चौकीदार (chaukiidaar)
noun
A watchman or guard, whether posted at a residential building, market, or (colloquially and politically) the country itself. One straightforward sense with an extended, well-known metaphorical use.
Sense
1
:
watchman, guard
noun, masculine
Synonyms: गार्ड (gaard), पहरेदार (pahredaar), दरबान (darbaan, usually at a gate or door)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Almost every residential colony (mahalla) or apartment block in North India has a चौकीदार (chaukiidaar) who does rounds at night, sometimes blowing a whistle or banging a stick on the ground so residents know he's awake and alert. The word comes from चौकी (chaukii, a guard post or checkpoint) plus the Persian agentive suffix -दार (daar, 'holder of'), the same pattern seen in जमींदार (jamiindaar, landholder) and दुकानदार (dukaandaar, shopkeeper).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes assume चौकीदार (chaukiidaar) is only a formal or official title; in everyday Delhi-NCR usage it is the plain, common word people use for the neighborhood or building night guard, not a fancy term. 2) दरबान (darbaan) is closer to a doorman at an entrance (hotel, office lobby), while चौकीदार (chaukiidaar) suggests patrolling and watching over a wider area, including at night -- the two are not perfectly interchangeable.
Sample Sentences:
रात में चौकीदार पूरी कॉलोनी का चक्कर लगाता है।
At night the watchman does rounds of the whole colony.
(raat men chaukiidaar poorii kolonii kaa chakkar lagaataa hai।)
चौकीदार सीटी बजाते हुए गली में घूम रहा था।
The watchman was roaming the lane blowing his whistle.
(chaukiidaar siitii bajaate hue galii men ghoom rahaa thaa।)
हमारी बिल्डिंग का चौकीदार बहुत ईमानदार आदमी है।
Our building's watchman is a very honest man.
(hamaarii bilding kaa chaukiidaar bahut iimaandaar aadmii hai।)
चौकीदार गेट पर खड़ा है, अंदर मत जाओ जब तक वो न कहे।
The watchman is standing at the gate, don't go inside until he says so.
(chaukiidaar get par khadaa hai, andar mat jaao jab tak vo n kahe।)
अगर चौकीदार समय पर आ जाता तो चोरी नहीं होती।
If the watchman had come on time, the theft wouldn't have happened.
(agar chaukiidaar samay par aa jaataa to chorii nahiin hotii।)
चौकीदार से पूछो, उसने ही ताला खोला होगा।
Ask the watchman, he must be the one who opened the lock.
(chaukiidaar se poochho, usne hii taalaa kholaa hogaa।)
सोसाइटी ने नया चौकीदार रखा है, वो लाठी लेकर घूमता है।
The society has hired a new watchman, he goes around carrying a stick.
(sosaaitii ne nayaa chaukiidaar rakhaa hai, vo laathii lekar ghoomtaa hai।)
देर रात चौकीदार की सीटी की आवाज़ सुनकर पता चलता है कि सब ठीक है।
Hearing the watchman's whistle late at night, one knows that everything is fine.
(der raat chaukiidaar kii siitii kii aavaaz sunkar pataa chaltaa hai ki sab thiik hai।)
क्या तुमने चौकीदार को महीने की तनख्वाह दे दी?
Did you give the watchman his monthly salary?
(kyaa tumne chaukiidaar ko mahiine kii tanakhvaah de dii?)
चौकीदार को हर घर से महीने के दो सौ रुपये मिलते हैं।
The watchman gets two hundred rupees a month from every house.
(chaukiidaar ko har ghar se mahiine ke do sau rupye milte hain।)
रात के अंधेरे में चौकीदार लाठी ज़मीन पर बजाता हुआ चलता है ताकि चोर डर जाएँ।
In the dark of night the watchman walks along banging his stick on the ground so that thieves get scared.
(raat ke andhere men chaukiidaar laathii zamiin par bajaataa huaa chaltaa hai taaki chor dar jaaen।)
Sense
2
:
guardian/protector (figurative, especially political)
noun, masculine Used in a broader, non-literal sense to mean someone who claims to protect or safeguard something larger and more abstract, such as a nation, its wealth, or its interests.
Synonyms: रक्षक (rakshak, more formal/literary), संरक्षक (sanrakshak, formal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This extended sense took off in Indian public life when politicians began calling themselves चौकीदार (chaukiidaar) to project themselves as personally standing guard over the nation's money and interests -- it's a good example of how a humble, everyday job title can be borrowed for a much bigger, symbolic claim.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense became widely known in political slogans and campaign rhetoric (e.g. 'मैं भी चौकीदार' (main bhii chaukiidaar, 'I too am a watchman')); learners should recognize it as a rhetorical, self-appointed 'guardian of the nation' framing rather than a literal job title.
Sample Sentences:
नेता जी ने कहा कि वे देश के पैसे के चौकीदार हैं।
The leader said that he is the guardian of the country's money.
(netaa jii ne kahaa ki ve desh ke paise ke chaukiidaar hain।)
जनता का असली चौकीदार वही है जो चुप रहकर काम करता है।
The true guardian of the people is the one who works quietly.
(jantaa kaa aslii chaukiidaar vahii hai jo chup rahkar kaam kartaa hai।)
क्या हर नेता खुद को जनता का चौकीदार कहलाने का हक़दार है?
Does every politician deserve to be called a guardian of the people?
(kyaa har netaa khud ko jantaa kaa chaukiidaar kahlaane kaa haqdaar hai?)
अगर वह सच में चौकीदार होता, तो देश का पैसा यूँ नहीं लुटता।
If he were truly a guardian, the country's money would not have been plundered like this.
(agar vah sach men chaukiidaar hotaa, to desh kaa paisaa yoon nahiin luttaa।)
प्रधानमंत्री ने खुद को देश का चौकीदार बताया था।
The prime minister had described himself as the guardian of the country.
(pradhaanmantrii ne khud ko desh kaa chaukiidaar bataayaa thaa।)
यह पार्टी अपने आप को लोकतंत्र का चौकीदार मानती है।
This party considers itself the guardian of democracy.
(yah paartii apne aap ko loktantr kaa chaukiidaar maantii hai।)
टैक्स के पैसे का चौकीदार बनना आसान बात नहीं है।
Becoming the guardian of taxpayers' money is not an easy thing.
(taiks ke paise kaa chaukiidaar bannaa aasaan baat nahiin hai।)
विपक्ष ने पूछा कि यह चौकीदार खुद किसकी निगरानी में है।
The opposition asked who this guardian himself is being watched by.
(vipaksh ne poochhaa ki yah chaukiidaar khud kiskii nigraanii men hai।)
काश हर नेता संविधान का सच्चा चौकीदार बने।
If only every politician would become a true guardian of the constitution.
(kaash har netaa sanvidhaan kaa sachchaa chaukiidaar bane।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
चौकीदार
(chaukiidaar)
(sg.m.oblique):
चौकीदार
(chaukiidaar)
(pl.m.direct):
चौकीदार
(chaukiidaar)
(pl.m.oblique):
चौकीदारों
(chaukiidaaron)