धार (dhaar)
noun
Mainly a noun meaning the sharp edge/blade of a cutting tool, or a flowing stream/jet of liquid; both senses share the idea of a continuous line of force or flow.
Sense
1
:
the sharp edge of a blade
noun, feminine
Synonyms: किनारा (kinaaraa, edge, less specific to blades)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly around knife-sharpeners (सिकलीगर, sikliigar) who walk through Delhi neighborhoods calling out छुरी-चाकू पर धार लगवा लो (chhurii-chaakoo par dhaar lagvaa lo, 'get an edge put on your knives'). Testing a blade's धार by feel or by a light touch of the thumb is a very common household gesture.
Common Mistakes: 1) धार (dhaar) refers to the sharpness/edge itself, not the whole knife or blade -- छुरी (chhurii) or चाकू (chaakoo) is the object; 2) the common phrase धार तेज़ करना (dhaar tez karnaa, 'to sharpen the edge') pairs धार with तेज़ (tez) rather than with a word like 'sharp' used alone.
Sample Sentences:
इस चाकू की धार बहुत तेज़ है।
This knife's edge is very sharp.
(is chaakoo kii dhaar bahut tez hai।)
सिकलीगर हर हफ़्ते गली में आकर छुरी-चाकू पर धार लगवा लो चिल्लाता है।
The knife-sharpener comes into the lane every week shouting 'get an edge put on your knives'.
(sikliigar har hafte galii men aakar chhurii-chaakoo par dhaar lagvaa lo chillaataa hai।)
ज़रा अपने अंगूठे से धार को छूकर देखो, कितनी तेज़ है।
Just touch the edge with your thumb and see how sharp it is.
(zaraa apne angoothe se dhaar ko chhookar dekho, kitnii tez hai।)
इस्तेमाल करते-करते चाकू की धार घिस गई है।
The knife's edge has worn down from constant use.
(istemaal karte-karte chaakoo kii dhaar ghis gaii hai।)
अगर धार तेज़ न होती तो सब्ज़ी काटने में इतना समय लगता।
If the edge weren't sharp, cutting vegetables would take this long.
(agar dhaar tez n hotii to sabzii kaatne men itnaa samay lagtaa।)
कल इस कैंची की धार सिकलीगर से लगवा लेना।
Get this scissors' edge sharpened by the knife-sharpener tomorrow.
(kal is kainchii kii dhaar sikliigar se lagvaa lenaa।)
मैं चाहता हूँ कि इस उस्तरे की धार बिल्कुल पैनी हो।
I want this razor's edge to be perfectly keen.
(main chaahtaa hoon ki is ustre kii dhaar bilkul painii ho।)
बाज़ार में बिकने वाले सस्ते चाकुओं की धार जल्दी उतर जाती है।
The edges of cheap knives sold in the market blunt quickly.
(baazaar men bikne vaale saste chaakuon kii dhaar jaldii utar jaatii hai।)
पत्थर पर घिसकर तलवार की धार को फिर से तेज़ किया गया।
The sword's edge was sharpened again by grinding it on stone.
(patthar par ghiskar talvaar kii dhaar ko phir se tez kiyaa gayaa।)
उस्ताद ने बताया कि तलवार की सच्ची धार दुश्मन के कवच को भी काट देती है।
The master explained that a sword's true edge can cut through even the enemy's armor.
(ustaad ne bataayaa ki talvaar kii sachchii dhaar dushman ke kavach ko bhii kaat detii hai।)
Sense
2
:
a flowing stream or jet of liquid
noun, feminine Often used for a continuous jet, like milk being drawn from an udder or water pouring from a source: दूध की धार (doodh kii dhaar, 'a stream of milk').
Synonyms: बहाव (bahaav, general flow, less specific to a thin stream)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This sense shows up in rural and pastoral imagery -- milking a cow or buffalo and watching the दूध की धार (doodh kii dhaar, 'stream of milk') hit the pail is a classic descriptive image in Hindi songs and stories. It extends easily to any thin forceful flow, like blood or rain.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for बहाव (bahaav) or नदी (nadii) here, but धार (dhaar) specifically evokes a thin, continuous line of liquid in motion, not a body of water or general current.
Sample Sentences:
दूध की धार सीधे बर्तन में जा रही थी।
The stream of milk was going straight into the pail.
(doodh kii dhaar siidhe bartan men jaa rahii thii।)
उसकी चोट से खून की धार बह निकली।
A stream of blood gushed out from his wound.
