शीशी (shiishii)

noun A small glass bottle or vial -- think medicine bottles, perfume bottles, tiny oil bottles. One straightforward sense.
Sense 1 : small bottle or vial (usually glass)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: बोतल (botal, usually larger), शीशा (shiishaa, can mean glass/mirror, not specifically a small bottle)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Every Indian household has a दवा की शीशी (davaa kii shiishii, 'medicine bottle') tucked somewhere in a cupboard, often reused for storing oil, kaajal, or spices once the medicine is gone -- nothing glass goes to waste. The word also shows up in the common phrase इत्र की शीशी (itr kii shiishii, 'perfume vial'), evoking small precious things kept carefully.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse शीशी (shiishii) with शीशा (shiishaa) -- the latter means glass or mirror, not a bottle. 2) शीशी (shiishii) is used for small containers (medicine, perfume, nail polish); a large water or cold-drink bottle is बोतल (botal), not शीशी (shiishii).
Sample Sentences:
दवा की शीशी अलमारी में रखी है। The medicine bottle is kept in the cupboard.
(davaa kii shiishii almaarii men rakhii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यह शीशी कहाँ से आई? Where did this little bottle come from?
(yah shiishii kahaan se aaii?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
माँ हमेशा खाली शीशियों में तेल भर लेती हैं। Mother always fills up empty bottles with oil.
(maan hameshaa khaalii shiishiyon men tel bhar letii hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इत्र की शीशी को इतनी ज़ोर से मत हिलाओ, टूट जाएगी। Don't shake the perfume vial so hard, it'll break.
(itr kii shiishii ko itnii zor se mat hilaao, toot jaaegii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर यह शीशी काँच की न होती तो गिरने पर न टूटती। If this bottle weren't made of glass, it wouldn't have broken when it fell.
(agar yah shiishii kaanch kii n hotii to girne par n toottii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
काजल की शीशी बरसों से उसकी मेज़ पर पड़ी है। The kaajal bottle has been sitting on her table for years.
(kaajal kii shiishii barson se uskii mez par padii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
शायद यह शीशी दादी की पुरानी चीज़ों में मिले। Maybe this little bottle can be found among grandmother's old things.
(shaayad yah shiishii daadii kii puraanii chiizon men mile।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
उसने शीशी को धूप में रखकर सुखाया। She dried the little bottle by keeping it in the sun.
(usne shiishii ko dhoop men rakhkar sukhaayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मसालों की शीशियाँ रसोई की खिड़की पर सजाकर रखी जाती हैं। The spice bottles are arranged decoratively on the kitchen window.
(masaalon kii shiishiyaan rasoii kii khidkii par sajaakar rakhii jaatii hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
बचपन में मुझे छोटी-छोटी शीशियाँ इकट्ठा करने का शौक था। As a child I had a hobby of collecting little bottles.
(bachpan men mujhe chhotii-chhotii shiishiyaan ikatthaa karne kaa shauk thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): शीशी (shiishii)
(sg.f.oblique): शीशी (shiishii)
(pl.f.direct): शीशियाँ (shiishiyaan)
(pl.f.oblique): शीशियों (shiishiyon)