ऐनक (ainak)

noun A simple, everyday word for a pair of glasses/spectacles (ainak); one main sense, though चश्मा (chashmaa) is the more common word for the same thing in modern Delhi-NCR speech.
Sense 1 : spectacles, eyeglasses
noun, feminine
Synonyms: चश्मा (chashmaa, more common)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Ask a grandparent for their ऐनक (ainak) and you'll get it without a blink, but most people under 40 in Delhi just say चश्मा (chashmaa) -- ऐनक has a slightly old-school, storybook feel to it now, the word you'd meet in a school Hindi textbook or hear from an elderly relative rather than in casual chat.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners default to चश्मा (chashmaa) since it is heard far more often in daily speech; ऐनक (ainak) is not wrong but sounds a touch old-fashioned or bookish by comparison. 2) Like चश्मा (chashmaa), this noun is grammatically singular in Hindi even though English 'glasses' is plural -- you say ऐनक लगाना (ainak lagaanaa, 'to wear glasses'), not a plural form.
Sample Sentences:
दादाजी की ऐनक टूट गई। Grandfather's spectacles broke.
(daadaajii kii ainak toot gaii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
बूढ़ी औरत बिना ऐनक के कुछ नहीं पढ़ पाती। The old woman can't read anything without her spectacles.
(boodhii aurat binaa ainak ke kuchh nahiin padh paatii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अपनी ऐनक कहाँ रखी है? Where have you kept your spectacles?
(apnii ainak kahaan rakhii hai?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
नानी अपनी ऐनक पहने बरामदे में बैठी थीं। Grandmother was sitting on the veranda wearing her spectacles.
(naanii apnii ainak pahne baraamde men baithii thiin।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मुझे अपनी ऐनक दे दो, ज़रा यह पत्र पढ़ना है। Give me your spectacles for a moment, I need to read this letter.
(mujhe apnii ainak de do, zaraa yah patr padhnaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर उसकी ऐनक न होती, तो वह किताब भी न पढ़ पाता। If he didn't have his spectacles, he wouldn't even be able to read a book.
(agar uskii ainak n hotii, to vah kitaab bhii n padh paataa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
मास्टरजी की ऐनक के शीशे बहुत मोटे थे। The teacher's spectacle lenses were very thick.
(maastarjii kii ainak ke shiishe bahut mote the।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम्हारी ऐनक बन गई? Are your spectacles ready (have they been made)?
(kyaa tumhaarii ainak ban gaii?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
पुरानी कहानियों में अक्सर किसी बुज़ुर्ग की ऐनक का ज़िक्र आता है। In old stories, the mention of some elder's spectacles often comes up.
(puraanii kahaaniyon men aksar kisii buzurg kii ainak kaa zikr aataa hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश मेरी ऐनक अभी मिल जाए, अखबार में कुछ ठीक से दिखाई नहीं दे रहा। I wish I could find my spectacles right now, I can't see the newspaper properly.
(kaash merii ainak abhii mil jaae, akhbaar men kuchh thiik se dikhaaii nahiin de rahaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): ऐनक (ainak)
(sg.f.oblique): ऐनक (ainak)
(pl.f.direct): ऐनकें (ainken)
(pl.f.oblique): ऐनकों (ainkon)