दंगा (dangaa)

noun A single-sense noun meaning a riot or communal violence; frequently heard in news contexts and everyday discussion of civic unrest.
Sense 1 : riot, communal violence
noun, masculine
Synonyms: फ़साद (fasaad), उपद्रव (upadrav), बलवा (balvaa)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: दंगा (dangaa) is a heavy word in Indian public life, most often heard in the phrase दंगा-फ़साद (dangaa-fasaad, 'riots and disturbances'), a common pairing in news broadcasts and political speech about communal tension. It carries strong associations with Hindu-Muslim communal violence in particular, so it is not used lightly for smaller-scale unrest.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use दंगा (dangaa) loosely for any noisy argument or fight; in everyday Hindi it specifically implies organized mob violence or communal rioting, not a personal quarrel (for that, झगड़ा (jhagdaa) is the word). 2) The common phrase is दंगा होना (dangaa honaa, 'a riot to happen/break out') or दंगा भड़कना (dangaa bhadaknaa, 'a riot to flare up') -- learners sometimes reach for करना (karnaa) as the default verb pairing, but दंगा करना (dangaa karnaa) shifts the meaning to 'to cause/incite a riot,' which is a different subject role.
Sample Sentences:
पुराने शहर में कल रात दंगा भड़क उठा। A riot broke out in the old city last night.
(puraane shahar men kal raat dangaa bhadak uthaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
प्रशासन को डर है कि यह छोटी झड़प दंगे में बदल सकती है। The administration fears that this small clash could turn into a riot.
(prashaasan ko dar hai ki yah chhotii jhadap dange men badal saktii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
शहर में दंगा-फ़साद की खबरें आते ही बाज़ार बंद हो गए। As soon as news of riots and disturbances came in the city, the markets shut down.
(shahar men dangaa-fasaad kii khabren aate hii baazaar band ho gae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर पुलिस समय पर पहुँच जाती तो दंगा नहीं होता। If the police had arrived on time, the riot would not have happened.
(agar pulis samay par pahunch jaatii to dangaa nahiin hotaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
अस्सी के दशक में इस इलाके में एक भयानक दंगा हुआ था। In the eighties, a terrible riot occurred in this area.
(assii ke dashak men is ilaake men ek bhayaanak dangaa huaa thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
दंगा भड़काने वालों के खिलाफ़ सख़्त कार्रवाई की जाएगी। Strict action will be taken against those who incite riots.
(dangaa bhadkaane vaalon ke khilaaf sakht kaarrvaaii kii jaaegii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
दंगे के दौरान कई घर जला दिए गए थे। Many houses were burned down during the riot.
(dange ke dauraan kaii ghar jalaa die gae the।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
नेता जी, कृपया ऐसे बयान न दें जिससे दंगा भड़क जाए। Sir, please do not make statements that might spark a riot.
(netaa jii, kripyaa aise bayaan n den jisse dangaa bhadak jaae।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
टीवी पर हर शाम दंगा-फ़साद की ही खबरें चलती रहती हैं। Every evening on TV, it's just news of riots and disturbances that keeps running.
(tiivii par har shaam dangaa-fasaad kii hii khabren chaltii rahtii hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): दंगा (dangaa)
(sg.m.oblique): दंगे (dange)
(pl.m.direct): दंगे (dange)
(pl.m.oblique): दंगों (dangon)