देर (der)
noun/adverb
Mainly a feminine noun meaning 'delay' or 'a while (of time)', used constantly in everyday speech about being late or about duration; also works as an adverb-like predicate in fixed phrases like देर होना (der honaa) and देर करना (der karnaa).
Sense
1
:
delay, lateness
noun, feminine Most common in the fixed construction देर होना (der honaa, 'to become late') with a को-marked experiencer, and देर करना (der karnaa, 'to make a delay/take too long').
Synonyms: विलंब (vilamb, formal), देरी (derii)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear देर हो गई! (der ho gaii, 'it's gotten late!') shouted in almost every Delhi household when someone is dawdling before school, work, or a wedding baraat (baaraat) -- lateness is framed as something that happens to you, matching the involuntary-verb pattern learners see with लगना (lagnaa).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often say मैं देर हूँ (main der hoon) intending 'I am late', but Hindi uses the dative-subject frame मुझे देर हो गई (mujhe der ho gaii, 'I got late') -- देर (der) is the thing that 'happens to' you, not a state you 'are'. 2) देर करना (der karnaa) means 'to delay/take long' (as in delaying an action), while देर होना (der honaa) means 'to become/get late' (as in the time itself slipping) -- learners often mix these two up.
Sample Sentences:
देर हो गई, चलो जल्दी करो!
It's gotten late, come on, hurry up!
(der ho gaii, chalo jaldii karo!)
मुझे ऑफिस पहुँचने में हमेशा देर हो जाती है।
I always end up being late in reaching the office.
(mujhe ophis pahunchne men hameshaa der ho jaatii hai।)
बारात में इतनी देर क्यों हो रही है?
Why is there such a delay in the wedding procession?
(baaraat men itnii der kyon ho rahii hai?)
अगर ट्रेन छूट गई तो बहुत देर हो जाएगी।
If the train is missed, there will be a big delay.
(agar tren chhoot gaii to bahut der ho jaaegii।)
कृपया देर न करें, मीटिंग शुरू होने वाली है।
Please do not cause a delay, the meeting is about to start.
(kripyaa der n karen, miiting shuroo hone vaalii hai।)
अगर उसे पहले बता दिया जाता तो इतनी देर न होती।
If he had been told earlier, there wouldn't have been such a delay.
(agar use pahle bataa diyaa jaataa to itnii der n hotii।)
देर होने की वजह से सामान बाजार में देर से पहुँचाया गया।
Because of the delay, the goods were delivered late to the market.
(der hone kii vajah se saamaan baajaar men der se pahunchaayaa gayaa।)
शायद रास्ते में ट्रैफिक की वजह से देर हो गई हो।
Perhaps there was a delay on the way because of traffic.
(shaayad raaste men traiphik kii vajah se der ho gaii ho।)
माँ हमेशा कहती थीं, देर मत करना, वरना खाना ठंडा हो जाएगा।
Mother always used to say, don't cause a delay, otherwise the food will get cold.
(maan hameshaa kahtii thiin, der mat karnaa, varnaa khaanaa thandaa ho jaaegaa।)
इस बार शादी की तैयारियों में बहुत देर हुई।
This time there was a lot of delay in the wedding preparations.
(is baar shaadii kii taiyaariyon men bahut der huii।)
देर हो जाने के कारण उन्हें उड़ान छोड़नी पड़ी।
Because of the delay, they had to leave the flight behind.
(der ho jaane ke kaaran unhen udaan chhodnii padii।)
Sense
2
:
a while, a span of time
noun, feminine Used in phrases like कुछ देर (kuchh der, 'for a little while') or देर तक (der tak, 'for a long time/until late'), quantifying duration rather than describing lateness.
Synonyms: समय (samay), वक़्त (vaqt)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: देर तक (der tak, 'until late') is what you say when describing staying up late chatting over chai (chaay) with friends -- it stretches the same word from 'lateness' into plain duration, so listen for तक (tak) or कुछ (kuchh) nearby to tell which sense is meant.
Common Mistakes: 1) कुछ देर (kuchh der) means 'for a little while' (a short duration), which learners sometimes confuse with the 'lateness' sense -- here देर (der) is neutral duration, not a complaint about being late.
Sample Sentences:
हम देर तक बातें करते रहे।
We kept talking for a long while.
(ham der tak baaten karte rahe।)
कुछ देर बैठो, फिर चलते हैं।
Sit for a while, then we'll go.
(kuchh der baitho, phir chalte hain।)
वह देर तक चाय की चुस्कियाँ लेते हुए बातें करता रहा।
He kept chatting for a long while, sipping his chai.
