तबला (tablaa)

noun A pair of hand drums central to Hindustani classical and popular music; one straightforward sense, but rich in cultural weight.
Sense 1 : the tabla (a pair of hand drums)
noun, masculine
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: तबला (tablaa) is the heartbeat of most Hindustani classical performances and Bollywood-style compositions alike -- you will hear it accompanying everything from a sitar recital to a qawwali. Kids in many Indian households start तबला (tablaa) lessons the way Western kids might start piano, often with a उस्ताद (ustaad, 'master teacher') who teaches by spoken rhythmic syllables called बोल (bol) before the student ever touches the drum.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes treat तबला (tablaa) as plural since it is physically two drums (the smaller दायाँ daayaan and the larger बायाँ baayaan), but grammatically it is one singular masculine noun referring to the instrument as a set. 2) The verb used with playing it is बजाना (bajaanaa, 'to play an instrument'), not खेलना (khelnaa, 'to play a game') -- मिक्सिंग these up is a classic learner slip.
Sample Sentences:
तबला भारतीय शास्त्रीय संगीत का एक प्रमुख वाद्य है। The tabla is a major instrument in Indian classical music.
(tablaa bhaartiiy shaastriiy sangiit kaa ek pramukh vaady hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह हर शाम तबला बजाता है। He plays the tabla every evening.
(vah har shaam tablaa bajaataa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मेरी बेटी पिछले साल से तबला सीख रही है। My daughter has been learning tabla since last year.
(merii betii pichhle saal se tablaa siikh rahii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उस्ताद ने कॉन्सर्ट से पहले तबले को ठीक से मिलाया। The master tuned the tabla properly before the concert.
(ustaad ne konsart se pahle table ko thiik se milaayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
तबला जरा दूसरी तरफ रख दो, यहाँ जगह नहीं है। Move the tabla to the other side, there's no room here.
(tablaa jaraa doosrii taraph rakh do, yahaan jagah nahiin hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
काश मुझे भी बचपन में तबला सिखाया जाता। I wish I too had been taught tabla as a child.
(kaash mujhe bhii bachpan men tablaa sikhaayaa jaataa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Passive
अगर वह रोज़ रियाज़ करता, तो अब तक तबला बहुत अच्छा बजा लेता। If he had practiced daily, he would be playing the tabla very well by now.
(agar vah roz riyaaz kartaa, to ab tak tablaa bahut achchhaa bajaa letaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
समारोह में सितार के साथ तबला भी बजाया जाएगा। At the ceremony, the tabla will also be played alongside the sitar.
(samaaroh men sitaar ke saath tablaa bhii bajaayaa jaaegaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
क्या तुम्हें लगता है कि वह तबले पर यह ताल बजा पाएगा? Do you think he'll be able to play this rhythm on the tabla?
(kyaa tumhen lagtaa hai ki vah table par yah taal bajaa paaegaa?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
तबले की गूंज पूरे हॉल में फैल गई थी। The resonance of the tabla had spread through the entire hall.
(table kii goonj poore hol men phail gaii thii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): तबला (tablaa)
(sg.m.oblique): तबले (table)
(pl.m.direct): तबले (table)
(pl.m.oblique): तबलों (tablon)