कतार (kataar)

noun A single-sense noun meaning 'a line/queue,' used both for people waiting in a queue and for rows of objects lined up.
Sense 1 : line, queue, row
noun, feminine
Synonyms: पंक्ति (pankti, formal), लाइन (laain, colloquial, from English)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will see कतार (kataar) on signboards at banks, ration shops, and railway counters -- 'कृपया कतार में खड़े हों' (kripyaa kataar men khade hon, 'please stand in line') is a familiar civic instruction. In everyday chat, though, most Delhi-NCR speakers will just say लाइन (laain) lagaana instead -- so कतार carries a slightly more formal, written flavor even though it's not obscure at all.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for लाइन (laain) by default since it is borrowed from English and very common in speech, but कतार (kataar) is the word you will see in written/official contexts (signs, announcements) and in more careful speech -- both are correct, but knowing कतार (kataar) rounds out register range. 2) The common verb pairing is कतार में लगना (kataar men lagnaa, 'to get in line') or कतार लगाना (kataar lagaanaa, 'to form a line') -- learners sometimes try to use कतार as a verb directly, but it always needs a supporting verb like लगना or लगाना.
Sample Sentences:
कृपया कतार में खड़े हों। Please stand in the queue.
(kripyaa kataar men khade hon।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
बैंक के बाहर बहुत लंबी कतार लगी थी। A very long queue had formed outside the bank.
(baink ke baahar bahut lambii kataar lagii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
राशन की दुकान पर लोग रोज़ कतार में खड़े होते हैं। People stand in a queue at the ration shop every day.
(raashan kii dukaan par log roz kataar men khade hote hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
टिकट खिड़की पर यात्री कतार में इंतज़ार कर रहे हैं। The passengers are waiting in a queue at the ticket window.
(tikat khidkii par yaatrii kataar men intzaar kar rahe hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर सब कतार में खड़े होते, तो इतनी देर न होती। If everyone had stood in a queue, it wouldn't have taken this long.
(agar sab kataar men khade hote, to itnii der n hotii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
कल तक यह कतार और भी लंबी हो जाएगी। By tomorrow this queue will become even longer.
(kal tak yah kataar aur bhii lambii ho jaaegii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
यह ज़रूरी है कि सभी नागरिक कतार का पालन करें। It is necessary that all citizens follow the queue.
(yah zaroorii hai ki sabhii naagrik kataar kaa paalan karen।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
काउंटर बंद होने से पहले कतार तोड़ी गई। The queue was broken before the counter closed.
(kaauntar band hone se pahle kataar todii gaii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
सरकारी दफ़्तरों में अक्सर लंबी कतारें देखी जाती हैं। Long queues are often seen at government offices.
(sarkaarii daftron men aksar lambii kataaren dekhii jaatii hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
नई फ़िल्म के टिकट के लिए सिनेमाघर के बाहर कतार लग गई। A queue formed outside the cinema for tickets to the new film.
(naii film ke tikat ke lie sinemaaghar ke baahar kataar lag gaii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): कतार (kataar)
(sg.f.oblique): कतार (kataar)
(pl.f.direct): कतारें (kataaren)
(pl.f.oblique): कतारों (kataaron)