गधा (gadhaa)

noun Literally 'donkey' (the animal); the same word doubles as a common, mild insult for a foolish or stubborn person.

Sense 1 : fool, dimwit (used as an insult)

noun, masculine

Synonyms: बेवकूफ़ (bevkoof), उल्लू (ulloo, 'owl', also used as fool), मूर्ख (moorkh, formal)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: This is the classic taane (taane, 'taunt') word every Delhi kid has heard from a frustrated teacher or parent -- 'गधा हो क्या?' (gadhaa ho kyaa?, 'are you a donkey or what?') -- treating stubbornness and stupidity as the donkey's defining traits, much like English uses 'ass' or 'dumb ox.'

Common Mistakes: 1) Calling someone गधा (gadhaa) is genuinely rude, not a gentle tease like English 'silly goose' -- Hindi speakers reserve it for real irritation or scolding, most often from an elder to a child or between close friends where the familiarity softens it. 2) Feminine referents take गधी (gadhii), not गधा (gadhaa) -- the insult still agrees in gender like the animal noun does.

Sample Sentences:

गधा हो क्या? Are you a donkey or what?

(gadhaa ho kyaa?)

इतना आसान सवाल भी नहीं आया, कितना गधा है तू! You couldn't even solve such an easy question, what an idiot you are!

(itnaa aasaan savaal bhii nahiin aayaa, kitnaa gadhaa hai too!)

मैं इतना गधा नहीं हूँ कि उसकी बातों में आ जाऊँ। I'm not such a fool that I'd fall for what he says.

(main itnaa gadhaa nahiin hoon ki uskii baaton men aa jaaoon।)

टीचर हमेशा उसे गधा बुलाती थी, इसलिए वो स्कूल जाने से डरता था। The teacher always used to call him an idiot, so he was scared of going to school.

(tiichar hameshaa use gadhaa bulaatii thii, islie vo skool jaane se dartaa thaa।)

अरे गधे, गाड़ी की चाबी तो साथ ले लेता! Hey idiot, you should have at least taken the car keys with you!

(are gadhe, gaadii kii chaabii to saath le letaa!)

अगर मैं गधा होता तो ये गलती फिर से करता। If I were a fool, I'd make this mistake again.

(agar main gadhaa hotaa to ye galtii phir se kartaa।)

पापा चिल्लाए, गधे, इतनी देर से कहाँ था? Dad yelled, 'You idiot, where have you been for so long?'

(paapaa chillaae, gadhe, itnii der se kahaan thaa?)

क्लास में सब उसे गधा समझते थे, पर एग्जाम में उसने टॉप किया। Everyone in class thought he was a dimwit, but he topped the exam.

(klaas men sab use gadhaa samajhte the, par egjaam men usne top kiyaa।)

गधा मत बनो, थोड़ा दिमाग से सोचो। Don't be an idiot, think with your head a little.

(gadhaa mat bano, thodaa dimaag se socho।)

उसे गधा कहा गया था, फिर भी उसने हार नहीं मानी। He had been called a fool, yet he did not give up.

(use gadhaa kahaa gayaa thaa, phir bhii usne haar nahiin maanii।)

शायद वो सच में गधा हो, इतनी सीधी बात भी समझ नहीं पाया। Maybe he really is a dimwit, he couldn't even understand such a simple thing.

(shaayad vo sach men gadhaa ho, itnii siidhii baat bhii samajh nahiin paayaa।)

Sense 2 : donkey (the animal)

noun, masculine

Synonyms: गदहा (gadahaa, rural variant)

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: You will still see गधे (gadhe) carrying bricks and sand at small construction sites and in villages around Delhi-NCR -- the animal is a familiar working presence, not just a storybook character, which is part of why it slid so easily into the insult sense below.

Sample Sentences:

गधा सामान लेकर बाज़ार जा रहा है। The donkey is going to the market carrying goods.

(gadhaa saamaan lekar baazaar jaa rahaa hai।)

गाँव में गधे रेत और ईंटें ढोते हैं। In the village, donkeys carry sand and bricks.

(gaanv men gadhe ret aur iinten dhote hain।)

मज़दूर ने गधे पर ईंटों का बोरा लाद दिया। The laborer loaded a sack of bricks onto the donkey.

(mazdoor ne gadhe par iinton kaa boraa laad diyaa।)

उस निर्माण स्थल पर एक गधा खड़ा है। A donkey is standing at that construction site.

(us nirmaan sthal par ek gadhaa khadaa hai।)

अगर हम गधे को रास्ता नहीं दिखाएँगे, तो वह भटक जाएगा। If we don't show the donkey the way, it will wander off.

(agar ham gadhe ko raastaa nahiin dikhaaenge, to vah bhatak jaaegaa।)

गधे को पानी पीने के लिए नदी तक ले जाओ। Take the donkey to the river to drink water.

(gadhe ko paanii piine ke lie nadii tak le jaao।)

यह ईंटों का बोझ इस गधे से ढोया जा रहा है। This load of bricks is being carried by this donkey.

(yah iinton kaa bojh is gadhe se dhoyaa jaa rahaa hai।)

काश हमारे पास भी एक गधा होता, तो सामान ढोना आसान हो जाता। If only we also had a donkey, carrying goods would become easy.

(kaash hamaare paas bhii ek gadhaa hotaa, to saamaan dhonaa aasaan ho jaataa।)

पुराने समय में लोग सामान ढोने के लिए गधे रखते थे। In olden times, people kept donkeys to carry goods.

(puraane samay men log saamaan dhone ke lie gadhe rakhte the।)

क्या तुमने कभी गधे को दौड़ते देखा है? Have you ever seen a donkey running?

(kyaa tumne kabhii gadhe ko daudte dekhaa hai?)

Morphology

Noun

(sg.m.direct): गधा (gadhaa)

(sg.m.oblique): गधे (gadhe)

(pl.m.direct): गधे (gadhe)

(pl.m.oblique): गधों (gadhon)