छाती (chhaatii)

noun Primarily the body part 'chest,' extended into common idioms about courage, emotional weight, and pride. A feminine noun.

Sense 1 : chest (body part)

noun, feminine

Synonyms: सीना (siinaa)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: You will hear this word at the doctor's clinic all the time: छाती में दर्द (chhaatii men dard, 'chest pain') is a very ordinary complaint to describe. It is a plain, physical-body word, not a poetic one -- for that, Hindi reaches for सीना (siinaa) or हृदय (hriday) instead.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for सीना (siinaa) only, not realizing छाती (chhaatii) is just as common in everyday speech, especially when talking about physical sensations like pain or tightness in the chest.

Sample Sentences:

डॉक्टर ने कहा कि मेरी छाती में हल्का दर्द है। The doctor said that I have mild pain in my chest.

(doktar ne kahaa ki merii chhaatii men halkaa dard hai।)

सर्दी की वजह से उसकी छाती जकड़ गई है। His chest has become congested because of the cold.

(sardii kii vajah se uskii chhaatii jakad gaii hai।)

गिरने से उसकी छाती पर चोट लग गई। He got injured on the chest from the fall.

(girne se uskii chhaatii par chot lag gaii।)

अगर तुम्हारी छाती में दर्द हो, तो फौरन डॉक्टर के पास जाओ। If you have pain in your chest, go to the doctor immediately.

(agar tumhaarii chhaatii men dard ho, to phauran doktar ke paas jaao।)

नर्स ने मरीज़ की छाती का एक्स-रे करवाया। The nurse got the patient's chest X-rayed.

(nars ne mariiz kii chhaatii kaa eks-re karvaayaa।)

स्टेथोस्कोप से डॉक्टर छाती की धड़कन सुन रहा था। The doctor was listening to the chest's heartbeat with a stethoscope.

(stethoskop se doktar chhaatii kii dhadkan sun rahaa thaa।)

बच्चे की छाती फुला हुआ था क्योंकि वह ठंड से काँप रहा था। The child's chest was heaving because he was shivering from the cold.

(bachche kii chhaatii phulaa huaa thaa kyonki vah thand se kaamp rahaa thaa।)

रोज़ सुबह वह अपनी छाती पर सरसों का तेल मलती है। Every morning she rubs mustard oil on her chest.

(roz subah vah apnii chhaatii par sarson kaa tel maltii hai।)

मरीज़ की छाती एक्स-रे में जाँची गई। The patient's chest was examined in the X-ray.

(mariiz kii chhaatii eks-re men jaanchii gaii।)

अपनी छाती ढँक लो, बाहर बहुत ठंड है। Cover your chest, it's very cold outside.

(apnii chhaatii dhank lo, baahar bahut thand hai।)

अगर उसे छाती में इतना दर्द होता, तो वह पहले ही अस्पताल चला जाता। If he had had so much chest pain, he would have already gone to the hospital.

(agar use chhaatii men itnaa dard hotaa, to vah pahle hii asptaal chalaa jaataa।)

Sense 2 : courage, heart (figurative, as seat of emotional strength)

noun, feminine Appears mainly inside fixed idiomatic phrases rather than as a free-standing word for 'courage.'

Synonyms: हिम्मत (himmat), दिल (dil)

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: This is where the body-as-emotion logic of Hindi really shows itself: instead of saying 'I have the courage,' people say उसकी छाती में हिम्मत है (uskii chhaatii men himmat hai, 'he has courage in his chest'), locating bravery physically in the chest rather than as an abstract quality one 'has.'

Common Mistakes: 1) छाती ठोकना (chhaatii thoknaa, 'to thump one's chest') means to boast or assert something with confidence, not literally to hit oneself -- learners sometimes take these idioms too literally. 2) छाती पर पत्थर रखना (chhaatii par patthar rakhnaa, 'to put a stone on one's chest') means to steel oneself against grief, not a literal action.

Sample Sentences:

उसकी छाती में इतनी हिम्मत नहीं थी कि सच बोल सके। He didn't have the nerve in his heart to speak the truth.

(uskii chhaatii men itnii himmat nahiin thii ki sach bol sake।)

अकेले जंगल में जाने के लिए बड़ी छाती चाहिए। You need real nerve to go into the jungle alone.

(akele jangal men jaane ke lie badii chhaatii chaahie।)

मेरी छाती नहीं पड़ती कि मैं उसे मना कर दूँ। I don't have it in me to refuse him.

(merii chhaatii nahiin padtii ki main use manaa kar doon।)

अगर उसकी छाती में इतना दम होता, तो वह पहले ही बोल देता। If he had had that much nerve in him, he would have spoken up long ago.

