चेहरा (chehraa)
noun
A common everyday noun meaning 'face', used both literally and figuratively (expression, appearance, or a person's 'true self/character').
Sense
1
:
face (the physical body part)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: मुख (mukh, literary), मुखड़ा (mukhdaa, affectionate/informal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Think of चेहरा (chehraa) as the face you'd describe or photograph -- its shape, its glow, its expression -- while मुँह (munh) is the face as a functional opening. A mother might say तेरा चेहरा उतरा हुआ है (teraa chehraa utraa huaa hai, 'your face looks pale/dejected') when she reads worry or tiredness in your expression.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for मुँह (munh) when they mean चेहरा (chehraa) -- मुँह (munh) is 'mouth' or the face as the part that eats/speaks, while चेहरा (chehraa) is the face as appearance or visage; 'wash your face' is मुँह धोना (munh dhonaa), but 'a beautiful face' is सुंदर चेहरा (sundar chehraa), not सुंदर मुँह (sundar munh).
Sample Sentences:
उसका चेहरा बहुत खूबसूरत है।
Her face is very beautiful.
(uskaa chehraa bahut khoobsoorat hai।)
तेरा चेहरा उतरा हुआ है, क्या हुआ?
Your face looks pale/dejected, what happened?
(teraa chehraa utraa huaa hai, kyaa huaa?)
उसके चेहरे पर मुस्कान थी।
There was a smile on her face.
(uske chehre par muskaan thii।)
डर के मारे उसका चेहरा सफेद पड़ गया।
His face turned white with fear.
(dar ke maare uskaa chehraa saphed pad gayaa।)
अपना चेहरा धो लो, फिर खाना खाओ।
Wash your face, then eat.
(apnaa chehraa dho lo, phir khaanaa khaao।)
डॉक्टर उसके चेहरे की सूजन देख रहे थे।
The doctor was examining the swelling on his face.
(doktar uske chehre kii soojan dekh rahe the।)
अगर तुम धूप में ज़्यादा रहोगे तो चेहरा जल जाएगा।
If you stay in the sun too long, your face will get sunburnt.
(agar tum dhoop men zyaadaa rahoge to chehraa jal jaaegaa।)
बच्चे का चेहरा नींद से ढका हुआ था।
The child's face was covered with sleep (drowsy).
(bachche kaa chehraa niind se dhakaa huaa thaa।)
काश मैं उसका चेहरा एक बार फिर देख पाता।
I wish I could see her face once more.
(kaash main uskaa chehraa ek baar phir dekh paataa।)
सर्जरी के बाद उसका चेहरा पहचान में नहीं आ रहा था।
After the surgery, his face was not recognizable.
(sarjrii ke baad uskaa chehraa pahchaan men nahiin aa rahaa thaa।)
फोटो में उसका चेहरा साफ़ नज़र आ रहा है।
In the photo, her face is clearly visible.
(photo men uskaa chehraa saaf nazar aa rahaa hai।)
मरीज़ का चेहरा डॉक्टर द्वारा बड़े ध्यान से जाँचा गया।
The patient's face was examined very carefully by the doctor.
(mariiz kaa chehraa doktar dvaaraa bade dhyaan se jaanchaa gayaa।)
Sense
2
:
true face, real character or identity (figurative)
noun, masculine Common in the fixed idiom चेहरा बेनकाब होना (chehraa benkaab honaa, 'to be unmasked, exposed') and असली चेहरा सामने आना (aslii chehraa saamne aanaa, 'one's true face/character to come out').
Synonyms: असली रूप (aslii roop), नकाब (nakaab, related idiom word for 'mask')
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the चेहरा (chehraa) of gossip and political commentary: लोगों का असली चेहरा सामने आ गया (logon kaa aslii chehraa saamne aa gayaa, 'people's true colors came out') is a very common thing to hear after someone's hidden motives are revealed.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense is almost always paired with असली (aslii, 'real') or नकली (naklii, 'fake') -- saying just चेहरा (chehraa) alone rarely conveys 'true character' to a listener without that qualifier or clear context.
Sample Sentences:
आखिरकार उसका असली चेहरा सामने आ गया।
Finally, his true colors came out.
(aakhirkaar uskaa aslii chehraa saamne aa gayaa।)
लोगों का असली चेहरा तब सामने आता है जब पैसों की बात होती है।
People's true colors come out when it's a matter of money.
(logon kaa aslii chehraa tab saamne aataa hai jab paison kii baat hotii hai।)
एक दिन उसका चेहरा सबके सामने बेनकाब हो जाएगा।
One day, his true face will be unmasked in front of everyone.
(ek din uskaa chehraa sabke saamne benkaab ho jaaegaa।)
नेता जी का चेहरा चुनाव के बाद बदल गया।
The leader's true colors changed after the election.
