ख़बर (khabar)

noun A common everyday feminine noun meaning 'news' or 'information'; it also anchors several idioms about being aware or unaware of something. Sometimes spelled without the nuqta as खबर (khabar).

Sense 1 : news, a report or piece of information

noun, feminine

Synonyms: समाचार (samaachaar, formal), सूचना (soochnaa)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: ख़बर (khabar) is the word you'll hear anchoring TV news channels' taglines and headlines all over Delhi -- ताज़ा ख़बर (taazaa khabar, 'breaking/fresh news') flashes constantly on screens. It's also the word used casually among friends and family for any piece of information, not just formal news.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for समाचार (samaachaar) by default because it's the word taught for 'news broadcast,' but in everyday speech ख़बर (khabar) is far more natural, whether you mean a TV bulletin or just casual news about someone. 2) The verb pairing मिलना (milnaa) is common: ख़बर मिलना (khabar milnaa, 'to receive news') uses a को-marked recipient, e.g. मुझे ख़बर मिली (mujhe khabar milii, 'I got the news') -- learners sometimes wrongly try to make the recipient the subject with ने (ne).

Sample Sentences:

आज सुबह की सबसे बड़ी ख़बर क्या है? What is the biggest news of this morning?

(aaj subah kii sabse badii khabar kyaa hai?)

टीवी पर ताज़ा ख़बर आ रही है। Breaking news is coming on TV.

(tiivii par taazaa khabar aa rahii hai।)

क्या तुमने वो ख़बर सुनी? Did you hear that news?

(kyaa tumne vo khabar sunii?)

उसकी शादी की ख़बर पूरे मोहल्ले में फैल गई। The news of his wedding spread through the whole neighborhood.

(uskii shaadii kii khabar poore mohalle men phail gaii।)

जैसे ही कोई नई ख़बर आएगी, मैं तुम्हें बताऊँगा। As soon as any new news comes, I'll tell you.

(jaise hii koii naii khabar aaegii, main tumhen bataaoongaa।)

अगर वो ख़बर सच होती, तो सब परेशान हो जाते। If that news were true, everyone would have gotten worried.

(agar vo khabar sach hotii, to sab pareshaan ho jaate।)

कृपया अपनी ख़बर हमें ईमेल से भेजिए। Please send us your report by email.

(kripyaa apnii khabar hamen iimel se bhejie।)

मुमकिन है कि यह ख़बर कल तक अख़बारों में छप जाए। It's possible this news will be printed in the newspapers by tomorrow.

(mumkin hai ki yah khabar kal tak akhbaaron men chhap jaae।)

यह ख़बर सरकारी सूत्रों द्वारा दी गई है। This news has been given by government sources.

(yah khabar sarkaarii sootron dvaaraa dii gaii hai।)

उसकी मौत की ख़बर सुनकर सब सन्न रह गए। Hearing the news of his death, everyone was stunned.

(uskii maut kii khabar sunkar sab sann rah gae।)

यार, कोई नई ख़बर हो तो बता देना। Dude, if there's any new news, let me know.

(yaar, koii naii khabar ho to bataa denaa।)

Sense 2 : awareness, knowledge of a situation (esp. in idioms of being unaware)

noun, feminine Almost always used with होना (honaa) in constructions like किसी को ख़बर होना (kisii ko khabar honaa, 'for someone to be aware'), structurally parallel to पता होना (pataa honaa).

Synonyms: पता (pataa)

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: This sense grows naturally out of the 'news' meaning: if news of something hasn't reached you, you have no ख़बर (khabar) of it. You'll often hear elders say ज़रा भी ख़बर नहीं (zaraa bhii khabar nahiin, 'not even the slightest clue') when scolding someone for being oblivious.

Common Mistakes: 1) The negative idiom ख़बर न होना (khabar n honaa, 'to have no clue') is very common in scolding or surprised tones -- e.g. तुम्हें कुछ ख़बर नहीं है (tumhen kuchh khabar nahiin hai, 'you have no idea/clue') -- learners often default to पता (pataa) here and don't realize ख़बर (khabar) works the same way and sounds just as natural, sometimes even more emphatic.

Sample Sentences:

उसे अपने आस-पास क्या हो रहा है, इसकी कोई ख़बर नहीं है। He has no awareness of what is happening around him.

(use apne aas-paas kyaa ho rahaa hai, iskii koii khabar nahiin hai।)

तुम्हें ज़रा भी ख़बर नहीं कि घर में क्या चल रहा है। You don't have even the slightest clue about what's going on in the house.

(tumhen zaraa bhii khabar nahiin ki ghar men kyaa chal rahaa hai।)

जब पुलिस आई, तब जाकर उसे ख़बर हुई कि मामला कितना गंभीर है। It was only when the police came that he became aware of how serious the matter was.

(jab pulis aaii, tab jaakar use khabar huii ki maamlaa kitnaa gambhiir hai।)

मुझे क्या ख़बर थी कि तुम इतनी दूर से आ रहे हो! How was I to know you were coming from so far away!

(mujhe kyaa khabar thii ki tum itnii door se aa rahe ho!)

