गुलाम (gulaam)
noun
Primarily a noun meaning 'slave/servant,' with a common figurative sense of being someone's helpless devotee or someone controlled by a habit or emotion.
Sense
1
:
slave, bondsman
noun, masculine
Synonyms: दास (daas, literary), बंदा (bandaa, colloquial, self-referential)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This word carries real historical weight in India, tied to memories of colonial rule -- गुलामी (gulaamii) 'slavery/servitude' is the word used for the British era before 1947, so गुलाम (gulaam) has a heavier, more political ring than English 'servant' would suggest.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use नौकर (naukar) and गुलाम (gulaam) interchangeably, but नौकर (naukar) is a paid servant while गुलाम (gulaam) implies ownership or total lack of freedom, historically or figuratively.
Sample Sentences:
सदियों तक लाखों लोग गुलाम बनाकर बेचे जाते थे।
For centuries, millions of people were made into slaves and sold.
(sadiyon tak laakhon log gulaam banaakar beche jaate the।)
उस ज़माने में गुलामों को इंसान नहीं, बल्कि माल समझा जाता था।
In those times, slaves were considered not human beings but property.
(us zamaane men gulaamon ko insaan nahiin, balki maal samjhaa jaataa thaa।)
अंग्रेज़ों के राज से पहले भी इस इलाके में गुलामों की खरीद-फ़रोख़्त होती थी।
Even before British rule, the buying and selling of slaves used to happen in this region.
(angrezon ke raaj se pahle bhii is ilaake men gulaamon kii khariid-farokht hotii thii।)
क्या तुमने वह किताब पढ़ी है जिसमें एक गुलाम की आज़ादी की कहानी है?
Have you read that book which has the story of a slave's freedom?
(kyaa tumne vah kitaab padhii hai jismen ek gulaam kii aazaadii kii kahaanii hai?)
उस गुलाम ने बरसों की मेहनत के बाद अपनी आज़ादी हासिल की।
That slave gained his freedom after years of labor.
(us gulaam ne barson kii mehnat ke baad apnii aazaadii haasil kii।)
इतिहास की किताब में लिखा है कि गुलामों से खेतों में जबरन काम करवाया जाता था।
The history book states that slaves were forced to work in the fields.
(itihaas kii kitaab men likhaa hai ki gulaamon se kheton men jabran kaam karvaayaa jaataa thaa।)
अगर वह गुलाम भाग न पाता, तो शायद मारा जाता।
If that slave hadn't been able to escape, he probably would have been killed.
(agar vah gulaam bhaag n paataa, to shaayad maaraa jaataa।)
प्राचीन समाजों में गुलाम प्रथा बहुत आम थी।
The practice of keeping slaves was very common in ancient societies.
(praachiin samaajon men gulaam prathaa bahut aam thii।)
उसे बचपन में ही एक गुलाम की तरह बेच दिया गया था।
He was sold like a slave even in his childhood.
(use bachpan men hii ek gulaam kii tarah bech diyaa gayaa thaa।)
गुलामी की प्रथा को खत्म हुए अब कई सदियाँ बीत चुकी हैं।
Many centuries have now passed since the practice of slavery ended.
(gulaamii kii prathaa ko khatm hue ab kaii sadiyaan biit chukii hain।)
Sense
2
:
someone helplessly devoted to or controlled by something (figurative)
noun, masculine Typically used in the construction X का गुलाम होना (X kaa gulaam honaa, 'to be a slave to X'), where X is a habit, emotion, or person.
Synonyms: दीवाना (diivaanaa, besotted, narrower scope), आशिक़ (aashiq, narrower scope, romantic context only)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this in everyday moralizing -- a father might say आदत का गुलाम मत बनो (aadat kaa gulaam mat bano, 'don't become a slave to habit') -- and in romantic contexts, तेरा गुलाम (teraa gulaam, 'your slave') shows up often in film lyrics and dialogue as a term of devoted love.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often forget the का (kaa) linking the person/thing one is enslaved to -- आदत का गुलाम (aadat kaa gulaam, 'a slave to habit') needs that possessive link, not a direct object construction.
Sample Sentences:
आदत का गुलाम मत बनो।
Don't become a slave to habit.
(aadat kaa gulaam mat bano।)
मैं तेरा गुलाम हूँ, जो कहेगी वही करूँगा।
I'm your slave -- whatever you say, that's what I'll do.
(main teraa gulaam hoon, jo kahegii vahii karoongaa।)
वह पैसे का गुलाम बन चुका है, अब उसे रिश्ते नहीं दिखते।
He has become a slave to money -- now he can't even see relationships anymore.
