रूमाल (roomaal)

noun A simple everyday noun meaning 'handkerchief' -- a small piece of cloth carried for wiping the face, hands, or nose, or used as a light accessory.
Sense 1 : handkerchief
noun, masculine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: A रूमाल (roomaal) is a small square cloth almost every household keeps handy -- tucked into a pocket, a schoolbag, or a mother's purse, ready to wipe a child's face or mop up sweat on a hot Delhi afternoon. It also shows up in the children's game 'रूमाल चोर' (roomaal chor, 'handkerchief thief'), a common playground favorite similar to duck-duck-goose.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes assume it is feminine because it ends in a vowel-like sound, but रूमाल (roomaal) is masculine: मेरा रूमाल (meraa roomaal), not मेरी रूमाल.
Sample Sentences:
मेरी जेब में एक रूमाल है। There is a handkerchief in my pocket.
(merii jeb men ek roomaal hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
गर्मी में वह हमेशा रूमाल से पसीना पोंछता है। In the summer heat, he always wipes his sweat with a handkerchief.
(garmii men vah hameshaa roomaal se pasiinaa ponchhtaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
माँ ने बच्चे का मुँह रूमाल से पोंछ दिया। The mother wiped the child's face with a handkerchief.
(maan ne bachche kaa munh roomaal se ponchh diyaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अपना रूमाल साथ रख लो, बाहर बहुत धूल है। Keep your handkerchief with you, it's very dusty outside.
(apnaa roomaal saath rakh lo, baahar bahut dhool hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
बच्चे स्कूल के मैदान में रूमाल चोर खेल रहे थे। The children were playing 'handkerchief thief' on the school ground.
(bachche skool ke maidaan men roomaal chor khel rahe the।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम्हारे पास रूमाल होता, तो यह दाग यूँ न फैलता। If you had a handkerchief, this stain wouldn't have spread like this.
(agar tumhaare paas roomaal hotaa, to yah daag yoon n phailtaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम मुझे अपना रूमाल दे सकते हो? Can you give me your handkerchief?
(kyaa tum mujhe apnaa roomaal de sakte ho?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
शादी में दुल्हे की जेब से एक कढ़ाईदार रूमाल झाँक रहा था। At the wedding, an embroidered handkerchief was peeking out of the groom's pocket.
(shaadii men dulhe kii jeb se ek kadhaaiidaar roomaal jhaank rahaa thaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उसका रूमाल स्कूल की बस में कहीं गिर गया। Her handkerchief fell somewhere on the school bus.
(uskaa roomaal skool kii bas men kahiin gir gayaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यह रूमाल कल ही धोकर सुखाया गया था। This handkerchief was washed and dried just yesterday.
(yah roomaal kal hii dhokar sukhaayaa gayaa thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
काश मेरे पास एक साफ रूमाल होता। I wish I had a clean handkerchief.
(kaash mere paas ek saaph roomaal hotaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): रूमाल (roomaal)
(sg.m.oblique): रूमाल (roomaal)
(pl.m.direct): रूमाल (roomaal)
(pl.m.oblique): रूमालों (roomaalon)