सहायक (sahaayak)
noun/adjective
Two closely related uses: an adjective meaning 'helpful, supportive, contributory' and a noun meaning 'assistant, helper' -- both come from the same root as सहायता (sahaaytaa, 'help').
Sense
1
:
assistant, helper (person)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: मददगार (madadgaar), सहायिका (sahaayikaa, feminine form)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will see this word constantly on office doors and business cards in India -- निजी सहायक (nijii sahaayak, 'personal assistant') or पी.ए. is a very common designation. It carries a respectful, formal-workplace tone rather than a casual one.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes treat सहायक (sahaayak) as invariant, but when referring to a woman it commonly shifts to सहायिका (sahaayikaa) rather than staying सहायक (sahaayak) as with true m/f nouns -- check the morphology table for the pattern. 2) In job titles like शोध सहायक (shodh sahaayak, 'research assistant'), the word stays uninflected as part of a compound title.
Sample Sentences:
वह मंत्री जी के निजी सहायक हैं।
He is the minister's personal assistant.
(vah mantrii jii ke nijii sahaayak hain।)
हमारे दफ़्तर में तीन सहायक काम करते हैं।
Three assistants work in our office.
(hamaare daftar men tiin sahaayak kaam karte hain।)
क्या आपने अभी तक कोई सहायक नियुक्त किया?
Have you appointed any assistant yet?
(kyaa aapne abhii tak koii sahaayak niyukt kiyaa?)
कृपया अपने सहायक को यह फ़ाइल भेज दें।
Please send this file to your assistant.
(kripyaa apne sahaayak ko yah faail bhej den।)
प्रयोगशाला में एक सहायक की ज़रूरत है जो प्रयोगों में मदद कर सके।
The laboratory needs an assistant who can help with the experiments.
(prayogshaalaa men ek sahaayak kii zaroorat hai jo prayogon men madad kar sake।)
अगर मुझे एक अच्छा सहायक मिलता, तो काम बहुत आसान हो जाता।
If I had gotten a good assistant, the work would have become much easier.
(agar mujhe ek achchhaa sahaayak miltaa, to kaam bahut aasaan ho jaataa।)
उसका सहायक हमेशा समय पर सारे काम निपटा देता है।
His assistant always finishes all the work on time.
(uskaa sahaayak hameshaa samay par saare kaam niptaa detaa hai।)
नई सहायक द्वारा भेजी गई रिपोर्ट कल शाम तक तैयार हो जाएगी।
The report sent by the new assistant will be ready by tomorrow evening.
(naii sahaayak dvaaraa bhejii gaii riport kal shaam tak taiyaar ho jaaegii।)
बड़े साहब का सहायक बनना कोई आसान बात नहीं है।
Becoming the boss's assistant is no easy matter.
(bade saahab kaa sahaayak bannaa koii aasaan baat nahiin hai।)
सर, यह मेरे सहायक हैं, इन्हें आप सारी जानकारी दे सकते हैं।
Sir, this is my assistant, you can give him all the information.
(sar, yah mere sahaayak hain, inhen aap saarii jaankaarii de sakte hain।)
उस समय मेरा कोई सहायक नहीं था, इसलिए सारा काम मुझे ख़ुद करना पड़ता था।
At that time I had no assistant, so I had to do all the work myself.
(us samay meraa koii sahaayak nahiin thaa, islie saaraa kaam mujhe khud karnaa padtaa thaa।)
Sense
2
:
helpful, supportive, contributory (to something)
adjective Often used in the frame X के लिए सहायक (ke lie sahaayak, 'helpful for X') or X में सहायक (men sahaayak, 'helpful in X'), pairing with a following postposition to show what the help applies to.
Synonyms: मददगार (madadgaar), उपयोगी (upyogii, 'useful' -- narrower scope)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the word you will meet in academic and official writing -- a textbook preface thanking people, or a report calling some factor 'सहायक' (sahaayak) to a result. It pairs naturally with abstract nouns (सहायक कारक, sahaayak kaarak, 'contributing factor') in a way मददगार (madadgaar) rarely does.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for मददगार (madadgaar) in writing where सहायक (sahaayak) sounds more natural, especially in formal, academic, or written contexts -- सहायक (sahaayak) has a slightly more formal register.
Sample Sentences:
यह किताब परीक्षा की तैयारी में बहुत सहायक है।
This book is very helpful in preparing for the exam.
(yah kitaab pariikshaa kii taiyaarii men bahut sahaayak hai।)
अनुशासन सफलता के लिए एक सहायक कारक माना जाता है।
Discipline is considered a contributing factor to success.
(anushaasan saphaltaa ke lie ek sahaayak kaarak maanaa jaataa hai।)
यदि नियमित व्यायाम किया जाए, तो यह स्वास्थ्य के लिए अत्यंत सहायक होता है।
If one exercises regularly, it proves extremely helpful for health.
(yadi niymit vyaayaam kiyaa jaae, to yah svaasthy ke lie atyant sahaayak hotaa hai।)
लेखक ने प्राक्कथन में उन सभी लोगों को धन्यवाद दिया जिनकी सलाह इस पुस्तक के लेखन में सहायक रही।
In the preface, the author thanked all those whose advice was helpful in writing this book.
(lekhak ne praakkthan men un sabhii logon ko dhanyvaad diyaa jinkii salaah is pustak ke lekhan men sahaayak rahii।)
रिपोर्ट में बताया गया कि बारिश की कमी फसल की बर्बादी में सहायक रही।
The report stated that the lack of rain was a contributing factor in the crop's destruction.
(riport men bataayaa gayaa ki baarish kii kamii phasal kii barbaadii men sahaayak rahii।)
काश यह उपाय हमारी समस्या में सहायक होता।
If only this measure had been helpful for our problem.
(kaash yah upaay hamaarii samasyaa men sahaayak hotaa।)
सरकार चाहती है कि नई नीति उद्योगों के विकास में सहायक हो।
The government wants the new policy to be helpful in the development of industries.
(sarkaar chaahtii hai ki naii niiti udyogon ke vikaas men sahaayak ho।)
यह ऐप भाषा सीखने में सचमुच सहायक साबित होगा।
This app will truly prove helpful in learning the language.
(yah aip bhaashaa siikhne men sachmuch sahaayak saabit hogaa।)
अनुभव और धैर्य, दोनों ही इस काम में सहायक हैं।
Experience and patience, both are helpful in this work.
(anubhav aur dhairy, donon hii is kaam men sahaayak hain।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
सहायक
(sahaayak)
(sg.m.oblique):
सहायक
(sahaayak)
(pl.m.direct):
सहायक
(sahaayak)
(pl.m.oblique):
सहायकों
(sahaaykon)
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
सहायक
(sahaayak)