उलटी (ultii)
noun/adjective
Two related but distinct everyday senses: 'vomit/vomiting' (the dominant meaning in daily speech) and the feminine adjectival form of उलटा (ultaa, 'reversed/wrong side').
Sense
1
:
vomiting, vomit
noun, feminine Almost always used with होना (honaa, 'to happen/occur') or आना (aanaa, 'to come') rather than as a direct object of a verb like करना (karnaa) -- vomiting is framed as something that happens to you.
Synonyms: क़ै (qai, colloquial/informal), वमन (vaman, formal/medical)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is a classic case of Hindi's 'body-as-experiencer' pattern: instead of 'I vomited,' you say something closer to 'vomiting happened to me' (मुझे उलटी हुई, mujhe ultii huii). It's the same grammatical family as नींद आना (niind aanaa, 'sleep comes') and भूख लगना (bhookh lagnaa, 'hunger strikes') -- involuntary states arrive to a को-marked person rather than being done by a subject.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often say उलटी करना (ultii karnaa) by analogy with other noun+करना constructions, but native speakers overwhelmingly say उलटी होना (ultii honaa, 'to vomit,' literally 'vomiting to happen') or उलटी आना (ultii aanaa, 'to feel nauseated/about to vomit'). 2) The subject of these constructions is usually को (ko)-marked (मुझे उलटी हो रही है, mujhe ultii ho rahii hai, 'I am vomiting') -- vomiting, like feeling cold or hungry, is treated as an involuntary bodily event rather than a willed action.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे उलटी हो रही है।
I feel like vomiting.
(mujhe ultii ho rahii hai।)
कल रात मुझे उलटी हुई थी।
I threw up last night.
(kal raat mujhe ultii huii thii।)
बस में सफर करते हुए बच्चे को अक्सर उलटी होती है।
The child often gets sick while traveling on the bus.
(bas men saphar karte hue bachche ko aksar ultii hotii hai।)
अगर तुम्हें उलटी हो तो फौरन डॉक्टर को बताना।
If you feel like vomiting, tell the doctor right away.
(agar tumhen ultii ho to phauran doktar ko bataanaa।)
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि यह दवा उलटी रोकने के लिए है।
The doctor said this medicine is to stop vomiting.
(doktar ne kahaa ki yah davaa ultii rokne ke lie hai।)
अगर मैंने वो खराब दूध पी लिया होता, तो मुझे भी उलटी हो जाती।
If I had drunk that spoiled milk, I would have vomited too.
(agar mainne vo kharaab doodh pii liyaa hotaa, to mujhe bhii ultii ho jaatii।)
गर्भावस्था के शुरुआती महीनों में महिलाओं को उलटी होना आम बात है।
Vomiting is common among women in the early months of pregnancy.
(garbhaavasthaa ke shuruaatii mahiinon men mahilaaon ko ultii honaa aam baat hai।)
इतनी बदबू है कि मुझे उलटी आ जाएगी।
The smell is so bad that I'm going to throw up.
(itnii badboo hai ki mujhe ultii aa jaaegii।)
शायद उसे कुछ उलटा-सीधा खाने से उलटी हुई हो।
Maybe he vomited from eating something bad.
(shaayad use kuchh ultaa-siidhaa khaane se ultii huii ho।)
मरीज़ को बार-बार उलटी हो रही थी, इसलिए उसे अस्पताल में भर्ती कराया गया।
The patient kept vomiting repeatedly, so he was admitted to the hospital.
(mariiz ko baar-baar ultii ho rahii thii, islie use asptaal men bhartii karaayaa gayaa।)
उलटी रोकने के लिए यह घरेलू नुस्खा आज़माओ।
Try this home remedy to stop the vomiting.
(ultii rokne ke lie yah ghareloo nuskhaa aazmaao।)
Sense
2
:
reversed, inside-out, wrong-side (feminine form)
adjective This is simply the feminine-agreeing form of उलटा (ultaa); it appears whenever the noun being described is feminine, e.g. उलटी कमीज़ (ultii kamiiz, 'the shirt worn inside-out').
Synonyms: विपरीत (vipriit, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear this constantly in domestic life -- a mother telling a child उलटी कमीज़ मत पहनो (ultii kamiiz mat pahno, 'don't wear your shirt inside-out') or someone noting उलटी तरफ़ से आना (ultii taraf se aanaa, 'to come from the wrong direction'). It's directly tied to the adjective उलटा (ultaa) -- same word, just agreeing with a feminine noun.
Sample Sentences:
अपनी कमीज़ ठीक से देखो, वह उलटी है।
Look at your shirt properly, it's inside-out.
(apnii kamiiz thiik se dekho, vah ultii hai।)
बेटा, उलटी कमीज़ मत पहनो।
Son, don't wear your shirt inside-out.
(betaa, ultii kamiiz mat pahno।)
वह उलटी तरफ़ से आ रही थी, इसलिए रास्ता भटक गई।
She was coming from the wrong direction, so she lost her way.
(vah ultii taraf se aa rahii thii, islie raastaa bhatak gaii।)
मेरी चप्पल उलटी पड़ी है, कोई उठाकर सीधी कर दे।
My sandal is lying upside-down, someone please pick it up and turn it right.
(merii chappal ultii padii hai, koii uthaakar siidhii kar de।)
अगर तस्वीर उलटी लगाई जाती, तो सब हँसते।
If the picture had been hung upside-down, everyone would have laughed.
(agar tasviir ultii lagaaii jaatii, to sab hanste।)
यह चादर उलटी बिछाई गई है, इसे सीधा करो।
This sheet has been spread inside-out, straighten it.
(yah chaadar ultii bichhaaii gaii hai, ise siidhaa karo।)
क्या तुम्हें पता है कि तुमने मोज़े उलटी तरफ़ से पहन लिए हैं?
Do you know that you've put your socks on inside-out?
(kyaa tumhen pataa hai ki tumne moze ultii taraf se pahan lie hain?)
काश मैं उलटी सीढ़ी न चढ़ता।
If only I hadn't climbed the wrong-way staircase.
(kaash main ultii siidhii n chadhtaa।)
दुकानदार ने बताया कि यह जैकेट उलटी सिलाई से बनी है, यही इसका फ़ैशन है।
The shopkeeper explained that this jacket is made with reversed stitching, that's its style.
(dukaandaar ne bataayaa ki yah jaiket ultii silaaii se banii hai, yahii iskaa faishan hai।)
अम्मा हमेशा कहती हैं कि उलटी घड़ी लगाना अशुभ होता है।
Mother always says that hanging a clock upside-down is inauspicious.
(ammaa hameshaa kahtii hain ki ultii ghadii lagaanaa ashubh hotaa hai।)
गाड़ी की सीट उलटी रख दी गई थी, जिससे यात्री परेशान हो गए।
The car seat had been placed the wrong way round, which troubled the passengers.
(gaadii kii siit ultii rakh dii gaii thii, jisse yaatrii pareshaan ho gae।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
उलटी
(ultii)
(sg.f.oblique):
उलटी
(ultii)
(pl.f.direct):
उलटियाँ
(ultiyaan)
(pl.f.oblique):
उलटियों
(ultiyon)
Adjective (variable)
(sg.m):
उलटी
(ultii)
(pl.m):
उलटीे
([[उलटीे]])
(sg.f):
उलटीी
([[उलटीी]])
(pl.f):
उलटीी
([[उलटीी]])