वकालत (vakaalat)
noun
A noun with a literal sense (the legal profession, practicing as a lawyer) and a common figurative sense (arguing/advocating in favor of someone or something).
Sense
1
:
the practice of law, the legal profession
noun, feminine
Synonyms: वकालत करना (vakaalat karnaa, to practice law)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: वकालत (vakaalat) comes from the same root as वकील (vakiil, 'lawyer'), from Arabic/Persian via Urdu into everyday Hindi legal vocabulary. Saying कोई वकालत करता है (koii vakaalat kartaa hai, 'someone practices law') is the standard way to describe a person's profession, much like डॉक्टरी करना (doktrii karnaa) for medicine.
Common Mistakes: 1) वकालत (vakaalat) itself means the profession/practice of law, not a single 'case' -- a case is मुकदमा (mukadmaa) or केस (kes). 2) Learners sometimes say वकालत करना (vakaalat karnaa) when they mean 'to hire a lawyer' -- that would be वकील करना (vakiil karnaa) instead.
Sample Sentences:
मेरे पिताजी दिल्ली में वकालत करते हैं।
My father practices law in Delhi.
(mere pitaajii dillii men vakaalat karte hain।)
उसने दस साल तक वकालत की और फिर राजनीति में चला गया।
He practiced law for ten years and then went into politics.
(usne das saal tak vakaalat kii aur phir raajniiti men chalaa gayaa।)
वह पिछले कुछ महीनों से हाई कोर्ट में वकालत कर रही है।
She has been practicing law in the High Court for the past few months.
(vah pichhle kuchh mahiinon se haaii kort men vakaalat kar rahii hai।)
अगर वह वकालत करता तो शायद इतना पैसा नहीं कमाता।
If he had practiced law, he probably wouldn't have earned this much money.
(agar vah vakaalat kartaa to shaayad itnaa paisaa nahiin kamaataa।)
वकालत कर, तेरा दिमाग तो बहस करने में ही चलता है।
Practice law, your mind only works when you're arguing anyway.
(vakaalat kar, teraa dimaag to bahas karne men hii chaltaa hai।)
वह चाहती है कि उसका बेटा वकालत करे, डॉक्टर नहीं बने।
She wants her son to practice law, not become a doctor.
(vah chaahtii hai ki uskaa betaa vakaalat kare, doktar nahiin bane।)
क्या तुम अभी भी वकालत करते हो या कुछ और शुरू कर दिया?
Do you still practice law, or have you started something else?
(kyaa tum abhii bhii vakaalat karte ho yaa kuchh aur shuroo kar diyaa?)
स्नातक होने के बाद उन्होंने कानून की पढ़ाई की और वकालत शुरू कर दी।
After graduating, he studied law and started practicing.
(snaatak hone ke baad unhonne kaanoon kii padhaaii kii aur vakaalat shuroo kar dii।)
उन दिनों वकालत करना आसान नहीं था, ग्राहक ढूँढना ही सबसे बड़ी चुनौती थी।
In those days, practicing law wasn't easy; finding clients itself was the biggest challenge.
(un dinon vakaalat karnaa aasaan nahiin thaa, graahak dhoondhnaa hii sabse badii chunautii thii।)
इस शहर में वकालत बहुत लाभदायक पेशा मानी जाती है।
Practicing law is considered a very profitable profession in this city.
(is shahar men vakaalat bahut laabhdaayak peshaa maanii jaatii hai।)
वकालत करने के लिए धैर्य और तेज़ दिमाग दोनों चाहिए।
To practice law, you need both patience and a sharp mind.
(vakaalat karne ke lie dhairy aur tez dimaag donon chaahie।)
Sense
2
:
advocacy, pleading/arguing in favor of someone or something
noun, feminine Commonly used in the pattern किसी की/का वकालत करना (kisii kii vakaalat karnaa, 'to advocate for someone/something').
Synonyms: समर्थन (samarthan, support, broader/less personal), पैरवी (pairvii, championing/backing someone)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the extended, metaphorical use of a lawyer 'pleading a case' -- in everyday speech, वकालत करना (vakaalat karnaa) is how you say someone is 'making the case for' or 'championing' an idea, a person, or a policy, heard constantly in news debates and family arguments alike.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense is very common in news and everyday debate-talk, e.g. वह इस बदलाव की वकालत करता है (vah is badlaav kii vakaalat kartaa hai, 'he advocates for this change') -- learners often only know the 'lawyer' sense and miss this extended usage. 2) The thing being advocated for takes की (kii), matching वकालत's feminine gender, not का (kaa) or के (ke).
Sample Sentences:
वह हमेशा गरीबों के हक़ में वकालत करता है।
He always advocates for the rights of the poor.
(vah hameshaa gariibon ke haq men vakaalat kartaa hai।)
मीटिंग में मैनेजर उसके प्रमोशन की वकालत कर रहा था।
In the meeting, the manager was advocating for his promotion.
(miiting men mainejar uske pramoshan kii vakaalat kar rahaa thaa।)
बहस के दौरान एंकर ने उस नेता की खुलकर वकालत की।
During the debate, the anchor openly championed that leader.
(bahas ke dauraan enkar ne us netaa kii khulkar vakaalat kii।)
क्या तुम सच में इस फैसले की वकालत कर रहे हो?
Are you really making the case for this decision?
(kyaa tum sach men is phaisle kii vakaalat kar rahe ho?)
अगर तुम उसकी वकालत करोगे, तो लोग तुम पर भी शक करेंगे।
If you defend him, people will start suspecting you too.
(agar tum uskii vakaalat karoge, to log tum par bhii shak karenge।)
समिति चाहती है कि कोई विशेषज्ञ इस नीति की वकालत करे।
The committee wants some expert to make the case for this policy.
(samiti chaahtii hai ki koii visheshagy is niiti kii vakaalat kare।)
उसकी वकालत मत करो, वह इसके लायक नहीं है।
Don't advocate for him, he doesn't deserve it.
(uskii vakaalat mat karo, vah iske laayak nahiin hai।)
अगर वह थोड़ी हिम्मत दिखाता तो अपने दोस्त की वकालत करता।
If he had shown a little courage, he would have advocated for his friend.
(agar vah thodii himmat dikhaataa to apne dost kii vakaalat kartaa।)
इस मुद्दे पर मीडिया में पिछले कई हफ्तों से लगातार वकालत की जा रही है।
This issue has been continuously advocated for in the media for the past several weeks.
(is mudde par miidiyaa men pichhle kaii haphton se lagaataar vakaalat kii jaa rahii hai।)
परिवार में सब उसकी शादी की वकालत करने लगे थे।
Everyone in the family had started championing his marriage.
(parivaar men sab uskii shaadii kii vakaalat karne lage the।)
विशेषज्ञों द्वारा इस सुधार की वकालत की गई थी।
This reform had been advocated for by experts.
(visheshgyon dvaaraa is sudhaar kii vakaalat kii gaii thii।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
वकालत
(vakaalat)
(sg.f.oblique):
वकालत
(vakaalat)
(pl.f.direct):
वकालतें
(vakaalten)
(pl.f.oblique):
वकालतों
(vakaalton)