi so that he can live here easily.
(us angrez ko hindii sikhaao taaki vah yahaan aasaanii se rah sake।)
Sense
2
:
English/British (nationality), or by extension 'Western' in manner
adjective Used attributively before a noun, e.g. अँग्रेज़ी हुकूमत (angrezii hukoomat, 'British rule') -- note that in this adjectival function the related form अँग्रेज़ी (angrezii) is actually far more common than अँग्रेज़ (angrez) itself; अँग्रेज़ used adjectivally tends to modify people directly, as in अँग्रेज़ लोग (angrez log, 'English people').
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear अँग्रेज़ी ढंग (angrezii dhang, 'the English/Western way') used to describe anything seen as foreign-influenced, from eating habits to clothing -- a mild cultural shorthand still common among older Delhi families distinguishing 'desi' from 'Western' ways of doing things.
Common Mistakes: 1) Don't confuse this with अँग्रेज़ी (angrezii), which is the far more frequent word for 'English' as applied to the language, culture, or abstract nouns (अँग्रेज़ी भाषा (angrezii bhaashaa, 'the English language')); अँग्रेज़ in the adjectival sense is mostly limited to describing people or rule directly.
Sample Sentences:
उसने अँग्रेज़ी ढंग से खाना खाना सीख लिया है।
He has learned to eat food in the English way.
(usne angrezii dhang se khaanaa khaanaa siikh liyaa hai।)
दादी जी को अँग्रेज़ी पहनावा बिल्कुल पसंद नहीं है।
Grandmother doesn't like English/Western clothing at all.
(daadii jii ko angrezii pahnaavaa bilkul pasand nahiin hai।)
यह स्कूल पूरी तरह अँग्रेज़ी तरीके से चलाया जाता है।
This school is run entirely in the English/Western manner.
(yah skool poorii tarah angrezii tariike se chalaayaa jaataa hai।)
बचपन में हमारे घर में अँग्रेज़ी ढंग का खाना कभी नहीं बनता था।
In my childhood, English-style food was never made in our house.
(bachpan men hamaare ghar men angrezii dhang kaa khaanaa kabhii nahiin bantaa thaa।)
काश वह इतने अँग्रेज़ी तौर-तरीके न अपनाता।
I wish he hadn't adopted so many English/Western mannerisms.
(kaash vah itne angrezii taur-tariike n apnaataa।)
अगर तुम अँग्रेज़ी अंदाज़ में बात करते, तो सब हँसते।
If you had spoken in an English/Western style, everyone would have laughed.
(agar tum angrezii andaaz men baat karte, to sab hanste।)
अँग्रेज़ी सभ्यता के कई पहलू अब भारतीय समाज का हिस्सा बन गए हैं।
Many aspects of English/Western civilization have now become part of Indian society.
(angrezii sabhytaa ke kaii pahloo ab bhaartiiy samaaj kaa hissaa ban gae hain।)
इतना अँग्रेज़ी लहजा मत अपनाओ, थोड़ा देसी भी रहो।
Don't put on such an English/Western accent -- stay a little desi too.
(itnaa angrezii lahjaa mat apnaao, thodaa desii bhii raho।)
शायद उसकी परवरिश अँग्रेज़ी माहौल में हुई हो, इसलिए उसकी सोच अलग है।
Perhaps he was raised in an English/Western environment, which is why his thinking is different.
(shaayad uskii paravrish angrezii maahaul men huii ho, islie uskii soch alag hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m/f.direct):
अँग्रेज़
(angrez)
(sg.m/f.oblique):
अँग्रेज़
(angrez)
(pl.m/f.direct):
अँग्रेज़ें
(angrezen)
(pl.m/f.oblique):
अँग्रेज़ों
(angrezon)
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
अँग्रेज़
(angrez)