धंधा (dhandhaa)
noun
Mainly means 'business, trade, occupation' in a general everyday sense; also carries a colloquial/pejorative sense of a shady or disreputable racket, and by extension can specifically mean 'prostitution' in certain fixed usages.
Sense
1
:
business, trade, occupation
noun, masculine
Synonyms: काम (kaam), व्यापार (vyaapaar), कारोबार (kaarobaar), पेशा (peshaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Ask a shopkeeper or auto driver in Delhi how things are going and you'll often hear धंधा कैसा चल रहा है? (dhandhaa kaisaa chal rahaa hai, 'how's business going?') -- it's the natural, down-to-earth word for one's daily trade or hustle, much more common in speech than the bookish व्यवसाय (vyavsaay).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for व्यापार (vyaapaar) or कारोबार (kaarobaar) as the 'default' business word and forget that धंधा (dhandhaa) is the everyday, slightly informal term people actually use when asking what someone does for a living, e.g. क्या धंधा है? (kyaa dhandhaa hai, 'what's your line of work?'). 2) Because of its other slang sense (see the separate 'shady dealings' sense), using धंधा (dhandhaa) in a very formal or written context (a report, a resume) can sound off; व्यापार (vyaapaar) or व्यवसाय (vyavsaay) fits better there.
Sample Sentences:
आजकल धंधा कैसा चल रहा है?
How's business going these days?
(aajkal dhandhaa kaisaa chal rahaa hai?)
उसका अपना धंधा है, कपड़े का काम करता है।
He has his own business, he does cloth trading.
(uskaa apnaa dhandhaa hai, kapde kaa kaam kartaa hai।)
बरसात में रिक्शे वालों का धंधा मंदा पड़ जाता है।
In the rainy season, the rickshaw drivers' business slows down.
(barsaat men rikshe vaalon kaa dhandhaa mandaa pad jaataa hai।)
पिछले साल उसने अपना धंधा शुरू किया था।
He had started his own business last year.
(pichhle saal usne apnaa dhandhaa shuroo kiyaa thaa।)
अगर पूंजी होती तो मैं भी कोई धंधा खोल लेता।
If I had capital, I would have started some business too.
(agar poonjii hotii to main bhii koii dhandhaa khol letaa।)
इतनी मंदी में धंधा चलाना आसान नहीं है।
It's not easy to run a business in such a recession.
(itnii mandii men dhandhaa chalaanaa aasaan nahiin hai।)
अपना धंधा जमाने में उसे कई साल लग गए।
It took him several years to get his business established.
(apnaa dhandhaa jamaane men use kaii saal lag gae।)
भई, ये धंधा तो बड़ा मुनाफे वाला है।
Bro, this business is quite profitable.
(bhaii, ye dhandhaa to badaa munaaphe vaalaa hai।)
काश धंधा थोड़ा और चल पड़ता।
I wish the business had picked up a bit more.
(kaash dhandhaa thodaa aur chal padtaa।)
उद्घाटन के भाषण में उन्होंने कहा कि यह धंधा हजारों परिवारों को रोज़गार देता है।
In his inaugural speech he said that this business provides employment to thousands of families.
(udghaatan ke bhaashan men unhonne kahaa ki yah dhandhaa hajaaron parivaaron ko rozgaar detaa hai।)
धंधे में मंदी की वजह से दुकान बंद कर दी गई।
The shop was closed down due to a slump in business.
(dhandhe men mandii kii vajah se dukaan band kar dii gaii।)
Sense
2
:
shady dealing, racket, dubious business
noun, masculine
Synonyms: गोरखधंधा (gorakhdhandhaa, colloquial, 'shady/complicated racket'), फ़रेब (fareb, meaning scope: deceit specifically)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the word people reach for when grumbling about corruption or a scam -- सब धंधा है (sab dhandhaa hai, 'it's all just a racket') is a common cynical aside about politics, bureaucracy, or business deals that feel rigged.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense depends heavily on tone and context -- यह क्या धंधा है? (yah kyaa dhandhaa hai, 'what kind of racket is this?') is an accusation, not a neutral question about someone's job, so learners should listen for the disapproving tone rather than expect a separate word.
Sample Sentences:
यहाँ तो सब धंधा है, कोई ईमानदारी से काम नहीं करता।
It's all just a racket here, nobody works honestly.
(yahaan to sab dhandhaa hai, koii iimaandaarii se kaam nahiin kartaa।)
उसने राशन कार्ड बनाने का पूरा धंधा खोल रखा है।
He's set up a whole racket making ration cards.
(usne raashan kaard banaane kaa pooraa dhandhaa khol rakhaa hai।)
यह नकली दवाओं का धंधा बहुत पुराना है।
This racket of fake medicines is a very old one.
