बिजली (bijlii)
noun
Mainly means 'electricity' or 'power (as in electric supply)', with a common extended sense of 'lightning'; both meanings are everyday and closely related in the learner's mind since Hindi uses one word for both.
Sense
1
:
electricity, electric power/supply
noun, feminine
Synonyms: विद्युत (vidyut, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Talking about बिजली (bijlii) going and coming is a huge part of daily conversation in most Indian towns -- बिजली चली गई (bijlii chalii gaii, 'the power's gone') and बिजली आ गई (bijlii aa gaii, 'the power's back') are practically weather-talk. The electricity bill itself is called बिजली का बिल (bijlii kaa bil, 'electricity bill').
Common Mistakes: 1) बिजली (bijlii) is used both for the abstract concept of electricity and for the household supply -- बिजली चली गई (bijlii chalii gaii, 'the power went out') is about supply cutting off, not the substance disappearing. 2) Learners often reach for विद्युत (vidyut) thinking it is the everyday word; in speech बिजली (bijlii) is what people actually say.
Sample Sentences:
आज सुबह से बिजली नहीं है।
There's been no electricity since this morning.
(aaj subah se bijlii nahiin hai।)
अभी-अभी बिजली चली गई।
The power just went out.
(abhii-abhii bijlii chalii gaii।)
देखो, बिजली आ गई!
Look, the power's back!
(dekho, bijlii aa gaii!)
इस महीने बिजली का बिल बहुत ज्यादा आया है।
This month's electricity bill has come out really high.
(is mahiine bijlii kaa bil bahut jyaadaa aayaa hai।)
गाँव के कई इलाकों में अभी भी बिजली नहीं पहुँची है।
Electricity still hasn't reached many parts of the village.
(gaanv ke kaii ilaakon men abhii bhii bijlii nahiin pahunchii hai।)
गर्मियों में बिजली अक्सर चली जाती है।
In summer, the electricity often goes out.
(garmiyon men bijlii aksar chalii jaatii hai।)
अगर बिजली न होती, तो हम कैसे काम करते?
If there were no electricity, how would we get any work done?
(agar bijlii n hotii, to ham kaise kaam karte?)
बिजली विभाग ने कहा है कि कल से सप्लाई ठीक हो जाएगी।
The electricity department has said that the supply will be fine from tomorrow.
(bijlii vibhaag ne kahaa hai ki kal se saplaaii thiik ho jaaegii।)
कृपया बिजली का बिल समय पर जमा करें।
Please deposit the electricity bill on time.
(kripyaa bijlii kaa bil samay par jamaa karen।)
बिजली के बिना जनरेटर से घर चलाया जा रहा है।
Without electricity, the house is being run on a generator.
(bijlii ke binaa janretar se ghar chalaayaa jaa rahaa hai।)
शायद तूफान की वजह से बिजली चली गई हो।
Maybe the power went out because of the storm.
(shaayad toophaan kii vajah se bijlii chalii gaii ho।)
Sense
2
:
lightning
noun, feminine
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: The verb that pairs naturally with this sense is चमकना (chamaknaa, 'to flash/shine') -- बिजली चमकी (bijlii chamkii, 'lightning flashed') -- rather than any verb of falling, since Hindi frames lightning as a flash of light. The same word for lightning and electricity is a nice reminder that electricity itself was once called 'captured lightning' in a lot of world languages.
Sample Sentences:
बादलों में बिजली चमकी।
Lightning flashed in the clouds.
(baadlon men bijlii chamkii।)
आसमान में बिजली चमक रही है।
Lightning is flashing in the sky.
(aasmaan men bijlii chamak rahii hai।)
गरमी की शामों में अक्सर दूर पहाड़ों पर बिजली चमकती है।
On summer evenings, lightning often flashes over the distant hills.
(garmii kii shaamon men aksar door pahaadon par bijlii chamaktii hai।)
अगर बिजली चमके तो बच्चे को खिड़की से दूर रखना।
If lightning flashes, keep the child away from the window.
(agar bijlii chamke to bachche ko khidkii se door rakhnaa।)
कल रात तूफान में बिजली इतनी तेज़ चमकी कि पूरा कमरा रोशन हो गया।
Last night during the storm, lightning flashed so brightly that the whole room lit up.
