बैल (bail)
noun
A single-sense everyday noun: the male bovine used for farm labor and cart-pulling, with a common figurative extension for a dull, hard-working, or foolish person.
Sense
1
:
ox / bullock
noun, masculine
Synonyms: बैला (bailaa, rare)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: In rural North India, the बैल (bail) pair yoked to a plough or cart was, until tractors became common, the backbone of farm work -- you'll still hear older villagers measure a farmer's wealth partly by how many बैल (bail) he owned. The word also does double duty as a mild insult, बैल की तरह (bail kii tarah, 'like an ox') for someone who works hard without using their brain, or just काम के बैल (kaam ke bail, 'workhorse ox') for a tireless drudge.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse बैल (bail) with गाय (gaay, 'cow') or भैंस (bhains, 'buffalo') -- बैल (bail) specifically refers to the castrated male ox used for plowing and pulling carts, not a generic 'bull' (which is साँड़ saand).
Sample Sentences:
गाँव में हर किसान के पास दो बैल होते थे।
In the village, every farmer used to have two oxen.
(gaanv men har kisaan ke paas do bail hote the।)
किसान खेत में बैल से हल जोत रहा है।
The farmer is ploughing the field with an ox.
(kisaan khet men bail se hal jot rahaa hai।)
बैल पेड़ के नीचे खड़ा है।
The ox is standing under the tree.
(bail ped ke niiche khadaa hai।)
बैलों को खेत में मत छोड़ो, वे फसल चर जाएंगे।
Don't leave the oxen in the field, they'll graze on the crop.
(bailon ko khet men mat chhodo, ve phasal char jaaenge।)
पहले लोग अपनी दौलत बैलों की संख्या से भी नापते थे।
In earlier times, people also measured their wealth by the number of oxen they owned.
(pahle log apnii daulat bailon kii sankhyaa se bhii naapte the।)
अगर ट्रैक्टर न होता, तो हम अब भी बैल से खेती करते।
If there were no tractors, we would still be farming with oxen.
(agar traiktar n hotaa, to ham ab bhii bail se khetii karte।)
वह दिन भर बैल की तरह खेत में जुटा रहता है।
He toils in the field all day like an ox.
(vah din bhar bail kii tarah khet men jutaa rahtaa hai।)
उसे तो लोग काम के बैल ही कहते हैं, इतना खटता है वह।
People just call him a workhorse ox, he slogs so much.
(use to log kaam ke bail hii kahte hain, itnaa khattaa hai vah।)
गाड़ी में बैल जोते जा रहे थे जब सूरज निकला।
The oxen were being yoked to the cart when the sun rose.
(gaadii men bail jote jaa rahe the jab sooraj niklaa।)
दादाजी कहते थे कि एक अच्छा बैल पूरे परिवार का पेट भर देता है।
Grandfather used to say that one good ox feeds the whole family.
(daadaajii kahte the ki ek achchhaa bail poore parivaar kaa pet bhar detaa hai।)
Sense
2
:
dull-witted, brutish person (figurative)
noun, masculine Used as a colloquial insult or affectionate tease, often in the vocative or in phrases like बैल हो क्या (bail ho kyaa, 'are you an ox or what')
Synonyms: गधा (gadhaa, similar figurative insult), उल्लू (ulloo, similar figurative insult)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Calling someone बैल (bail) suggests they are strong but slow-witted or stubborn -- think of it as the Hindi cousin of calling someone an 'ox' or 'dumb brute' in English, usually said in exasperation among friends or family rather than as a serious insult.
Sample Sentences:
तू कितना बड़ा बैल है, इतनी आसान बात भी समझ में नहीं आई!
What a blockhead you are, you didn't even understand such a simple thing!
(too kitnaa badaa bail hai, itnii aasaan baat bhii samajh men nahiin aaii!)
अरे बैल, दरवाज़ा उधर से नहीं, इधर से खुलता है।
Hey blockhead, the door doesn't open from that side, it opens from this side.
(are bail, darvaazaa udhar se nahiin, idhar se khultaa hai।)
वह बैल फिर से गलत रास्ते पर चला गया।
That dolt went down the wrong road again.
(vah bail phir se galat raaste par chalaa gayaa।)
इतना मत बन बैल, ज़रा दिमाग से सोच!
Don't act like such a dolt, think with your brain a little!
(itnaa mat ban bail, zaraa dimaag se soch!)
काश वह बैल की तरह हर बात पर ज़िद न करता।
I wish he didn't stubbornly insist on everything like a dumb ox.
(kaash vah bail kii tarah har baat par zid n kartaa।)
अगर तुम बैल बने रहोगे, तो कोई तुम्हारी बात नहीं सुनेगा।
If you keep being a blockhead, no one will listen to you.
(agar tum bail bane rahoge, to koii tumhaarii baat nahiin sunegaa।)
मेरा भाई पढ़ने में तो बैल है, पर दिल का बहुत अच्छा है।
My brother is a real dolt when it comes to studies, but he's very good-hearted.
(meraa bhaaii padhne men to bail hai, par dil kaa bahut achchhaa hai।)
क्या तुम बैल हो जो इतनी सीधी सी बात नहीं समझ पाए?
Are you a blockhead or something, that you couldn't understand such a straightforward thing?
(kyaa tum bail ho jo itnii siidhii sii baat nahiin samajh paae?)
उसे बैल मत समझो, वह बस थोड़ा शांत रहता है।
Don't think of him as a dumb brute, he's just a bit quiet.
(use bail mat samjho, vah bas thodaa shaant rahtaa hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
बैल
(bail)
(sg.m.oblique):
बैल
(bail)
(pl.m.direct):
बैल
(bail)
(pl.m.oblique):
बैलों
(bailon)