मंत्री (mantrii)

noun A political/administrative title meaning 'minister' -- used both for government ministers and, in older or formal contexts, a royal counselor.
Sense 1 : government minister
noun, masculine/feminine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly in the news: प्रधानमंत्री (pradhaanmantrii, 'prime minister'), मुख्यमंत्री (mukhymantrii, 'chief minister'), विदेश मंत्री (videsh mantrii, 'foreign minister'). Indian civic life runs on these compounds, so knowing मंत्री (mantrii) unlocks a whole family of everyday political vocabulary.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes treat मंत्री (mantrii) as if it were fixed in form, but it takes the usual masculine -ii noun pattern; check the morphology table for how it behaves in oblique and plural contexts. 2) Do not confuse with मंत्र (mantr, 'chant/spell'), which is a different word despite the shared root.
Sample Sentences:
प्रधानमंत्री कल दिल्ली आएंगे। The prime minister will come to Delhi tomorrow.
(pradhaanmantrii kal dillii aaenge।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
मुख्यमंत्री ने नई योजना की घोषणा की। The chief minister announced a new scheme.
(mukhymantrii ne naii yojnaa kii ghoshnaa kii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
विदेश मंत्री अमेरिका के दौरे पर जा रहे हैं। The foreign minister is going on a visit to America.
(videsh mantrii amerikaa ke daure par jaa rahe hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मंत्री जी हर सोमवार जनता से मिलते हैं। The minister meets the public every Monday.
(mantrii jii har somvaar jantaa se milte hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्या आपने सुना कि रक्षा मंत्री ने इस्तीफा दे दिया है? Did you hear that the defense minister has resigned?
(kyaa aapne sunaa ki rakshaa mantrii ne istiiphaa de diyaa hai?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर वह मंत्री होता, तो हालात बेहतर होते। If he were a minister, things would be better.
(agar vah mantrii hotaa, to haalaat behtar hote।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
मंत्री जी, कृपया इस मामले पर ध्यान दीजिए। Minister sir, please pay attention to this matter.
(mantrii jii, kripyaa is maamle par dhyaan diijie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
यह निर्णय शिक्षा मंत्री द्वारा लिया गया। This decision was taken by the education minister.
(yah nirnay shikshaa mantrii dvaaraa liyaa gayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
संभव है कि अगली कैबिनेट में वह वित्त मंत्री बनें। It's possible that he becomes finance minister in the next cabinet.
(sambhav hai ki aglii kaibinet men vah vitt mantrii banen।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
गृह मंत्री ने संसद में बयान दिया। The home minister gave a statement in parliament.
(grih mantrii ne sansad men bayaan diyaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मंत्री महोदय अभी बैठक में बैठे हैं। The honorable minister is currently seated in the meeting.
(mantrii mahoday abhii baithak men baithe hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : counselor, advisor (to a king or court)
noun, masculine/feminine
Synonyms: सलाहकार (salaahkaar, advisor)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This older sense survives in folk tales and historical dramas -- think of the wise मंत्री (mantrii) whispering advice to a राजा (raajaa, 'king') in a story your grandmother might tell. It is the root sense from which the modern political title grew.
Sample Sentences:
राजा ने अपने मंत्री को बुलाया। The king summoned his counselor.
(raajaa ne apne mantrii ko bulaayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
बुद्धिमान मंत्री हमेशा राजा को सही सलाह देता था। The wise counselor always gave the king correct advice.
(buddhimaan mantrii hameshaa raajaa ko sahii salaah detaa thaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
कहानी में मंत्री राजा से कुछ छिपा रहा था। In the story, the counselor was hiding something from the king.
(kahaanii men mantrii raajaa se kuchh chhipaa rahaa thaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
हे मंत्री, मुझे सच बताओ! O counselor, tell me the truth!
(he mantrii, mujhe sach bataao!)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
यदि मंत्री ईमानदार होता, तो राज्य कभी नहीं डूबता। If the counselor had been honest, the kingdom would never have fallen.
(yadi mantrii iimaandaar hotaa, to raajy kabhii nahiin doobtaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
राजा चाहता था कि मंत्री हर सभा में उपस्थित रहे। The king wanted the counselor to be present at every court session.
(raajaa chaahtaa thaa ki mantrii har sabhaa men upasthit rahe।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
उस पुरानी कथा में मंत्री की चतुराई से राजा की जान बच गई। In that old tale, the king's life was saved by the counselor's cleverness.
(us puraanii kathaa men mantrii kii chaturaaii se raajaa kii jaan bach gaii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
दरबार में मंत्री सिंहासन के पास बैठा है। In the court, the counselor is seated near the throne.
(darbaar men mantrii sinhaasan ke paas baithaa hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
नानी की कहानियों में हमेशा एक चालाक मंत्री होता है। In grandmother's stories, there is always a clever counselor.
(naanii kii kahaaniyon men hameshaa ek chaalaak mantrii hotaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m/f.direct): मंत्री (mantrii)
(sg.m/f.oblique): मंत्री (mantrii)
(pl.m/f.direct): मंत्रियाँ (mantriyaan)
(pl.m/f.oblique): मंत्रियों (mantriyon)