ताला (taalaa)

noun A single everyday sense: the physical lock used on doors, gates, boxes, and bicycles. It appears constantly in the common verb phrases for locking and unlocking something.
Sense 1 : lock (physical device)
noun, masculine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Every Indian home, shop, and even school bag seems to have its own तालाlagta hai -- shopkeepers famously trust a sturdy taala more than any alarm system, and brands like Godrej (godrej) are practically synonymous with tala in everyday speech. You'll also hear ताला लगना (taalaa lagnaa, 'for a lock to be applied/for something to get locked') used intransitively, as when a shop shuts down for the day or for good, sometimes even figuratively for a business or place shutting its doors.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to say 'lock the door' with ताला (taalaa) as the verb itself; instead Hindi uses ताला लगाना (taalaa lagaanaa, 'to apply a lock') to lock and ताला खोलना (taalaa kholnaa, 'to open a lock') to unlock -- ताला (taalaa) is only the noun, never a verb on its own. 2) The object being locked takes पर (par) or का/की/के (kaa), as in दरवाज़े पर ताला लगाना (darvaaze par taalaa lagaanaa, 'to lock the door'), not a direct object construction as in English.
Sample Sentences:
दरवाजे पर ताला लगा है। There is a lock on the door.
(darvaaje par taalaa lagaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसने अलमारी पर ताला लगा दिया। He put a lock on the cupboard.
(usne almaarii par taalaa lagaa diyaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यह ताला बहुत पुराना है, कभी भी टूट सकता है। This lock is very old, it could break any time.
(yah taalaa bahut puraanaa hai, kabhii bhii toot saktaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कल शाम को दुकान पर ताला लग गया। Yesterday evening the shop got locked up (shut down).
(kal shaam ko dukaan par taalaa lag gayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
कृपया जाने से पहले ताला लगा देना। Please lock it before you leave.
(kripyaa jaane se pahle taalaa lagaa denaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर मुझे चाबी मिलती तो मैं ताला खोल लेता। If I had gotten the key, I would have opened the lock.
(agar mujhe chaabii miltii to main taalaa khol letaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
गोदरेज का ताला सबसे मजबूत माना जाता है। The Godrej lock is considered the sturdiest.
(godrej kaa taalaa sabse majboot maanaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
उस फैक्ट्री पर पिछले महीने से ताला लगा हुआ है। That factory has had a lock on it since last month (has been shut down).
(us phaiktrii par pichhle mahiine se taalaa lagaa huaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
जब तक ताला ठीक नहीं होगा, तब तक गेट मत खोलना। Until the lock is fixed, don't open the gate.
(jab tak taalaa thiik nahiin hogaa, tab tak get mat kholnaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
मुमकिन है कि मिस्त्री ने ताला बदल दिया हो। It's possible that the locksmith changed the lock.
(mumkin hai ki mistrii ne taalaa badal diyaa ho।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
बाजार में हर तरह के ताले बिकते हैं, छोटे से बड़े तक। All kinds of locks are sold in the market, from small to big.
(baajaar men har tarah ke taale bikte hain, chhote se bade tak।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): ताला (taalaa)
(sg.m.oblique): ताले (taale)
(pl.m.direct): ताले (taale)
(pl.m.oblique): तालों (taalon)