शरारत (sharaarat)

noun A feminine noun meaning 'mischief' or 'prank' -- almost always used for the harmless naughtiness of children, and by extension the playful teasing of adults.

Sense 1 : mischief, naughtiness (a child's playful misbehavior)

noun, feminine

Synonyms: नटखटपन (natkhatpan), उद्दंडता (uddandtaa, formal, closer to 'unruliness')

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: Any Delhi aunty watching a kid pull the cat's tail will sigh and say बहुत शरारती है (bahut sharaartii hai, 'he/she is very mischievous') -- the adjective शरारती (sharaartii) is the word's constant companion and worth learning alongside it. The tone is almost always affectionate, never harshly critical.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for बदमाशी (badmaashii) as a direct synonym, but बदमाशी (badmaashii) leans toward willful bad behavior or even thuggishness, while शरारत (sharaarat) keeps a fond, indulgent tone -- it is what you say about a toddler who has scribbled on the wall, not a criminal. 2) The common verb pairing is शरारत करना (sharaarat karnaa, 'to do mischief'), not बनाना (banaanaa) or खेलना (khelnaa) -- learners sometimes reach for the wrong light verb.

Sample Sentences:

बच्चे शरारत करने में बहुत माहिर होते हैं। Children are very skilled at mischief.

(bachche sharaarat karne men bahut maahir hote hain।)

मेरा भतीजा बहुत शरारती है, पर उसकी शरारत में भी प्यार छिपा होता है। My nephew is very mischievous, but there's love hidden even in his mischief.

(meraa bhatiijaa bahut sharaartii hai, par uskii sharaarat men bhii pyaar chhipaa hotaa hai।)

छोटी सी शरारत में इतना गुस्सा मत करो। Don't get so angry over a little mischief.

(chhotii sii sharaarat men itnaa gussaa mat karo।)

अगर वह इतना शरारती न होता, तो हम उसे यहाँ अकेला छोड़ देते। If he weren't so mischievous, we would have left him alone here.

(agar vah itnaa sharaartii n hotaa, to ham use yahaan akelaa chhod dete।)

बचपन की शरारत आज भी याद आकर हँसा देती है। The mischief of childhood still makes me laugh when I remember it.

(bachpan kii sharaarat aaj bhii yaad aakar hansaa detii hai।)

टीचर ने कहा कि क्लास में शरारत बंद हो जानी चाहिए। The teacher said that the mischief in class should stop.

(tiichar ne kahaa ki klaas men sharaarat band ho jaanii chaahie।)

उसकी शरारत की वजह से पूरी क्लास को डाँट पड़ी। Because of his mischief, the whole class got scolded.

(uskii sharaarat kii vajah se poorii klaas ko daant padii।)

काश वह थोड़ी कम शरारत करता। I wish he would do a little less mischief.

(kaash vah thodii kam sharaarat kartaa।)

दादी हमेशा कहती हैं, बच्चों की शरारत में ही तो जान बसती है। Grandma always says, life itself lives in children's mischief.

(daadii hameshaa kahtii hain, bachchon kii sharaarat men hii to jaan bastii hai।)

वह बहुत शरारती था, फिर भी सबका चहेता था। He was very mischievous, yet he was everyone's favorite.

(vah bahut sharaartii thaa, phir bhii sabkaa chahetaa thaa।)

Sense 2 : a prank, a mischievous act (countable instance)

noun, feminine Used in the plural, शरारतें (sharaarten), to refer to a pattern of pranks or a child's antics collectively.

Synonyms: मस्ती (mastii, broader, more like 'fun/high spirits')

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: You will often hear grandparents recount बचपन की शरारतें (bachpan kii sharaarten, 'childhood pranks') with real nostalgia -- in Hindi-speaking households, remembering one's own शरारतें (sharaarten) is a beloved genre of family storytelling.

Sample Sentences:

बच्चे ने फिर एक शरारत कर दी। The kid pulled off another prank.

(bachche ne phir ek sharaarat kar dii।)

वह हर रोज़ कोई नई शरारत सोचता है। He thinks up some new prank every day.

(vah har roz koii naii sharaarat sochtaa hai।)

दादी अपने बचपन की शरारतें बड़े चाव से सुनाती थीं। Grandma used to tell the pranks of her childhood with great relish.

(daadii apne bachpan kii sharaarten bade chaav se sunaatii thiin।)

क्लास में यह शरारत किसने की? Who pulled this prank in class?

(klaas men yah sharaarat kisne kii?)

इस बार की शरारत तो हद से ज़्यादा थी। This time's prank really crossed the line.

(is baar kii sharaarat to had se zyaadaa thii।)

अगर वह यह शरारत न करता, तो सब ठीक रहता। If he hadn't pulled this prank, everything would have been fine.

(agar vah yah sharaarat n kartaa, to sab thiik rahtaa।)

उसकी वह शरारत आज भी सबको याद है। Everyone still remembers that prank of his even today.

(uskii vah sharaarat aaj bhii sabko yaad hai।)

इतनी बड़ी शरारत मत करो, किसी को चोट लग सकती है। Don't pull such a big prank, someone might get hurt.

(itnii badii sharaarat mat karo, kisii ko chot lag saktii hai।)

यह शरारत उससे इतनी सफ़ाई से की गई कि किसी को शक भी नहीं हुआ। This prank was pulled off by him so cleanly that no one even suspected it.

(yah sharaarat usse itnii safaaii se kii gaii ki kisii ko shak bhii nahiin huaa।)

काश मैं भी उस शरारत में शामिल होता। I wish I had been part of that prank too.

(kaash main bhii us sharaarat men shaamil hotaa।)

होली पर रंग की यह शरारत हर साल दोहराई जाती है। This color prank on Holi is repeated every year.

(holii par rang kii yah sharaarat har saal dohraaii jaatii hai।)

Morphology

Noun

(sg.f.direct): शरारत (sharaarat)

(sg.f.oblique): शरारत (sharaarat)

(pl.f.direct): शरारतें (sharaarten)

(pl.f.oblique): शरारतों (sharaarton)