दिल्ली (dillii)

noun The proper name of India's capital city; a single-sense proper noun.
Sense 1 : Delhi, the capital city of India
noun, feminine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: दिल्ली (dillii) is shorthand for the whole National Capital Region in everyday speech -- someone commuting from Gurgaon or Noida will often just say वो दिल्ली में रहता है (vo dillii men rahtaa hai, 'he lives in Delhi') loosely. You will also hear पुरानी दिल्ली (puraanii dillii, 'Old Delhi') and नई दिल्ली (naii dillii, 'New Delhi') as distinct zones within the city, each with its own character -- the old walled city of narrow lanes and Mughal-era markets versus the planned government city built by the British.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes add an article-like word before it as in English ('the Delhi') -- Hindi proper nouns take no article, so it is just दिल्ली (dillii), never a marked form. 2) दिल्ली (dillii) is grammatically feminine, which surfaces in agreement, e.g. पुरानी दिल्ली (puraanii dillii, 'Old Delhi') rather than a masculine adjective form.
Sample Sentences:
दिल्ली भारत की राजधानी है। Delhi is the capital of India.
(dillii bhaarat kii raajdhaanii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वो दिल्ली में रहता है, पर काम गुड़गांव में करता है। He lives in Delhi, but he works in Gurgaon.
(vo dillii men rahtaa hai, par kaam gudgaanv men kartaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पुरानी दिल्ली की गलियों में खाने की जो बात है, वो कहीं और नहीं मिलती। The food in the lanes of Old Delhi has a quality you won't find anywhere else.
(puraanii dillii kii galiyon men khaane kii jo baat hai, vo kahiin aur nahiin miltii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
नई दिल्ली में सरकारी दफ्तर और बड़ी-बड़ी सड़कें हैं। New Delhi has government offices and wide roads.
(naii dillii men sarkaarii daphtar aur badii-badii sadken hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
हम कल दिल्ली जा रहे हैं। We are going to Delhi tomorrow.
(ham kal dillii jaa rahe hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर मैं दिल्ली में पैदा हुआ होता, तो शायद हिंदी बेहतर बोलता। If I had been born in Delhi, I would probably speak Hindi better.
(agar main dillii men paidaa huaa hotaa, to shaayad hindii behtar boltaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
दिल्ली की सर्दी बहुत सख्त होती है और गर्मी उससे भी ज़्यादा। Delhi's winters are quite harsh, and the summers are even worse.
(dillii kii sardii bahut sakht hotii hai aur garmii usse bhii zyaadaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मुगल काल में दिल्ली कला और संस्कृति का बड़ा केंद्र थी। During the Mughal era, Delhi was a great center of art and culture.
(mugal kaal men dillii kalaa aur sanskriti kaa badaa kendr thii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या आप दिल्ली से हैं या यहीं के हैं? Are you from Delhi, or are you a local here?
(kyaa aap dillii se hain yaa yahiin ke hain?)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
दिल्ली को बसाने और उजाड़ने का सिलसिला सदियों तक चला। The cycle of building and destroying Delhi went on for centuries.
(dillii ko basaane aur ujaadne kaa silsilaa sadiyon tak chalaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
दिल्ली आ जाओ, फिर मिलकर घूमेंगे। Come to Delhi, then we'll meet up and go around together.
(dillii aa jaao, phir milkar ghoomenge।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): दिल्ली (dillii)
(sg.f.oblique): दिल्ली (dillii)
(pl.f.direct): दिल्लियाँ (dilliyaan)
(pl.f.oblique): दिल्लियों (dilliyon)