नाली (naalii)

noun A concrete noun for a channel that carries water or waste -- ranges from a household drain to a roadside gutter to a small irrigation channel.
Sense 1 : drain, gutter (for wastewater)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: गटर (gatar, often the covered street drain), मोरी (morii, small household drain outlet)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In everyday Delhi-NCR speech, नाली (naalii) conjures the narrow open drains running along the sides of streets and galis (galii) -- a very physical, everyday word you will hear in complaints about blockage or overflow, especially during monsoon.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse नाली (naalii) with नाला (naalaa) -- the latter is a larger open drain or stormwater channel, often running along a street or through a neighborhood, while नाली (naalii) is smaller in scale, like a household or lane-level drain.
Sample Sentences:
गली की नाली फिर से बंद हो गई है। The gutter in the lane is blocked again.
(galii kii naalii phir se band ho gaii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बारिश में नाली का पानी सड़क पर बहने लगता है। In the rain, the drain water starts flowing onto the road.
(baarish men naalii kaa paanii sadak par bahne lagtaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
नाली साफ करो, बदबू आ रही है। Clean the drain, it's stinking.
(naalii saaph karo, badboo aa rahii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
कल मजदूरों ने नाली की सफाई की थी। The workers had cleaned the drain yesterday.
(kal majdooron ne naalii kii saphaaii kii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर नगर निगम समय पर नालियाँ साफ करता तो इतना पानी नहीं भरता। If the municipal corporation cleaned the drains on time, so much water wouldn't collect.
(agar nagar nigam samay par naaliyaan saaph kartaa to itnaa paanii nahiin bhartaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
नाली का ढक्कन टूटा हुआ है, संभलकर चलना। The drain cover is broken, walk carefully.
(naalii kaa dhakkan tootaa huaa hai, sambhalkar chalnaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
शिकायत दर्ज कराई गई है कि मोहल्ले की नालियाँ महीनों से साफ नहीं हुई हैं। A complaint has been filed that the neighborhood's drains haven't been cleaned in months.
(shikaayat darj karaaii gaii hai ki mohalle kii naaliyaan mahiinon se saaph nahiin huii hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
बच्चे नाली के पास मत खेलने दो। Don't let the children play near the drain.
(bachche naalii ke paas mat khelne do।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
पार्षद ने वादा किया कि इस बार सारी नालियाँ ढकी जाएँगी। The councilor promised that this time all the drains will be covered.
(paarshad ne vaadaa kiyaa ki is baar saarii naaliyaan dhakii jaaengii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
उम्मीद है कि इस बार नाली का पानी घरों तक न पहुँचे। Hopefully this time the drain water doesn't reach the houses.
(ummiid hai ki is baar naalii kaa paanii gharon tak n pahunche।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
नाली से कचरा निकालते वक्त उसे बहुत घिन आई। He felt very disgusted while pulling the garbage out of the drain.
(naalii se kachraa nikaalte vakt use bahut ghin aaii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : irrigation channel
noun, feminine
Synonyms: नहर (nahar, larger canal)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: In rural or agricultural contexts, नाली (naalii) can refer to a small channel dug in a field to guide irrigation water -- a farmer directing पानी (paanii) into the नाली (naalii) is a common rural image.
Sample Sentences:
किसान ने खेत में नाली खोदी। The farmer dug an irrigation channel in the field.
(kisaan ne khet men naalii khodii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वह नाली से पानी को अपने खेत की ओर मोड़ रहा है। He is diverting the water from the channel toward his field.
(vah naalii se paanii ko apne khet kii or mod rahaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
गाँव के किसान हर साल बुआई से पहले नालियाँ बनाते हैं। The village farmers make irrigation channels every year before sowing.
(gaanv ke kisaan har saal buaaii se pahle naaliyaan banaate hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
नाली खोदो ताकि पानी सीधे धान के खेत तक पहुँचे। Dig an irrigation channel so that the water reaches straight to the paddy field.
(naalii khodo taaki paanii siidhe dhaan ke khet tak pahunche।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर नाली ठीक से न बनाई जाए तो पानी बराबर नहीं बँटता। If the channel is not made properly, the water does not get distributed evenly.
(agar naalii thiik se n banaaii jaae to paanii baraabar nahiin banttaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
पानी नाली के रास्ते खेत के हर कोने तक पहुँचाया जाता है। Water is carried to every corner of the field through the irrigation channel.
(paanii naalii ke raaste khet ke har kone tak pahunchaayaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
अगर बरसों पहले यह नाली न बनी होती तो यह ज़मीन बंजर रहती। If this irrigation channel had not been built years ago, this land would have remained barren.
(agar barson pahle yah naalii n banii hotii to yah zamiin banjar rahtii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Passive
नाली में पानी भरते ही मज़दूर फ़सल की सिंचाई शुरू कर देंगे। As soon as the channel fills with water, the workers will start irrigating the crop.
(naalii men paanii bharte hii mazdoor fasal kii sinchaaii shuroo kar denge।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
नाली में पानी छोड़ दो, फ़सल सूख रही है। Let the water into the channel, the crop is drying up.
(naalii men paanii chhod do, fasal sookh rahii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): नाली (naalii)
(sg.f.oblique): नाली (naalii)
(pl.f.direct): नालियाँ (naaliyaan)
(pl.f.oblique): नालियों (naaliyon)