(netaa jii kaa chehraa chunaav ke baad badal gayaa।)
काश मैं उसका असली चेहरा पहले पहचान पाता।
If only I had recognized his true colors earlier.
(kaash main uskaa aslii chehraa pahle pahchaan paataa।)
अगर वह इतना लालची न होता, तो उसका चेहरा कभी बेनकाब न होता।
If he hadn't been so greedy, his true face would never have been unmasked.
(agar vah itnaa laalchii n hotaa, to uskaa chehraa kabhii benkaab n hotaa।)
सबको सावधान रहना चाहिए, कोई भी अपना असली चेहरा दिखा सकता है।
Everyone should stay careful, anyone can show their true colors.
(sabko saavdhaan rahnaa chaahie, koii bhii apnaa aslii chehraa dikhaa saktaa hai।)
भाई, उसका चेहरा तो मैंने पहले ही पहचान लिया था।
Bro, I had already recognized his true face before.
(bhaaii, uskaa chehraa to mainne pahle hii pahchaan liyaa thaa।)
मुखौटा उतरते ही उसका चेहरा सबको दिखने लगा।
As soon as the mask came off, his true face started showing to everyone.
(mukhautaa utarte hii uskaa chehraa sabko dikhne lagaa।)
इस स्कैंडल से पार्टी का असली चेहरा जनता के सामने आ गया है।
Because of this scandal, the party's true colors have come out in front of the public.
(is skaindal se paartii kaa aslii chehraa jantaa ke saamne aa gayaa hai।)
Sense
3
:
appearance, image, face (of a place, institution, or thing)
noun, masculine Used metonymically for the outward look or public image of a city, organization, or era, as in शहर का चेहरा बदल गया (shahar kaa chehraa badal gayaa, 'the city's face has changed').
Synonyms: स्वरूप (svaroop, formal), छवि (chhavi, 'image/reputation', related but distinct)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this in news and civic talk a lot -- दिल्ली का चेहरा बदल रहा है (dillii kaa chehraa badal rahaa hai, 'Delhi's face is changing') is a standard way to talk about a city's development or transformation, echoing how English speakers say a place is 'getting a facelift.'
Sample Sentences:
दिल्ली का चेहरा पिछले दस सालों में पूरी तरह बदल गया है।
Delhi's face has completely changed in the last ten years.
(dillii kaa chehraa pichhle das saalon men poorii tarah badal gayaa hai।)
नए मेट्रो स्टेशन इस शहर का चेहरा बदल रहे हैं।
The new metro stations are changing this city's face.
(nae metro steshan is shahar kaa chehraa badal rahe hain।)
इस योजना से गांव का चेहरा निखर जाएगा।
This scheme will brighten up the village's image.
(is yojnaa se gaanv kaa chehraa nikhar jaaegaa।)
सरकार चाहती है कि राजधानी का चेहरा और आधुनिक बने।
The government wants the capital's image to become even more modern.
(sarkaar chaahtii hai ki raajdhaanii kaa chehraa aur aadhunik bane।)
अगर सड़कें साफ होतीं, तो शहर का चेहरा ही कुछ और होता।
If the streets were clean, the city's whole image would be something else.
(agar sadken saaph hotiin, to shahar kaa chehraa hii kuchh aur hotaa।)
पुराने बाजार का चेहरा नवीनीकरण के बाद पहचान में नहीं आता।
The old market's appearance is unrecognizable after the renovation.
(puraane baajaar kaa chehraa naviiniikran ke baad pahchaan men nahiin aataa।)
इस अखबार ने शहर का चेहरा दिखाने वाली कई तस्वीरें छापी हैं।
This newspaper has printed several pictures showing the city's face.
(is akhbaar ne shahar kaa chehraa dikhaane vaalii kaii tasviiren chhaapii hain।)
इस मंदिर के जीर्णोद्धार से पूरे कस्बे का चेहरा संवर गया।
The town's whole appearance was refined by the renovation of this temple.
(is mandir ke jiirnoddhaar se poore kasbe kaa chehraa sanvar gayaa।)
संस्था का चेहरा बदलने के लिए नई वेबसाइट बनाई गई।
A new website was made to change the institution's image.
(sansthaa kaa chehraa badalne ke lie naii vebsaait banaaii gaii।)
क्या स्वच्छता अभियान से वाकई शहरों का चेहरा बदलता है?
Does the cleanliness campaign really change the face of cities?
(kyaa svachchhtaa abhiyaan se vaakaii shahron kaa chehraa badaltaa hai?)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
चेहरा
(chehraa)
(sg.m.oblique):
चेहरे
(chehre)
(pl.m.direct):
चेहरे
(chehre)
(pl.m.oblique):
चेहरों
(chehron)