(vah der tak chaay kii chuskiyaan lete hue baaten kartaa rahaa।)
थोड़ी देर के लिए यहाँ रुक जाओ।
Stop here for a little while.
(thodii der ke lie yahaan ruk jaao।)
अगर थोड़ी देर और मिल जाती, तो मैं यह काम पूरा कर लेता।
If I had gotten a little more time, I would have finished this work.
(agar thodii der aur mil jaatii, to main yah kaam pooraa kar letaa।)
वे देर तक पार्क में घूमते रहते हैं।
They keep wandering in the park for a long while.
(ve der tak paark men ghoomte rahte hain।)
शायद कुछ देर और लगे, इसलिए थोड़ा इंतज़ार कर लें।
It might take a little longer, so let's wait a bit.
(shaayad kuchh der aur lage, islie thodaa intzaar kar len।)
इस मुद्दे पर देर तक चर्चा की गई।
The issue was discussed for a long while.
(is mudde par der tak charchaa kii gaii।)
बैठक देर तक चलेगी, इसलिए धैर्य रखिए।
The meeting will go on for a long while, so please be patient.
(baithak der tak chalegii, islie dhairy rakhie।)
बच्चा देर तक सोता रहा और स्कूल के लिए तैयार नहीं हुआ।
The child kept sleeping for a long while and didn't get ready for school.
(bachchaa der tak sotaa rahaa aur skool ke lie taiyaar nahiin huaa।)
काश हम कुछ देर और साथ रह पाते।
I wish we could have stayed together for a little while longer.
(kaash ham kuchh der aur saath rah paate।)
Sense
3
:
late (in time)
adverb Functions adverbially in phrases like देर से आना (der se aanaa, 'to come late'), where देर से (der se) literally means 'from/after a delay'.
Synonyms: विलंब से (vilamb se, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: देर से आना (der se aanaa, 'to come late') is basically the national pastime excuse for missed trains and parties -- delhiites will cheerfully say थोड़ी देर से आऊँगा (thodii der se aaoongaa, 'I'll come a bit late') without much guilt, since 'IST' is jokingly reinterpreted as 'Indian Stretchable Time'.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often drop से (se) and just say देर आना (der aanaa) intending 'to come late', but the natural adverbial form requires से (se): देर से आना (der se aanaa).
Sample Sentences:
मुझे आज दफ़्तर से देर से निकलना पड़ा।
I had to leave the office late today.
(mujhe aaj daftar se der se nikalnaa padaa।)
वह हमेशा पार्टियों में देर से आता है।
He always comes late to parties.
(vah hameshaa paartiyon men der se aataa hai।)
मैं थोड़ी देर से आऊँगा, तुम शुरू कर देना।
I'll come a bit late, you go ahead and start.
(main thodii der se aaoongaa, tum shuroo kar denaa।)
कृपया देर से मत आइए, मीटिंग समय पर शुरू होगी।
Please don't come late, the meeting will start on time.
(kripyaa der se mat aaie, miiting samay par shuroo hogii।)
अगर वह देर से आता तो बॉस नाराज़ हो जाता।
If he had come late, the boss would have gotten angry.
(agar vah der se aataa to bos naaraaz ho jaataa।)
ट्रेन आज बहुत देर से चल रही है।
The train is running very late today.
(tren aaj bahut der se chal rahii hai।)
शायद वह ट्रैफ़िक की वजह से देर से पहुँचे।
Maybe he'll arrive late because of the traffic.
(shaayad vah traifik kii vajah se der se pahunche।)
सभी अतिथियों को समारोह में देर से न पहुँचने की सलाह दी जाती है।
All guests are advised not to arrive late at the ceremony.
(sabhii atithiyon ko samaaroh men der se n pahunchne kii salaah dii jaatii hai।)
यार, सॉरी, मैं थोड़ी देर से आऊँगा, मेट्रो लेट है।
Dude, sorry, I'll come a bit late, the metro is delayed.
(yaar, sorii, main thodii der se aaoongaa, metro let hai।)
स्कूल में देर से पहुँचने पर प्रिंसिपल ने उसे डाँटा।
The principal scolded him for arriving late at school.
(skool men der se pahunchne par prinsipal ne use daantaa।)
वह जानता था कि देर से पहुँचना ठीक नहीं है, फिर भी वह देर से ही पहुँचा।
He knew it wasn't right to arrive late, yet he still arrived late.
(vah jaantaa thaa ki der se pahunchnaa thiik nahiin hai, phir bhii vah der se hii pahunchaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
देर
(der)
(sg.f.oblique):
देर
(der)
(pl.f.direct):
देरें
(deren)
(pl.f.oblique):
देरों
(deron)