घास (ghaas)

noun A simple, everyday noun meaning 'grass' or 'hay/fodder'; it also appears in a couple of common fixed idioms about being ignored or not worth much.

Sense 1 : grass

noun, feminine

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: In Delhi-NCR, घास (ghaas) is the word you'd use for the lawn in a park (जैसे लोधी गार्डन की घास, jaise lodhii gaardan kii ghaas, 'like the grass of Lodhi Garden') or for the patchy grass parks outside a housing colony where kids play cricket in the evening.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes treat घास (ghaas) as countable like English 'a grass, grasses'; it is normally used as a mass noun, so quantity is expressed with words like घास का तिनका (ghaas kaa tinkaa, 'a blade of grass') rather than a plural.

Sample Sentences:

पार्क में घास बहुत हरी है। The grass in the park is very green.

(paark men ghaas bahut harii hai।)

बच्चे घास पर बैठे हैं। The children are sitting on the grass.

(bachche ghaas par baithe hain।)

माली रोज़ शाम को घास काटता है। The gardener cuts the grass every evening.

(maalii roz shaam ko ghaas kaattaa hai।)

कॉलोनी के बाहर वाले मैदान की घास सूख गई थी। The grass in the field outside the colony had dried up.

(kolonii ke baahar vaale maidaan kii ghaas sookh gaii thii।)

घास पर मत बैठो, अभी बारिश हुई है। Don't sit on the grass, it has just rained.

(ghaas par mat baitho, abhii baarish huii hai।)

अगर नगर निगम घास काट देता तो मैदान इतना गंदा नहीं दिखता। If the municipal corporation had cut the grass, the field wouldn't look so unkempt.

(agar nagar nigam ghaas kaat detaa to maidaan itnaa gandaa nahiin dikhtaa।)

शायद इस साल गर्मी में घास सूख जाए। Maybe the grass will dry up in the heat this year.

(shaayad is saal garmii men ghaas sookh jaae।)

लोधी गार्डन की घास पर लेटकर लोग किताबें पढ़ते हैं। People lie on the grass at Lodhi Garden and read books.

(lodhii gaardan kii ghaas par letkar log kitaaben padhte hain।)

शाम को इस घास पर बच्चे क्रिकेट खेलेंगे। In the evening, the children will play cricket on this grass.

(shaam ko is ghaas par bachche kriket khelenge।)

पार्क की घास को नियमित रूप से पानी दिया जाता है। The park's grass is watered regularly.

(paark kii ghaas ko niymit roop se paanii diyaa jaataa hai।)

यह घास इतनी घनी है कि पैर छिप जाते हैं। This grass is so thick that your feet disappear into it.

(yah ghaas itnii ghanii hai ki pair chhip jaate hain।)

Sense 2 : fodder, hay (for animals)

noun, feminine

Synonyms: चारा (chaaraa)

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: Anyone who has seen a buffalo or cow being fed at a dairy (तबेला, tabelaa) in an urban village has heard घास (ghaas) used this way -- it is the everyday word for what livestock eat, distinct from चारा (chaaraa) which leans more toward cut/prepared feed.

Sample Sentences:

गाय के लिए घास ले आओ। Bring some fodder for the cow.

(gaay ke lie ghaas le aao।)

वह रोज़ सुबह भैंस को घास डालता है। He gives the buffalo fodder every morning.

(vah roz subah bhains ko ghaas daaltaa hai।)

तबेले में घास ख़त्म हो गई थी। The fodder had run out at the dairy.

(tabele men ghaas khatm ho gaii thii।)

मज़दूर बैलगाड़ी में घास लाद रहे हैं। The workers are loading fodder onto the bullock cart.

(mazdoor bailgaadii men ghaas laad rahe hain।)

अगर बारिश ज़्यादा होती तो घास सड़ जाती। If it had rained more, the fodder would have rotted.

(agar baarish zyaadaa hotii to ghaas sad jaatii।)

सर्दियों में घास कम मिलती है, इसलिए दाम बढ़ जाते हैं। Fodder is scarce in winter, so the prices go up.

