रस्सी (rassii)

noun A concrete, everyday noun for a rope or string; one core sense, occasionally extended figuratively in idioms.
Sense 1 : rope, cord, string
noun, feminine
Synonyms: डोरी (dorii, thinner cord/string), तांत (taant, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this word constantly around Indian homes and villages -- tying a cot's webbing (चारपाई की रस्सी, chaarpaaii kii rassii), hanging clothes out to dry, or in the common childhood game रस्सी कूदना (rassii koodnaa, 'skipping rope'). There is also a well-known idiom, रस्सी जल गई पर बल नहीं गया (rassii jal gaii par bal nahiin gayaa, 'the rope burned but its twist remained'), used for someone whose stubborn pride survives even after they've lost everything else.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for डोरी (dorii) for anything string-like, but रस्सी (rassii) is the default word for a proper rope -- used for tying animals, pulling buckets from wells, skipping (रस्सी कूदना, rassii koodnaa, 'to skip rope'), or as a washing line. 2) Learners may forget रस्सी (rassii) is feminine, which affects adjective and verb agreement -- e.g. रस्सी टूट गई (rassii toot gaii, 'the rope broke'), not टूट गया (toot gayaa).
Sample Sentences:
माँ ने कपड़े सुखाने के लिए छत पर रस्सी बाँध दी। Mom tied a rope on the roof to dry the clothes.
(maan ne kapde sukhaane ke lie chhat par rassii baandh dii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
बच्चे आँगन में रस्सी कूद रहे हैं। The children are skipping rope in the courtyard.
(bachche aangan men rassii kood rahe hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कुएँ से पानी निकालने के लिए एक मज़बूत रस्सी चाहिए। You need a strong rope to pull water out of the well.
(kuen se paanii nikaalne ke lie ek mazboot rassii chaahie।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
चारपाई की रस्सी पुरानी होकर ढीली पड़ गई है। The cot's rope has become old and loose.
(chaarpaaii kii rassii puraanii hokar dhiilii pad gaii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बकरी को रस्सी से पेड़ के तने से बाँध दो। Tie the goat to the tree trunk with a rope.
(bakrii ko rassii se ped ke tane se baandh do।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर रस्सी कमज़ोर होती तो बाल्टी कुएँ में गिर जाती। If the rope had been weak, the bucket would have fallen into the well.
(agar rassii kamzor hotii to baaltii kuen men gir jaatii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
मज़दूर ने रस्सी की मदद से भारी सामान ऊपर खींचा। The laborer hauled the heavy load up with the help of a rope.
(mazdoor ne rassii kii madad se bhaarii saamaan oopar khiinchaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इस काम के लिए बाज़ार से नई रस्सी ले आना। Bring a new rope from the market for this work.
(is kaam ke lie baazaar se naii rassii le aanaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
रस्सी इतनी टाइट बाँधी गई थी कि खोलना मुश्किल हो गया। The rope was tied so tight that it became difficult to untie.
(rassii itnii taait baandhii gaii thii ki kholnaa mushkil ho gayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
कहते हैं, रस्सी जल गई पर बल नहीं गया। They say, the rope burned but its twist remained -- his pride never left him, even after he lost everything.
(kahte hain, rassii jal gaii par bal nahiin gayaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
शायद कोई रस्सी लेकर आए ताकि हम इसे ठीक से बाँध सकें। Maybe someone will bring a rope so that we can tie it properly.
(shaayad koii rassii lekar aae taaki ham ise thiik se baandh saken।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): रस्सी (rassii)
(sg.f.oblique): रस्सी (rassii)
(pl.f.direct): रस्सियाँ (rassiyaan)
(pl.f.oblique): रस्सियों (rassiyon)