छत (chhat)
noun
A common household noun with two closely linked senses: the flat roof/rooftop of a house (where Delhi families sit, dry pickles, fly kites) and, by extension, the ceiling of a room.
Sense
1
:
rooftop, terrace
noun, feminine
Synonyms: छज्जा (chhajjaa, overhang/ledge, meaning scope), टैरेस (taires, colloquial)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In most North Indian homes, छत (chhat) is a genuine living space, not just a structural top -- families sit out there in the evenings, kids fly kites off it during Independence Day and Makar Sankranti, and in summer people even sleep on the छत (chhat) under the open sky. Asking 'छत पर चलें?' (chhat par chalen?, 'shall we go up to the roof?') is a very normal, everyday invitation, not an unusual one.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes assume छत (chhat) means only 'ceiling' as in English and miss its far more common sense of a flat, usable rooftop terrace -- Delhi houses are typically built with flat roofs meant for sitting, drying clothes, and sleeping in summer. 2) छत पर (chhat par, 'on the roof') is the fixed way to say 'upstairs on the roof' -- learners sometimes reach for ऊपर (oopar) alone, which is vaguer and just means 'up/upstairs' without specifying the rooftop.
Sample Sentences:
शाम को छत पर चलें?
Shall we go up to the roof in the evening?
(shaam ko chhat par chalen?)
गर्मियों में हम छत पर सोते हैं।
In summer we sleep on the roof.
(garmiyon men ham chhat par sote hain।)
बच्चे छत पर पतंग उड़ा रहे हैं।
The kids are flying kites on the roof.
(bachche chhat par patang udaa rahe hain।)
पिछले साल स्वतंत्रता दिवस पर हमने छत से पतंग उड़ाई थी।
Last year on Independence Day we flew kites from the roof.
(pichhle saal svatantrtaa divas par hamne chhat se patang udaaii thii।)
छत पर चलो, हवा बहुत अच्छी है।
Come up to the roof, the breeze is really nice.
(chhat par chalo, havaa bahut achchhii hai।)
अगर छत खाली होती तो हम वहीं बैठ जाते।
If the roof had been free, we would have just sat there.
(agar chhat khaalii hotii to ham vahiin baith jaate।)
मकर संक्रांति पर हर छत से पतंगें उड़ती दिखती हैं।
On Makar Sankranti, kites can be seen flying from every rooftop.
(makar sankraanti par har chhat se patangen udtii dikhtii hain।)
इस इमारत की छत से पूरा शहर दिखाई देता है।
The whole city is visible from this building's rooftop.
(is imaarat kii chhat se pooraa shahar dikhaaii detaa hai।)
छत की सफ़ाई मज़दूरों से करवाई गई।
The rooftop was cleaned by the workers.
(chhat kii safaaii mazdooron se karvaaii gaii।)
काश हमारे घर की छत थोड़ी बड़ी होती।
I wish our house's rooftop were a little bigger.
(kaash hamaare ghar kii chhat thodii badii hotii।)
क्या तुम कभी छत पर बैठे हो और बस आसमान देखा है?
Have you ever sat on the roof and just watched the sky?
(kyaa tum kabhii chhat par baithe ho aur bas aasmaan dekhaa hai?)
Sense
2
:
ceiling
noun, feminine
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the same word simply viewed from inside the room rather than from above -- Hindi doesn't split 'roof' and 'ceiling' into separate words the way English does, so छत (chhat) does double duty for both, and context (are you inside looking up, or outside standing on it) tells you which is meant.
Sample Sentences:
कमरे की छत बहुत ऊँची है।
The room's ceiling is very high.
(kamre kii chhat bahut oonchii hai।)
छत से पानी टपक रहा है।
Water is leaking from the ceiling.
(chhat se paanii tapak rahaa hai।)
छत पर एक बड़ा सा पंखा लगा है।
There's a big fan fixed on the ceiling.
(chhat par ek badaa saa pankhaa lagaa hai।)
पुराने मकान की छत पर सीलन के धब्बे पड़ गए थे।
Damp stains had appeared on the old house's ceiling.
(puraane makaan kii chhat par siilan ke dhabbe pad gae the।)
अगर छत इतनी नीची न होती तो कमरा ज्यादा हवादार लगता।
If the ceiling weren't so low, the room would feel more airy.
(agar chhat itnii niichii n hotii to kamraa jyaadaa havaadaar lagtaa।)
मिस्त्री ने छत की मरम्मत कर दी।
The mason repaired the ceiling.
(mistrii ne chhat kii marammat kar dii।)
छत को हर साल पुताई की जरूरत होती है।
The ceiling needs whitewashing every year.
(chhat ko har saal putaaii kii jaroorat hotii hai।)
जरा देखो, छत में दरार तो नहीं आ गई?
Just check, has a crack appeared in the ceiling?
(jaraa dekho, chhat men daraar to nahiin aa gaii?)
छत इतनी कमजोर हो गई है कि कभी भी गिर सकती है।
The ceiling has become so weak that it could collapse any time.
(chhat itnii kamjor ho gaii hai ki kabhii bhii gir saktii hai।)
कंपनी ने पूरे हॉल की छत नई डिजाइन से बनवाई।
The company had the entire hall's ceiling built with a new design.
(kampnii ne poore hol kii chhat naii dijaain se banvaaii।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
छत
(chhat)
(sg.f.oblique):
छत
(chhat)
(pl.f.direct):
छतें
(chhaten)
(pl.f.oblique):
छतों
(chhaton)