चम्मच (chammach)
noun
A simple, everyday noun meaning 'spoon' -- both the physical utensil and, informally, a person who flatters or sucks up to someone.
Sense
1
:
spoon (utensil)
noun, masculine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear चाय का चम्मच (chaay kaa chammach, 'teaspoon') and बड़ा चम्मच (badaa chammach, 'tablespoon/serving spoon') constantly in kitchen talk -- Hindi doesn't usually bother with separate single words for teaspoon versus tablespoon the way English does, it just qualifies चम्मच (chammach) with size.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for छुरी (chhurii) or काँटा (kaantaa) when they mean चम्मच (chammach) -- remember छुरी (chhurii) is 'knife' and काँटा (kaantaa) is 'fork', while चम्मच (chammach) alone is 'spoon'.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे एक चम्मच दे दो।
Give me a spoon.
(mujhe ek chammach de do।)
चाय का चम्मच दराज़ में रखा है।
The teaspoon is kept in the drawer.
(chaay kaa chammach daraaz men rakhaa hai।)
वह हमेशा चम्मच से चीनी नापती है।
She always measures sugar with a spoon.
(vah hameshaa chammach se chiinii naaptii hai।)
बड़ा चम्मच लाओ, दाल परोसनी है।
Bring the serving spoon, I have to serve the lentils.
(badaa chammach laao, daal parosnii hai।)
अगर चम्मच होता तो मैं सूप आराम से पी लेता।
If there were a spoon, I would have drunk the soup comfortably.
(agar chammach hotaa to main soop aaraam se pii letaa।)
बच्चा चम्मच से खाना सीख रहा है।
The child is learning to eat with a spoon.
(bachchaa chammach se khaanaa siikh rahaa hai।)
क्या तुम्हें छोटा चम्मच चाहिए या बड़ा?
Do you need a small spoon or a big one?
(kyaa tumhen chhotaa chammach chaahie yaa badaa?)
रसोई के सारे चम्मच सिंक में पड़े हैं।
All the spoons from the kitchen are lying in the sink.
(rasoii ke saare chammach sink men pade hain।)
मेहमानों के लिए चांदी के चम्मच निकाले जाएँगे।
Silver spoons will be brought out for the guests.
(mehmaanon ke lie chaandii ke chammach nikaale jaaenge।)
शायद एक चम्मच और मिल जाए, रसोई में देख लो।
Maybe you'll find one more spoon, check in the kitchen.
(shaayad ek chammach aur mil jaae, rasoii men dekh lo।)
दवा एक चम्मच सुबह और एक शाम को लेनी है।
The medicine is to be taken one spoonful in the morning and one in the evening.
(davaa ek chammach subah aur ek shaam ko lenii hai।)
Sense
2
:
flatterer, yes-man (informal, figurative)
noun, masculine Used almost always for a person, often in phrases like किसी का चम्मच होना (kisii kaa chammach honaa, 'to be someone's yes-man').
Synonyms: चमचा (chamchaa, more common in this figurative sense), भाई-चारा (bhaaii-chaaraa, not a true synonym, avoid), चापलूस (chaaploos)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This is the same mental image as English 'brown-noser' but built on a spoon rather than a nose -- picture someone always 'serving' and agreeing with their boss, ladling out praise. In everyday Delhi speech you will hear this sense attached to चमचा (chamchaa) much more often than to चम्मच (chammach) itself, so treat this as the less frequent variant of a lively colloquial idea.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense is far more commonly expressed with the related word चमचा (chamchaa) rather than चम्मच (chammach) itself -- if you hear someone called a 'spoon' in this insulting sense, it is more likely चमचा (chamchaa).
Sample Sentences:
वो मंत्री का चम्मच है।
He is the minister's yes-man.
(vo mantrii kaa chammach hai।)
दफ्तर में सब उसे चम्मच कहते हैं।
Everyone in the office calls him a flatterer.
(daphtar men sab use chammach kahte hain।)
वो बॉस के आगे-पीछे घूमकर चम्मच बन गया है।
He has become a total sycophant, always hovering around the boss.
(vo bos ke aage-piichhe ghoomkar chammach ban gayaa hai।)
इतना चम्मच मत बनो, अपनी राय भी रखो।
Don't be such a yes-man, have your own opinion too.
(itnaa chammach mat bano, apnii raay bhii rakho।)
अगर वो चम्मच न होता तो इतनी जल्दी तरक्की न पाता।
If he weren't such a flatterer, he wouldn't have gotten promoted so fast.
(agar vo chammach n hotaa to itnii jaldii tarakkii n paataa।)
हर दफ्तर में एक-दो चम्मच जरूर मिल जाते हैं।
You'll definitely find one or two sycophants in every office.
(har daphtar men ek-do chammach jaroor mil jaate hain।)
शायद वो सच में चम्मच हो, तभी सबकी हाँ में हाँ मिलाता है।
Maybe he really is a yes-man, that's why he agrees with everyone.
(shaayad vo sach men chammach ho, tabhii sabkii haan men haan milaataa hai।)
उसे चम्मच कहा जाता है क्योंकि वो बॉस की हर बात पर सिर हिलाता है।
He is called a flatterer because he nods along to everything the boss says.
(use chammach kahaa jaataa hai kyonki vo bos kii har baat par sir hilaataa hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
चम्मच
(chammach)
(sg.m.oblique):
चम्मच
(chammach)
(pl.m.direct):
चम्मच
(chammach)
(pl.m.oblique):
चम्मचों
(chammchon)