दावत (daavat)
noun
A warm, social word meaning a feast or invitation to eat; also used in an extended idiomatic sense of 'inviting trouble.'
Sense
1
:
feast, banquet, party involving food
noun, feminine
Synonyms: ज़ियाफ़त (ziyaafat, formal), भोज (bhoj, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In Delhi-NCR households, दावत (daavat) is the word you hear when someone announces a big family meal, a wedding-related feast, or even just 'come over, I am cooking something special.' It carries an emotional warmth of hospitality, not just an event on a calendar.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for 'party' as a direct translation, but दावत (daavat) centers specifically on food being served, not the broader English sense of a social party (which is often just पार्टी (paartii)). 2) The verb pairing to know is देना (denaa) for hosting ('दावत देना' daavat denaa, 'to host a feast/invite for a meal') and खाना (khaanaa) for attending ('दावत खाना' daavat khaanaa, 'to eat at a feast').
Sample Sentences:
आज रात हमारे घर बड़ी दावत है।
There is a big feast at our place tonight.
(aaj raat hamaare ghar badii daavat hai।)
शादी में दावत बहुत शानदार थी।
The feast at the wedding was really grand.
(shaadii men daavat bahut shaandaar thii।)
हम अगले हफ्ते बेटे के जन्मदिन पर दावत रखेंगे।
We will host a feast next week for our son's birthday.
(ham agle haphte bete ke janmdin par daavat rakhenge।)
मेरी दादी हर तीज पर बड़ी दावत करती हैं।
My grandmother throws a big feast every Teej.
(merii daadii har tiij par badii daavat kartii hain।)
रसोई में दावत की तैयारी हो रही है।
Preparations for the feast are going on in the kitchen.
(rasoii men daavat kii taiyaarii ho rahii hai।)
पूरा मोहल्ला दावत में बुलाया गया था।
The whole neighborhood was invited to the feast.
(pooraa mohallaa daavat men bulaayaa gayaa thaa।)
काश आज कोई दावत होती, मन कर रहा है कुछ अच्छा खाने का।
I wish there were a feast today, I feel like eating something nice.
(kaash aaj koii daavat hotii, man kar rahaa hai kuchh achchhaa khaane kaa।)
अगर पैसे होते तो हम भी इतनी बड़ी दावत देते।
If we had the money, we too would host such a big feast.
(agar paise hote to ham bhii itnii badii daavat dete।)
कृपया दावत का इंतज़ाम समय पर पूरा करें।
Please complete the feast arrangements on time.
(kripyaa daavat kaa intzaam samay par pooraa karen।)
राजा के दरबार में एक भव्य दावत का आयोजन हुआ।
A grand feast was organized in the king's court.
(raajaa ke darbaar men ek bhavy daavat kaa aayojan huaa।)
हो सकता है इस बार दावत में बिरयानी भी बने।
It's possible that biryani will also be made at the feast this time.
(ho saktaa hai is baar daavat men biryaanii bhii bane।)
उसने अपनी सफलता की खुशी में दोस्तों को दावत दी।
He gave his friends a feast to celebrate his success.
(usne apnii saphaltaa kii khushii men doston ko daavat dii।)
Sense
2
:
invitation (to a meal or gathering)
noun, feminine Commonly used with देना (denaa, 'to give/extend') and मिलना (milnaa, 'to receive') to describe extending or getting an invitation.
Synonyms: न्यौता (nyautaa, colloquial), निमंत्रण (nimantran, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This sense overlaps closely with the 'feast' sense above -- the invitation and the meal it leads to are seen as one continuous social event in everyday Hindi thought, unlike in English where 'invitation' and 'feast' feel more separate.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use दावत (daavat) for any kind of formal invitation (like a wedding card), but that is more naturally निमंत्रण (nimantran) or written as शादी का कार्ड (shaadii kaa kaard, 'wedding card'); दावत (daavat) specifically implies food is involved.
Sample Sentences:
उसने मुझे अपने घर की दावत दी।
He gave me an invitation to his house.
(usne mujhe apne ghar kii daavat dii।)
क्या तुम्हें उनकी दावत मिली?
Did you get their invitation?
(kyaa tumhen unkii daavat milii?)
हम हर साल उन्हें दावत भेजते हैं।
We send them an invitation every year.
