बिल्ली (billii)
noun
Mainly a straightforward noun for 'cat', with a well-known idiom about a cat crossing one's path and a couple of colloquial extended uses.
Sense
1
:
cat (the animal)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: बिलाव (bilaav, male cat specifically)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In Delhi homes and streets, बिल्ली (billii) usually refers to street cats rather than pampered pets, so the word carries a slightly less domesticated, more 'neighborhood animal' feel than English 'cat' often does.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes assume बिल्ली (billii) is used only for female cats since it ends in ई (ii), but it is the default word for 'cat' regardless of sex; बिलाव (bilaav) is used only when the male sex is specifically relevant.
Sample Sentences:
गली में एक बिल्ली बैठी है।
There is a cat sitting in the alley.
(galii men ek billii baithii hai।)
बिल्लियाँ रात में ज़्यादा घूमती हैं।
Cats roam around more at night.
(billiyaan raat men zyaadaa ghoomtii hain।)
कल हमारी छत पर एक बिल्ली आ गई थी।
Yesterday a cat came onto our roof.
(kal hamaarii chhat par ek billii aa gaii thii।)
बिल्ली दूध पी रही है।
The cat is drinking milk.
(billii doodh pii rahii hai।)
बिल्ली को मत मारो, वह बेचारी भूखी है।
Don't hit the cat, the poor thing is hungry.
(billii ko mat maaro, vah bechaarii bhookhii hai।)
अगर घर में इतना कचरा न फैला होता, तो बिल्लियाँ इधर न आतीं।
If there wasn't so much garbage lying around the house, the cats wouldn't come here.
(agar ghar men itnaa kachraa n phailaa hotaa, to billiyaan idhar n aatiin।)
शायद कोई बिल्ली रात में डिब्बा गिरा गई हो।
Maybe some cat knocked the box over at night.
(shaayad koii billii raat men dibbaa giraa gaii ho।)
मोहल्ले की बिल्लियों को पड़ोसी ही खाना देते हैं।
It's the neighbors who feed the neighborhood cats.
(mohalle kii billiyon ko padosii hii khaanaa dete hain।)
बिल्ली को दूध बहुत पसंद होता है, यह तो सब जानते हैं।
Everyone knows that cats really love milk.
(billii ko doodh bahut pasand hotaa hai, yah to sab jaante hain।)
पशु आश्रय में बीमार बिल्लियों का इलाज किया जाता है।
Sick cats are treated at the animal shelter.
(pashu aashray men biimaar billiyon kaa ilaaj kiyaa jaataa hai।)
अगली गली में कल कोई नई बिल्ली दिखेगी शायद।
Maybe some new cat will be seen in the next lane tomorrow.
(aglii galii men kal koii naii billii dikhegii shaayad।)
जब हम बचपन में इस गली में खेलते थे, तब यहाँ बहुत बिल्लियाँ हुआ करती थीं।
When we used to play in this lane as children, there used to be a lot of cats here.
(jab ham bachpan men is galii men khelte the, tab yahaan bahut billiyaan huaa kartii thiin।)
Sense
2
:
a cat crossing one's path (idiom of interruption/bad luck)
noun, feminine Occurs almost exclusively in the fixed phrase बिल्ली रास्ता काट गई (billii raastaa kaat gaii, 'a cat crossed the path') or बीच में बिल्ली आ गई (biich men billii aa gaii, 'a cat came in between'), used to explain a sudden hitch, quarrel, or bad omen interrupting something.
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: There is an old superstition that a black cat crossing your path is inauspicious, and this idiom about दो लोगों के बीच बिल्ली आना (do logon ke biich billii aanaa, 'a cat coming between two people') is commonly used when two friends suddenly stop talking or a plan falls through for no clear reason.
Common Mistakes: 1) This idiom is about interruption or ill omen, not literally about cats; learners sometimes translate it too literally and miss the figurative 'something went wrong/came between us' meaning.
Sample Sentences:
उन दोनों के बीच अचानक बिल्ली आ गई।
A cat suddenly came between the two of them (they suddenly stopped talking).
(un donon ke biich achaanak billii aa gaii।)
पता नहीं दोनों भाइयों के बीच कब बिल्ली आ जाती है।
Who knows when a cat comes between the two brothers -- they just stop talking sometimes.