(sardiyon men ghaas kam miltii hai, islie daam badh jaate hain।)

किसान ने खेत से घास काटकर बाँध दी। The farmer cut the fodder from the field and bundled it up.

(kisaan ne khet se ghaas kaatkar baandh dii।)

इस मंडी में घास चारे से सस्ती बिकती है। In this market, fodder sells cheaper than prepared feed.

(is mandii men ghaas chaare se sastii biktii hai।)

कृपया जानवरों को समय पर घास दी जाए। Please see that the animals are given fodder on time.

(kripyaa jaanavron ko samay par ghaas dii jaae।)

Sense 3 : something worthless, not worth attention (idiomatic)

noun, feminine Lives almost entirely inside the fixed expression घास न डालना (ghaas n daalnaa, 'to not give someone the time of day') and related phrasing like घास डालना (ghaas daalnaa) in the negative -- rarely used as a free-standing noun with this meaning.

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: Picture feeding grass to cattle -- कोई घास नहीं डालता (koii ghaas nahiin daaltaa, 'no one throws grass [its way]') captures the image of an animal being deliberately ignored and left unfed, which is exactly the emotional register of this idiom when used about a person: 'nobody gives him any attention.'

Common Mistakes: 1) घास डालना (ghaas daalnaa) meaning 'to pay attention to someone' is almost always used in the negative (घास नहीं डालना, ghaas nahiin daalnaa) -- learners sometimes try to use it in the positive to mean 'I like him,' which sounds odd; positive attention is expressed differently.

Sample Sentences:

उसे कोई घास नहीं डालता। Nobody pays him any attention.

(use koii ghaas nahiin daaltaa।)

पहले तो कोई घास नहीं डालता था, अब सब उसकी तारीफ करते हैं। Earlier nobody used to pay him any attention, now everyone praises him.

(pahle to koii ghaas nahiin daaltaa thaa, ab sab uskii taariiph karte hain।)

जब तक तुम कुछ बड़ा नहीं करोगे, कोई तुम्हें घास नहीं डालेगा। Until you do something big, nobody will give you the time of day.

(jab tak tum kuchh badaa nahiin karoge, koii tumhen ghaas nahiin daalegaa।)

इस दफ्तर में मेहनत करने वाले को कोई घास नहीं डालता। In this office, nobody gives any regard to the person who works hard.

(is daphtar men mehnat karne vaale ko koii ghaas nahiin daaltaa।)

अगर वह इतना घमंडी न होता, तो लोग उसे घास डालते। If he weren't so arrogant, people would pay him some attention.

(agar vah itnaa ghamandii n hotaa, to log use ghaas daalte।)

उसकी बातों को घास मत समझो, वह मतलब की बात कर रहा है। Don't treat his words as worthless, he's saying something meaningful.

(uskii baaton ko ghaas mat samjho, vah matlab kii baat kar rahaa hai।)

क्या इस कंपनी में किसी की सुनवाई है, या यहाँ भी घास ही डाली जाती है? Does anyone get heard in this company, or is everyone treated as worthless here too?

(kyaa is kampnii men kisii kii sunvaaii hai, yaa yahaan bhii ghaas hii daalii jaatii hai?)

शायद वह चाहता है कि लोग उसे घास डालें, इसीलिए इतना दिखावा करता है। Maybe he wants people to pay him attention, that's why he shows off so much.

(shaayad vah chaahtaa hai ki log use ghaas daalen, isiilie itnaa dikhaavaa kartaa hai।)

गरीब आदमी को समाज में कौन घास डालता है? Who bothers to give a poor man any regard in society?

(gariib aadmii ko samaaj men kaun ghaas daaltaa hai?)

उसने इतनी बड़ी बात कह दी और किसी ने घास तक नहीं डाली। He said something so significant, and nobody even bothered to acknowledge it.

(usne itnii badii baat kah dii aur kisii ne ghaas tak nahiin daalii।)

Morphology

Noun

(sg.f.direct): घास (ghaas)

(sg.f.oblique): घास (ghaas)

(pl.f.direct): घासें (ghaasen)

(pl.f.oblique): घासों (ghaason)