व्यापार (vyaapaar)
noun
Primarily 'business/trade' as an economic activity, with a common extended sense of 'dealings' or 'occupation' more broadly.
Sense
1
:
business, trade, commerce
noun, masculine
Synonyms: व्यवसाय (vyavsaay), कारोबार (kaarobaar), धंधा (dhandhaa, colloquial), तिजारत (tijaarat, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In everyday Delhi-NCR speech, व्यापार (vyaapaar) is the respectable, almost formal word you'd use to describe a shopkeeper's or trader's livelihood -- you'll see it on shop association banners and in news about व्यापार मेला (vyaapaar melaa, 'trade fair'), a well-known annual Delhi event. It carries a slightly more dignified tone than the everyday कारोबार (kaarobaar) or casual धंधा (dhandhaa).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use धंधा (dhandhaa) and व्यापार (vyaapaar) as if fully interchangeable in all contexts, but धंधा (dhandhaa) can sound casual or even slightly disparaging (as in 'this shady business') depending on tone, while व्यापार (vyaapaar) stays neutral and respectable. 2) The verb usually paired with this noun is करना (karnaa) -- व्यापार करना (vyaapaar karnaa, 'to do business') -- not a direct calque of 'run a business.'
Sample Sentences:
मेरे पिताजी कपड़ों का व्यापार करते हैं।
My father does the cloth business.
(mere pitaajii kapdon kaa vyaapaar karte hain।)
उन्होंने बीस साल पहले यह व्यापार शुरू किया था।
He had started this business twenty years ago.
(unhonne biis saal pahle yah vyaapaar shuroo kiyaa thaa।)
अगले महीने प्रगति मैदान में व्यापार मेला लगेगा।
The trade fair will be held at Pragati Maidan next month.
(agle mahiine pragti maidaan men vyaapaar melaa lagegaa।)
अगर मंडी में मंदी न होती तो हमारा व्यापार और बढ़ता।
If there hadn't been a slump in the market, our business would have grown even more.
(agar mandii men mandii n hotii to hamaaraa vyaapaar aur badhtaa।)
कृपया अपना व्यापार सरकार के पास पंजीकृत कराएँ।
Please get your business registered with the government.
(kripyaa apnaa vyaapaar sarkaar ke paas panjiikrit karaaen।)
दोनों देशों के बीच व्यापार तेज़ी से बढ़ रहा है।
Trade between the two countries is growing rapidly.
(donon deshon ke biich vyaapaar tezii se badh rahaa hai।)
नए कानून के कारण व्यापार को काफी नुकसान पहुँचा है।
Business has suffered considerable damage because of the new law.
(nae kaanoon ke kaaran vyaapaar ko kaaphii nuksaan pahunchaa hai।)
शायद वे विदेश में व्यापार करने की योजना बना रहे हों।
Perhaps they are planning to do business abroad.
(shaayad ve videsh men vyaapaar karne kii yojnaa banaa rahe hon।)
स्थानीय व्यापारी संघ ने व्यापार मेले के लिए स्टॉल बुक किए।
The local traders' association booked stalls for the trade fair.
(sthaaniiy vyaapaarii sangh ne vyaapaar mele ke lie stol buk kie।)
यह इमारत सदियों से रेशम के व्यापार का केंद्र रही है।
This building has been a center of the silk trade for centuries.
(yah imaarat sadiyon se resham ke vyaapaar kaa kendr rahii hai।)
मंदी के दौर में कई छोटे व्यापार बंद कर दिए गए।
During the recession, many small businesses were shut down.
(mandii ke daur men kaii chhote vyaapaar band kar die gae।)
Sense
2
:
dealings, affair, matter (extended/figurative use)
noun, masculine Used when describing someone's habitual conduct or 'dealings' in a broader, sometimes slightly critical sense, not limited to commerce.
Synonyms: मामला (maamlaa), मसला (maslaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll sometimes hear an elder say something like यह क्या व्यापार है? (yah kyaa vyaapaar hai?, 'what is this business/game going on here?') when mildly scolding someone about odd behavior -- here व्यापार (vyaapaar) has drifted from 'trade' to something closer to 'affair' or 'racket,' much like English speakers stretch 'business' to mean 'goings-on.'
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes miss this figurative extension entirely and only associate the word with literal commerce, so they're confused when it shows up in sentences with no money or goods involved, e.g. describing someone's 'game' or pattern of behavior.
Sample Sentences:
यह क्या व्यापार है?
What is this business going on here?
(yah kyaa vyaapaar hai?)
पहले तो बताओ, यह सारा व्यापार क्या है?
First tell me, what is this whole affair about?
(pahle to bataao, yah saaraa vyaapaar kyaa hai?)
उनके बीच जो भी व्यापार चल रहा था, वह मुझे पहले से पता था।
Whatever affair was going on between them, I already knew about it.
(unke biich jo bhii vyaapaar chal rahaa thaa, vah mujhe pahle se pataa thaa।)
दादी हमेशा कहती हैं कि यह सब व्यापार उन्हें ठीक नहीं लगता।
Grandma always says that this whole affair doesn't seem right to her.
(daadii hameshaa kahtii hain ki yah sab vyaapaar unhen thiik nahiin lagtaa।)
अगर तुम यह व्यापार जल्दी नहीं सुलझाते, तो बाद में बड़ा झगड़ा हो जाएगा।
If you don't sort out this affair soon, there will be a big fight later.
(agar tum yah vyaapaar jaldii nahiin suljhaate, to baad men badaa jhagdaa ho jaaegaa।)
यह कैसा अजीब व्यापार चल रहा है इस घर में?
What strange business is going on in this house?
(yah kaisaa ajiib vyaapaar chal rahaa hai is ghar men?)
काश यह सारा व्यापार पहले ही खत्म हो जाता।
I wish this whole affair had ended earlier.
(kaash yah saaraa vyaapaar pahle hii khatm ho jaataa।)
उनके इस व्यापार की चर्चा पूरे मोहल्ले में हो रही है।
This affair of theirs is being talked about all over the neighborhood.
(unke is vyaapaar kii charchaa poore mohalle men ho rahii hai।)
यह सब व्यापार आखिर किसके इशारे पर हो रहा था?
On whose orders was all this business actually happening?
(yah sab vyaapaar aakhir kiske ishaare par ho rahaa thaa?)
बड़े जी ने पूछा, यह क्या व्यापार है, जो तुम रात को छिपकर बाहर जाते हो?
The elder asked, what is this business, that you sneak out at night?
(bade jii ne poochhaa, yah kyaa vyaapaar hai, jo tum raat ko chhipkar baahar jaate ho?)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
व्यापार
(vyaapaar)
(sg.m.oblique):
व्यापार
(vyaapaar)
(pl.m.direct):
व्यापार
(vyaapaar)
(pl.m.oblique):
व्यापारों
(vyaapaaron)