ड्राइवर (draaivar)

noun An English loanword meaning 'driver', used exactly as in English for someone who drives a vehicle for a living or otherwise.
Sense 1 : person who drives a vehicle
noun, masculine
Synonyms: चालक (chaalak, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In most middle-class and upper-class Indian households that employ household help, ड्राइवर (draaivar) is a common household staff role alongside cook and maid, and the word is used with the same casual familiarity as नौकर (naukar) or बुआ (buaa) for other helpers. You will hear it constantly in Delhi-NCR: ऑटो ड्राइवर (oto draaivar, auto driver), टैक्सी ड्राइवर (taiksii draaivar, taxi driver), and simply हमारा ड्राइवर (hamaaraa draaivar, 'our driver') when referring to a family's own driver.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for चालक (chaalak) by default because it looks like the 'textbook' word, but in everyday speech -- talking about your family's driver, an auto driver, a bus driver -- ड्राइवर (draaivar) is what people actually say; चालक (chaalak) shows up mostly in formal or written contexts like traffic signs and news reports.
Sample Sentences:
हमारा ड्राइवर हर सुबह आठ बजे आता है। Our driver comes at eight o'clock every morning.
(hamaaraa draaivar har subah aath baje aataa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
ड्राइवर गाड़ी बाहर निकाल रहा है, तुम तैयार हो जाओ। The driver is bringing the car out, get ready.
(draaivar gaadii baahar nikaal rahaa hai, tum taiyaar ho jaao।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कल ड्राइवर छुट्टी पर था, इसलिए मैंने खुद गाड़ी चलाई। The driver was on leave yesterday, so I drove myself.
(kal draaivar chhuttii par thaa, islie mainne khud gaadii chalaaii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर हमारा ड्राइवर नहीं होता, तो हमें रोज़ मेट्रो लेनी पड़ती। If we didn't have a driver, we would have to take the metro every day.
(agar hamaaraa draaivar nahiin hotaa, to hamen roz metro lenii padtii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
ड्राइवर को बोल दो कि गाड़ी पाँच बजे तक तैयार रखे। Tell the driver to keep the car ready by five o'clock.
(draaivar ko bol do ki gaadii paanch baje tak taiyaar rakhe।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
ऑटो ड्राइवर ने किराया बढ़ाकर माँगा तो हम उतर गए। When the auto driver asked for a higher fare, we got off.
(oto draaivar ne kiraayaa badhaakar maangaa to ham utar gae।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
टैक्सी ड्राइवर रात भर जागकर गाड़ी चलाता रहा। The taxi driver kept driving all night, staying awake.
(taiksii draaivar raat bhar jaagkar gaadii chalaataa rahaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
कृपया ड्राइवर से पूछ लीजिए कि गाड़ी कब तक आएगी। Please ask the driver by when the car will arrive.
(kripyaa draaivar se poochh liijie ki gaadii kab tak aaegii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
कंपनी की तरफ़ से हर अधिकारी को एक ड्राइवर दिया जाता है। The company provides every officer with a driver.
(kampnii kii taraf se har adhikaarii ko ek draaivar diyaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
शायद ड्राइवर रास्ता भूल गया हो, फ़ोन करके देखो। Maybe the driver has forgotten the way, call and check.
(shaayad draaivar raastaa bhool gayaa ho, fon karke dekho।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
दुर्घटना के बाद ड्राइवर को तुरंत अस्पताल ले जाया गया। After the accident, the driver was immediately taken to the hospital.
(durghatnaa ke baad draaivar ko turant asptaal le jaayaa gayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): ड्राइवर (draaivar)
(sg.m.oblique): ड्राइवर (draaivar)
(pl.m.direct): ड्राइवर (draaivar)
(pl.m.oblique): ड्राइवरों (draaivron)