(vah paise kaa gulaam ban chukaa hai, ab use rishte nahiin dikhte।)
अगर तुम अपनी इच्छाओं के गुलाम रहते, तो कभी आगे न बढ़ पाते।
If you had remained a slave to your desires, you would never have been able to move forward.
(agar tum apnii ichchhaaon ke gulaam rahte, to kabhii aage n badh paate।)
लोग अक्सर अपने डर के गुलाम बने रहते हैं और यह जानते भी नहीं।
People often remain slaves to their fear and don't even realize it.
(log aksar apne dar ke gulaam bane rahte hain aur yah jaante bhii nahiin।)
क्या तुम जिंदगी भर मोबाइल के गुलाम बने रहोगे?
Are you going to remain a slave to your phone your whole life?
(kyaa tum jindgii bhar mobaail ke gulaam bane rahoge?)
मुझे डर है कि कहीं मैं भी शराब का गुलाम न बन जाऊँ।
I'm afraid that I too might become a slave to alcohol.
(mujhe dar hai ki kahiin main bhii sharaab kaa gulaam n ban jaaoon।)
एक सच्चा प्रेमी कहता है, मैं तो तेरा गुलाम हूँ, तेरे बिना जी नहीं सकता।
A true lover says, I am your slave, I cannot live without you.
(ek sachchaa premii kahtaa hai, main to teraa gulaam hoon, tere binaa jii nahiin saktaa।)
इंसान अपनी वासनाओं का गुलाम बनकर अपनी असली पहचान भूल जाता है।
A person, becoming a slave to his own desires, forgets his true identity.
(insaan apnii vaasnaaon kaa gulaam bankar apnii aslii pahchaan bhool jaataa hai।)
मुझे उसका गुलाम मत समझो, मैं अपनी मर्जी से यहाँ रुका हूँ।
Don't think of me as her slave -- I stayed here of my own will.
(mujhe uskaa gulaam mat samjho, main apnii marjii se yahaan rukaa hoon।)
Sense
3
:
the Jack in a deck of playing cards
noun, masculine
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: In card games like रम्मी (rammii, rummy) or तीन पत्ती (tiin pattii, teen patti), the Jack is called गुलाम (gulaam) rather than जैक (jaik) -- a nice example of an old loanword settling comfortably into everyday Hindi far from its original 'slave' sense.
Sample Sentences:
इस हाथ में मेरे पास तीन गुलाम हैं।
In this hand I have three jacks.
(is haath men mere paas tiin gulaam hain।)
उसने पत्ता खोला तो वह गुलाम निकला।
When he turned the card over, it turned out to be a jack.
(usne pattaa kholaa to vah gulaam niklaa।)
गुलाम फेंक, बादशाह मत फेंकना अभी।
Throw the jack, don't throw the king yet.
(gulaam phenk, baadshaah mat phenknaa abhii।)
रम्मी में गुलाम अक्सर जोकर की तरह इस्तेमाल होता है।
In rummy, the jack is often used like a joker.
(rammii men gulaam aksar jokar kii tarah istemaal hotaa hai।)
अगर उसके पास गुलाम होता, तो वह सेट पूरा कर लेता।
If he had had the jack, he would have completed the set.
(agar uske paas gulaam hotaa, to vah set pooraa kar letaa।)
क्या तुम्हारे पास हुकुम का गुलाम है?
Do you have the jack of spades?
(kyaa tumhaare paas hukum kaa gulaam hai?)
तीन पत्ती में गुलाम, नौ और सात मिलकर एक खास रन बनाते हैं।
In teen patti, the jack, nine, and seven together form a special run.
(tiin pattii men gulaam, nau aur saat milkar ek khaas ran banaate hain।)
शायद उसके पास गुलाम बचा हो, इसलिए वह रुका हुआ है।
Maybe he still has the jack left, that is why he is holding back.
(shaayad uske paas gulaam bachaa ho, islie vah rukaa huaa hai।)
पत्तों को फेंटते समय एक गुलाम फर्श पर गिर गया।
While shuffling the cards, a jack fell onto the floor.
(patton ko phentte samay ek gulaam pharsh par gir gayaa।)
इस डेक में एक गुलाम गायब है, इसलिए खेल पूरा नहीं हो पाएगा।
A jack is missing from this deck, so the game won't be able to finish.
(is dek men ek gulaam gaayab hai, islie khel pooraa nahiin ho paaegaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
गुलाम
(gulaam)
(sg.m.oblique):
गुलाम
(gulaam)
(pl.m.direct):
गुलाम
(gulaam)
(pl.m.oblique):
गुलामों
(gulaamon)