खच्चर (khachchar)
noun
Primarily 'mule', the pack animal; also used figuratively as a mild insult for a stubborn or ill-tempered person.
Sense
1
:
mule (the animal, a horse-donkey hybrid)
noun, masculine
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: In hill states like Himachal and Uttarakhand, खच्चर (khachchar) are the workhorses (literally) of mountain trade and pilgrimage routes, carrying goods and supplies where vehicles cannot go -- you will hear the word constantly around trekking and char dham yatra logistics.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse खच्चर (khachchar) with गधा (gadhaa, 'donkey') -- a mule is a distinct hybrid animal used for load-carrying in hilly terrain, not simply a synonym for donkey.
Sample Sentences:
पहाड़ों में सामान ले जाने के लिए खच्चरों का इस्तेमाल होता है।
In the mountains, mules are used to carry goods.
(pahaadon men saamaan le jaane ke lie khachchron kaa istemaal hotaa hai।)
केदारनाथ की यात्रा में बहुत सारे खच्चर सामान ढोते हैं।
On the Kedarnath pilgrimage, many mules carry supplies.
(kedaarnaath kii yaatraa men bahut saare khachchar saamaan dhote hain।)
खच्चर पीठ पर भारी बोरे लादे ऊपर चढ़ रहा था।
The mule was climbing up with heavy sacks loaded on its back.
(khachchar piith par bhaarii bore laade oopar chadh rahaa thaa।)
उस पगडंडी पर एक खच्चर खड़ा है, आगे रास्ता बंद लगता है।
There is a mule standing on that trail, the path ahead seems blocked.
(us pagdandii par ek khachchar khadaa hai, aage raastaa band lagtaa hai।)
अगर बर्फ ज्यादा होती, तो खच्चर इस रास्ते से नहीं जा पाते।
If there had been more snow, the mules would not have been able to go by this route.
(agar barph jyaadaa hotii, to khachchar is raaste se nahiin jaa paate।)
खच्चर को ठीक से खिलाओ, कल फिर लंबा सफर है।
Feed the mule properly, tomorrow there is a long journey again.
(khachchar ko thiik se khilaao, kal phir lambaa saphar hai।)
शायद यह खच्चर इतना बोझ न उठा सके।
Perhaps this mule may not be able to carry so much load.
(shaayad yah khachchar itnaa bojh n uthaa sake।)
पिछले साल इस खच्चर ने दो बार पूरा राशन गाँव तक पहुँचाया था।
Last year this mule delivered the entire ration to the village twice.
(pichhle saal is khachchar ne do baar pooraa raashan gaanv tak pahunchaayaa thaa।)
मंदिर तक सामान खच्चरों द्वारा ही पहुँचाया जाता है।
Supplies to the temple are delivered only by mules.
(mandir tak saamaan khachchron dvaaraa hii pahunchaayaa jaataa hai।)
हिमाचल के इन दुर्गम इलाकों में खच्चर सदियों से व्यापार की रीढ़ रहे हैं।
In these remote regions of Himachal, mules have for centuries been the backbone of trade.
(himaachal ke in durgam ilaakon men khachchar sadiyon se vyaapaar kii riidh rahe hain।)
Sense
2
:
stubborn or brutish person (insult)
noun, masculine/feminine
Synonyms: गधा (gadhaa, mild insult), उल्लू (ulloo, mild insult)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: Calling someone खच्चर (khachchar) leans on the animal's reputation for being stubborn and hard to control -- it is heard in heated arguments or scoldings, often from an elder telling a child or a frustrated person venting, and carries more bite than गधा (gadhaa).
Common Mistakes: 1) This is a real but fairly coarse insult -- learners should be cautious using it directly at someone, as it can land as genuinely rude rather than playful, unlike some milder animal-insults in Hindi.
Sample Sentences:
तू कितना खच्चर है, एक बात नहीं समझता!
You're such a mule, you don't get even one simple thing!
(too kitnaa khachchar hai, ek baat nahiin samajhtaa!)
इस खच्चर को कितनी बार समझाऊँ, फिर भी वही गलती करता है।
How many times do I have to explain to this brute, he still makes the same mistake.
(is khachchar ko kitnii baar samjhaaoon, phir bhii vahii galtii kartaa hai।)
पापा गुस्से में चिल्लाए, अरे खच्चर, दिमाग से काम लिया कर!
Dad shouted angrily, hey mule, use your brain for once!
(paapaa gusse men chillaae, are khachchar, dimaag se kaam liyaa kar!)
खच्चर कहीं का, बार-बार मना करने पर भी नहीं माना!
You stubborn fool, even after refusing him again and again he wouldn't listen!
(khachchar kahiin kaa, baar-baar manaa karne par bhii nahiin maanaa!)
अगर वह इतना खच्चर न होता, तो अब तक अपनी गलती मान चुका होता।
If he weren't such a mule, he would have admitted his mistake by now.
(agar vah itnaa khachchar n hotaa, to ab tak apnii galtii maan chukaa hotaa।)
इतना मत बनो खच्चर, थोड़ी अक्ल से भी काम लो!
Don't be such a mule, use a little sense too!
(itnaa mat bano khachchar, thodii akl se bhii kaam lo!)
टीचर ने उसे खच्चर कहकर डाँटा क्योंकि वह होमवर्क कभी नहीं करता था।
The teacher scolded him, calling him a mule, because he never did his homework.
(tiichar ne use khachchar kahkar daantaa kyonki vah homvark kabhii nahiin kartaa thaa।)
क्या तुम हमेशा ऐसे खच्चर बनकर पेश आओगे?
Will you always behave like such an obstinate fool?
(kyaa tum hameshaa aise khachchar bankar pesh aaoge?)
दादी बोलीं, इस खच्चर से बहस करना बेकार है, यह किसी की नहीं सुनता।
Grandma said, arguing with this brute is pointless, he doesn't listen to anyone.
(daadii boliin, is khachchar se bahas karnaa bekaar hai, yah kisii kii nahiin suntaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
खच्चर
(khachchar)
(sg.m.oblique):
खच्चर
(khachchar)
(pl.m.direct):
खच्चर
(khachchar)
(pl.m.oblique):
खच्चरों
(khachchron)