मिर्च (mirch)
noun
Means 'chili pepper' or 'chili powder' as a food item, and also carries a common figurative sense of sharp/spicy sarcasm or hurt feelings, as in the idiom मिर्च लगना (mirch lagnaa).
Sense
1
:
chili pepper (the vegetable/fruit, fresh or dried)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: लाल मिर्च (laal mirch, red chili), हरी मिर्च (harii mirch, green chili)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In a Delhi kitchen you'll hear मिर्च (mirch) used loosely for both the fresh green pod tossed into a सब्ज़ी (sabzii, vegetable dish) and the red powder in the मसाला (masaalaa) box -- context, not the word itself, tells you which one. Green mirch tends to be sharper and used raw or tempered in oil, while red mirch powder gives color and background heat.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often assume मिर्च (mirch) only means the powder used in cooking, but it equally refers to the whole fresh pod you'd buy at a सब्ज़ी वाला (sabzii vaalaa, vegetable seller)'s cart. 2) The compound मिर्च-मसाला (mirch-masaalaa) doesn't mean 'chili and spices' literally in speech; it's often used loosely for 'spicy/exaggerated details' in a story.
Sample Sentences:
इस सब्ज़ी में हरी मिर्च डालो, तीखी बनेगी।
Add green chili to this vegetable dish, it'll turn out spicy.
(is sabzii men harii mirch daalo, tiikhii banegii।)
बाज़ार में आज मिर्च बहुत सस्ती मिल रही है।
Chilies are available really cheap in the market today.
(baazaar men aaj mirch bahut sastii mil rahii hai।)
मम्मी हर सब्ज़ी में लाल मिर्च पाउडर डालती हैं।
Mom puts red chili powder in every vegetable dish.
(mammii har sabzii men laal mirch paaudar daaltii hain।)
कल मैंने अचार के लिए ढेर सारी मिर्च सुखाई थी।
Yesterday I dried a whole bunch of chilies for pickle.
(kal mainne achaar ke lie dher saarii mirch sukhaaii thii।)
अगर मिर्च ताज़ी होती तो तड़का और खुशबूदार लगता।
If the chili had been fresh, the tempering would have smelled even better.
(agar mirch taazii hotii to tadkaa aur khushboodaar lagtaa।)
कृपया दाल में मिर्च कम डालें, बच्चे भी खाएँगे।
Please put less chili in the dal, the children will be eating it too.
(kripyaa daal men mirch kam daalen, bachche bhii khaaenge।)
मिर्च को तेल में तड़कने दो, फिर सब्ज़ी डालना।
Let the chili sizzle in the oil, then add the vegetables.
(mirch ko tel men tadakne do, phir sabzii daalnaa।)
इस साल खेत में मिर्च की फसल बहुत अच्छी हुई है।
This year the chili crop in the field has turned out very well.
(is saal khet men mirch kii phasal bahut achchhii huii hai।)
शायद बाज़ार में हरी मिर्च खत्म हो गई हो।
The green chilies at the market may have run out.
(shaayad baazaar men harii mirch khatm ho gaii ho।)
मसाले के डब्बे में लाल मिर्च रखी जाती है।
Red chili powder is kept in the spice box.
(masaale ke dabbe men laal mirch rakhii jaatii hai।)
पकौड़ों के साथ भुनी हुई मिर्च खाने में मज़ा आता है।
It's such fun eating roasted chilies along with the pakoras.
(pakaudon ke saath bhunii huii mirch khaane men mazaa aataa hai।)
Sense
2
:
figurative: something that stings, offends, or provokes a sharp reaction
noun, feminine Almost always seen in the fixed idiom मिर्च लगना (mirch lagnaa, 'to feel stung/offended') with a dative-marked experiencer, e.g. उसे मिर्च लगी (use mirch lagii, 'that stung him/her') -- structurally parallel to other को-subject feeling verbs like लगना on its own.
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the classic line for jealousy or a bruised ego: कहीं मिर्च तो नहीं लगी? (kahiin mirch to nahiin lagii?, 'did that sting you, by any chance?') is a teasing jab Delhi friends throw at each other when one person seems annoyed by another's good news.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners translate मिर्च लगना (mirch lagnaa) too literally as 'chili touched me' instead of recognizing it as an idiom for feeling offended or hurt, often at a taunt or someone else's success. 2) This sense is essentially locked to the verb लगना (lagnaa) -- you won't productively combine मिर्च (mirch) with other verbs to get this meaning.
Sample Sentences:
कहीं मिर्च तो नहीं लगी?
Did that sting you, by any chance?
(kahiin mirch to nahiin lagii?)
मेरी तरक्की की खबर सुनकर उसे मिर्च लग गई।
Hearing about my promotion stung him.
(merii tarakkii kii khabar sunkar use mirch lag gaii।)
तू क्यों बिना बात मिर्च खा रहा है?
Why are you getting all worked up over nothing?
(too kyon binaa baat mirch khaa rahaa hai?)
अगर मैं अपनी नई गाड़ी की बात करूँ, तो उसे मिर्च लगेगी।
If I mention my new car, it'll sting him.
(agar main apnii naii gaadii kii baat karoon, to use mirch lagegii।)
इतनी सी बात पर मिर्च मत लगाओ यार, मैं तो मज़ाक कर रहा था।
Don't get all stung over such a small thing, man, I was just joking.
(itnii sii baat par mirch mat lagaao yaar, main to mazaak kar rahaa thaa।)
जब भी कोई उसकी तारीफ करता है, उसे मिर्च लगती है।
Whenever someone praises her, it stings her.
(jab bhii koii uskii taariiph kartaa hai, use mirch lagtii hai।)
अगर उसे मिर्च नहीं लगती, तो वह इतनी बुरी तरह रिएक्ट नहीं करता।
If it hadn't stung him, he wouldn't have reacted so badly.
(agar use mirch nahiin lagtii, to vah itnii burii tarah riekt nahiin kartaa।)
उसके तानों में इतनी मिर्च थी कि पूरा कमरा चुप हो गया।
Her taunts had such a sting to them that the whole room fell silent.
(uske taanon men itnii mirch thii ki pooraa kamraa chup ho gayaa।)
क्या पता किसी को कब मिर्च लग जाए, इसलिए सोचकर बोलो।
Who knows when something might sting someone, so think before you speak.
(kyaa pataa kisii ko kab mirch lag jaae, islie sochkar bolo।)
उसकी बात में मिर्च छिपी हुई थी, पर किसी ने ध्यान नहीं दिया।
There was a hidden sting in what he said, but no one noticed.
(uskii baat men mirch chhipii huii thii, par kisii ne dhyaan nahiin diyaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
मिर्च
(mirch)
(sg.f.oblique):
मिर्च
(mirch)
(pl.f.direct):
मिर्चें
(mirchen)
(pl.f.oblique):
मिर्चों
(mirchon)