(agar uskii chhaatii men itnaa dam hotaa, to vah pahle hii bol detaa।)

छाती ठोककर बोल कि तूने ही यह किया है। Say it boldly, with your heart pounding proud, that you're the one who did this.

(chhaatii thokkar bol ki toone hii yah kiyaa hai।)

काश मेरी छाती में भी इतनी हिम्मत होती। I wish I had that much courage in my heart too.

(kaash merii chhaatii men bhii itnii himmat hotii।)

पुलिस के सामने खड़े होने की उसकी छाती थी। He had the nerve to stand right in front of the police.

(pulis ke saamne khade hone kii uskii chhaatii thii।)

सिपाही की छाती में इतना साहस था कि उसने अकेले ही दुश्मनों का सामना किया। The soldier had such courage in his heart that he faced the enemies alone.

(sipaahii kii chhaatii men itnaa saahas thaa ki usne akele hii dushmnon kaa saamnaa kiyaa।)

क्या तुझमें इतनी छाती है कि तू उसके सामने खड़ा हो सके? Do you have the nerve to stand up to him?

(kyaa tujhmen itnii chhaatii hai ki too uske saamne khadaa ho sake?)

अपनी छाती मजबूत रखो, हार मत मानो। Keep your heart strong, don't give up.

(apnii chhaatii majboot rakho, haar mat maano।)

Sense 3 : pride, satisfaction (figurative, chest swelling with pride)

noun, feminine Occurs almost exclusively in the set phrase छाती चौड़ी होना (chhaatii chaudii honaa, 'for one's chest to broaden/swell with pride').

Synonyms: गर्व (garv)

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: A father watching his child succeed will often be described with उसकी छाती चौड़ी हो गई (uskii chhaatii chaudii ho gaii, 'his chest swelled with pride') -- a very familiar, almost cinematic image of parental pride in Hindi storytelling and daily speech alike.

Common Mistakes: 1) छाती चौड़ी होना (chhaatii chaudii honaa) is used for pride, often about someone else's achievement (a parent's pride in a child, for instance), and learners may not realize it is not literally about physique.

Sample Sentences:

बेटे को मेडल मिलते ही पिता की छाती चौड़ी हो गई। As soon as the son got the medal, the father's chest swelled with pride.

(bete ko medal milte hii pitaa kii chhaatii chaudii ho gaii।)

जब भी वह अपनी बेटी की तारीफ सुनता है, उसकी छाती चौड़ी हो जाती है। Whenever he hears his daughter being praised, his chest swells with pride.

(jab bhii vah apnii betii kii taariiph suntaa hai, uskii chhaatii chaudii ho jaatii hai।)

गाँव वालों के सामने अपने बेटे की तरक्की बताते हुए उसकी छाती गर्व से फूल रही थी। While telling the villagers about his son's success, his chest was swelling with pride.

(gaanv vaalon ke saamne apne bete kii tarakkii bataate hue uskii chhaatii garv se phool rahii thii।)

अगर वह आज यहाँ होता तो अपने पोते को यह कप उठाते देख उसकी छाती चौड़ी हो जाती। If he were here today, his chest would have swelled with pride seeing his grandson lift this cup.

(agar vah aaj yahaan hotaa to apne pote ko yah kap uthaate dekh uskii chhaatii chaudii ho jaatii।)

काश मेरी छाती भी उसकी तरह गर्व से चौड़ी होती। I wish my chest could swell with pride like his does.

(kaash merii chhaatii bhii uskii tarah garv se chaudii hotii।)

बेटा, ऐसा काम करो कि माँ-बाप की छाती चौड़ी हो जाए। Son, do such work that your parents' chests swell with pride.

(betaa, aisaa kaam karo ki maan-baap kii chhaatii chaudii ho jaae।)

उस्ताद जी अपने शिष्य का प्रदर्शन देखकर छाती चौड़ी किए बैठे थे। The maestro sat there, chest swollen with pride, watching his disciple's performance.

(ustaad jii apne shishy kaa pradarshan dekhkar chhaatii chaudii kie baithe the।)

जब देश का नाम रोशन होता है तो हर नागरिक की छाती चौड़ी हो जाती है। When the nation's name is glorified, every citizen's chest swells with pride.

(jab desh kaa naam roshan hotaa hai to har naagrik kii chhaatii chaudii ho jaatii hai।)

अपने शिष्यों की सफलता से गुरु की छाती गर्व से भर उठी। The guru's chest overflowed with pride at his students' success.

(apne shishyon kii saphaltaa se guru kii chhaatii garv se bhar uthii।)

Morphology

Noun

(sg.f.direct): छाती (chhaatii)

(sg.f.oblique): छाती (chhaatii)

(pl.f.direct): छातियाँ (chhaatiyaan)

(pl.f.oblique): छातियों (chhaatiyon)