गोली (golii)
noun
Covers three everyday senses: a bullet, a round pill/tablet, and a small round ball used in the children's marble game.
Sense
1
:
bullet
noun, feminine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear गोली मारना (golii maarnaa, 'to shoot someone') constantly in news reports and Bollywood dialogue about crime and violence; it is the standard, unmarked way to say 'shot,' not a dramatic flourish.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse गोली (golii, 'bullet') with बंदूक (bandook, 'gun') -- the gun fires the गोली (golii), it is not the gun itself. 2) The common phrase गोली मारना (golii maarnaa, 'to shoot') uses मारना (maarnaa, 'to hit/kill') rather than चलाना (chalaanaa) for the everyday sense of shooting someone.
Sample Sentences:
पुलिस ने चोर को गोली मार दी।
The police shot the thief.
(pulis ne chor ko golii maar dii।)
उसे सीने में गोली लगी थी।
He had been hit by a bullet in the chest.
(use siine men golii lagii thii।)
बंदूक में अभी दो गोलियाँ बची हैं।
There are still two bullets left in the gun.
(bandook men abhii do goliyaan bachii hain।)
अगर वह भागने की कोशिश करेगा तो उसे गोली मार दी जाएगी।
If he tries to escape, he will be shot.
(agar vah bhaagne kii koshish karegaa to use golii maar dii jaaegii।)
उस पर तीन गोलियाँ चलाई गईं।
Three bullets were fired at him.
(us par tiin goliyaan chalaaii gaiin।)
गोली मारो उसे!
Shoot him!
(golii maaro use!)
अगर वह मुझे गोली मारता, तो मैं मर जाता।
If he had shot me, I would have died.
(agar vah mujhe golii maartaa, to main mar jaataa।)
सैनिक दुश्मन पर गोलियाँ चला रहे थे।
The soldiers were firing bullets at the enemy.
(sainik dushman par goliyaan chalaa rahe the।)
डॉक्टर ने उसके शरीर से गोली निकाल दी है।
The doctor has removed the bullet from his body.
(doktar ne uske shariir se golii nikaal dii hai।)
पत्रकार ने बताया कि आतंकवादियों ने सैनिकों पर गोली चलाई।
The journalist reported that the terrorists fired bullets at the soldiers.
(patrkaar ne bataayaa ki aatankvaadiyon ne sainikon par golii chalaaii।)
गोली की आवाज़ सुनकर सब डर गए।
Everyone got scared upon hearing the sound of the bullet.
(golii kii aavaaz sunkar sab dar gae।)
Sense
2
:
pill, tablet (medicine)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: टैबलेट (taiblet, borrowed from English, common for factory-made tablets), दवा (davaa, meaning scope: medicine generally, not just pills)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Every household in Delhi-NCR has a मम्मी (mammii, 'mom') or दादी (daadii, 'grandmother') who asks सिर दर्द है? गोली ले लो (sir dard hai? golii le lo, 'You have a headache? Take a pill') -- गोली (golii) is the default word for any small tablet, whether it's a painkiller or a vitamin.
Common Mistakes: 1) गोली (golii) is used for solid round tablets and pills; syrups or liquid medicine are called दवा (davaa) or सिरप (sirap), never गोली (golii).
Sample Sentences:
सिर दर्द है? गोली ले लो।
You have a headache? Take a pill.
(sir dard hai? golii le lo।)
दादी रोज़ रात को अपनी गोली खाती हैं।
Grandma takes her pill every night.
(daadii roz raat ko apnii golii khaatii hain।)
मैंने सुबह बुखार की गोली खा ली थी।
I had taken a fever pill in the morning.
(mainne subah bukhaar kii golii khaa lii thii।)
डॉक्टर ने कहा है कि यह गोली खाने के बाद ही लेनी है।
The doctor has said that this pill must be taken only after eating.
(doktar ne kahaa hai ki yah golii khaane ke baad hii lenii hai।)
मम्मी, वो गोली कहाँ रखी है जो कल डॉक्टर ने दी थी?
