अंडा (andaa)

noun A simple, everyday noun meaning 'egg', with a common figurative use in the phrase for scoring 'zero' or 'nil' in exams and games.
Sense 1 : egg (the food item / biological egg)
noun, masculine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Street-food stalls all over Delhi-NCR sell अंडा भुर्जी (andaa bhurjii, 'spiced scrambled eggs') and अंडा रोल (andaa rol, 'egg roll') as popular quick breakfasts or late-night snacks -- listen for vendors calling out अंडा (andaa) alone to mean 'egg dish' in general.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes forget this noun is masculine and mismatch adjective/verb agreement, e.g. it should be अंडा उबला है (andaa ublaa hai, 'the egg is boiled'), not a feminine form. 2) The plural अंडे (ande) is used both for 'eggs' generally and in the oblique -- learners often leave it unchanged as अंडा (andaa) when it should shift.
Sample Sentences:
सुबह नाश्ते में मुझे दो अंडे चाहिए। I need two eggs for breakfast.
(subah naashte men mujhe do ande chaahie।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह रोज़ सुबह उबला अंडा खाता है। He eats a boiled egg every morning.
(vah roz subah ublaa andaa khaataa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
रेहड़ी वाला ज़ोर से चिल्ला रहा था, "अंडा! गरमा गरम अंडा!" The cart vendor was shouting loudly, "Eggs! Hot fresh eggs!"
(rehdii vaalaa zor se chillaa rahaa thaa, "andaa! garmaa garam andaa!")
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या तुमने बाज़ार से अंडे ले लिए? Did you get the eggs from the market?
(kyaa tumne baazaar se ande le lie?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
कृपया आधा दर्जन अंडे और एक ब्रेड का पैकेट दे दीजिए। Please give me half a dozen eggs and a packet of bread.
(kripyaa aadhaa darjan ande aur ek bred kaa paiket de diijie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर अंडे ताज़े होते तो भुर्जी और स्वादिष्ट बनती। If the eggs had been fresh, the scramble would have tasted even better.
(agar ande taaze hote to bhurjii aur svaadisht bantii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
अंडा रोल में प्याज़ और हरी मिर्च ज़रूर डलवाना। Make sure to have them add onion and green chili to the egg roll.
(andaa rol men pyaaz aur harii mirch zaroor dalvaanaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
मुर्गी ने आज सुबह एक ही अंडा दिया। The hen laid only one egg this morning.
(murgii ne aaj subah ek hii andaa diyaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यह ज़रूरी नहीं कि हर किसी को अंडा भुर्जी पसंद हो। It's not necessary that everyone likes spiced scrambled eggs.
(yah zaroorii nahiin ki har kisii ko andaa bhurjii pasand ho।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
स्टेशन के पास अंडे की रेहड़ी हर रात लगती है। An egg vendor's cart sets up near the station every night.
(steshan ke paas ande kii rehdii har raat lagtii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अंडे को उबालकर छील लिया जाता है, फिर मसाले लगाए जाते हैं। The egg is boiled and peeled, then spices are added.
(ande ko ubaalkar chhiil liyaa jaataa hai, phir masaale lagaae jaate hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
Sense 2 : zero, nil (figurative, informal -- scoring nothing)
noun, masculine Used colloquially the way English speakers say 'a duck' or 'a goose egg' in cricket or exams, e.g. अंडा मिला (andaa milaa, 'got a zero').
Synonyms: ज़ीरो (ziiro, colloquial, English loan), शून्य (shoony, formal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Very common in the context of cricket commentary and school exam talk: a batsman dismissed without scoring is said to have made अंडा (andaa), mirroring the English cricket term 'a duck'. Students also jokingly say उसको अंडा मिला (usko andaa milaa, 'he got a zero') about a test score.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense is strictly informal/spoken -- using it in a written or formal context (like a report card discussion with a teacher) would sound odd; शून्य (shoony) is the safe formal choice.
Sample Sentences:
सचिन आज अंडे पर आउट हो गया। Sachin got out for a duck today.
(sachin aaj ande par aaut ho gayaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मुझे गणित के टेस्ट में अंडा मिला। I got a zero on the math test.
(mujhe ganit ke test men andaa milaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर तू ऐसे ही खेलता रहा तो अंडा मिलेगा। If you keep playing like that, you'll get a duck.
(agar too aise hii kheltaa rahaa to andaa milegaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
कल के मैच में वो अंडे पर आउट हुआ था। In yesterday's match, he had gotten out for a duck.
(kal ke maich men vo ande par aaut huaa thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
देख लेना, इस बार भी उसे अंडा ही मिलेगा। Just watch, this time too he'll only get a zero.
(dekh lenaa, is baar bhii use andaa hii milegaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
अगर वो थोड़ा ध्यान से खेलता तो अंडे पर आउट न होता। If he had played a bit carefully, he wouldn't have gotten out for a duck.
(agar vo thodaa dhyaan se kheltaa to ande par aaut n hotaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
पूरी टीम में सिर्फ वही है जिसे बार-बार अंडा मिलता है। In the whole team, he's the only one who keeps getting a duck again and again.
(poorii tiim men sirph vahii hai jise baar-baar andaa miltaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यार, इस बार अंडा मत लेना, ठीक से खेलना। Dude, don't get a zero this time, play properly.
(yaar, is baar andaa mat lenaa, thiik se khelnaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
क्लास में सब हँस रहे थे क्योंकि उसे अंडा मिला था। Everyone in class was laughing because he had gotten a zero.
(klaas men sab hans rahe the kyonki use andaa milaa thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
शायद इस बार उसे अंडा न मिले। Maybe he won't get a zero this time.
(shaayad is baar use andaa n mile।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): अंडा (andaa)
(sg.m.oblique): अंडे (ande)
(pl.m.direct): अंडे (ande)
(pl.m.oblique): अंडों (andon)