परत (parat)

noun A concrete noun meaning 'layer' or 'coat' -- used both for physical layers (paint, skin, dust) and figuratively for layers of meaning, personality, or complexity.
Sense 1 : layer, coat (physical)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: तह (tah)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear this constantly around painting and cooking: पेंट की एक और परत लगा दो (pent kii ek aur parat lagaa do, 'apply one more coat of paint') or धूल की परत (dhool kii parat, 'a layer of dust') on furniture left untouched during a Delhi summer.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse परत (parat) with तह (tah) -- both mean 'layer' and are largely interchangeable for things like paint, dust, or folded fabric, so don't overthink choosing between them in daily speech.
Sample Sentences:
दीवार पर पेंट की एक और परत लगा दो। Apply one more coat of paint on the wall.
(diivaar par pent kii ek aur parat lagaa do।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
मेज़ पर धूल की मोटी परत जमी हुई है। A thick layer of dust has settled on the table.
(mez par dhool kii motii parat jamii huii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
केक की हर परत में अलग स्वाद है। Each layer of the cake has a different flavor.
(kek kii har parat men alag svaad hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम पहली परत सूखने से पहले दूसरी लगाते तो पेंट खराब हो जाता। If you had applied the second coat before the first one dried, the paint would have gotten ruined.
(agar tum pahlii parat sookhne se pahle doosrii lagaate to pent kharaab ho jaataa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
बर्फ़ की एक पतली परत सड़क पर बिछी थी। A thin layer of ice was spread over the road.
(barf kii ek patlii parat sadak par bichhii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
प्याज़ की परतें उतारते हुए उसकी आँखों में पानी आ गया। While peeling off the layers of the onion, her eyes started watering.
(pyaaz kii parten utaarte hue uskii aankhon men paanii aa gayaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इस जैकेट के अंदर गर्मी के लिए एक अतिरिक्त परत लगी है। There is an extra layer inside this jacket for warmth.
(is jaiket ke andar garmii ke lie ek atirikt parat lagii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
मिट्टी की परतों का अध्ययन करके भूवैज्ञानिक धरती की उम्र का अंदाज़ा लगाते हैं। By studying the layers of soil, geologists estimate the age of the earth.
(mittii kii parton kaa adhyyan karke bhoovaigyaanik dhartii kii umr kaa andaazaa lagaate hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
चेहरे पर मेकअप की इतनी परतें मत लगाओ। Don't apply so many layers of makeup on your face.
(chehre par mekaap kii itnii parten mat lagaao।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
जब तक पहली परत ठीक से सूख न जाए, दूसरी परत नहीं लगानी चाहिए। One shouldn't apply the second layer until the first one has dried properly.
(jab tak pahlii parat thiik se sookh n jaae, doosrii parat nahiin lagaanii chaahie।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
पुरानी इमारत की दीवारों पर रंग की कई परतें चढ़ाई गई थीं। Several layers of paint had been applied on the walls of the old building.
(puraanii imaarat kii diivaaron par rang kii kaii parten chadhaaii gaii thiin।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
Sense 2 : layer of meaning, hidden aspect (figurative)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: पहलू (pahloo, aspect/facet, broader meaning)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the word people reach for when talking about a complicated person or story: उसकी शख़्सियत की कई परतें हैं (uskii shakhsiyat kii kaii parten hain, 'his personality has many layers'). It's a favorite in film reviews and personal essays for describing something that reveals itself slowly.
Sample Sentences:
उसकी शख़्सियत की कई परतें हैं। His personality has many layers.
(uskii shakhsiyat kii kaii parten hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इस कहानी की परतें धीरे-धीरे खुलती हैं। The layers of this story unfold slowly.
(is kahaanii kii parten dhiire-dhiire khultii hain।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
फ़िल्म समीक्षक ने लिखा कि किरदार की एक परत अभी भी अनदेखी रह गई। The film critic wrote that one facet of the character still went unnoticed.
(film samiikshak ne likhaa ki kirdaar kii ek parat abhii bhii andekhii rah gaii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम उसे ठीक से जानते, तो उसके दुख की उस परत को भी समझते। If you had known him properly, you would have understood that layer of his sorrow too.
(agar tum use thiik se jaante, to uske dukh kii us parat ko bhii samajhte।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
इस निबंध में लेखक की सोच की परतें उधेड़ी गई हैं। In this essay, the layers of the author's thinking have been unraveled.
(is nibandh men lekhak kii soch kii parten udhedii gaii hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
यार, इस बंदे को समझना मुश्किल है, इसकी बहुत परतें हैं। Dude, this guy is hard to understand, he's got a lot of layers.
(yaar, is bande ko samajhnaa mushkil hai, iskii bahut parten hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश कोई उसकी असली परत तक पहुँच पाता। If only someone could reach his true, hidden layer.
(kaash koii uskii aslii parat tak pahunch paataa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
उस उपन्यास को दोबारा पढ़ो तो शायद कोई नई परत नज़र आए। Read that novel again and perhaps a new layer will come into view.
(us upanyaas ko dobaaraa padho to shaayad koii naii parat nazar aae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
हर मुलाक़ात में उसके व्यक्तित्व की कोई नई परत सामने आती है। With every meeting, some new facet of his personality comes to light.
(har mulaaqaat men uske vyaktitv kii koii naii parat saamne aatii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उस रिश्ते की परतें खोलो तो पता चलेगा कि माजरा कुछ और ही था। Peel back the layers of that relationship and you'll find the real matter was something else entirely.
(us rishte kii parten kholo to pataa chalegaa ki maajraa kuchh aur hii thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): परत (parat)
(sg.f.oblique): परत (parat)
(pl.f.direct): परतें (parten)
(pl.f.oblique): परतों (parton)