पट्टी (pattii)

noun Mainly a physical 'strip/band' word: a bandage, a strip of cloth or land, or a blackboard/writing-slate; also lives in the idiom पट्टी पढ़ाना (pattii padhaanaa) meaning to instigate or coach someone with bad advice.
Sense 1 : bandage, strip of cloth
noun, feminine
Synonyms: बैंडेज (baindej)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Ask any Indian kid who has skinned a knee: घर पर पट्टी बांध दो (ghar par pattii baandh do, 'bandage it up at home') is a classic family-remedy line, often followed by a dab of Dettol and much drama.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for बैंडेज (baindej) only, but पट्टी (pattii) is the everyday word doctors, mothers, and shopkeepers actually use -- 'पट्टी बांधना' (pattii baandhnaa, 'to tie/apply a bandage') is the natural phrase, not a borrowed one.
Sample Sentences:
घुटना छिल गया है, घर पर पट्टी बांध दो। The knee is scraped, just bandage it up at home.
(ghutnaa chhil gayaa hai, ghar par pattii baandh do।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
नर्स ने उसके हाथ पर पट्टी बांधी। The nurse bandaged his hand.
(nars ne uske haath par pattii baandhii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
घाव पर पट्टी बंधी हुई है। There is a bandage tied on the wound.
(ghaav par pattii bandhii huii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
डॉक्टर हर दूसरे दिन पट्टी बदलता है। The doctor changes the bandage every other day.
(doktar har doosre din pattii badaltaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मम्मी उसकी उंगली पर पट्टी बांध रही थीं जब वह रोने लगा। Mom was bandaging his finger when he started crying.
(mammii uskii unglii par pattii baandh rahii thiin jab vah rone lagaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर सही से पट्टी बांधी होती तो घाव इतना नहीं बिगड़ता। If the bandage had been tied properly, the wound wouldn't have gotten this bad.
(agar sahii se pattii baandhii hotii to ghaav itnaa nahiin bigadtaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Passive
कृपया रोगी की पट्टी दिन में दो बार बदली जाए। Please have the patient's bandage changed twice a day.
(kripyaa rogii kii pattii din men do baar badlii jaae।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
सिर पर लगी चोट के लिए पट्टी बांध लो, वरना खून बहता रहेगा। Bandage the injury on your head, or else it'll keep bleeding.
(sir par lagii chot ke lie pattii baandh lo, varnaa khoon bahtaa rahegaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
पट्टी इतनी कसकर मत बांधो, दर्द हो रहा है। Don't tie the bandage so tight, it hurts.
(pattii itnii kaskar mat baandho, dard ho rahaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अस्पताल में उसकी टांग पर मोटी पट्टी चढ़ाई गई थी। A thick bandage had been applied to his leg at the hospital.
(asptaal men uskii taang par motii pattii chadhaaii gaii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
चोट लगते ही उसने अपने दुपट्टे से ही पट्टी बना ली। As soon as she got hurt, she made a bandage out of her own dupatta.
(chot lagte hii usne apne dupatte se hii pattii banaa lii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : strip or narrow band (of land, cloth, paint, etc.)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: टुकड़ा (tukdaa, general strip/piece)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this sense in everyday descriptions -- a सड़क की पट्टी (sadak kii pattii, 'a strip of road') or ज़मीन की पट्टी (zamiin kii pattii, 'a strip of land') -- it is simply the go-to word for anything long, narrow, and flat.
Sample Sentences:
सड़क के किनारे हरी घास की एक पट्टी है। There is a strip of green grass along the side of the road.
(sadak ke kinaare harii ghaas kii ek pattii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यह ज़मीन की पट्टी दोनों गाँवों के बीच में पड़ती है। This strip of land lies between the two villages.
(yah zamiin kii pattii donon gaanvon ke biich men padtii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मज़दूरों ने दीवार पर नीले रंग की एक पट्टी बना दी। The workers painted a strip of blue color on the wall.
