चीज़ (chiiz)
noun
A common everyday noun meaning 'thing/object' in the concrete sense, and also used figuratively to mean 'a remarkable person or thing.'
Sense
1
:
thing, object, item
noun, feminine
Synonyms: वस्तु (vastu, formal), सामान (saamaan, goods/belongings, broader scope)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is one of the first words learners reach for when they don't know the specific noun -- much like English 'thing' or 'stuff.' You'll hear it constantly in markets and kitchens: यह चीज़ कितने की है? (yah chiiz kitne kii hai, 'how much is this thing?') is a classic shopping line.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes forget the nuqta and write/say चीज (chiij) -- both spellings are heard, but चीज़ (chiiz) with the ज़ sound is standard. 2) चीज़ (chiiz) is used for any countable or uncountable item in casual speech (food, objects, even abstract 'stuff'), so it is much broader than English 'thing' feels at first -- for example, खाने की चीज़ (khaane kii chiiz, 'something to eat') is a very natural phrase.
Sample Sentences:
यह चीज़ कितने की है?
How much is this thing?
(yah chiiz kitne kii hai?)
मेज़ पर बहुत सारी चीज़ें रखी हैं।
There are lots of things kept on the table.
(mez par bahut saarii chiizen rakhii hain।)
मुझे यह चीज़ बिल्कुल पसंद नहीं आई।
I didn't like this thing at all.
(mujhe yah chiiz bilkul pasand nahiin aaii।)
कृपया अपनी चीज़ें यहीं छोड़ दीजिए।
Please leave your things right here.
(kripyaa apnii chiizen yahiin chhod diijie।)
अगर मेरे पास वह चीज़ होती, तो मैं तुम्हें दे देता।
If I had that thing, I would have given it to you.
(agar mere paas vah chiiz hotii, to main tumhen de detaa।)
दुकानदार हर चीज़ का दाम बढ़ा देता है।
The shopkeeper raises the price of every item.
(dukaandaar har chiiz kaa daam badhaa detaa hai।)
यह किस चीज़ से बना है?
What is this thing made of?
(yah kis chiiz se banaa hai?)
शायद यह चीज़ किसी काम आए।
Maybe this thing will be of some use.
(shaayad yah chiiz kisii kaam aae।)
रसोई में हर चीज़ करीने से रखी गई है।
Every item in the kitchen has been arranged neatly.
(rasoii men har chiiz kariine se rakhii gaii hai।)
बच्चा उस चमकती चीज़ को देखकर मुस्कुरा रहा था।
The child was smiling looking at that shiny thing.
(bachchaa us chamaktii chiiz ko dekhkar muskuraa rahaa thaa।)
इस दुनिया में हर चीज़ की एक कीमत होती है।
Everything in this world has a price.
(is duniyaa men har chiiz kii ek kiimat hotii hai।)
Sense
2
:
a remarkable or striking person/thing (figurative)
noun, feminine Used predicatively, often with बड़ी (badii) or कोई (koii) -- कोई चीज़ है (koii chiiz hai, 'is quite something') -- to comment admiringly or teasingly on a person or situation.
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the flavor you hear in Bollywood banter and playful teasing among friends -- चीज़ (chiiz) shifts from a neutral noun to something almost like slangy praise (or mock-praise) for a person's personality or looks, similar to calling someone 'a piece of work' in English, though the Hindi version leans more admiring than critical.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense only works in an evaluative frame like तुम बड़ी चीज़ हो (tum badii chiiz ho, 'you're quite something') -- using चीज़ (chiiz) plainly to describe a person without this frame just sounds like calling them an 'object,' which can land oddly or rudely.
Sample Sentences:
यार, तू तो बड़ी चीज़ है!
Dude, you're quite a character!
(yaar, too to badii chiiz hai!)
वह लड़की भी अपने आप में एक चीज़ है।
That girl is quite something in her own right.
(vah ladkii bhii apne aap men ek chiiz hai।)
इस बार का हीरो असली चीज़ निकला।
This time's hero turned out to be a real piece of work.
(is baar kaa hiiro aslii chiiz niklaa।)
अरे, तू क्या चीज़ है, ये तो मुझे आज पता चला!
Oh, what a character you are, I only found out today!
(are, too kyaa chiiz hai, ye to mujhe aaj pataa chalaa!)
सुनने में आया है कि नई मैनेजर बड़ी चीज़ है।
I've heard the new manager is quite a character.
(sunne men aayaa hai ki naii mainejar badii chiiz hai।)
काश मैं भी उसकी तरह चीज़ होता, सब मुझसे भी डरते।
I wish I were quite a character like him too, then everyone would be scared of me as well.
(kaash main bhii uskii tarah chiiz hotaa, sab mujhse bhii darte।)
अगर वह सच में इतनी बड़ी चीज़ होती, तो सब उसकी तारीफ करते।
If she really were such a remarkable person, everyone would be praising her.
(agar vah sach men itnii badii chiiz hotii, to sab uskii taariiph karte।)
अपने आपको इतनी बड़ी चीज़ मत समझ!
Don't think of yourself as such a big deal!
(apne aapko itnii badii chiiz mat samajh!)
पार्टी में जो लड़का मिला था, सच में गज़ब की चीज़ था।
The guy I met at the party was really something else.
(paartii men jo ladkaa milaa thaa, sach men gazab kii chiiz thaa।)
हो सकता है वो अपने काम में बड़ी चीज़ हो, पर घर में तो कुछ नहीं करता।
Maybe he's quite something at his job, but he does nothing at home.
(ho saktaa hai vo apne kaam men badii chiiz ho, par ghar men to kuchh nahiin kartaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
चीज़
(chiiz)
(sg.f.oblique):
चीज़
(chiiz)
(pl.f.direct):
चीज़ें
(chiizen)
(pl.f.oblique):
चीज़ों
(chiizon)