हथियार (hathiyaar)
noun
Mainly a concrete noun for a weapon, with a very common figurative extension to any 'tool' or 'leverage' used against someone in an argument or contest.
Sense
1
:
weapon, arm
noun, masculine
Synonyms: शस्त्र (shastr, formal/literary), अस्त्र (astr, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly in news reports about crime and conflict -- हथियार डालना (hathiyaar daalnaa, 'to lay down weapons') is the standard phrase for surrendering, used both literally (an army) and figuratively (giving up in an argument or fight).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for शस्त्र (shastr) in everyday speech because it looks like the 'proper' word; हथियार (hathiyaar) is what people actually say for guns, knives, swords, etc. in normal conversation and on the news.
Sample Sentences:
पुलिस ने अपराधी से एक हथियार बरामद किया।
The police recovered a weapon from the criminal.
(pulis ne apraadhii se ek hathiyaar baraamad kiyaa।)
उसके पास कोई हथियार नहीं था।
He didn't have any weapon with him.
(uske paas koii hathiyaar nahiin thaa।)
आतंकवादियों ने आखिरकार हथियार डाल दिए।
The terrorists finally laid down their weapons.
(aatankvaadiyon ne aakhirkaar hathiyaar daal die।)
सेना नए हथियार खरीद रही है।
The army is buying new weapons.
(senaa nae hathiyaar khariid rahii hai।)
हथियार मत उठाओ, बात से हल निकालो।
Don't pick up weapons, find a solution by talking.
(hathiyaar mat uthaao, baat se hal nikaalo।)
अगर उसके पास हथियार होता, तो वह इतना डरता नहीं।
If he had had a weapon, he wouldn't have been so afraid.
(agar uske paas hathiyaar hotaa, to vah itnaa dartaa nahiin।)
यह कानून गैरकानूनी हथियार रखने पर सख्त सज़ा देता है।
This law prescribes strict punishment for keeping illegal weapons.
(yah kaanoon gairkaanoonii hathiyaar rakhne par sakht sazaa detaa hai।)
देश में हथियारों की तस्करी बढ़ती जा रही है।
The smuggling of weapons is increasing in the country.
(desh men hathiyaaron kii taskrii badhtii jaa rahii hai।)
मुझे उम्मीद है कि दोनों पक्ष हथियार डाल देंगे।
I hope both sides will lay down their weapons.
(mujhe ummiid hai ki donon paksh hathiyaar daal denge।)
घर में एक पुराना हथियार रखा हुआ था, जो दादाजी का था।
There was an old weapon kept at home, which belonged to grandfather.
(ghar men ek puraanaa hathiyaar rakhaa huaa thaa, jo daadaajii kaa thaa।)
थाने में जब्त किए गए हथियार अदालत में पेश किए गए।
The weapons seized at the police station were presented in court.
(thaane men jabt kie gae hathiyaar adaalat men pesh kie gae।)
Sense
2
:
figurative weapon, leverage, tool used against someone
noun, masculine Common in the phrase X को हथियार बनाना (X ko hathiyaar banaanaa, 'to make X into a weapon'), for turning some fact, statement, or issue into a means of attack.
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the sense you hear constantly in Indian political and office talk -- someone's own words, an old promise, or a rule gets described as a हथियार (hathiyaar) that the other side picks up and uses against them; it maps closely to English 'ammunition' in an argument.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often miss this figurative sense entirely and only recognize हथियार (hathiyaar) as a physical weapon, so they get confused when a politician is said to 'wield' a scandal or a rule as a हथियार (hathiyaar).
Sample Sentences:
विपक्ष ने उसके पुराने बयान को हथियार बना लिया।
The opposition turned his old statement into a weapon.
(vipaksh ne uske puraane bayaan ko hathiyaar banaa liyaa।)
वह हर छोटी बात को मेरे खिलाफ हथियार की तरह इस्तेमाल करती है।
She uses every little thing as a weapon against me.
(vah har chhotii baat ko mere khilaaph hathiyaar kii tarah istemaal kartii hai।)
मीडिया इस मुद्दे को चुनाव में हथियार बना रही है।
The media is turning this issue into a weapon for the election.
(miidiyaa is mudde ko chunaav men hathiyaar banaa rahii hai।)
अपनी कमजोरी को कभी किसी के हाथ में हथियार मत बनने दो।
Never let your weakness become a weapon in someone else's hands.
(apnii kamjorii ko kabhii kisii ke haath men hathiyaar mat banne do।)
यह चिट्ठी उसके खिलाफ सबसे बड़ा हथियार साबित हुई।
This letter turned out to be the biggest weapon against him.
(yah chitthii uske khilaaph sabse badaa hathiyaar saabit huii।)
अगर उसे यह राज पता चल जाता, तो वह इसे हथियार बना लेता।
If he had found out this secret, he would have made it a weapon.
(agar use yah raaj pataa chal jaataa, to vah ise hathiyaar banaa letaa।)
उसकी झिझक को उसके दुश्मनों ने हथियार बना दिया।
His enemies turned his hesitation into a weapon.
(uskii jhijhak ko uske dushmnon ne hathiyaar banaa diyaa।)
दफ्तर की राजनीति में हर छोटी गलती को हथियार बनाया जाता है।
In office politics, every small mistake is turned into a weapon.
(daphtar kii raajniiti men har chhotii galtii ko hathiyaar banaayaa jaataa hai।)
सावधान रहना, तुम्हारी बातें कहीं किसी का हथियार न बन जाएँ।
Be careful, lest your words become someone's weapon.
(saavdhaan rahnaa, tumhaarii baaten kahiin kisii kaa hathiyaar n ban jaaen।)
उसने अपने वादे को अब मेरे खिलाफ हथियार बना दिया है।
He has now turned his own promise into a weapon against me.
(usne apne vaade ko ab mere khilaaph hathiyaar banaa diyaa hai।)
कंपनी का पुराना समझौता प्रतिद्वंद्वियों के लिए हथियार बन गया।
The company's old agreement became a weapon for its rivals.
(kampnii kaa puraanaa samjhautaa pratidvandviyon ke lie hathiyaar ban gayaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
हथियार
(hathiyaar)
(sg.m.oblique):
हथियार
(hathiyaar)
(pl.m.direct):
हथियार
(hathiyaar)
(pl.m.oblique):
हथियारों
(hathiyaaron)