माला (maalaa)
noun
Mainly a string of beads or flowers -- a garland or a rosary -- with a natural extension to any 'string/chain' of similar items, and a name element.
Sense
1
:
garland (flowers)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: हार (haar)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will see माला (maalaa) everywhere in Delhi-NCR life: garlands of marigold (gende kaa phool) for a puja (poojaa), a groom garlanded at his wedding, or a VIP welcomed with a maala at the airport. Politicians famously get garlanded on stage, and 'phoolon ki maala' (phoolon kii maalaa, 'a garland of flowers') is a very common phrase.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse माला (maalaa) with हार (haar) -- माला (maalaa) is used for the flower garlands offered to gods, guests, and at weddings/felicitations, while हार (haar) leans toward jewelry-style neck ornaments (gold, pearl, etc.), though the two overlap in everyday speech.
Sample Sentences:
दुल्हे के गले में फूलों की माला थी।
There was a garland of flowers around the groom's neck.
(dulhe ke gale men phoolon kii maalaa thii।)
मंदिर जाते समय वह हमेशा गेंदे के फूलों की माला खरीदती है।
On her way to the temple, she always buys a marigold garland.
(mandir jaate samay vah hameshaa gende ke phoolon kii maalaa khariidtii hai।)
एयरपोर्ट पर मंत्री जी को माला पहनाई जा रही थी।
At the airport, the minister was being garlanded.
(eyarport par mantrii jii ko maalaa pahnaaii jaa rahii thii।)
कृपया मुख्य अतिथि को माला पहनाइए।
Please garland the chief guest.
(kripyaa mukhy atithi ko maalaa pahnaaie।)
पूजा के लिए बाज़ार से ताज़ी माला ले आओ।
Go bring a fresh garland from the market for the puja.
(poojaa ke lie baazaar se taazii maalaa le aao।)
अगर फूल ताज़े होते तो माला और भी खूबसूरत दिखती।
If the flowers were fresher, the garland would look even more beautiful.
(agar phool taaze hote to maalaa aur bhii khoobsoorat dikhtii।)
स्टेज पर नेता जी को इतनी मालाएँ पहनाई गईं कि वे उनके भार से झुक गए।
So many garlands were put on the leader on stage that he bent under their weight.
(stej par netaa jii ko itnii maalaaen pahnaaii gaiin ki ve unke bhaar se jhuk gae।)
शायद वह जीत के जश्न में फूलों की माला लेकर आए।
Perhaps he will bring a garland of flowers for the victory celebration.
(shaayad vah jiit ke jashn men phoolon kii maalaa lekar aae।)
मूर्ति को हर सुबह ताज़ी माला चढ़ाई जाती है।
A fresh garland is offered to the idol every morning.
(moorti ko har subah taazii maalaa chadhaaii jaatii hai।)
उसने अपनी माँ के फोटो पर माला चढ़ा दी।
He placed a garland on his mother's photo.
(usne apnii maan ke photo par maalaa chadhaa dii।)
बाज़ार की दुकानों में रंग-बिरंगी मालाएँ लटकी हुई थीं।
Colorful garlands were hanging in the market shops.
(baazaar kii dukaanon men rang-birangii maalaaen latkii huii thiin।)
Sense
2
:
rosary, string of beads (for prayer)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: जाप माला (jaap maalaa, specific to chanting)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the string of beads used for जाप (jaap, repeated chanting of a mantra or God's name), often made of तुलसी (tulsii, holy basil) or rudraksha seeds. You'll see elders quietly counting beads on a माला (maalaa) while murmuring a mantra -- it is Hindi's equivalent of a rosary or mala beads in yoga/meditation contexts.
Sample Sentences:
दादी रोज़ सुबह माला फेरती हैं।
Grandma tells her prayer beads every morning.
(daadii roz subah maalaa phertii hain।)
उसके हाथ में तुलसी की माला थी।
There was a tulsi rosary in his hand.
