नाई (naaii)

noun A traditional occupational noun meaning 'barber' -- refers to the person, both the profession and the man who practices it.
Sense 1 : barber
noun, masculine
Synonyms: हज्जाम (hajjaam, less common, older term), केश-कर्तक (kesh-kartak, formal/technical)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: नाई (naaii) traditionally names both a profession and a caste (जाति, jaati) in North Indian village society, where the barber historically played a social role beyond haircuts -- often acting as a go-between in arranging marriages and carrying news between families. In cities today it simply means the person who cuts your hair or gives you a shave at a सैलून (sailoon, salon) or a roadside stall.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse नाई (naaii) with नाव (naav, 'boat') due to similar sound -- these are unrelated words. 2) The feminine form नाइन (naain) refers specifically to a barber's wife or a woman of the barber caste/community, not a female barber in the modern professional sense -- for a woman who cuts hair professionally today, speakers often just use नाई (naaii) or a descriptive phrase.
Sample Sentences:
नाई ने मेरे बाल बहुत अच्छे काटे। The barber cut my hair very well.
(naaii ne mere baal bahut achchhe kaate।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मेरे घर के पास एक नाई की दुकान है। There is a barber's shop near my house.
(mere ghar ke paas ek naaii kii dukaan hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
नाई हर रोज़ सुबह अपनी दुकान खोलता है। The barber opens his shop every morning.
(naaii har roz subah apnii dukaan kholtaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
नाई तुझे कल शादी के लिए बाल कटवाने बुलाएगा। The barber will call you tomorrow to get your hair cut for the wedding.
(naaii tujhe kal shaadii ke lie baal katvaane bulaaegaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
गाँव में नाई शादी की बातचीत भी करवाता था। In the village, the barber used to arrange marriage talks too.
(gaanv men naaii shaadii kii baatchiit bhii karvaataa thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
नाई से पूछो कि आज कितनी देर लगेगी। Ask the barber how long it will take today.
(naaii se poochho ki aaj kitnii der lagegii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर नाई समय पर आता तो हमें इतनी देर न होती। If the barber had come on time, we would not have been this late.
(agar naaii samay par aataa to hamen itnii der n hotii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
शायद नाई आज छुट्टी पर हो। Maybe the barber is on leave today.
(shaayad naaii aaj chhuttii par ho।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
सैलून का नाई बहुत सफ़ाई से हजामत करता है। The salon's barber shaves very neatly.
(sailoon kaa naaii bahut safaaii se hajaamat kartaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
नाई की जाति पारंपरिक रूप से यह काम करती आई है। The barber caste has traditionally been doing this work.
(naaii kii jaati paaramprik roop se yah kaam kartii aaii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): नाई (naaii)
(sg.m.oblique): नाई (naaii)
(pl.m.direct): नाई (naaii)
(pl.m.oblique): नाईों ([[नाईों]])