(yah naklii davaaon kaa dhandhaa bahut puraanaa hai।)
अगर यह धंधा पकड़ा जाता, तो सब जेल में होते।
If this racket had been caught, everyone would be in jail.
(agar yah dhandhaa pakdaa jaataa, to sab jel men hote।)
पुलिस ने आखिरकार उस जुए के धंधे को बंद कर दिया।
The police finally shut down that gambling racket.
(pulis ne aakhirkaar us jue ke dhandhe ko band kar diyaa।)
इस तरह का धंधा मत करो, एक दिन बहुत बड़ी मुसीबत में पड़ जाओगे।
Don't run this kind of racket, one day you'll land in serious trouble.
(is tarah kaa dhandhaa mat karo, ek din bahut badii musiibat men pad jaaoge।)
अफसरों और ठेकेदारों का यह धंधा सालों से चल रहा है।
This racket between officials and contractors has been running for years.
(aphasron aur thekedaaron kaa yah dhandhaa saalon se chal rahaa hai।)
मुझे शक है कि यह पूरा एनजीओ महज़ चंदा बटोरने का धंधा है।
I suspect this whole NGO is merely a racket for collecting donations.
(mujhe shak hai ki yah pooraa enjiio mahaz chandaa batorne kaa dhandhaa hai।)
कोचिंग सेंटरों का धंधा अभिभावकों का डर बेचकर चलता है।
The coaching-center racket runs by selling parents' fear.
(koching sentron kaa dhandhaa abhibhaavkon kaa dar bechkar chaltaa hai।)
अरे यह तो पूरा घोटाला है, सीधा-सीधा धंधा चल रहा है ऊपर से नीचे तक।
Oh, this is a total scam, a straight-up racket running from top to bottom.
(are yah to pooraa ghotaalaa hai, siidhaa-siidhaa dhandhaa chal rahaa hai oopar se niiche tak।)
Sense
3
:
prostitution (euphemistic/colloquial)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: देह व्यापार (deh vyaapaar, formal euphemism)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This euphemistic use shows up in news reports and conversations about red-light districts like Delhi's GB Road, where धंधा (dhandhaa) and धंधेवाली (dhandhevaalii) are the common, if delicate, ways of referring to sex work without naming it outright.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense is entirely context-dependent -- धंधा (dhandhaa) alone does not mean this in ordinary conversation about jobs; it only carries this meaning in specific contexts (e.g. discussing red-light areas) where speakers use it as a euphemism, often as धंधा करना (dhandhaa karnaa) or धंधे वाली (dhandhe vaalii).
Sample Sentences:
इस गली में सालों से धंधा चलता है।
The sex trade has been running in this lane for years.
(is galii men saalon se dhandhaa chaltaa hai।)
पुलिस ने छापा मारकर धंधा बंद करवा दिया।
The police raided the place and had the sex trade shut down.
(pulis ne chhaapaa maarkar dhandhaa band karvaa diyaa।)
वह मजबूरी में धंधे में उतर गई थी।
She had gotten into the sex trade out of desperation.
(vah majboorii men dhandhe men utar gaii thii।)
अगर उसे नौकरी मिल जाती तो वह कभी धंधे में न आती।
If she had gotten a job, she would never have entered the sex trade.
(agar use naukrii mil jaatii to vah kabhii dhandhe men n aatii।)
जी.बी. रोड पर धंधा खुलेआम होता है, पर सब चुप रहते हैं।
The sex trade goes on openly on GB Road, but everyone stays silent.
(jii.bii. rod par dhandhaa khuleaam hotaa hai, par sab chup rahte hain।)
एनजीओ वाले धंधे में फंसी लड़कियों को निकालने की कोशिश कर रहे हैं।
The NGO workers are trying to get the girls trapped in the sex trade out.
(enjiio vaale dhandhe men phansii ladkiyon ko nikaalne kii koshish kar rahe hain।)
क्या सरकार को धंधे को कानूनी मान्यता देनी चाहिए?
Should the government give legal recognition to the sex trade?
(kyaa sarkaar ko dhandhe ko kaanoonii maanytaa denii chaahie?)
रिपोर्ट में लिखा था कि इलाके में धंधा दशकों से जारी है।
The report stated that the sex trade has continued in the area for decades.
(riport men likhaa thaa ki ilaake men dhandhaa dashkon se jaarii hai।)
धंधे से जुड़ी औरतों को समाज अक्सर हिकारत की नज़र से देखता है।
Society often views the women connected to the sex trade with contempt.
(dhandhe se judii aurton ko samaaj aksar hikaarat kii nazar se dekhtaa hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
धंधा
(dhandhaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
धंधे
(dhandhe)
(pl.m.direct):
धंधे
(dhandhe)
(pl.m.oblique):
धंधों
(dhandhon)