(uske haath men tulsii kii maalaa thii।)
मंदिर की दुकान से एक रुद्राक्ष की माला खरीद लो।
Buy a rudraksha rosary from the temple shop.
(mandir kii dukaan se ek rudraaksh kii maalaa khariid lo।)
वह मंत्र जपते हुए माला के दाने गिन रहा था।
He was counting the beads of the rosary while chanting the mantra.
(vah mantr japte hue maalaa ke daane gin rahaa thaa।)
गुरुजी ने मुझे जाप के लिए एक माला दी।
The guru gave me a rosary for chanting.
(gurujii ne mujhe jaap ke lie ek maalaa dii।)
अगर मेरे पास माला होती, तो मैं भी रोज़ जाप करता।
If I had a rosary, I too would chant every day.
(agar mere paas maalaa hotii, to main bhii roz jaap kartaa।)
क्या तुम्हारे पास कोई अतिरिक्त माला है?
Do you have an extra rosary?
(kyaa tumhaare paas koii atirikt maalaa hai?)
साधु के गले में रुद्राक्ष की एक बड़ी माला लटकी थी।
A large rudraksha rosary hung around the sage's neck.
(saadhu ke gale men rudraaksh kii ek badii maalaa latkii thii।)
माला हाथ में लेकर वह भगवान का नाम जपने लगी।
Taking the rosary in her hand, she began chanting God's name.
(maalaa haath men lekar vah bhagvaan kaa naam japne lagii।)
उम्मीद है कि यह माला मुझे शांति दे।
I hope this rosary brings me peace.
(ummiid hai ki yah maalaa mujhe shaanti de।)
Sense
3
:
string, chain, series (of similar items)
noun, feminine Used in compounds like शब्दमाला (shabdmaalaa, 'a string/garland of words') or पर्वतमाला (parvatmaalaa, 'mountain range') where माला (maalaa) extends metaphorically to any linear chain of similar things.
Synonyms: श्रृंखला (shrrinkhlaa, formal, used for abstract series/chains)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This is the same 'garland' image stretched to describe any chain of linked things -- a mountain range is literally a 'garland of mountains' (parvatmaalaa) in Hindi, showing how naturally this word extends from flowers to a visual chain of anything similar.
Sample Sentences:
हिमालय की पर्वतमाला बहुत ऊँची है।
The Himalayan mountain range is very high.
(himaalay kii parvatmaalaa bahut oonchii hai।)
इस इलाके में घटनाओं की एक माला-सी बन गई है।
A whole chain of incidents has formed in this area.
(is ilaake men ghatnaaon kii ek maalaa-sii ban gaii hai।)
उसने विचारों की एक माला पिरो दी।
He strung together a whole series of thoughts.
(usne vichaaron kii ek maalaa piro dii।)
कविता में शब्दों की माला बहुत सुंदर बुनी गई है।
In the poem, a beautiful chain of words has been woven.
(kavitaa men shabdon kii maalaa bahut sundar bunii gaii hai।)
अगर इन घटनाओं की माला बनती, तो पूरी कहानी समझ आती।
If a chain of these events had formed, the whole story would have made sense.
(agar in ghatnaaon kii maalaa bantii, to poorii kahaanii samajh aatii।)
द्वीपों की यह माला समुद्र में बहुत दूर तक फैली है।
This chain of islands stretches far out into the sea.
(dviipon kii yah maalaa samudr men bahut door tak phailii hai।)
काश हमारे पास घटनाओं की पूरी माला होती, तो जाँच आसान होती।
If only we had the complete chain of events, the investigation would be easier.
(kaash hamaare paas ghatnaaon kii poorii maalaa hotii, to jaanch aasaan hotii।)
लेखक ने घटनाओं को एक माला में पिरो दिया है।
The writer has strung the events together into a single chain.
(lekhak ne ghatnaaon ko ek maalaa men piro diyaa hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
माला
(maalaa)
(sg.f.oblique):
माला
(maalaa)
(pl.f.direct):
मालाएँ
(maalaaen)
(pl.f.oblique):
मालाओं
(maalaaon)