रज़ाई (razaaii)

noun A thick quilted blanket, stuffed with cotton, used across North India as the go-to winter bedding. Single sense, straightforward and high-frequency in the cold months.
Sense 1 : quilt (thick cotton-stuffed blanket)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: लिहाफ़ (lihaaf, regional/older usage)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Come November, every North Indian household pulls the रज़ाई (razaaii) out of storage, and getting under one on a cold Delhi morning with a cup of chai is practically a cultural ritual. Older रज़ाइयाँ (razaaiyaan, 'quilts') are often hand-stitched at home or by a local दर्ज़ी (darzii, 'tailor'), and you'll still see cotton-carding sellers, called धुनिया (dhuniyaa), going door to door in autumn to refluff old quilts before winter sets in.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for कंबल (kambal) as a catch-all for 'blanket,' but रज़ाई (razaaii) specifically means the puffy, stitched cotton-filled quilt, while कंबल (kambal) is a woven wool blanket without stuffing -- native speakers keep these distinct. 2) The nuqta on ज़ is standard here; dropping it to write रजाई is a common typo, not a real alternate spelling like some other ज़-words have.
Sample Sentences:
सर्दियों में रज़ाई के बिना नींद ही नहीं आती। In winter, I just can't fall asleep without a quilt.
(sardiyon men razaaii ke binaa niind hii nahiin aatii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
माँ ने अलमारी से पुरानी रज़ाई निकाली। Mom took the old quilt out of the cupboard.
(maan ne almaarii se puraanii razaaii nikaalii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
बच्चा रज़ाई में लिपटा सो रहा है। The child is sleeping wrapped up in the quilt.
(bachchaa razaaii men liptaa so rahaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
जरा रज़ाई ओढ़ लो, बाहर बहुत ठंड है। Cover yourself with the quilt, it's really cold outside.
(jaraa razaaii odh lo, baahar bahut thand hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर रज़ाई इतनी भारी न होती तो मैं इसे धो देता। If the quilt weren't so heavy, I would have washed it.
(agar razaaii itnii bhaarii n hotii to main ise dho detaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
हर साल नवंबर में धुनिया आकर रज़ाइयों की रुई फिर से धुन देता है। Every year in November, the cotton-carder comes and refluffs the cotton in the quilts.
(har saal navambar men dhuniyaa aakar razaaiyon kii ruii phir se dhun detaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यह रज़ाई दर्ज़ी से हाथ से सिलवाई गई थी। This quilt was hand-stitched by the tailor.
(yah razaaii darzii se haath se silvaaii gaii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
क्या तुम मेरे लिए दुकान से एक नई रज़ाई ले आओगे? Will you bring me a new quilt from the shop?
(kyaa tum mere lie dukaan se ek naii razaaii le aaoge?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
शायद यह रज़ाई सर्दी के लिए काफी न हो। Maybe this quilt won't be enough for the winter.
(shaayad yah razaaii sardii ke lie kaaphii n ho।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
चाय का कप हाथ में लिए वे रज़ाई में बैठे रहते थे। With a cup of tea in hand, he used to sit tucked in the quilt.
(chaay kaa kap haath men lie ve razaaii men baithe rahte the।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
कृपया मेहमानों के कमरे में साफ रज़ाई रख दें। Please keep a clean quilt in the guests' room.
(kripyaa mehmaanon ke kamre men saaph razaaii rakh den।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): रज़ाई (razaaii)
(sg.f.oblique): रज़ाई (razaaii)
(pl.f.direct): रज़ाईएँ (razaaiien)
(pl.f.oblique): रज़ाईओं (razaaiion)