ख़त (khat)
noun
A single everyday sense: a written letter (post). Also commonly spelled without the nuqta as खत (khat).
Sense
1
:
letter (written correspondence)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: पत्र (patr, formal), चिट्ठी (chitthii)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: ख़त (khat) carries a slightly romantic, old-world flavor in Hindi film and song culture -- think of the entire genre of prem-patra (love letter) songs -- even though actual letter-writing has faded with email and texting. In everyday speech today it often shows up nostalgically, as in ख़त लिखा करते थे (khat likhaa karte the, 'we used to write letters'), evoking a slower, pre-digital era.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for पत्र (patr) in casual speech; among friends and family, ख़त (khat) or चिट्ठी (chitthii) sounds far more natural, with पत्र (patr) reserved for formal or official contexts. 2) The verb pairing is ख़त लिखना (khat likhnaa, 'to write a letter') or ख़त भेजना (khat bhejnaa, 'to send a letter') -- learners sometimes default to देना (denaa) as if handing something over, which sounds off for postal letters.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे कल एक ख़त मिला।
I received a letter yesterday.
(mujhe kal ek khat milaa।)
हम पहले एक-दूसरे को ख़त लिखा करते थे।
We used to write letters to each other before.
(ham pahle ek-doosre ko khat likhaa karte the।)
वह अपने प्रेमी को ख़त लिख रही है।
She is writing a letter to her lover.
(vah apne premii ko khat likh rahii hai।)
कृपया मुझे जल्दी ख़त भेजना।
Please send me a letter soon.
(kripyaa mujhe jaldii khat bhejnaa।)
अगर उसे मेरा ख़त मिल जाता, तो वह ज़रूर जवाब देती।
If she had received my letter, she would definitely have replied.
(agar use meraa khat mil jaataa, to vah zaroor javaab detii।)
यह ख़त डाकिए के ज़रिए भेजा गया था।
This letter was sent through the postman.
(yah khat daakie ke zarie bhejaa gayaa thaa।)
शायद वह मुझे कोई ख़त लिखे।
Maybe he will write me some letter.
(shaayad vah mujhe koii khat likhe।)
आज कौन ख़त लिखता है, सब तो मैसेज करते हैं।
Who writes letters these days, everyone just texts.
(aaj kaun khat likhtaa hai, sab to maisej karte hain।)
उसका आख़िरी ख़त अभी भी मेरे पास रखा है।
Her last letter is still kept with me.
(uskaa aakhirii khat abhii bhii mere paas rakhaa hai।)
मैंने वह ख़त पढ़ते ही आँसू बहा दिए।
As soon as I read that letter, I broke into tears.
(mainne vah khat padhte hii aansoo bahaa die।)
क्या तुमने अपने दादा जी को कभी ख़त लिखा है?
Have you ever written a letter to your grandfather?
(kyaa tumne apne daadaa jii ko kabhii khat likhaa hai?)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
ख़त
(khat)
(sg.m.oblique):
ख़त
(khat)
(pl.m.direct):
ख़त
(khat)
(pl.m.oblique):
ख़तों
(khaton)