सरल (saral)
adjective
A common adjective meaning simple/easy, and by extension used to describe an uncomplicated, straightforward personality.
Sense
1
:
simple, easy (of a task, text, or process)
adjective
Synonyms: आसान (aasaan), सहज (sahaj), सुगम (sugam, somewhat formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the go-to word on the cover of every Hindi grammar or self-help book promising to make some hard subject सरल (saral) -- 'सरल हिंदी व्याकरण' (saral hindii vyaakran, 'Simple Hindi Grammar') is a familiar genre title. It sits a notch more bookish than आसान (aasaan), which dominates casual speech, though both are used constantly.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for आसान (aasaan) by default since it is learned earlier; सरल (saral) is just as common in speech and very common in writing, especially describing language, methods, or explanations -- सरल भाषा (saral bhaashaa, 'simple language') is a set phrase you will see constantly on textbook covers. 2) सरल (saral) describes the task or thing itself as simple, not a person's ability to do it -- for 'I find it easy' you still need a dative construction like मुझे यह आसान/सरल लगता है (mujhe yah aasaan/saral lagtaa hai, 'this seems easy to me'), not a sentence with सरल as the main predicate of a person.
Sample Sentences:
यह सवाल बहुत सरल है।
This question is very simple.
(yah savaal bahut saral hai।)
यह किताब बच्चों के लिए सरल भाषा में लिखी गई है।
This book has been written in simple language for children.
(yah kitaab bachchon ke lie saral bhaashaa men likhii gaii hai।)
काश यह परीक्षा इतनी सरल होती।
I wish this exam were this easy.
(kaash yah pariikshaa itnii saral hotii।)
उसने पूरी प्रक्रिया को सरल बना दिया।
He simplified the whole process.
(usne poorii prakriyaa ko saral banaa diyaa।)
सरल हिंदी व्याकरण नाम की किताबें हर साल नई आती रहती हैं।
Books titled 'Simple Hindi Grammar' keep coming out fresh every year.
(saral hindii vyaakran naam kii kitaaben har saal naii aatii rahtii hain।)
कृपया इस अध्याय को थोड़ा और सरल कीजिए।
Please make this chapter a bit simpler.
(kripyaa is adhyaay ko thodaa aur saral kiijie।)
हो सकता है कि यह तरीका उससे ज़्यादा सरल हो।
It's possible that this method is simpler than that one.
(ho saktaa hai ki yah tariikaa usse zyaadaa saral ho।)
सरल शब्दों में समझाया जाए तो यह सिद्धांत बहुत आसान है।
If explained in simple terms, this theory is quite easy.
(saral shabdon men samjhaayaa jaae to yah siddhaant bahut aasaan hai।)
यह मशीन चलाना उतना सरल नहीं जितना दिखता है।
Operating this machine isn't as simple as it looks.
(yah mashiin chalaanaa utnaa saral nahiin jitnaa dikhtaa hai।)
सरल मार्ग अपनाकर भी बड़ी समस्याएँ सुलझाई जा सकती हैं।
Even by taking a simple path, big problems can be solved.
(saral maarg apnaakar bhii badii samasyaaen suljhaaii jaa saktii hain।)
अगली बार वे इस फॉर्म को और सरल बनाएँगे।
Next time they will make this form even simpler.
(aglii baar ve is phorm ko aur saral banaaenge।)
Sense
2
:
simple, unaffected, guileless (of a person's nature)
adjective
Synonyms: सीधा (siidhaa), निष्कपट (nishkpat, literary)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Calling someone सरल स्वभाव का (saral svabhaav kaa, 'of a simple/gentle nature') is warm praise in Hindi -- it paints someone as unpretentious and easy to get along with, the kind of person your parents approve of as a match or a friend.
Common Mistakes: 1) In this sense सरल (saral) is a compliment about character -- open, honest, without cunning -- and is not interchangeable with आसान (aasaan), which never describes personality this way.
Sample Sentences:
वह बहुत सरल स्वभाव का इंसान है।
He is a person of a very simple, guileless nature.
(vah bahut saral svabhaav kaa insaan hai।)
मेरी दादी बहुत सरल थीं, किसी से छल-कपट नहीं करती थीं।
My grandmother was very simple and guileless, she never deceived anyone.
(merii daadii bahut saral thiin, kisii se chhal-kapat nahiin kartii thiin।)
काश तुम इतने सरल न होते, लोग तुम्हारा फायदा उठा लेते हैं।
I wish you weren't so guileless, people take advantage of you.
(kaash tum itne saral n hote, log tumhaaraa phaaydaa uthaa lete hain।)
लड़का देखने में सीधा-सादा और सरल लग रहा था, इसलिए माँ को पसंद आ गया।
The boy looked plain and guileless, so mother took a liking to him.
(ladkaa dekhne men siidhaa-saadaa aur saral lag rahaa thaa, islie maan ko pasand aa gayaa।)
रिश्ते के लिए लड़की का सरल स्वभाव सबसे ज़रूरी माना जाता है।
For a match, the girl's simple, gentle nature is considered the most important thing.
(rishte ke lie ladkii kaa saral svabhaav sabse zaroorii maanaa jaataa hai।)
काश मैं भी इतना सरल होता, दिल में कुछ नहीं रखता।
I wish I too were that guileless, holding nothing back in my heart.
(kaash main bhii itnaa saral hotaa, dil men kuchh nahiin rakhtaa।)
सरल बनो, दिखावा करने की ज़रूरत नहीं है।
Be simple and unaffected, there's no need to put on a show.
(saral bano, dikhaavaa karne kii zaroorat nahiin hai।)
संत लोग अक्सर बहुत सरल और निर्मल हृदय के होते हैं।
Saintly people are often very simple and pure of heart.
(sant log aksar bahut saral aur nirmal hriday ke hote hain।)
उसकी सरलता के कारण ही सब उससे इतना प्यार करते हैं।
It is precisely because of her guileless simplicity that everyone loves her so much.
(uskii saraltaa ke kaaran hii sab usse itnaa pyaar karte hain।)
शायद वह इतना सरल हो कि किसी की चाल भी न समझ पाए।
Perhaps he is so guileless that he can't even understand someone's scheming.
(shaayad vah itnaa saral ho ki kisii kii chaal bhii n samajh paae।)
Morphology
Adjective (variable)
(sg.m):
सरल
(saral)
(pl.m):
सरले
(sarle)
(sg.f):
सरली
(sarlii)
(pl.f):
सरली
(sarlii)