शीशा (shiishaa)
noun
Mainly means 'mirror' in everyday speech, and also 'glass' as a material or a glass pane (like a window or car window). Both senses are common and closely linked, since a mirror is literally a piece of glass.
Sense
1
:
mirror
noun, masculine
Synonyms: आईना (aaiinaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Every Indian bathroom and bedroom has a शीशा (shiishaa), and asking 'शीशा कहाँ है? (shiishaa kahaan hai?, 'where is the mirror?')' before stepping out is a household routine. In auto-rickshaws and trucks you will also see the side mirror called शीशा (shiishaa) rather than any English loanword.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for आईना (aaiinaa) as the 'default' word from film songs and forget that शीशा (shiishaa) is at least as common, if not more so, in daily speech -- both are completely standard and interchangeable in most contexts. 2) शीशा देखना (shiishaa dekhnaa, 'to look in the mirror') is the natural phrase; learners sometimes try to add a postposition like में (men) when it is not idiomatically needed with this verb-object pairing, though it is not wrong to say शीशे में देखना (shiishe men dekhnaa) either.
Sample Sentences:
शीशा कहाँ है?
Where is the mirror?
(shiishaa kahaan hai?)
वह हर सुबह शीशे के सामने खड़ी होकर बाल बनाती है।
She stands in front of the mirror and does her hair every morning.
(vah har subah shiishe ke saamne khadii hokar baal banaatii hai।)
ज़रा शीशा तो पकड़ना, मुझे अपनी टाई ठीक करनी है।
Just hold the mirror for a second, I need to fix my tie.
(zaraa shiishaa to pakadnaa, mujhe apnii taaii thiik karnii hai।)
ऑटो का शीशा टूटा हुआ था, इसलिए ड्राइवर को पीछे का ट्रैफ़िक नहीं दिख रहा था।
The auto-rickshaw's side mirror was broken, so the driver couldn't see the traffic behind.
(oto kaa shiishaa tootaa huaa thaa, islie draaivar ko piichhe kaa traifik nahiin dikh rahaa thaa।)
अगर शीशा साफ़ होता तो मुझे अपना चेहरा ठीक से दिख पाता।
If the mirror were clean, I would be able to see my face properly.
(agar shiishaa saaf hotaa to mujhe apnaa chehraa thiik se dikh paataa।)
बाथरूम में शीशा टँगा हुआ है।
The mirror is hanging in the bathroom.
(baathroom men shiishaa tangaa huaa hai।)
बच्चे ने खेलते-खेलते गेंद से शीशा तोड़ दिया।
The child broke the mirror with the ball while playing.
(bachche ne khelte-khelte gend se shiishaa tod diyaa।)
ट्रक वाले ने रास्ता देने के लिए अपना शीशा मोड़ लिया।
The truck driver folded in his side mirror to make way.
(trak vaale ne raastaa dene ke lie apnaa shiishaa mod liyaa।)
क्या तुम चाहते हो कि यह शीशा भी नया लगाया जाए?
Do you want this mirror to be replaced with a new one too?
(kyaa tum chaahte ho ki yah shiishaa bhii nayaa lagaayaa jaae?)
दुकान में सुनार के पास एक बड़ा-सा शीशा रखा हुआ था।
There was a big mirror kept near the jeweler in the shop.
(dukaan men sunaar ke paas ek badaa-saa shiishaa rakhaa huaa thaa।)
कवि ने लिखा है कि मन एक शीशा है जिसमें आत्मा का प्रतिबिंब दिखता है।
The poet has written that the mind is a mirror in which the soul's reflection is seen.
(kavi ne likhaa hai ki man ek shiishaa hai jismen aatmaa kaa pratibimb dikhtaa hai।)
Sense
2
:
glass (material) or glass pane
noun, masculine
Synonyms: काँच (kaanch)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear शीशा नीचे करो (shiishaa niiche karo, 'roll the window down') in any auto or car in Delhi, since 'shisha' has become the default word for a car or window pane, not just for a mirror. This double life of the word (mirror and glass) reflects how the object itself, a flat piece of glass, is the common thread.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often only know काँच (kaanch) for 'glass' and don't realize शीशा (shiishaa) is equally natural for a window or car glass pane, e.g. गाड़ी का शीशा (gaadii kaa shiishaa, 'the car's window/glass'). 2) शीशा तोड़ना (shiishaa todnaa, 'to break the glass/pane') is the standard idiom for smashing a window, not a literal 'mirror-breaking' phrase even though the same word is used.
Sample Sentences:
गाड़ी का शीशा नीचे करो, बहुत गर्मी लग रही है।
Roll down the car window, it's really hot.
(gaadii kaa shiishaa niiche karo, bahut garmii lag rahii hai।)
किसी ने पत्थर मारकर खिड़की का शीशा तोड़ दिया।
Someone threw a stone and broke the window glass.
(kisii ne patthar maarkar khidkii kaa shiishaa tod diyaa।)
यह मेज़ शीशे की बनी है, इसलिए बहुत सावधानी से रखनी पड़ती है।
This table is made of glass, so it has to be handled very carefully.
(yah mez shiishe kii banii hai, islie bahut saavdhaanii se rakhnii padtii hai।)
बस का शीशा इतना गंदा था कि बाहर कुछ दिख ही नहीं रहा था।
The bus window was so dirty that nothing outside was even visible.
(bas kaa shiishaa itnaa gandaa thaa ki baahar kuchh dikh hii nahiin rahaa thaa।)
अगर शीशा टूट जाता, तो सारा पानी बाहर बह जाता।
If the glass had broken, all the water would have spilled out.
(agar shiishaa toot jaataa, to saaraa paanii baahar bah jaataa।)
प्लीज़ शीशा ऊपर कर दीजिए, धूल बहुत आ रही है।
Please roll the window up, a lot of dust is coming in.
(pliiz shiishaa oopar kar diijie, dhool bahut aa rahii hai।)
मुझे लगता है दरवाज़े में शीशा लगवाना चाहिए, कमरा रोशन लगेगा।
I think we should get glass fitted in the door, the room will look brighter.
(mujhe lagtaa hai darvaaze men shiishaa lagvaanaa chaahie, kamraa roshan lagegaa।)
पुरानी हवेलियों की खिड़कियों में रंगीन शीशा लगा होता था।
The windows of old mansions used to have colored glass fitted in them.
(puraanii haveliyon kii khidkiyon men rangiin shiishaa lagaa hotaa thaa।)
मंदिर के गुंबद पर लगा शीशा सूरज की रोशनी में चमक रहा था।
The glass set into the temple dome was glinting in the sunlight.
(mandir ke gumbad par lagaa shiishaa sooraj kii roshnii men chamak rahaa thaa।)
शोरूम में शीशे से बनी अलमारियाँ रखी गई हैं।
Cabinets made of glass have been placed in the showroom.
(shoroom men shiishe se banii almaariyaan rakhii gaii hain।)
इस बार बालकनी में शीशा लगवाकर उसे बंद कर लेंगे ताकि ठंड न लगे।
This time we'll get glass fitted in the balcony and close it up so the cold doesn't get in.
(is baar baalaknii men shiishaa lagvaakar use band kar lenge taaki thand n lage।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
शीशा
(shiishaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
शीशे
(shiishe)
(pl.m.direct):
शीशे
(shiishe)
(pl.m.oblique):
शीशों
(shiishon)