झाडू (jhaadoo)

noun A common household noun meaning 'broom'; also lives inside the everyday verb phrase झाडू लगाना (jhaadoo lagaanaa, 'to sweep') and shows up in political slang as the AAP party symbol.
Sense 1 : broom
noun, feminine
Synonyms: बुहारी (buhaarii, regional)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In most Delhi-NCR homes the झाडू (jhaadoo) is a handheld bundle of stiff twigs, used sitting or crouching, quite different from the long-handled Western broom -- so when you picture the word, picture someone bent low sweeping a courtyard, not standing upright. It is also instantly recognizable as the election symbol of the Aam Aadmi Party, so the word carries a strong political echo in casual conversation today.
Common Mistakes: 1) The action 'to sweep' is not a single verb built from झाडू (jhaadoo) -- learners must use the pattern झाडू लगाना (jhaadoo lagaanaa, 'to sweep') or झाडू देना (jhaadoo denaa, 'to sweep'), never a direct one-word translation of 'to sweep.'
Sample Sentences:
झाडू कोने में रखी है। The broom is kept in the corner.
(jhaadoo kone men rakhii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह रोज़ सुबह झाडू लगाती है। She sweeps every morning.
(vah roz subah jhaadoo lagaatii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
माँ आँगन में झाडू लगा रही थी। Mother was sweeping the courtyard.
(maan aangan men jhaadoo lagaa rahii thii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
ज़रा झाडू ला देना, फर्श पर बहुत धूल है। Just bring the broom, there's a lot of dust on the floor.
(zaraa jhaadoo laa denaa, pharsh par bahut dhool hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर झाडू टूटी नहीं होती, तो मैं आज ही सफाई कर लेता। If the broom hadn't broken, I would have cleaned up today itself.
(agar jhaadoo tootii nahiin hotii, to main aaj hii saphaaii kar letaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
कमरे को झाडू से साफ किया जाएगा। The room will be cleaned with a broom.
(kamre ko jhaadoo se saaph kiyaa jaaegaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
उसने गुस्से में झाडू पटक दी। In anger, she flung down the broom.
(usne gusse men jhaadoo patak dii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इस चुनाव में झाडू का बटन दबाना मत भूलना। Don't forget to press the broom button in this election.
(is chunaav men jhaadoo kaa batan dabaanaa mat bhoolnaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
शायद बाज़ार में नई झाडू मिल जाए। Maybe a new broom will be found at the market.
(shaayad baazaar men naii jhaadoo mil jaae।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
पूरे मंदिर परिसर को झाडू से बुहारा गया था। The entire temple premises had been swept with a broom.
(poore mandir parisar ko jhaadoo se buhaaraa gayaa thaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
बचपन में हम झाडू को घोड़ा बनाकर खेला करते थे। As children, we used to make the broom into a horse and play.
(bachpan men ham jhaadoo ko ghodaa banaakar khelaa karte the।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): झाडू (jhaadoo)
(sg.f.oblique): झाडू (jhaadoo)
(pl.f.direct): झाडूएँ (jhaadooen)
(pl.f.oblique): झाडूओं (jhaadooon)