तारीफ़ (taariif)

noun A single core meaning: praise or compliment, most often used with the verb करना (karnaa) 'to do/give praise.'
Sense 1 : praise, compliment
noun, feminine Almost always paired with करना (karnaa) 'to praise' as तारीफ़ करना (taariif karnaa, 'to praise'); the person praised is marked with की (kii).
Synonyms: प्रशंसा (prashansaa), सराहना (saraahnaa), स्तुति (stuti, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: तारीफ़ (taariif) is a lovely word to know because Indians give and receive compliments with a certain ritual flourish -- someone might say वाह, क्या तारीफ़ करूँ! (vaah, kyaa taariif karoon, 'wow, what praise can I even give!') when something is truly excellent. It's a Persian-origin word, very much at home in everyday Hindi-Urdu speech across Delhi.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often say तारीफ़ बोलना (taariif bolnaa) by analogy with 'saying a compliment' -- the natural verb is always करना (karnaa), as in उसकी तारीफ़ करना (uskii taariif karnaa, 'to praise him/her'), not बोलना (bolnaa). 2) The object of praise takes की (kii), not को (ko): मेरी तारीफ़ की (merii taariif kii, 'praised me'), not मुझे तारीफ़ की.
Sample Sentences:
सबने उसके काम की तारीफ़ की। Everyone praised his work.
(sabne uske kaam kii taariif kii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वाह, क्या तारीफ़ करूँ इस खाने की! Wow, what praise can I even give for this food!
(vaah, kyaa taariif karoon is khaane kii!)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह हमेशा दूसरों की तारीफ़ करता है। He always praises others.
(vah hameshaa doosron kii taariif kartaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मेरी तारीफ़ मत करो, मुझे शर्म आती है। Don't praise me, I get embarrassed.
(merii taariif mat karo, mujhe sharm aatii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम मेहनत करते तो तुम्हारी तारीफ़ ज़रूर होती। If you had worked hard, you would definitely have been praised.
(agar tum mehnat karte to tumhaarii taariif zaroor hotii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
उसकी तारीफ़ पूरे दफ़्तर में हो रही थी। He was being praised throughout the office.
(uskii taariif poore daftar men ho rahii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
क्या आप मेरी रिपोर्ट की तारीफ़ करेंगे? Will you praise my report?
(kyaa aap merii riport kii taariif karenge?)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
मैडम ने मीटिंग में उसके प्रस्तुतीकरण की खूब तारीफ़ की। Madam praised his presentation a lot in the meeting.
(maidam ne miiting men uske prastutiikran kii khoob taariif kii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
काश कोई मेरी भी इतनी तारीफ़ करता। I wish someone praised me that much too.
(kaash koii merii bhii itnii taariif kartaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
यह तारीफ़ के लायक काम है। This work is worthy of praise.
(yah taariif ke laayak kaam hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसकी तारीफ़ों के पुल बाँधे जा रहे हैं। Bridges of his praise are being built (everyone is praising him excessively).
(uskii taariifon ke pul baandhe jaa rahe hain।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): तारीफ़ (taariif)
(sg.f.oblique): तारीफ़ (taariif)
(pl.f.direct): तारीफ़ें (taariifen)
(pl.f.oblique): तारीफ़ों (taariifon)