माली (maalii)

noun A single-sense everyday noun: the person who tends a garden -- a gardener.
Sense 1 : gardener
noun, masculine
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: In many North Indian households and colonies, the माली (maalii) is a familiar figure who comes on fixed days to water plants and tend the garden, much like a milkman or cook has a fixed schedule -- part of the informal household staff network common in Delhi-NCR homes.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes treat माली (maalii) as invariant because it ends in ी, but it inflects like a standard masculine -ई (ii) noun: the plural/oblique form is माली (maalii) staying the same in casual speech but taking मालियों (maaliyon) in the oblique plural -- check the morphology table rather than assuming from the singular shape. 2) Do not confuse with माला (maalaa, 'garland/necklace') -- similar sound, unrelated meaning.
Sample Sentences:
हमारा माली हफ्ते में तीन दिन आता है। Our gardener comes three days a week.
(hamaaraa maalii haphte men tiin din aataa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
माली सुबह-सुबह पौधों को पानी दे रहा है। The gardener is watering the plants early in the morning.
(maalii subah-subah paudhon ko paanii de rahaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पुराना माली पिछले महीने गाँव लौट गया। The old gardener went back to his village last month.
(puraanaa maalii pichhle mahiine gaanv laut gayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
माली से कहो कि गमलों में खाद डाल दे। Tell the gardener to put fertilizer in the pots.
(maalii se kaho ki gamlon men khaad daal de।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर माली समय पर आ जाए, तो बगीचा जल्दी तैयार हो जाएगा। If the gardener comes on time, the garden will be ready quickly.
(agar maalii samay par aa jaae, to bagiichaa jaldii taiyaar ho jaaegaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
काश हमारे पास भी एक अच्छा माली होता। I wish we too had a good gardener.
(kaash hamaare paas bhii ek achchhaa maalii hotaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
कॉलोनी के सारे माली मिलकर पार्क की सफाई करते हैं। All the gardeners of the colony together clean the park.
(kolonii ke saare maalii milkar paark kii saphaaii karte hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बगीचे की देखभाल माली द्वारा की जाती है। The garden's upkeep is taken care of by the gardener.
(bagiiche kii dekhbhaal maalii dvaaraa kii jaatii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
नया माली रखने से पहले उसकी सिफारिश जरूर देख लीजिए। Before hiring a new gardener, please do check his references.
(nayaa maalii rakhne se pahle uskii siphaarish jaroor dekh liijie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
माली ने गुलाब की क्यारी बहुत करीने से सजाई थी। The gardener had arranged the rose bed very neatly.
(maalii ne gulaab kii kyaarii bahut kariine se sajaaii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): माली (maalii)
(sg.m.oblique): माली (maalii)
(pl.m.direct): माली (maalii)
(pl.m.oblique): मालीयों (maaliiyon)