Mom, where's that pill the doctor gave yesterday?
(mammii, vo golii kahaan rakhii hai jo kal doktar ne dii thii?)
अगर तुम गोली खा लेते तो अब दर्द नहीं होता।
If you had taken the pill, there wouldn't be any pain now.
(agar tum golii khaa lete to ab dard nahiin hotaa।)
क्या तुम मुझे एक गोली दे सकते हो?
Can you give me a pill?
(kyaa tum mujhe ek golii de sakte ho?)
यह गोली खाली पेट नहीं लेनी चाहिए।
This pill should not be taken on an empty stomach.
(yah golii khaalii pet nahiin lenii chaahie।)
उसे रोज़ सुबह-शाम दो गोलियाँ खानी पड़ती हैं।
She has to take two pills every morning and evening.
(use roz subah-shaam do goliyaan khaanii padtii hain।)
मरीज़ को यह गोली दी जाएगी ताकि दर्द कम हो।
This pill will be given to the patient so that the pain reduces.
(mariiz ko yah golii dii jaaegii taaki dard kam ho।)
वह गोली निगल नहीं पाता, इसलिए सिरप लेता है।
He isn't able to swallow pills, so he takes syrup.
(vah golii nigal nahiin paataa, islie sirap letaa hai।)
Sense
3
:
marble (toy)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: कंचा (kanchaa, the more common word for the toy marble in North India)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: गोली-कंचे खेलना (golii-kanche khelnaa, 'to play marbles') is a classic gully (street) game of Indian childhood, played by flicking small glass or clay balls along the ground -- mentioning it to an older Delhi resident often triggers a nostalgic story.
Common Mistakes: 1) In this sense गोली (golii) is somewhat regional/dated next to the more widespread कंचा (kanchaa); if a learner hears गोली-कंचा (golii-kanchaa) together, both refer to the same game/object.
Sample Sentences:
बचपन में हम गली में गोली-कंचे खेलते थे।
In childhood, we used to play marbles in the lane.
(bachpan men ham galii men golii-kanche khelte the।)
उसकी जेब में कई रंग-बिरंगी गोलियाँ थीं।
There were several colorful marbles in his pocket.
(uskii jeb men kaii rang-birangii goliyaan thiin।)
चलो, आज गोली खेलते हैं!
Come on, let's play marbles today!
(chalo, aaj golii khelte hain!)
अपनी गोली मत खोना, वरना खेल नहीं पाओगे।
Don't lose your marble, or you won't be able to play.
(apnii golii mat khonaa, varnaa khel nahiin paaoge।)
अगर मेरे पास इतनी गोलियाँ होतीं, तो मैं भी दिखाता।
If I had that many marbles, I would show off too.
(agar mere paas itnii goliyaan hotiin, to main bhii dikhaataa।)
उसने एक गोली से मेरी सारी गोलियाँ जीत लीं।
He won all my marbles with just one shot.
(usne ek golii se merii saarii goliyaan jiit liin।)
आजकल बच्चे गोली-कंचे कम ही खेलते हैं, सब मोबाइल में लगे रहते हैं।
These days children rarely play marbles, everyone stays glued to their phones.
(aajkal bachche golii-kanche kam hii khelte hain, sab mobaail men lage rahte hain।)
मुझे याद है, गोली की एक दुकान हमारे मोहल्ले के नुक्कड़ पर हुआ करती थी।
I remember, there used to be a shop selling marbles at the corner of our neighborhood.
(mujhe yaad hai, golii kii ek dukaan hamaare mohalle ke nukkad par huaa kartii thii।)
मैदान में गोली से निशाना लगाना कोई आसान काम नहीं है।
Hitting the target with a marble on the field is no easy task.
(maidaan men golii se nishaanaa lagaanaa koii aasaan kaam nahiin hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
गोली
(golii)
(sg.f.oblique):
गोली
(golii)
(pl.f.direct):
गोलियाँ
(goliyaan)
(pl.f.oblique):
गोलियों
(goliyon)