तानाशाही (taanaashaahii)

noun A noun meaning 'dictatorship' or, extended figuratively, any bossy/authoritarian style of behavior; related to तानाशाह (taanaashaah, 'dictator, tyrant').

Sense 1 : dictatorship (political system)

noun, feminine

Synonyms: निरंकुशता (nirankushtaa, formal), अधिनायकवाद (adhinaayakvaad, formal)

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: You will hear this word constantly in news debates and political commentary, usually paired with a country or era: सैनिक तानाशाही (sainik taanaashaahii, 'military dictatorship') or तानाशाही शासन (taanaashaahii shaasan, 'dictatorial rule'). It carries a clearly negative charge, contrasted with लोकतंत्र (loktantr, 'democracy').

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse तानाशाही (taanaashaahii) with तानाशाह (taanaashaah) -- the latter is the person ('dictator'), while तानाशाही (taanaashaahii) is the system or the abstract quality of dictatorial rule.

Sample Sentences:

उस देश में सैनिक तानाशाही कई साल तक चली। In that country, a military dictatorship lasted for many years.

(us desh men sainik taanaashaahii kaii saal tak chalii।)

लोग तानाशाही के खिलाफ सड़कों पर उतर आए। People came out onto the streets against the dictatorship.

(log taanaashaahii ke khilaaph sadkon par utar aae।)

तानाशाही में मीडिया की आज़ादी नहीं होती। Under a dictatorship, there is no freedom of the press.

(taanaashaahii men miidiyaa kii aazaadii nahiin hotii।)

अगर वह चुनाव हार जाता तो देश में तानाशाही आ सकती थी। If he had lost the election, a dictatorship could have come to the country.

(agar vah chunaav haar jaataa to desh men taanaashaahii aa saktii thii।)

तानाशाही और लोकतंत्र में सबसे बड़ा फर्क यही है कि जनता की आवाज़ सुनी जाती है या नहीं। The biggest difference between dictatorship and democracy is whether the people's voice is heard or not.

(taanaashaahii aur loktantr men sabse badaa phark yahii hai ki jantaa kii aavaaz sunii jaatii hai yaa nahiin।)

क्या तुम्हें लगता है कि यहाँ धीरे-धीरे तानाशाही शासन कायम हो रहा है? Do you think a dictatorial rule is gradually taking hold here?

(kyaa tumhen lagtaa hai ki yahaan dhiire-dhiire taanaashaahii shaasan kaayam ho rahaa hai?)

इतिहासकारों का कहना है कि वह तानाशाही आर्थिक संकट की वजह से टूटी थी। Historians say that that dictatorship collapsed because of the economic crisis.

(itihaaskaaron kaa kahnaa hai ki vah taanaashaahii aarthik sankat kii vajah se tootii thii।)

काश उस समय तानाशाही इतनी जल्दी न आई होती। If only the dictatorship hadn't come so soon at that time.

(kaash us samay taanaashaahii itnii jaldii n aaii hotii।)

पत्रकार ने अपने लेख में इस तानाशाही की कड़ी आलोचना की। The journalist harshly criticized this dictatorship in his article.

(patrkaar ne apne lekh men is taanaashaahii kii kadii aalochnaa kii।)

तानाशाही को कभी स्थायी शासन व्यवस्था नहीं माना जाना चाहिए। Dictatorship should never be considered a permanent system of governance.

(taanaashaahii ko kabhii sthaayii shaasan vyavasthaa nahiin maanaa jaanaa chaahie।)

Sense 2 : bossiness, high-handed/authoritarian behavior (figurative)

noun, feminine

Synonyms: मनमानी (manmaanii, 'willfulness, having one's own way')

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: In everyday complaints this word jumps from politics into the home or office: a strict boss or an overbearing parent can be accused of चलाना तानाशाही (taanaashaahii chalaanaa, 'to run things like a dictator'). It is a favorite word for venting about a controlling relative or a domineering colleague, said half-jokingly among friends but meant seriously in family arguments.

Sample Sentences:

मेरे बॉस की तानाशाही अब बर्दाश्त नहीं होती। I can't tolerate my boss's high-handedness anymore.

(mere bos kii taanaashaahii ab bardaasht nahiin hotii।)

पापा घर में इतनी तानाशाही क्यों चलाते हैं? Why does Papa run such bossiness at home?

(paapaa ghar men itnii taanaashaahii kyon chalaate hain?)

उसने ऑफिस में पूरी तानाशाही चला दी थी। He had run complete high-handedness in the office.

(usne ophis men poorii taanaashaahii chalaa dii thii।)

अगर तुम इस तरह तानाशाही करोगे, तो कोई भी तुम्हारे साथ काम नहीं करेगा। If you keep being this bossy, no one will work with you.

(agar tum is tarah taanaashaahii karoge, to koii bhii tumhaare saath kaam nahiin karegaa।)

इतनी तानाशाही मत दिखाओ, सबकी राय भी सुनो। Don't be so high-handed, listen to everyone's opinion too.

(itnii taanaashaahii mat dikhaao, sabkii raay bhii suno।)

काश उसकी यह तानाशाही कम होती। I wish his bossiness would lessen.

(kaash uskii yah taanaashaahii kam hotii।)

अगर मैं मैनेजर होता, तो इतनी तानाशाही नहीं चलाता। If I were the manager, I wouldn't run such high-handedness.

(agar main mainejar hotaa, to itnii taanaashaahii nahiin chalaataa।)

सास की तानाशाही की वजह से पूरा घर परेशान है। The whole household is troubled because of the mother-in-law's bossiness.

(saas kii taanaashaahii kii vajah se pooraa ghar pareshaan hai।)

टीम में सबको लगता है कि कैप्टन तानाशाही चला रहा है। Everyone on the team feels the captain is running things like a dictator.

(tiim men sabko lagtaa hai ki kaiptan taanaashaahii chalaa rahaa hai।)

यह घर है, कोई तानाशाही का दफ्तर नहीं! This is a home, not some office of bossiness!

(yah ghar hai, koii taanaashaahii kaa daphtar nahiin!)

Morphology

Noun

(sg.f.direct): तानाशाही (taanaashaahii)

(sg.f.oblique): तानाशाही (taanaashaahii)

(pl.f.direct): तानाशाहियाँ (taanaashaahiyaan)

(pl.f.oblique): तानाशाहियों (taanaashaahiyon)