इलायची (ilaaychii)

noun A single-sense word: the spice cardamom, used both whole (pods) and ground, in tea, sweets, and savory cooking.
Sense 1 : cardamom (the spice)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: एला (elaa, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: No Indian household kitchen is without इलायची (ilaaychii) -- it goes into चाय (chaay, tea), खीर (khiir, rice pudding), and garam masala alike. There are two kinds worth knowing: छोटी इलायची (chhotii ilaaychii, the small green pods, sweet and common) and बड़ी इलायची (badii ilaaychii, the large black/brown pods, smoky, used in savory dishes like biryani) -- when someone just says इलायची (ilaaychii) without qualifier, they almost always mean the green one.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often forget this word is feminine -- say छोटी इलायची (chhotii ilaaychii) not छोटा इलायची (chhotaa ilaaychii) when specifying the small green variety. 2) इलायची is used uncountably for the ground spice (जैसे, इलायची पाउडर (ilaaychii paaudar, cardamom powder)) but countably for pods (दो इलायची (do ilaaychii, two cardamom pods)) -- context, not a plural marker, usually signals which is meant.
Sample Sentences:
चाय में थोड़ी सी इलायची डाल दो। Add a little cardamom to the tea.
(chaay men thodii sii ilaaychii daal do।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
मेरी माँ खीर में हमेशा इलायची डालती हैं। My mother always adds cardamom to the rice pudding.
(merii maan khiir men hameshaa ilaaychii daaltii hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्या तुमने मसाले में इलायची पीस दी है? Have you ground cardamom into the spice mix?
(kyaa tumne masaale men ilaaychii piis dii hai?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
डिब्बे में इलायची पड़ी है, ले आओ। The cardamom is lying in the box, go bring it.
(dibbe men ilaaychii padii hai, le aao।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर घर में इलायची होती तो मैं खीर बना लेता। If there had been cardamom at home, I would have made rice pudding.
(agar ghar men ilaaychii hotii to main khiir banaa letaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
बाज़ार से एक पैकेट इलायची ले आना। Bring a packet of cardamom from the market.
(baazaar se ek paiket ilaaychii le aanaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
इलायची का इस्तेमाल मीठे और नमकीन दोनों पकवानों में किया जाता है। Cardamom is used in both sweet and savory dishes.
(ilaaychii kaa istemaal miithe aur namkiin donon pakvaanon men kiyaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
शायद इस मसाले में इलायची भी हो। Perhaps there is cardamom in this spice mix too.
(shaayad is masaale men ilaaychii bhii ho।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
इलायची की खुशबू पूरे किचन में फैल गई। The fragrance of cardamom spread through the whole kitchen.
(ilaaychii kii khushboo poore kichan men phail gaii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
पान में भी इलायची डाली जाती है। Cardamom is added to paan as well.
(paan men bhii ilaaychii daalii jaatii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
मैं चाहता हूँ कि तुम इलायची को अच्छे से पीस लो। I want you to grind the cardamom well.
(main chaahtaa hoon ki tum ilaaychii ko achchhe se piis lo।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): इलायची (ilaaychii)
(sg.f.oblique): इलायची (ilaaychii)
(pl.f.direct): इलायचियाँ (ilaaychiyaan)
(pl.f.oblique): इलायचियों (ilaaychiyon)