कपट (kapat)

noun A literary/formal noun meaning deceit or duplicity -- the deliberate hiding of true intentions behind a false front, often paired with छल (chhal) as a set phrase.
Sense 1 : deceit, duplicity, deliberate hypocrisy
noun, masculine
Synonyms: छल (chhal), धोखा (dhokhaa), फ़रेब (fareb), दगा (dagaa, colloquial), पाखंड (paakhand, meaning scope: hypocrisy more than deceit)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This word carries a moral-religious weight -- it shows up in bhajans, sermons, and moral advice (parents, gurus) warning against a 'कपटी (kaptii) mind' as much as against a cheating act. In daily conversation, most Delhi speakers reach for धोखा (dhokhaa) or झूठ (jhooth) instead, keeping कपट (kapat) for writing, speeches, or when they want to sound a bit more solemn.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for धोखा (dhokhaa) in everyday speech about being cheated or let down, but कपट (kapat) has a more formal, moralizing flavor -- it points at someone's inner duplicity or false-heartedness rather than a one-off act of cheating. 2) It is very frequently used in the fixed pair छल-कपट (chhal-kapat, 'deceit and duplicity'), so learners should recognize this as a set phrase rather than two separate words stacked by accident.
Sample Sentences:
उसके मन में बहुत कपट है। There is a lot of deceit in his heart.
(uske man men bahut kapat hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
गुरु जी ने कहा कि मन में कपट रखने वाला कभी सुख नहीं पाता। The guru said that one who keeps deceit in his heart never finds happiness.
(guru jii ne kahaa ki man men kapat rakhne vaalaa kabhii sukh nahiin paataa।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसने बड़े कपट से अपनी असली मंशा छिपाई। With great deceit, he hid his true intentions.
(usne bade kapat se apnii aslii manshaa chhipaaii।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
हे प्रभु, मेरे हृदय से सारा कपट मिटा दो। O Lord, erase all deceit from my heart.
(he prabhu, mere hriday se saaraa kapat mitaa do।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
यदि उसके मन में कपट न होता, तो वह ऐसा व्यवहार न करता। If there had been no deceit in his heart, he would not have behaved like this.
(yadi uske man men kapat n hotaa, to vah aisaa vyavahaar n kartaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
संत ने उपदेश दिया कि सच्चा भक्त कपट से दूर रहता है। The saint preached that a true devotee stays far from deceit.
(sant ne updesh diyaa ki sachchaa bhakt kapat se door rahtaa hai।)
Register: Devotional -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम्हारे मन में कोई कपट है? Is there any deceit in your heart?
(kyaa tumhaare man men koii kapat hai?)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मंत्री पर आरोप लगाया गया कि उसने कपट से जनता को गुमराह किया। The minister was accused of misleading the public through deceit.
(mantrii par aarop lagaayaa gayaa ki usne kapat se jantaa ko gumraah kiyaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
काश उसके व्यवहार में कोई कपट न होता। If only there were no deceit in his conduct.
(kaash uske vyavahaar men koii kapat n hotaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): कपट (kapat)
(sg.m.oblique): कपट (kapat)
(pl.m.direct): कपट (kapat)
(pl.m.oblique): कपटों (kapton)