अलमारी (almaarii)

noun A single-sense everyday noun for a cupboard, wardrobe, or cabinet -- one of the first furniture words most learners pick up.
Sense 1 : cupboard, wardrobe, cabinet
noun, feminine
Synonyms: कोठी (kothii, rare in this sense, mainly regional), वार्डरोब (vaardrob, colloquial, borrowed from English)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In most Indian households, अलमारी (almaarii) is the multi-purpose storage furniture -- one for clothes in the bedroom, maybe another steel one in the hall for files and important papers. Older or middle-class homes especially favor sturdy steel अलमारी over built-in closets, so the word conjures a very specific, solid piece of furniture rather than a modern fitted wardrobe.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes assume अलमारी (almaarii) only means 'wardrobe' for clothes, but in Indian homes it covers any built-in or standalone cupboard -- for clothes, books, dishes, or files -- so कपड़ों की अलमारी (kapdon kii almaarii, 'clothes cupboard') and किताबों की अलमारी (kitaabon kii almaarii, 'bookcase') are both natural. 2) It is grammatically feminine, which surprises some learners since it does not end in ई for an obvious reason -- but ई-ending nouns are usually feminine anyway, so agreement follows the expected pattern once noticed.
Sample Sentences:
कपड़े अलमारी में रख दो। Put the clothes in the cupboard.
(kapde almaarii men rakh do।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
मेरी माँ हर चीज़ स्टील की अलमारी में ताला लगाकर रखती हैं। My mother keeps everything locked in the steel cupboard.
(merii maan har chiiz stiil kii almaarii men taalaa lagaakar rakhtii hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अलमारी का दरवाज़ा खुला हुआ है। The cupboard's door is open.
(almaarii kaa darvaazaa khulaa huaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पापा हॉल में एक नई अलमारी लगवा रहे हैं जिसमें सारे ज़रूरी काग़ज़ात रखे जाएंगे। Dad is getting a new cabinet installed in the hall, in which all the important papers will be kept.
(paapaa hol men ek naii almaarii lagvaa rahe hain jismen saare zaroorii kaaghzaat rakhe jaaenge।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
अगर घर बड़ा होता तो हम एक अलग अलमारी सिर्फ़ जूतों के लिए रखते। If the house were bigger, we would keep a separate cupboard just for shoes.
(agar ghar badaa hotaa to ham ek alag almaarii sirf jooton ke lie rakhte।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
शायद यह चाबी उस पुरानी अलमारी की हो। Maybe this key belongs to that old cupboard.
(shaayad yah chaabii us puraanii almaarii kii ho।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
दादी ने अपने सारे गहने अलमारी की सबसे नीचे वाली दराज़ में छुपा रखे थे। Grandma had hidden all her jewelry in the bottom drawer of the cupboard.
(daadii ne apne saare gahne almaarii kii sabse niiche vaalii daraaz men chhupaa rakhe the।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या आपकी अलमारी में कोई खाली जगह बची है? Is there any empty space left in your cupboard?
(kyaa aapkii almaarii men koii khaalii jagah bachii hai?)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इस अलमारी को बनने में दो हफ़्ते लगेंगे। This cupboard will take two weeks to be made.
(is almaarii ko banne men do hafte lagenge।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
पुरानी फ़िल्मों की रीलें एक भूली-बिसरी अलमारी में सालों से पड़ी रहती हैं। The reels of old films have been lying in a forgotten cupboard for years.
(puraanii filmon kii riilen ek bhoolii-bisrii almaarii men saalon se padii rahtii hain।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अलमारी ठीक से बंद करो, वरना चूहे घुस जाएंगे। Close the cupboard properly, or the mice will get in.
(almaarii thiik se band karo, varnaa choohe ghus jaaenge।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): अलमारी (almaarii)
(sg.f.oblique): अलमारी (almaarii)
(pl.f.direct): अलमारियाँ (almaariyaan)
(pl.f.oblique): अलमारियों (almaariyon)