रेज़गारी (rezgaarii)

noun A single, everyday sense: small change/coins, the loose currency you get back or need for exact payment.
Sense 1 : small change (coins/loose money)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: छुट्टा (chhuttaa, everyday, especially for exact payment/change needed), सिक्के (sikke, coins specifically)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Every shopkeeper in Delhi has, at some point, sighed and said मेरे पास रेज़गारी नहीं है (mere paas rezgaarii nahiin hai, 'I don't have change') when you hand over a 500-rupee note for a 20-rupee item -- this word is central to that very common haggle over exact change at chai stalls, autos, and local shops.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for छुट्टा (chhuttaa) and रेज़गारी (rezgaarii) interchangeably, but छुट्टा (chhuttaa) is more common when asking whether someone has change to break a bigger note (जैसे, आपके पास छुट्टा है? (aapke paas chhuttaa hai?, 'do you have change?')), while रेज़गारी (rezgaarii) refers more to the coins/small denominations themselves sitting in your pocket or till. 2) It is feminine, so watch adjective and verb agreement: रेज़गारी पड़ी है (rezgaarii padii hai, 'there is change lying around'), not पड़ा।
Sample Sentences:
मेरे पास रेज़गारी नहीं है। I don't have change.
(mere paas rezgaarii nahiin hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्या आपके पास सौ रुपये की रेज़गारी है? Do you have change for a hundred rupees?
(kyaa aapke paas sau rupye kii rezgaarii hai?)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
ऑटो वाला हमेशा रेज़गारी न होने का बहाना बनाता है। The auto driver always makes the excuse of not having change.
(oto vaalaa hameshaa rezgaarii n hone kaa bahaanaa banaataa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
दुकानदार ने मुझे बीस रुपये की रेज़गारी लौटा दी। The shopkeeper returned twenty rupees in change to me.
(dukaandaar ne mujhe biis rupye kii rezgaarii lautaa dii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
कृपया रेज़गारी साथ रखें, दुकानदार अक्सर बड़े नोट लेने से मना कर देते हैं। Please keep some change with you, shopkeepers often refuse to accept large notes.
(kripyaa rezgaarii saath rakhen, dukaandaar aksar bade not lene se manaa kar dete hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर मेरे पास रेज़गारी होती, तो मैं चाय वाले को पूरे पैसे दे देता। If I had change, I would have given the tea seller the full amount.
(agar mere paas rezgaarii hotii, to main chaay vaale ko poore paise de detaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
पाँच सौ का नोट देने से पहले यह देख लो कि दुकान में रेज़गारी है भी या नहीं। Before handing over a five-hundred rupee note, check whether the shop even has change or not.
(paanch sau kaa not dene se pahle yah dekh lo ki dukaan men rezgaarii hai bhii yaa nahiin।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
मुझे उम्मीद है कि पानवाले के पास रेज़गारी हो, वरना मुझे कहीं और से तुड़वानी पड़ेगी। I hope the paanwala has change, otherwise I'll have to get it broken somewhere else.
(mujhe ummiid hai ki paanvaale ke paas rezgaarii ho, varnaa mujhe kahiin aur se tudvaanii padegii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बाज़ार में रेज़गारी की इतनी किल्लत है कि लोग सिक्के जमा करने लगे हैं। There's such a shortage of change in the market that people have started hoarding coins.
(baazaar men rezgaarii kii itnii killat hai ki log sikke jamaa karne lage hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
जब तक रेज़गारी नहीं दी जाएगी, बिल पूरा नहीं माना जाएगा। Until the change is given, the bill will not be considered complete.
(jab tak rezgaarii nahiin dii jaaegii, bil pooraa nahiin maanaa jaaegaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
मैंने सोचा था कि बस स्टैंड पर रेज़गारी बदलवा लूँगा, पर वहाँ भी कोई नहीं दे रहा था। I had thought I would get change exchanged at the bus stand, but no one there was giving it either.
(mainne sochaa thaa ki bas staind par rezgaarii badalvaa loongaa, par vahaan bhii koii nahiin de rahaa thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): रेज़गारी (rezgaarii)
(sg.f.oblique): रेज़गारी (rezgaarii)
(pl.f.direct): रेज़गारियाँ (rezgaariyaan)
(pl.f.oblique): रेज़गारियों (rezgaariyon)