क़िस्म (qism)
noun
A common everyday noun meaning 'type' or 'kind'; also extends into an idiom about someone's personality or nature.
Sense
1
:
type, kind, sort
noun, feminine
Synonyms: प्रकार (prakaar), तरह (tarah), किस्म (kism, variant spelling without nuqta)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Walk into any Delhi market and you'll hear this word constantly: a fruit seller might ask कौन सी क़िस्म चाहिए (kaun sii qism chaahie, 'which kind do you want')? when you're picking mangoes, since there are dozens of named varieties. It's a wonderfully practical, market-floor word.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for तरह (tarah) in every context, but क़िस्म (qism) is the natural choice when talking about varieties or categories of a product, like fruit, cloth, or tea, while तरह (tarah) leans more toward manner or way of doing something. 2) The nuqta under क़ is often dropped in casual writing and typing (किस्म), which is completely normal and not a mistake, just a variant spelling.
Sample Sentences:
यह आम किस क़िस्म का है?
What kind of mango is this?
(yah aam kis qism kaa hai?)
बाज़ार में चावल की बहुत सारी क़िस्में मिलती हैं।
You get many different kinds of rice in the market.
(baazaar men chaaval kii bahut saarii qismen miltii hain।)
कौन सी क़िस्म चाहिए, यह वाली या वो वाली?
Which kind do you want, this one or that one?
(kaun sii qism chaahie, yah vaalii yaa vo vaalii?)
दुकानदार ने आम की सबसे अच्छी क़िस्म निकाल कर दिखाई।
The shopkeeper took out and showed the best kind of mango.
(dukaandaar ne aam kii sabse achchhii qism nikaal kar dikhaaii।)
इस फैक्ट्री में कई क़िस्म के कपड़े बनाए जाते हैं।
Many kinds of cloth are made in this factory.
(is phaiktrii men kaii qism ke kapde banaae jaate hain।)
अगर मुझे मौका मिलता, तो मैं हर क़िस्म की मिठाई चख लेता।
If I got the chance, I would taste every kind of sweet.
(agar mujhe maukaa miltaa, to main har qism kii mithaaii chakh letaa।)
पहले यह तय कर लो कि किस क़िस्म का सामान चाहिए।
First decide what kind of goods you need.
(pahle yah tay kar lo ki kis qism kaa saamaan chaahie।)
शायद यह किसी नई क़िस्म का फल हो।
Perhaps this is some new kind of fruit.
(shaayad yah kisii naii qism kaa phal ho।)
इस दुकान पर हर क़िस्म का मसाला मिल जाएगा।
You'll find every kind of spice at this shop.
(is dukaan par har qism kaa masaalaa mil jaaegaa।)
उन्होंने विभिन्न क़िस्म के अनाजों पर शोध किया।
They conducted research on various kinds of grains.
(unhonne vibhinn qism ke anaajon par shodh kiyaa।)
इस क़िस्म की चाय पहले कभी नहीं पी थी मैंने।
I had never drunk this kind of tea before.
(is qism kii chaay pahle kabhii nahiin pii thii mainne।)
Sense
2
:
a person's nature or type (of character)
noun, feminine Commonly used in the fixed phrase इस क़िस्म का (is qism kaa, 'this sort of') or उस क़िस्म का (us qism kaa) to describe a type of person or behavior, often with a mildly judgmental or dismissive tone.
Synonyms: स्वभाव (svabhaav, nature/temperament, not interchangeable in all contexts), टाइप (taaip, colloquial)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll often hear elders size someone up with a phrase like यह किस क़िस्म का लड़का है (yah kis qism kaa ladkaa hai, 'what sort of boy is this'), a classic bit of Delhi aunty/uncle skepticism about a new person in the family's orbit.
Common Mistakes: 1) When used about people, क़िस्म (qism) often carries a faint edge of criticism or distancing, as in वह अजीब क़िस्म का आदमी है (vah ajiib qism kaa aadmii hai, 'he's a strange sort of man'); learners sometimes use it in neutral contexts where a native speaker would just say तरह का (tarah kaa) instead.
Sample Sentences:
यह किस क़िस्म का लड़का है?
What sort of boy is this?
(yah kis qism kaa ladkaa hai?)
वह बड़े अजीब क़िस्म का आदमी है।
He's a really strange sort of man.
(vah bade ajiib qism kaa aadmii hai।)
मुझे नहीं पता था कि वह इस क़िस्म की औरत निकलेगी।
I didn't know she'd turn out to be that sort of woman.
(mujhe nahiin pataa thaa ki vah is qism kii aurat niklegii।)
ऐसी क़िस्म के लोगों से दूर ही रहना चाहिए।
One should really stay away from that sort of people.
(aisii qism ke logon se door hii rahnaa chaahie।)
अगर वह उस क़िस्म का इंसान होता, तो कभी झूठ न बोलता।
If he were that sort of person, he would never lie.
(agar vah us qism kaa insaan hotaa, to kabhii jhooth n boltaa।)
तुम किस क़िस्म के इंसान हो, यह मुझे अभी समझ नहीं आया।
I still haven't figured out what sort of person you are.
(tum kis qism ke insaan ho, yah mujhe abhii samajh nahiin aayaa।)
पड़ोसी आंटी हमेशा पूछती हैं कि लड़का किस क़िस्म का है।
The neighbor aunty always asks what sort of boy he is.
(padosii aantii hameshaa poochhtii hain ki ladkaa kis qism kaa hai।)
उस क़िस्म के दोस्तों से बचो, वरना पछताओगे।
Stay away from that sort of friends, or you'll regret it.
(us qism ke doston se bacho, varnaa pachhtaaoge।)
उसकी क़िस्म का आदमी शायद ही कभी माफी माँगता है।
His sort of man hardly ever apologizes.
(uskii qism kaa aadmii shaayad hii kabhii maaphii maangtaa hai।)
समाज में हर क़िस्म के इंसान पाए जाते हैं।
Every sort of person is found in society.
(samaaj men har qism ke insaan paae jaate hain।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
क़िस्म
(qism)
(sg.f.oblique):
क़िस्म
(qism)
(pl.f.direct):
क़िस्में
(qismen)
(pl.f.oblique):
क़िस्मों
(qismon)