डिब्बा (dibbaa)
noun
A common everyday noun meaning a box, container, or tin -- and by extension, casually, a train compartment or a battered old vehicle. All senses share the core image of a boxy container.
Sense
1
:
box, tin, container
noun, masculine
Synonyms: बक्सा (baksaa), पिटारा (pitaaraa, for a decorated or ornate box), कंटेनर (kantenar)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Think of the steel डिब्बे (dibbe) stacked in every Indian kitchen for storing spices, lentils, and biscuits -- this word is deeply tied to household life. A tiffin box is often called खाने का डिब्बा (khaane kaa dibbaa, 'the food box') or just डिब्बा (dibbaa) in context.
Common Mistakes: 1) डिब्बा (dibbaa) is used for a wide range of sizes, from a small tiffin tin to a large cardboard carton; learners sometimes reach for बक्सा (baksaa) by default, but डिब्बा (dibbaa) is actually the more common everyday word for small kitchen and packaging containers.
Sample Sentences:
माँ ने बिस्कुट डिब्बे में रख दिए।
Mom put the biscuits in the box.
(maan ne biskut dibbe men rakh die।)
रसोई में हर डिब्बे पर मसाले का नाम लिखा है।
In the kitchen, every box has the name of the spice written on it.
(rasoii men har dibbe par masaale kaa naam likhaa hai।)
क्या तुमने मेरा खाने का डिब्बा पैक कर दिया?
Did you pack my tiffin box?
(kyaa tumne meraa khaane kaa dibbaa paik kar diyaa?)
वह हर सुबह अपना डिब्बा खुद पैक करता है।
He packs his own tiffin box every morning.
(vah har subah apnaa dibbaa khud paik kartaa hai।)
यह डिब्बा बंद नहीं हो रहा, ढक्कन टूट गया है।
This box won't close, the lid is broken.
(yah dibbaa band nahiin ho rahaa, dhakkan toot gayaa hai।)
डिब्बा यहाँ रख दो, मैं बाद में खोलूँगी।
Put the box here, I'll open it later.
(dibbaa yahaan rakh do, main baad men kholoongii।)
अगर डिब्बा थोड़ा बड़ा होता तो सारी दाल आ जाती।
If the box were a bit bigger, all the lentils would fit.
(agar dibbaa thodaa badaa hotaa to saarii daal aa jaatii।)
कृपया मिठाई के डिब्बे को फ्रिज में रखें।
Please keep the box of sweets in the fridge.
(kripyaa mithaaii ke dibbe ko phrij men rakhen।)
शायद डिब्बे में अब कुछ न बचा हो।
Maybe nothing is left in the box now.
(shaayad dibbe men ab kuchh n bachaa ho।)
दुकान से एक नया स्टील का डिब्बा लाना मत भूलना।
Don't forget to bring a new steel box from the shop.
(dukaan se ek nayaa stiil kaa dibbaa laanaa mat bhoolnaa।)
पुराने डिब्बे में अभी भी कुछ अचार बचा हुआ है।
Some pickle is still left in the old box.
(puraane dibbe men abhii bhii kuchh achaar bachaa huaa hai।)
Sense
2
:
train/bus compartment
noun, masculine
Synonyms: बोगी (bogii)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Ask any Delhi commuter which डिब्बा (dibbaa) to board and they'll instantly picture the general, ladies', or AC compartment on a local train -- railway announcements and platform chatter keep this sense extremely alive.
Common Mistakes: 1) In this sense डिब्बा (dibbaa) and बोगी (bogii) overlap heavily; डिब्बा (dibbaa) is the more colloquial, everyday choice while बोगी (bogii) sounds slightly more official, but both are understood everywhere.
Sample Sentences:
यह ट्रेन बारह डिब्बों की है।
This train has twelve compartments.
(yah tren baarah dibbon kii hai।)
अगला डिब्बा महिलाओं के लिए आरक्षित है।
The next compartment is reserved for women.
(aglaa dibbaa mahilaaon ke lie aarakshit hai।)
भाई, जनरल डिब्बा किधर है?
Bro, where's the general compartment?
(bhaaii, janral dibbaa kidhar hai?)
हम पिछले डिब्बे में बैठे थे।
We were sitting in the last compartment.
(ham pichhle dibbe men baithe the।)
एसी डिब्बे में चढ़ने के लिए अलग टिकट लेना पड़ता है।
You have to buy a separate ticket to board the AC compartment.
(esii dibbe men chadhne ke lie alag tikat lenaa padtaa hai।)
कृपया अगले स्टेशन पर डिब्बा नंबर पाँच में स्थानांतरित हों।
Please transfer to compartment number five at the next station.