(mazdooron ne diivaar par niile rang kii ek pattii banaa dii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
नक्शे में समुद्र के किनारे एक संकरी पट्टी दिखाई गई है। A narrow strip along the coast is shown on the map.
(nakshe men samudr ke kinaare ek sankrii pattii dikhaaii gaii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
अगर यहाँ ज़मीन की एक पट्टी खाली छोड़ दी जाए, तो रास्ता बन सकता है। If a strip of land here were left empty, a path could be made.
(agar yahaan zamiin kii ek pattii khaalii chhod dii jaae, to raastaa ban saktaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
उस पट्टी को छोड़कर बाकी खेत में गेहूँ बोया गया। Except for that strip, wheat was sown in the rest of the field.
(us pattii ko chhodkar baakii khet men gehoon boyaa gayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
इस सड़क की पट्टी पर हर शाम रेहड़ी वाले खड़े होते हैं। Cart vendors stand on this strip of road every evening.
(is sadak kii pattii par har shaam rehdii vaale khade hote hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बाढ़ के बाद नदी के किनारे की पूरी पट्टी कीचड़ से भर गई। After the flood, the entire strip along the riverbank filled up with mud.
(baadh ke baad nadii ke kinaare kii poorii pattii kiichad se bhar gaii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर वह पट्टी सरकार के हाथ में होती, तो यहाँ पार्क बन जाता। If that strip of land were in the government's hands, a park would have been built here.
(agar vah pattii sarkaar ke haath men hotii, to yahaan paark ban jaataa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
उस पट्टी में सिर्फ झाड़ियाँ और पत्थर बचे हैं, वहाँ कुछ नहीं उगता। Only bushes and stones remain in that strip; nothing grows there.
(us pattii men sirph jhaadiyaan aur patthar bache hain, vahaan kuchh nahiin ugtaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Sense 3 : wooden writing slate (traditional schooling)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: तख्ती (takhtii)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This is the wooden slate that generations of Indian schoolchildren (and traditionally madrasa students) used to practice their alphabet on with chalk or ink -- older relatives often reminisce fondly about writing on their पट्टी (pattii) before notebooks became common.
Sample Sentences:
बचपन में मैं अपनी पट्टी पर चॉक से अक्षर लिखता था। As a child, I used to write letters on my writing slate with chalk.
(bachpan men main apnii pattii par chok se akshar likhtaa thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
दादी बताती हैं कि उनके ज़माने में बच्चे पट्टी पर ही पढ़ना-लिखना सीखते थे। Grandmother says that in her time, children used to learn reading and writing only on wooden slates.
(daadii bataatii hain ki unke zamaane men bachche pattii par hii padhnaa-likhnaa siikhte the।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मास्टर जी ने हर बच्चे को एक-एक पट्टी दी। The teacher gave each child a writing slate.
(maastar jii ne har bachche ko ek-ek pattii dii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अपनी पट्टी को गीले कपड़े से साफ़ करो, फिर दोबारा लिखो। Clean your slate with a wet cloth, then write again.
(apnii pattii ko giile kapde se saaf karo, phir dobaaraa likho।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर स्कूल में पट्टी होती तो हम स्याही से डूबकर लिखते। If the school had writing slates, we would have written by dipping into ink.
(agar skool men pattii hotii to ham syaahii se doobkar likhte।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
मदरसे में बच्चे लकड़ी की पट्टी पर कुरान की आयतें लिख रहे हैं। In the madrasa, children are writing verses of the Quran on wooden slates.
(madarse men bachche lakdii kii pattii par kuraan kii aayten likh rahe hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पुराने ज़माने में पट्टी को सुखाने के लिए धूप में रखा जाता था। In olden times, the slate used to be kept in the sun to dry.
(puraane zamaane men pattii ko sukhaane ke lie dhoop men rakhaa jaataa thaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
काश मेरे पास भी वैसी ही पट्टी होती जैसी मेरे बाबा की थी। I wish I had a slate just like the one my grandfather had.
