शतरंज (shatranj)
noun
A single-sense word: the board game chess (shatranj), and by extension the physical chessboard/set used to play it.
Sense
1
:
chess (the game, and the board/set)
noun, feminine
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: शतरंज (shatranj) comes from Persian, itself tracing back to Sanskrit चतुरंग (chaturang, 'four divisions/limbs' -- referring to the four parts of an ancient army: elephants, chariots, cavalry, infantry), which is widely credited as an ancestor of modern chess. You will often hear the phrase शतरंज की बाज़ी (shatranj kii baazii, 'a game/round of chess'), and in political or strategic contexts people say things like शतरंज की बिसात पर चाल चलना (shatranj kii bisaat par chaal chalnaa, 'to make a move on the chessboard of politics/strategy') to describe scheming or maneuvering.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to say 'play chess' with बजाना (bajaanaa, used for instruments), but the correct verb is खेलना (khelnaa) -- शतरंज खेलना (shatranj khelnaa, 'to play chess'). 2) The board itself is also called शतरंज (shatranj) or शतरंज की बिसात (shatranj kii bisaat), not a separate word -- context tells you whether the game or the physical board is meant.
Sample Sentences:
क्या तुम्हें शतरंज खेलनी आती है?
Do you know how to play chess?
(kyaa tumhen shatranj khelnii aatii hai?)
हम लोग हर शनिवार शाम को शतरंज खेलते हैं।
We play chess every Saturday evening.
(ham log har shanivaar shaam ko shatranj khelte hain।)
वह अभी अपने दादाजी के साथ शतरंज खेल रहा है।
He is playing chess with his grandfather right now.
(vah abhii apne daadaajii ke saath shatranj khel rahaa hai।)
कल रात हमने शतरंज की एक लंबी बाज़ी खेली।
Last night we played a long game of chess.
(kal raat hamne shatranj kii ek lambii baazii khelii।)
शतरंज की बिसात मेज़ पर पहले से बिछी हुई थी।
The chessboard was already set up on the table.
(shatranj kii bisaat mez par pahle se bichhii huii thii।)
चलो, आज शतरंज खेलते हैं।
Come on, let's play chess today.
(chalo, aaj shatranj khelte hain।)
अगर मुझे बचपन में कोई सिखाता, तो मैं भी शतरंज अच्छी खेल पाता।
If someone had taught me in childhood, I would have played chess well too.
(agar mujhe bachpan men koii sikhaataa, to main bhii shatranj achchhii khel paataa।)
बेटा, ज़्यादा शोर मत करो, दादी शतरंज खेल रही हैं।
Son, don't make so much noise, grandmother is playing chess.
(betaa, zyaadaa shor mat karo, daadii shatranj khel rahii hain।)
राजनेता अक्सर शतरंज की बिसात पर चाल चलते हैं ताकि विरोधी को मात दी जा सके।
Politicians often make a move on the chessboard of strategy so that their opponent can be checkmated.
(raajnetaa aksar shatranj kii bisaat par chaal chalte hain taaki virodhii ko maat dii jaa sake।)
प्राचीन काल में शतरंज को राजाओं का खेल माना जाता था।
In ancient times, chess was considered a game of kings.
(praachiin kaal men shatranj ko raajaaon kaa khel maanaa jaataa thaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
शतरंज
(shatranj)
(sg.f.oblique):
शतरंज
(shatranj)
(pl.f.direct):
शतरंजें
(shatranjen)
(pl.f.oblique):
शतरंजों
(shatranjon)