(kripyaa agle steshan par dibbaa nambar paanch men sthaanaantrit hon।)
अगर भीड़ इतनी न होती तो मैं इसी डिब्बे में बैठ जाता।
If the crowd weren't this bad, I would have sat in this very compartment.
(agar bhiid itnii n hotii to main isii dibbe men baith jaataa।)
शायद यह डिब्बा दिल्ली में ही खाली हो जाए।
Maybe this compartment will empty out right at Delhi.
(shaayad yah dibbaa dillii men hii khaalii ho jaae।)
अनाउंसमेंट में कहा जा रहा है कि डिब्बे बदले जा रहे हैं।
The announcement is saying that the compartments are being changed.
(anaaunsment men kahaa jaa rahaa hai ki dibbe badle jaa rahe hain।)
स्टेशन पर पहुँचते ही सब लोग अपने-अपने डिब्बे की तरफ भागे।
As soon as they reached the station, everyone ran toward their respective compartments.
(steshan par pahunchte hii sab log apne-apne dibbe kii taraph bhaage।)
यात्रीगण कृपया ध्यान दें, स्लीपर डिब्बा प्लेटफॉर्म के दूसरे छोर पर लगेगा।
Attention passengers, the sleeper compartment will stop at the other end of the platform.
(yaatriigan kripyaa dhyaan den, sliipar dibbaa pletphorm ke doosre chhor par lagegaa।)
Sense
3
:
old, rickety vehicle (colloquial/derogatory)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: खटारा (khataaraa, colloquial)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Said with a laugh about a wheezing old car or scooter -- 'यह गाड़ी तो डिब्बा है' (yah gaadii to dibbaa hai, 'this car is a total clunker') -- the word paints the vehicle as nothing more than a boxy shell that barely runs.
Sample Sentences:
यह गाड़ी तो डिब्बा है।
This car is a total clunker.
(yah gaadii to dibbaa hai।)
मेरी स्कूटर तो बस डिब्बा है, कभी भी बीच रास्ते में बंद हो जाती है।
My scooter is just a jalopy, it can stall in the middle of the road any time.
(merii skootar to bas dibbaa hai, kabhii bhii biich raaste men band ho jaatii hai।)
अरे यार, इस डिब्बे को अब बेच दे, कितना पैसा खर्च करेगा इसकी मरम्मत पर?
Come on man, sell this old clunker already, how much money will you spend fixing it?
(are yaar, is dibbe ko ab bech de, kitnaa paisaa kharch karegaa iskii marammat par?)
पिछले हफ्ते वह डिब्बा फिर से रास्ते में खराब हो गया।
Last week that jalopy broke down on the road again.
(pichhle haphte vah dibbaa phir se raaste men kharaab ho gayaa।)
अगर पापा नई गाड़ी ले लेते, तो हमें इस डिब्बे में बैठकर शर्मिंदा नहीं होना पड़ता।
If dad had bought a new car, we wouldn't have had to feel embarrassed riding in this old clunker.
(agar paapaa naii gaadii le lete, to hamen is dibbe men baithkar sharmindaa nahiin honaa padtaa।)
काश यह डिब्बा जल्दी से कबाड़ी को बेचा जाए।
I wish this jalopy would just get sold off to the scrap dealer already.
(kaash yah dibbaa jaldii se kabaadii ko bechaa jaae।)
यह डिब्बा कल तक शायद ठीक हो जाए, वरना गैराज में ही पड़ा रहेगा।
This clunker might get fixed by tomorrow, otherwise it'll just sit in the garage.
(yah dibbaa kal tak shaayad thiik ho jaae, varnaa gairaaj men hii padaa rahegaa।)
दोस्तों ने उसकी पुरानी मारुति को देखकर हँसते हुए कहा, "यह तो असली डिब्बा निकला!"
Seeing his old Maruti, his friends laughed and said, "This turned out to be a real jalopy!"
(doston ne uskii puraanii maaruti ko dekhkar hanste hue kahaa, "yah to aslii dibbaa niklaa!")
उस डिब्बे को चलते हुए देखकर लोग हैरान हो जाते हैं कि यह अभी तक कैसे चल रही है।
Seeing that clunker running, people are amazed at how it's still going after all this time.
(us dibbe ko chalte hue dekhkar log hairaan ho jaate hain ki yah abhii tak kaise chal rahii hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
डिब्बा
(dibbaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
डिब्बे
(dibbe)
(pl.m.direct):
डिब्बे
(dibbe)
(pl.m.oblique):
डिब्बों
(dibbon)