(ham har saal unhen daavat bhejte hain।)
मुझे उनकी शादी की दावत नहीं मिली, शायद डाक में खो गई।
I didn't get their wedding invitation, maybe it got lost in the post.
(mujhe unkii shaadii kii daavat nahiin milii, shaayad daak men kho gaii।)
अगर वे दावत भेजते तो हम ज़रूर आते।
If they had sent an invitation, we would definitely have come.
(agar ve daavat bhejte to ham zaroor aate।)
कृपया अपनी दावत जल्द भेज दीजिए ताकि हम तैयारी कर सकें।
Please send your invitation soon so that we can prepare.
(kripyaa apnii daavat jald bhej diijie taaki ham taiyaarii kar saken।)
उम्मीद है वे हमें अपनी बेटी की सगाई की दावत देंगे।
I hope they will give us an invitation to their daughter's engagement.
(ummiid hai ve hamen apnii betii kii sagaaii kii daavat denge।)
सभी मेहमानों को औपचारिक दावत भेजी गई थी।
A formal invitation had been sent to all the guests.
(sabhii mehmaanon ko aupchaarik daavat bhejii gaii thii।)
बॉस ने दफ्तर की पार्टी की दावत सबको दे दी है।
The boss has given everyone an invitation to the office party.
(bos ne daphtar kii paartii kii daavat sabko de dii hai।)
यार, दावत तो दे दो, हम खुद पहुँच जाएंगे।
Dude, just give us an invitation, we'll get there ourselves.
(yaar, daavat to de do, ham khud pahunch jaaenge।)
क्या हो अगर उसकी दावत ही न आए?
What if his invitation doesn't even come?
(kyaa ho agar uskii daavat hii n aae?)
Sense
3
:
idiomatic: an invitation to trouble or punishment
noun, feminine Appears in the fixed idiomatic phrase मार की दावत देना (maar kii daavat denaa, 'to invite a beating/trouble') and similar constructions where दावत (daavat) is paired with something undesirable.
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This is a playful, ironic twist on the warm hospitality sense: instead of inviting someone to eat, you are 'inviting' trouble or a scolding onto yourself, e.g. जब बच्चा शरारत करता है तो मार की दावत देता है (jab bachchaa sharaarat kartaa hai to maar kii daavat detaa hai, 'when the child misbehaves, he invites a beating'). The humor lies in reusing a hospitality word for something unpleasant.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative use only works in set phrases like मार की दावत (maar kii daavat); you cannot freely substitute दावत (daavat) for 'invitation' in every negative context -- it needs the idiomatic frame to land correctly.
Sample Sentences:
जब बच्चा शरारत करता है तो मार की दावत देता है।
When the child misbehaves, he invites a beating.
(jab bachchaa sharaarat kartaa hai to maar kii daavat detaa hai।)
इतनी लापरवाही से गाड़ी चलाओगे तो चालान की दावत दोगे।
If you drive this carelessly, you'll be inviting a fine.
(itnii laaparvaahii se gaadii chalaaoge to chaalaan kii daavat doge।)
बॉस के सामने ऐसी बात मत करो, बर्खास्तगी की दावत मिलेगी।
Don't say such things in front of the boss, you'll get an invitation to be fired.
(bos ke saamne aisii baat mat karo, barkhaastgii kii daavat milegii।)
उसने अफसर से बहस करके सज़ा की दावत ले ली।
By arguing with the officer, he brought punishment upon himself.
(usne aphsar se bahas karke sazaa kii daavat le lii।)
अगर तुम झूठ बोलते तो मुसीबत की दावत होती।
If you had lied, you would have invited trouble.
(agar tum jhooth bolte to musiibat kii daavat hotii।)
क्या तू पिटाई की दावत देना चाहता है?
Do you want to invite a thrashing?
(kyaa too pitaaii kii daavat denaa chaahtaa hai?)
यह हरकत तो सीधे जुर्माने की दावत है।
This little stunt is a straight invitation to a fine.
(yah harkat to siidhe jurmaane kii daavat hai।)
दफ्तर में देर से आना मत, वरना डाँट की दावत तैयार समझो।
Don't be late to the office, or consider a scolding already invited.
(daphtar men der se aanaa mat, varnaa daant kii daavat taiyaar samjho।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
दावत
(daavat)
(sg.f.oblique):
दावत
(daavat)
(pl.f.direct):
दावतें
(daavten)
(pl.f.oblique):
दावतों
(daavton)