अजनबी (ajanbii)
noun/adjective
A single core meaning: 'stranger, unfamiliar person,' used as both a noun and an adjective describing someone (or something) unknown.
Sense
1
:
a stranger, an unknown person
noun, masculine
Synonyms: अनजान व्यक्ति (anjaan vyakti, phrase, unfamiliar person), गैर (gair, outsider/not one's own)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: अजनबी (ajanbii) carries a slightly literary, wistful flavor -- it shows up constantly in film song lyrics and ghazals about chance encounters and lost connections, more evocative than the flatter अनजान व्यक्ति (anjaan vyakti). In everyday Delhi speech you will hear it in warnings like अजनबियों से सावधान रहो (ajanbiyon se saavdhaan raho, 'be careful of strangers'), a common parental caution.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for अनजान (anjaan) to mean 'stranger' as a noun, but अनजान (anjaan) is really an adjective ('unknown, unfamiliar') describing a person or thing -- अजनबी (ajanbii) is the go-to noun for 'a stranger' standing alone, as in किसी अजनबी से बात मत करो (kisii ajanbii se baat mat karo, 'don't talk to any stranger'). 2) The gender is fixed masculine in form regardless of who is referred to; it does not take a feminine ending, so आप एक अजनबी हैं (aap ek ajanbii hain) works for a woman too, though many speakers will also just say अजनबी औरत (ajanbii aurat, 'stranger woman') keeping अजनबी (ajanbii) invariant before the noun.
Sample Sentences:
बच्चों को अजनबियों से सावधान रहना चाहिए।
Children should be careful of strangers.
(bachchon ko ajanbiyon se saavdhaan rahnaa chaahie।)
एक अजनबी ने स्टेशन पर मुझसे रास्ता पूछा।
A stranger asked me for directions at the station.
(ek ajanbii ne steshan par mujhse raastaa poochhaa।)
अजनबियों से सावधान रहो, बेटा।
Be careful of strangers, son.
(ajanbiyon se saavdhaan raho, betaa।)
अजनबियों से बातें करती इस लड़की को देखकर वह हैरान था।
He was surprised to see this girl talking to strangers.
(ajanbiyon se baaten kartii is ladkii ko dekhkar vah hairaan thaa।)
क्या तुम किसी अजनबी पर इतनी जल्दी भरोसा कर सकते हो?
Can you trust some stranger so quickly?
(kyaa tum kisii ajanbii par itnii jaldii bharosaa kar sakte ho?)
अगर वह अजनबी न होता, तो मैं उसकी मदद करता।
If he hadn't been a stranger, I would have helped him.
(agar vah ajanbii n hotaa, to main uskii madad kartaa।)
उस अजनबी की आँखों में एक अजीब सी उदासी थी।
There was a strange sadness in that stranger's eyes.
(us ajanbii kii aankhon men ek ajiib sii udaasii thii।)
ज़िंदगी में कभी-कभी कोई अजनबी ही सबसे बड़ा सहारा बन जाता है।
In life, sometimes a stranger becomes the greatest support.
(zindgii men kabhii-kabhii koii ajanbii hii sabse badaa sahaaraa ban jaataa hai।)
उस भीड़ भरी ट्रेन में हम दोनों अजनबी थे, फिर भी बातें करते रहे।
We were both strangers on that crowded train, yet we kept talking.
(us bhiid bharii tren men ham donon ajanbii the, phir bhii baaten karte rahe।)
मुझे उम्मीद है कि तुम किसी अजनबी के साथ अकेले न जाओ।
I hope you don't go alone with any stranger.
(mujhe ummiid hai ki tum kisii ajanbii ke saath akele n jaao।)
गाने में लिखा है कि हम दो अजनबी एक ही राह पर मिल गए।
The song says that we two strangers met on the same path.
(gaane men likhaa hai ki ham do ajanbii ek hii raah par mil gae।)
Sense
2
:
strange, unfamiliar
adjective
Synonyms: अनजान (anjaan), अपरिचित (aprichit, formal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Used adjectivally, अजनबी (ajanbii) often describes places or feelings as much as people -- यह शहर मुझे अजनबी लगता है (yah shahar mujhe ajanbii lagtaa hai, 'this city feels unfamiliar to me') is a very natural way to express homesickness or disorientation, leaning on the दिमाग/मन-को-लगना (dimaag/man-ko-lagnaa) 'feels to me' construction rather than an English-style 'I feel.'
Common Mistakes: 1) Being an invariant loanword adjective, अजनबी (ajanbii) never changes for gender or number, unlike native adjectives ending in आ (aa) -- अजनबी शहर (ajanbii shahar, 'unfamiliar city') and अजनबी जगह (ajanbii jagah, 'unfamiliar place') both use the same unchanged form.
Sample Sentences:
यह शहर मुझे अजनबी लगता है।
This city feels unfamiliar to me.
(yah shahar mujhe ajanbii lagtaa hai।)
शुरू में मुझे यह जगह बहुत अजनबी लगी थी।
In the beginning, this place felt very unfamiliar to me.
(shuroo men mujhe yah jagah bahut ajanbii lagii thii।)
उसकी आवाज़ अचानक इतनी अजनबी क्यों लग रही है?
Why does his voice suddenly sound so unfamiliar?
(uskii aavaaz achaanak itnii ajanbii kyon lag rahii hai?)
अगर तुम यहाँ रहोगे, तो यह जगह अजनबी नहीं रहेगी।
If you live here, this place won't remain unfamiliar.
(agar tum yahaan rahoge, to yah jagah ajanbii nahiin rahegii।)
काश यह घर मुझे इतना अजनबी न लगता।
I wish this house didn't feel so unfamiliar to me.
(kaash yah ghar mujhe itnaa ajanbii n lagtaa।)
अगर वह अजनबी न होता, तो मैं उससे बात कर लेता।
If it hadn't felt so unfamiliar, I would have talked to him.
(agar vah ajanbii n hotaa, to main usse baat kar letaa।)
बरसों बाद लौटने पर उसे अपना ही गाँव अजनबी लगा।
Returning after years, his own village felt unfamiliar to him.
(barson baad lautne par use apnaa hii gaanv ajanbii lagaa।)
प्रिय डायरी, आज हर चेहरा मुझे अजनबी सा लगा।
Dear diary, today every face felt somewhat unfamiliar to me.
(priy daayrii, aaj har chehraa mujhe ajanbii saa lagaa।)
नई नौकरी में शुरुआती दिन थोड़े अजनबी होते ही हैं।
The initial days at a new job are naturally a bit unfamiliar.
(naii naukrii men shuruaatii din thode ajanbii hote hii hain।)
मुमकिन है कि यह भाषा तुम्हें पहले अजनबी लगे, पर धीरे-धीरे समझ आ जाएगी।
It's possible that this language might feel unfamiliar to you at first, but you'll slowly get the hang of it.
(mumkin hai ki yah bhaashaa tumhen pahle ajanbii lage, par dhiire-dhiire samajh aa jaaegii।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
अजनबी
(ajanbii)
(sg.m.oblique):
अजनबी
(ajanbii)
(pl.m.direct):
अजनबी
(ajanbii)
(pl.m.oblique):
अजनबीयों
(ajanbiiyon)
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
अजनबी
(ajanbii)