झींगुर (jhiingur)

noun A cricket (the chirping insect) -- one straightforward sense, most often encountered in descriptions of quiet nights in villages or small towns.
Sense 1 : cricket (insect)
noun, masculine
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: झींगुर (jhiingur) is the sound-symbol of a still, dark night in Hindi writing and film songs -- when a scene wants to convey deep quiet in a village or a power-cut evening in a small town, the chirping of झींगुर (jhiingur) is the go-to detail, much like crickets function in English nighttime scenes.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse this with तितली (titlii, butterfly) or a generic बग (bag) word -- झींगुर (jhiingur) specifically means the chirping cricket, not insects in general. 2) The related sound-word झिंगुर की झंकार or झींगुरों की आवाज़ (jhiinguron kii aavaaz, 'the sound of crickets') is how the insect's chirping is usually described, rather than using a separate verb just for cricket-sound.
Sample Sentences:
रात होते ही झींगुर बोलने लगते हैं। As soon as night falls, the crickets start chirping.
(raat hote hii jhiingur bolne lagte hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बाहर झींगुर लगातार बोल रहे थे और गाँव में सन्नाटा पसरा था। Outside, the crickets were chirping continuously and a deep silence had spread over the village.
(baahar jhiingur lagaataar bol rahe the aur gaanv men sannaataa pasraa thaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
बिजली चली गई थी और सिर्फ झींगुरों की आवाज़ सुनाई दे रही थी। The power had gone out, and only the sound of crickets could be heard.
(bijlii chalii gaii thii aur sirph jhiinguron kii aavaaz sunaaii de rahii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या तुमने कभी झींगुर पकड़ा है? Have you ever caught a cricket?
(kyaa tumne kabhii jhiingur pakdaa hai?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
छत पर एक झींगुर बैठा है और लगातार बोल रहा है। A cricket is sitting on the roof, chirping continuously.
(chhat par ek jhiingur baithaa hai aur lagaataar bol rahaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर घर में इतना सन्नाटा न होता, तो झींगुर की आवाज़ इतनी साफ़ न सुनाई देती। If the house weren't so silent, the cricket's sound wouldn't be heard so clearly.
(agar ghar men itnaa sannaataa n hotaa, to jhiingur kii aavaaz itnii saaf n sunaaii detii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
कल रात झींगुरों का शोर इतना बढ़ गया कि नींद ही नहीं आई। Last night the noise of crickets grew so much that I couldn't sleep at all.
(kal raat jhiinguron kaa shor itnaa badh gayaa ki niind hii nahiin aaii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
फ़िल्म के उस दृश्य में सिर्फ़ झींगुरों की आवाज़ पृष्ठभूमि में गूंज रही थी। In that scene of the film, only the sound of crickets echoed in the background.
(film ke us drishy men sirf jhiinguron kii aavaaz prishthbhoomi men goonj rahii thii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
गर्मियों की रातों में झींगुरों की झनझनाहट सुनाई देती है। On summer nights, the chirring of crickets can be heard.
(garmiyon kii raaton men jhiinguron kii jhanajhnaahat sunaaii detii hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
झींगुर पकड़ना बचपन का पसंदीदा खेल हुआ करता था। Catching crickets used to be a favorite childhood game.
(jhiingur pakadnaa bachpan kaa pasandiidaa khel huaa kartaa thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): झींगुर (jhiingur)
(sg.m.oblique): झींगुर (jhiingur)
(pl.m.direct): झींगुर (jhiingur)
(pl.m.oblique): झींगुरों (jhiinguron)