(pataa nahiin donon bhaaiyon ke biich kab billii aa jaatii hai।)
क्या तुम दोनों के बीच फिर से बिल्ली आ गई है?
Has a cat come between you two again? (Have you two fallen out again?)
(kyaa tum donon ke biich phir se billii aa gaii hai?)
अगर हमारे बीच बिल्ली न आती, तो हम अब तक साथ काम कर रहे होते।
If a cat hadn't come between us, we would still be working together.
(agar hamaare biich billii n aatii, to ham ab tak saath kaam kar rahe hote।)
लगता है इस प्रोजेक्ट में दोनों पार्टनरों के बीच बिल्ली आ गई है।
It seems a cat has come between the two partners in this project (something's gone wrong for no clear reason).
(lagtaa hai is projekt men donon paartanron ke biich billii aa gaii hai।)
बरसों की दोस्ती में यूँ ही बिल्ली आ जाना अजीब लगता है।
For a cat to come between a friendship of years, just like that, seems strange.
(barson kii dostii men yoon hii billii aa jaanaa ajiib lagtaa hai।)
देखना, शादी की तैयारियों में कहीं दोनों परिवारों के बीच बिल्ली न आ जाए।
Watch out -- a cat might come between the two families during the wedding preparations.
(dekhnaa, shaadii kii taiyaariyon men kahiin donon parivaaron ke biich billii n aa jaae।)
उनके बीच जो बिल्ली आई थी, वह किसी छोटी सी बात से ही आई होगी।
The cat that came between them must have come over some small matter.
(unke biich jo billii aaii thii, vah kisii chhotii sii baat se hii aaii hogii।)
साल भर की खामोशी के पीछे बस एक बिल्ली आ गई थी, कुछ बड़ी बात नहीं थी।
Behind that year-long silence there was just a cat that had come between them, nothing big.
(saal bhar kii khaamoshii ke piichhe bas ek billii aa gaii thii, kuchh badii baat nahiin thii।)
Sense
3
:
a small anchor-like metal fastener/toggle (technical/colloquial extended use)
noun, feminine
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This is a niche, hardware-shop usage where बिल्ली (billii) names a small clasp or fastening piece by rough resemblance; most learners will not need it in daily conversation.
Sample Sentences:
इस दरवाज़े में बिल्ली लगी है।
This door has a small clasp fitted on it.
(is darvaaze men billii lagii hai।)
पुरानी बिल्ली ढीली हो गई है, इसे बदलना पड़ेगा।
The old toggle bolt has become loose, it will need to be replaced.
(puraanii billii dhiilii ho gaii hai, ise badalnaa padegaa।)
मिस्त्री ने खिड़की में नई बिल्ली लगाई।
The mechanic fitted a new clasp on the window.
(mistrii ne khidkii men naii billii lagaaii।)
अगर बिल्ली मज़बूत होती तो दरवाज़ा नहीं टूटता।
If the clasp had been sturdy, the door wouldn't have broken.
(agar billii mazboot hotii to darvaazaa nahiin toottaa।)
इस अलमारी के लिए दो बिल्लियाँ और चाहिए।
Two more toggle bolts are needed for this cupboard.
(is almaarii ke lie do billiyaan aur chaahie।)
बिल्ली को कसकर पेच से जड़ दो।
Screw the clasp on tightly.
(billii ko kaskar pech se jad do।)
दुकानदार ने कहा कि यह बिल्ली स्टील की बनी होती है।
The shopkeeper said that this kind of clasp is usually made of steel.
(dukaandaar ne kahaa ki yah billii stiil kii banii hotii hai।)
हो सकता है कि यह बिल्ली इस पुराने ताले के लिए सही न आए।
It might be that this clasp doesn't fit this old lock properly.
(ho saktaa hai ki yah billii is puraane taale ke lie sahii n aae।)
बिल्ली हार्डवेयर की दुकान पर बहुत सस्ते में मिल जाती है।
These little toggle clasps are found very cheaply at the hardware shop.
(billii haardveyar kii dukaan par bahut saste men mil jaatii hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
बिल्ली
(billii)
(sg.f.oblique):
बिल्ली
(billii)
(pl.f.direct):
बिल्लियाँ
(billiyaan)
(pl.f.oblique):
बिल्लियों
(billiyon)