चमड़ी (chamdii)

noun Refers to human or animal skin, mainly in its living, natural sense (as opposed to चमड़ा (chamdaa), the tanned/leather sense); also lives inside a few common idioms about stinginess and getting a scolding.

Sense 1 : skin (of a person or animal)

noun, feminine

Synonyms: त्वचा (tvachaa, formal/medical), खाल (khaal, often for animal hide)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: Ask a Delhi mother about a child who fell off a bike and she'll say उसकी चमड़ी छिल गई (uskii chamdii chhil gaii, 'his skin got scraped'), not त्वचा (tvachaa) -- चमड़ी (chamdii) is the everyday, homely word for skin, while त्वचा (tvachaa) shows up on shampoo bottles and in doctors' clinics.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for चमड़ा (chamdaa) when they mean living skin -- चमड़ी (chamdii) is the word for the skin on a body, while चमड़ा (chamdaa) is processed leather/hide. 2) त्वचा (tvachaa) is the more clinical or beauty-product word (as in a dermatologist's office or a cream ad); चमड़ी (chamdii) is what you'd say at home about a scraped knee or sunburnt arms.

Sample Sentences:

गिरने से उसकी चमड़ी छिल गई। His skin got scraped from the fall.

(girne se uskii chamdii chhil gaii।)

सर्दियों में मेरी चमड़ी बहुत रूखी हो जाती है। In winter my skin gets very dry.

(sardiyon men merii chamdii bahut rookhii ho jaatii hai।)

साँप की चमड़ी बहुत चिकनी होती है। A snake's skin is very smooth.

(saamp kii chamdii bahut chiknii hotii hai।)

धूप में इतना मत बैठो, चमड़ी जल जाएगी। Don't sit in the sun so long, your skin will get burnt.

(dhoop men itnaa mat baitho, chamdii jal jaaegii।)

अगर तुम क्रीम नहीं लगाते तो चमड़ी और फटती। If you didn't apply cream, your skin would crack even more.

(agar tum kriim nahiin lagaate to chamdii aur phattii।)

बच्चे की चमड़ी इतनी नाज़ुक होती है कि हल्का सा साबुन भी नुकसान कर सकता है। A baby's skin is so delicate that even mild soap can harm it.

(bachche kii chamdii itnii naazuk hotii hai ki halkaa saa saabun bhii nuksaan kar saktaa hai।)

मच्छर के काटने से मेरी चमड़ी पर लाल निशान पड़ गए हैं। Red marks have appeared on my skin from mosquito bites.

(machchhar ke kaatne se merii chamdii par laal nishaan pad gae hain।)

बूढ़े आदमी की चमड़ी ढीली पड़ गई थी। The old man's skin had become loose.

(boodhe aadmii kii chamdii dhiilii pad gaii thii।)

क्या इस साबुन से चमड़ी में जलन नहीं होती? Doesn't this soap cause irritation on the skin?

(kyaa is saabun se chamdii men jalan nahiin hotii?)

जानवर की चमड़ी उतारकर उसे सुखाया जाता है। The animal's skin is peeled off and dried.

(jaanvar kii chamdii utaarkar use sukhaayaa jaataa hai।)

डॉक्टर ने कहा कि घाव भरने में चमड़ी को समय लगेगा। The doctor said the skin will take time to heal the wound.

(doktar ne kahaa ki ghaav bharne men chamdii ko samay lagegaa।)

Sense 2 : skin as a stand-in for a harsh beating or scolding (idiomatic)

noun, feminine Appears almost exclusively in fixed threatening expressions such as चमड़ी उतार देना (chamdii utaar denaa, 'to skin someone alive' -- i.e. to punish severely) and चमड़ी खींचना (chamdii khiinchnaa).

Synonyms: खाल (khaal, used in similar threats)

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: This is classic Indian-parent hyperbole: चमड़ी उतार दूँगा (chamdii utaar doongaa) is the kind of line every kid in Delhi has heard after coming home late, right up there with जान से मार दूँगा (jaan se maar doongaa) in the family repertoire of empty-but-effective threats.

Common Mistakes: 1) This sense is only used in exaggerated threats, not literal descriptions -- a parent saying चमड़ी उतार दूँगा (chamdii utaar doongaa, 'I'll skin you alive') is scolding, not describing actual violence, so learners should read it as hyperbole, not a literal warning.

Sample Sentences:

अगर आज देर से घर आया तो चमड़ी उतार दूँगा। If you come home late today, I'll tan your hide.

(agar aaj der se ghar aayaa to chamdii utaar doongaa।)

माँ चिल्लाई, "एक बार फिर झूठ बोला तो चमड़ी उधेड़ दूँगी।" Mom yelled, "Lie to me one more time and I'll skin you alive."

(maan chillaaii, "ek baar phir jhooth bolaa to chamdii udhed doongii।")

पापा हमेशा धमकी देते थे कि शरारत की तो चमड़ी उतार लेंगे। Dad always used to threaten that if we misbehaved, he'd tan our hides.

(paapaa hameshaa dhamkii dete the ki sharaarat kii to chamdii utaar lenge।)

अगर तूने फिर स्कूल बंक किया, तो समझ ले तेरी चमड़ी उधड़ जाएगी। If you skip school again, just know your hide is getting tanned.

(agar toone phir skool bank kiyaa, to samajh le terii chamdii udhad jaaegii।)

चुप हो जा, वरना अभी चमड़ी उतार दूँगा तेरी। Be quiet, or I'll tan your hide right now.

(chup ho jaa, varnaa abhii chamdii utaar doongaa terii।)

अगर वो सच में गाड़ी खरोंच के आया होता, तो पापा उसकी चमड़ी उतार देते। If he had actually come home with the car scratched, Dad would have tanned his hide.

(agar vo sach men gaadii kharonch ke aayaa hotaa, to paapaa uskii chamdii utaar dete।)

टीचर ने धमकाया कि होमवर्क न किया तो सबकी चमड़ी उधेड़ देंगी। The teacher threatened that if we didn't do our homework, she'd tan everyone's hide.

(tiichar ne dhamkaayaa ki homvark n kiyaa to sabkii chamdii udhed dengii।)

बेटा, दोबारा ऐसी हरकत मत करना, नहीं तो चमड़ी उतार दी जाएगी। Son, don't pull a stunt like that again, or your hide will get tanned.

(betaa, dobaaraa aisii harkat mat karnaa, nahiin to chamdii utaar dii jaaegii।)

उसकी दादी कहती हैं कि आजकल के बच्चों की चमड़ी उतारनी चाहिए, तब सुधरेंगे। His grandmother says today's kids need their hides tanned, only then will they reform.

(uskii daadii kahtii hain ki aajkal ke bachchon kii chamdii utaarnii chaahie, tab sudhrenge।)

Morphology

Noun

(sg.f.direct): चमड़ी (chamdii)

(sg.f.oblique): चमड़ी (chamdii)

(pl.f.direct): चमड़ियाँ (chamdiyaan)

(pl.f.oblique): चमड़ियों (chamdiyon)