(kal raat toophaan men bijlii itnii tez chamkii ki pooraa kamraa roshan ho gayaa।)
मौसम विभाग ने कहा है कि आज रात बिजली चमकने की संभावना है।
The weather department has said there is a possibility of lightning flashing tonight.
(mausam vibhaag ne kahaa hai ki aaj raat bijlii chamakne kii sambhaavnaa hai।)
बिजली चमकते ही कुत्ता डर के भाग गया।
The moment the lightning flashed, the dog ran off in fear.
(bijlii chamakte hii kuttaa dar ke bhaag gayaa।)
यदि बिजली उस पेड़ पर गिरती तो वह जल जाता।
If lightning had struck that tree, it would have burned down.
(yadi bijlii us ped par girtii to vah jal jaataa।)
कवि ने लिखा है कि जीवन बिजली की तरह क्षण भर में चमक कर बुझ जाता है।
The poet has written that life, like lightning, flashes for a moment and then fades away.
(kavi ne likhaa hai ki jiivan bijlii kii tarah kshan bhar men chamak kar bujh jaataa hai।)
बिजली चमकने से पहले हवा एकदम रुक गई थी।
Before the lightning flashed, the wind had completely stopped.
(bijlii chamakne se pahle havaa ekdam ruk gaii thii।)
Sense
3
:
figurative: something/someone dazzling, sudden, or lightning-fast
noun, feminine Used attributively or in comparisons to describe speed, shock, or striking beauty, e.g. बिजली की तरह (bijlii kii tarah, 'like lightning', meaning very fast) or बिजली गिरना (bijlii girnaa, 'for a bolt to fall', meaning a sudden shock/disaster strikes).
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This figurative use shows up constantly in Bollywood-style hyperbole and everyday exaggeration -- calling a fast-moving person or a stunning-looking woman बिजली (bijlii) is a common, almost filmy, compliment or comment.
Common Mistakes: 1) बिजली गिरना (bijlii girnaa) does not literally mean lightning striking the ground in most everyday use -- it is commonly used for sudden bad news or disaster falling on someone, e.g. उस पर बिजली गिर गई (us par bijlii gir gaii, 'disaster struck him/misfortune befell him').
Sample Sentences:
वो लड़की बिजली की तरह चमक रही थी।
That girl was shining like a bolt of lightning.
(vo ladkii bijlii kii tarah chamak rahii thii।)
वो बिजली है, एक सेकंड में गायब हो जाती है।
She's a real firecracker, she vanishes in a second.
(vo bijlii hai, ek sekand men gaayab ho jaatii hai।)
आज पार्टी में वो बिजली बनकर आई थी।
Today at the party she showed up looking absolutely dazzling.
(aaj paartii men vo bijlii bankar aaii thii।)
नई हीरोइन तो एकदम बिजली निकली।
The new heroine turned out to be an absolute knockout.
(naii hiiroin to ekdam bijlii niklii।)
अगर वो मैदान में उतरे तो बिजली बनकर दौड़ेगा।
If he steps onto the field, he'll run like lightning.
(agar vo maidaan men utre to bijlii bankar daudegaa।)
काश मैं भी बिजली की तरह तेज़ भाग पाता।
I wish I could run fast as lightning too.
(kaash main bhii bijlii kii tarah tez bhaag paataa।)
बिजली बनकर मैदान में उतर, सबको दिखा दे!
Come out onto the field like a bolt of lightning, show them all!
(bijlii bankar maidaan men utar, sabko dikhaa de!)
फ़िल्म समीक्षकों ने उस अभिनेत्री को परदे की बिजली कहा।
Film critics called that actress lightning on the screen.
(film samiikshkon ne us abhinetrii ko parde kii bijlii kahaa।)
उसकी बिजली जैसी अदाओं से हर कोई घायल हो जाता था।
Everyone used to fall for her lightning-like charm.
(uskii bijlii jaisii adaaon se har koii ghaayal ho jaataa thaa।)
उस मुक़ाबले में वो बिजली समझा जाता था, उसे कोई पकड़ नहीं सकता था।
In that match he was considered a bolt of lightning; no one could catch him.
(us muqaable men vo bijlii samjhaa jaataa thaa, use koii pakad nahiin saktaa thaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
बिजली
(bijlii)
(sg.f.oblique):
बिजली
(bijlii)
(pl.f.direct):
बिजलियाँ
(bijliyaan)
(pl.f.oblique):
बिजलियों
(bijliyon)