(kaash mere paas bhii vaisii hii pattii hotii jaisii mere baabaa kii thii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
अजायबघर में एक पुरानी पट्टी रखी हुई है जिस पर सन् उन्नीस सौ बीस की तारीख लिखी है। There is an old writing slate kept in the museum, on which is written the date 1920.
(ajaayabghar men ek puraanii pattii rakhii huii hai jis par san unniis sau biis kii taariikh likhii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Sense 4 : instigation, bad coaching (only in the idiom पट्टी पढ़ाना)
noun, feminine Almost always appears as the fixed compound पट्टी पढ़ाना (pattii padhaanaa, 'to feed someone lines/instigate them'), with the person being influenced marked by को (ko).
Synonyms: भड़काना (bhadkaanaa, verb, similar effect)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Picture a scheming relative or a scheming friend whispering advice in someone's ear before a family dispute -- उसने मेरे भाई को पट्टी पढ़ा दी (usne mere bhaaii ko pattii padhaa dii, 'she filled my brother's head with bad ideas') is exactly the flavor of gossip and blame this idiom carries.
Common Mistakes: 1) This पट्टी (pattii) has nothing to do with bandages or strips -- learners sometimes try to guess a literal meaning, but the whole expression must be learned as a unit: किसी को पट्टी पढ़ाना (kisii ko pattii padhaanaa, 'to instigate/coach someone against their own interest').
Sample Sentences:
उसने मेरे भाई को पट्टी पढ़ा दी। She filled my brother's head with bad ideas.
(usne mere bhaaii ko pattii padhaa dii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
कोई उसे मेरे खिलाफ पट्टी पढ़ा रहा है। Someone is coaching him against me with bad advice.
(koii use mere khilaaph pattii padhaa rahaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
तुम उसे पट्टी मत पढ़ाओ, वह पहले से परेशान है। Don't fill her head with bad ideas, she's already upset.
(tum use pattii mat padhaao, vah pahle se pareshaan hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
लगता है सास ने बहू के कान में पट्टी पढ़ा दी है। It seems the mother-in-law has whispered some mischief into the daughter-in-law's ear.
(lagtaa hai saas ne bahoo ke kaan men pattii padhaa dii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर किसी ने उसे पट्टी न पढ़ाई होती, तो वह कभी घर नहीं छोड़ता। If someone hadn't put those bad ideas in his head, he would never have left home.
(agar kisii ne use pattii n padhaaii hotii, to vah kabhii ghar nahiin chhodtaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
क्या पता किसने उसके दिमाग में यह पट्टी पढ़ाई हो। Who knows who might have planted this idea in his head.
(kyaa pataa kisne uske dimaag men yah pattii padhaaii ho।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
मुझे शक है कि उसकी सहेली ने उसे मेरे खिलाफ पट्टी पढ़ाई है। I suspect her friend has been coaching her against me.
(mujhe shak hai ki uskii sahelii ne use mere khilaaph pattii padhaaii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
घर में जब भी झगड़ा होता है, कोई न कोई पट्टी जरूर पढ़ाता है। Whenever there's a fight at home, someone or the other always stirs things up with bad advice.
(ghar men jab bhii jhagdaa hotaa hai, koii n koii pattii jaroor padhaataa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसे उसके दोस्तों ने ऐसी पट्टी पढ़ाई है कि वह अब घर वालों की बात ही नहीं सुनता। His friends have filled his head so badly that he doesn't even listen to his family anymore.
(use uske doston ne aisii pattii padhaaii hai ki vah ab ghar vaalon kii baat hii nahiin suntaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): पट्टी (pattii)
(sg.f.oblique): पट्टी (pattii)
(pl.f.direct): पट्टियाँ (pattiyaan)
(pl.f.oblique): पट्टियों (pattiyon)