बोली (bolii)
noun
Covers two main senses: a dialect/way of speaking, and a bid/offer (as at an auction); it is also the feminine past form of the verb बोलना (bolnaa, to speak), which is not treated separately here.
Sense
1
:
dialect, way of speaking, speech/tongue
noun, feminine
Synonyms: भाषा (bhaashaa, broader term for 'language'), जुबान (jubaan, colloquial, also means 'tongue')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In the Delhi-NCR belt you will hear people proudly distinguish their घर की बोली (ghar kii bolii, 'the dialect of home') from the हिंदी (hindii) they use formally -- someone from western UP might say their बोली (bolii) is खड़ी बोली (khadii bolii) or ब्रज (braj), even though they write and read in standard Hindi.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use बोली (bolii) and भाषा (bhaashaa) interchangeably, but बोली (bolii) usually refers to a regional/spoken dialect (like हरियाणवी (hariyaanvii) or भोजपुरी (bhojpurii)) while भाषा (bhaashaa) refers to a standardized, written language like हिंदी (hindii) or अंग्रेज़ी (angrezii).
Sample Sentences:
हर इलाके की अपनी अलग बोली होती है।
Every region has its own distinct dialect.
(har ilaake kii apnii alag bolii hotii hai।)
हमारे घर की बोली हिंदी से थोड़ी अलग है।
The dialect of our home is a bit different from standard Hindi.
(hamaare ghar kii bolii hindii se thodii alag hai।)
वह अपनी बोली में बात करने लगी।
She started speaking in her own dialect.
(vah apnii bolii men baat karne lagii।)
पश्चिमी उत्तर प्रदेश में लोग खड़ी बोली या ब्रज बोलते हैं।
In western Uttar Pradesh, people speak Khari Boli or Braj.
(pashchimii uttar pradesh men log khadii bolii yaa braj bolte hain।)
काश मुझे अपनी दादी की बोली समझ आती।
I wish I could understand my grandmother's dialect.
(kaash mujhe apnii daadii kii bolii samajh aatii।)
अगर वह गाँव की बोली में गाता, तो गाना और मीठा लगता।
If he had sung in the village dialect, the song would have sounded even sweeter.
(agar vah gaanv kii bolii men gaataa, to gaanaa aur miithaa lagtaa।)
अपने बच्चों को अपनी बोली सिखाना मत भूलना।
Don't forget to teach your children your own dialect.
(apne bachchon ko apnii bolii sikhaanaa mat bhoolnaa।)
स्कूल में शुद्ध हिंदी पढ़ाई जाती है, न कि स्थानीय बोली।
Standard Hindi is taught in school, not the local dialect.
(skool men shuddh hindii padhaaii jaatii hai, n ki sthaaniiy bolii।)
उसकी बोली सुनकर मैं समझ गया कि वह हरियाणा का है।
Hearing his dialect, I understood that he was from Haryana.
(uskii bolii sunkar main samajh gayaa ki vah hariyaanaa kaa hai।)
भाषाविद इस क्षेत्र की बोलियों पर शोध कर रहे हैं।
Linguists are researching the dialects of this region.
(bhaashaavid is kshetr kii boliyon par shodh kar rahe hain।)
शायद यह उसकी माँ की बोली का असर हो।
Perhaps this is the influence of his mother's dialect.
(shaayad yah uskii maan kii bolii kaa asar ho।)
Sense
2
:
bid, offer (as at an auction)
noun, feminine Commonly used in the phrase बोली लगाना (bolii lagaanaa, to place a bid).
Synonyms: नीलामी (niilaamii, refers to the whole auction process, not just the bid itself)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this word at village cattle fairs and property auctions alike -- लोग बोली लगाते हैं (log bolii lagaate hain, 'people place bids'), and the highest bidder wins with सबसे ऊँची बोली (sabse oonchii bolii, 'the highest bid').
Sample Sentences:
नीलामी में उसकी बोली सबसे ऊँची थी।
His bid was the highest in the auction.
(niilaamii men uskii bolii sabse oonchii thii।)
लोग खिलौने के लिए बोली लगा रहे हैं।
People are placing bids for the toy.
(log khilaune ke lie bolii lagaa rahe hain।)
क्या आप इस मकान पर बोली लगाना चाहते हैं?
Do you want to place a bid on this house?
(kyaa aap is makaan par bolii lagaanaa chaahte hain?)
अगली बोली दस हज़ार से कम नहीं होनी चाहिए।
The next bid should not be less than ten thousand.
(aglii bolii das hazaar se kam nahiin honii chaahie।)
अगर उसने ज़्यादा बोली लगाई होती, तो गाय उसे मिल जाती।
If he had placed a higher bid, he would have gotten the cow.
(agar usne zyaadaa bolii lagaaii hotii, to gaay use mil jaatii।)
बोली लगाओ, वरना मौका हाथ से निकल जाएगा!
Place your bid, or the chance will slip out of your hands!
(bolii lagaao, varnaa maukaa haath se nikal jaaegaa!)
मेले में मालिक की भैंस की बोली दो लाख तक पहुँच गई।
At the fair, the owner's buffalo's bid reached up to two lakh.
(mele men maalik kii bhains kii bolii do laakh tak pahunch gaii।)
जब तक सबसे ऊँची बोली नहीं आएगी, नीलामी बंद नहीं होगी।
Until the highest bid comes in, the auction will not close.
(jab tak sabse oonchii bolii nahiin aaegii, niilaamii band nahiin hogii।)
संपत्ति की बोली नीलामीकर्ता द्वारा दर्ज की जाती है।
The bid on the property is recorded by the auctioneer.
(sampatti kii bolii niilaamiikartaa dvaaraa darj kii jaatii hai।)
उसने अपनी सारी बचत लगाकर बोली जीत ली।
He put in all his savings and won the bid.
(usne apnii saarii bachat lagaakar bolii jiit lii।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
बोली
(bolii)
(sg.f.oblique):
बोली
(bolii)
(pl.f.direct):
बोलियाँ
(boliyaan)
(pl.f.oblique):
बोलियों
(boliyon)