माफ़ी (maafii)

noun A single core noun meaning 'forgiveness/pardon,' overwhelmingly met in the fixed request-phrase माफ़ी चाहना (maafii chaahnaa) or माफ़ी माँगना (maafii maangnaa), 'to apologize.'
Sense 1 : forgiveness, pardon, apology
noun, feminine Almost always appears with the verb माँगना (maangnaa, 'to ask for') or चाहना (chaahnaa, 'to want') to mean 'apologize': माफ़ी माँगना (maafii maangnaa, 'to apologize'), माफ़ी चाहना (maafii chaahnaa, 'to beg pardon'); with देना (denaa) it means 'to grant forgiveness,' as in माफ़ी देना (maafii denaa, 'to forgive').
Synonyms: क्षमा (kshamaa, formal), माफ़ (maaf, variant used in some fixed phrases)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: माफ़ी चाहता हूँ (maafii chaahtaa hoon) or माफ़ कीजिए (maaf kiijie) are the everyday polite ways to say 'excuse me' or 'sorry' in Hindi -- said when bumping into someone, interrupting, or arriving late, much more common in daily speech than a heavier formal apology. Note the family link to the adjective माफ़ (maaf, 'forgiven, excused') and the verb phrase माफ़ करना (maaf karnaa, 'to forgive'), which share the same root borrowed from Persian/Arabic via Urdu.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often say माफ़ी करना (maafii karnaa) by analogy with English 'do forgiveness,' but native speakers say माफ़ी माँगना (maafii maangnaa) for 'apologize' and माफ़ करना (maaf karnaa) -- using the adjective माफ़ (maaf), not the noun माफ़ी (maafii) -- for 'to forgive.' 2) माफ़ी चाहता हूँ (maafii chaahtaa hoon, 'I beg your pardon') is a fixed polite formula; learners sometimes over-translate it literally as 'I want forgiveness,' when it actually functions as a everyday soft apology, similar in weight to 'excuse me' or 'sorry.'
Sample Sentences:
मुझे माफ़ी चाहिए। I need an apology.
(mujhe maafii chaahie।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
माफ़ी चाहता हूँ, मुझे देर हो गई। I'm sorry, I'm late.
(maafii chaahtaa hoon, mujhe der ho gaii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसने अपनी गलती के लिए माफ़ी माँगी। He asked for forgiveness for his mistake.
(usne apnii galtii ke lie maafii maangii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम मुझसे माफ़ी माँगोगे? Will you apologize to me?
(kyaa tum mujhse maafii maangoge?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
कृपया मेरी माफ़ी स्वीकार कीजिए। Please accept my apology.
(kripyaa merii maafii sviikaar kiijie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर मैंने माफ़ी माँगी होती, तो शायद बात बन जाती। If I had apologized, things might have worked out.
(agar mainne maafii maangii hotii, to shaayad baat ban jaatii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
उम्मीद है कि वह अपनी माफ़ी में सच्चा हो। I hope he is sincere in his apology.
(ummiid hai ki vah apnii maafii men sachchaa ho।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
मंत्री की सार्वजनिक माफ़ी से लोग संतुष्ट नहीं हुए। People were not satisfied with the minister's public apology.
(mantrii kii saarvajnik maafii se log santusht nahiin hue।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उसकी माफ़ी को कंपनी ने स्वीकार कर लिया गया। His apology was accepted by the company.
(uskii maafii ko kampnii ne sviikaar kar liyaa gayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
अरे यार, माफ़ी! मुझसे गिलास टूट गया। Hey man, sorry! I broke the glass.
(are yaar, maafii! mujhse gilaas toot gayaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वह हर बार माफ़ी माँगकर अपनी बात मनवा लेता है। Every time he gets his way by apologizing.
(vah har baar maafii maangkar apnii baat manvaa letaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): माफ़ी (maafii)
(sg.f.oblique): माफ़ी (maafii)
(pl.f.direct): माफ़ियाँ (maafiyaan)
(pl.f.oblique): माफ़ियों (maafiyon)