अगर मुझे इस साज़िश की ख़बर होती, तो मैं पहले ही रोक देता। If I had been aware of this conspiracy, I would have stopped it earlier.

(agar mujhe is saazish kii khabar hotii, to main pahle hii rok detaa।)

बच्चों को इस बात की कोई ख़बर न हो, इसका ध्यान रखना। Make sure the children don't get any inkling of this.

(bachchon ko is baat kii koii khabar n ho, iskaa dhyaan rakhnaa।)

दुनिया भर में क्या हो रहा है, इसकी ख़बर रखो। Keep yourself informed about what's happening around the world.

(duniyaa bhar men kyaa ho rahaa hai, iskii khabar rakho।)

अपने आप को इतना खो चुका है कि उसे अपने हाल की भी ख़बर नहीं रहती। He's so lost in himself that he isn't even aware of his own state.

(apne aap ko itnaa kho chukaa hai ki use apne haal kii bhii khabar nahiin rahtii।)

क्या तुझे इतनी भी ख़बर नहीं थी कि पेपर आज है? Didn't you even have a clue that the exam is today?

(kyaa tujhe itnii bhii khabar nahiin thii ki pepar aaj hai?)

उन्हें अपने आस-पास की परिस्थितियों की ख़बर रखनी चाहिए। They should stay aware of the circumstances around them.

(unhen apne aas-paas kii paristhitiyon kii khabar rakhnii chaahie।)

Sense 3 : a scolding, comeuppance (in the idiom 'ख़बर लेना')

noun, feminine Lives almost entirely in the fixed idiom ख़बर लेना (khabar lenaa, 'to take someone to task') -- the object of the scolding is marked with की (kii), as in उसकी ख़बर लेना (uskii khabar lenaa, 'to give him a piece of one's mind').

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: This is a favorite line in Hindi films and family arguments alike -- a parent or elder brother threatening ख़बर लूँगा (khabar loongaa, 'I'll sort him out') carries a half-joking, half-serious menace that's instantly recognizable to any Hindi speaker.

Common Mistakes: 1) Do not confuse this ख़बर लेना (khabar lenaa) with 'taking news' -- it has nothing to do with information at all; it's a threat/warning idiom, often heard as अभी उसकी ख़बर लेता हूँ (abhii uskii khabar letaa hoon, 'I'll deal with him right now').

Sample Sentences:

अगर तुमने फिर झूठ बोला, तो मैं तुम्हारी ख़बर लूँगा। If you lie again, I will teach you a lesson.

(agar tumne phir jhooth bolaa, to main tumhaarii khabar loongaa।)

पापा ने उसकी अच्छी ख़बर ली जब उसने गाड़ी टक्कर मार दी। Dad really gave him a piece of his mind when he crashed the car.

(paapaa ne uskii achchhii khabar lii jab usne gaadii takkar maar dii।)

अगर वह टीचर के सामने ऐसे बदतमीज़ी करता, तो प्रिंसिपल उसकी ख़बर लेते। If he had been that rude in front of the teacher, the principal would have taught him a lesson.

(agar vah tiichar ke saamne aise badatmiizii kartaa, to prinsipal uskii khabar lete।)

देख लेना, अगली बार वह मेरे भाई की ख़बर लेगा। Just watch, next time he will sort out my brother.

(dekh lenaa, aglii baar vah mere bhaaii kii khabar legaa।)

जब भी वह घर देर से आता है, माँ उसकी ख़बर लेती हैं। Whenever he comes home late, mom gives him a piece of her mind.

(jab bhii vah ghar der se aataa hai, maan uskii khabar letii hain।)

चुपचाप काम कर, वरना बॉस तेरी ख़बर लेगा। Work quietly, or the boss will sort you out.

(chupchaap kaam kar, varnaa bos terii khabar legaa।)

अरे भई, ज़रा उसकी ख़बर तो लो, बहुत बदतमीज़ी कर रहा है। Hey, teach him a lesson already, he's being so rude.

(are bhaii, zaraa uskii khabar to lo, bahut badatmiizii kar rahaa hai।)

उसने सोचा कि शायद कोई उसकी ख़बर ले ले, पर किसी ने कुछ नहीं कहा। He thought someone might teach him a lesson, but nobody said anything.

(usne sochaa ki shaayad koii uskii khabar le le, par kisii ne kuchh nahiin kahaa।)

फ़िल्म में हीरो चिल्लाता है, "आज मैं तेरी ख़बर लूँगा!" In the movie, the hero shouts, "Today I'll teach you a lesson!"

(film men hiiro chillaataa hai, "aaj main terii khabar loongaa!")

अगर उसने दुबारा मेरी बहन को तंग किया, तो उसकी ख़बर ली जाएगी। If he bothers my sister again, he'll be taught a lesson.

(agar usne dubaaraa merii bahan ko tang kiyaa, to uskii khabar lii jaaegii।)

Morphology

Noun

(sg.f.direct): ख़बर (khabar)

(sg.f.oblique): ख़बर (khabar)

(pl.f.direct): ख़बरें (khabren)

(pl.f.oblique): ख़बरों (khabron)