(uskii chot se khoon kii dhaar bah niklii।)
गाय को दुहते वक़्त दूध की धार का निकलना देखना बहुत सुकून देता है।
Watching the stream of milk come out while milking the cow is very soothing.
(gaay ko duhte vaqt doodh kii dhaar kaa nikalnaa dekhnaa bahut sukoon detaa hai।)
छत से पानी की एक तेज़ धार गिर रही है।
A strong jet of water is falling from the roof.
(chhat se paanii kii ek tez dhaar gir rahii hai।)
नल खोलते ही पानी की धार सीधे मुँह पर आ गिरी।
As soon as I opened the tap, the jet of water fell straight onto my face.
(nal kholte hii paanii kii dhaar siidhe munh par aa girii।)
अगर पाइप न टूटता तो पानी की धार इतनी तेज़ न होती।
If the pipe hadn't broken, the jet of water wouldn't have been so strong.
(agar paaip n toottaa to paanii kii dhaar itnii tez n hotii।)
बर्तन को थोड़ा झुकाओ ताकि धार बीच में ही गिरे।
Tilt the pail a little so that the stream falls right in the middle.
(bartan ko thodaa jhukaao taaki dhaar biich men hii gire।)
शायद घाव गहरा हो, इसीलिए खून की धार रुक नहीं रही।
Maybe the wound is deep, that's why the stream of blood isn't stopping.
(shaayad ghaav gahraa ho, isiilie khoon kii dhaar ruk nahiin rahii।)
बादल फटते ही आसमान से पानी की धार बहाई जाने लगी, जैसे किसी ने बांध खोल दिया हो।
The moment the cloud burst, a jet of water began to be poured from the sky, as if someone had opened a dam.
(baadal phatte hii aasmaan se paanii kii dhaar bahaaii jaane lagii, jaise kisii ne baandh khol diyaa ho।)
गाँव की उस सुबह में दूध की धार और चूल्हे के धुएँ की खुशबू एक साथ फैलती थी।
In those village mornings, the stream of milk and the smell of the hearth's smoke used to spread together.
(gaanv kii us subah men doodh kii dhaar aur choolhe ke dhuen kii khushboo ek saath phailtii thii।)
Sense
3
:
figurative: intensity, force, or onslaught (as in a torrent)
noun, feminine Used metaphorically for something (rain, words, emotion) coming in a forceful, unbroken stream, often in phrases like आँसुओं की धार (aansuon kii dhaar, 'a stream of tears').
Synonyms: बहाव (bahaav, general flow, less vivid), प्रवाह (pravaah, literary, flow/current)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This is the same 'continuous line of flow' image as the water sense, just stretched onto emotion or weather -- बारिश की धार (baarish kii dhaar, 'the driving stream of rain') or आँसुओं की धार (aansuon kii dhaar, 'a stream of tears') both borrow the same mental picture of something pouring out without a break.
Sample Sentences:
बारिश की धार तेज़ हो गई।
The force of the rain intensified.
(baarish kii dhaar tez ho gaii।)
उसकी आँखों से आँसुओं की धार बह रही थी।
A stream of tears was flowing from her eyes.
(uskii aankhon se aansuon kii dhaar bah rahii thii।)
गुस्से की धार में उसने सब कुछ कह दिया।
In the torrent of his anger, he said everything.
(gusse kii dhaar men usne sab kuchh kah diyaa।)
भाषण की धार सुनकर लोग चुप हो गए।
Hearing the force of the speech, people fell silent.
(bhaashan kii dhaar sunkar log chup ho gae।)
यदि आलोचना की धार इतनी तेज़ न होती, तो वह टूट न जाता।
If the force of the criticism had not been so intense, he would not have broken down.
(yadi aalochnaa kii dhaar itnii tez n hotii, to vah toot n jaataa।)
उसकी बातों में एक अजीब धार थी, जो सबको चुभ जाती थी।
There was a strange intensity in his words that used to sting everyone.
(uskii baaton men ek ajiib dhaar thii, jo sabko chubh jaatii thii।)
काश उसके शब्दों में इतनी धार न होती।
I wish his words did not have so much sharpness of force.
(kaash uske shabdon men itnii dhaar n hotii।)
तूफ़ान की धार से पूरा गाँव हिल गया।
The whole village was shaken by the force of the storm.
(toofaan kii dhaar se pooraa gaanv hil gayaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
धार
(dhaar)
(sg.f.oblique):
धार
(dhaar)
(pl.f.direct):
धारें
(dhaaren)
(pl.f.oblique):
धारों
(dhaaron)