दूधवाला (doodhvaalaa)

noun The milkman -- literally 'milk-having/milk-associated one,' built from दूध (doodh, 'milk') plus the agentive suffix वाला (vaalaa). One straightforward sense as a noun of occupation.
Sense 1 : milkman, milk vendor/deliveryman
noun, masculine
Synonyms: दूध वाला (doodh vaalaa, two-word variant)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In most Indian neighborhoods, especially older ones, the दूधवाला (doodhvaalaa) is a daily fixture -- arriving early morning on a bicycle or scooter with steel cans or plastic packets, often known personally to every household on his route. The वाला (vaalaa) suffix is one of Hindi's most productive patterns for naming people by what they sell, do, or carry -- compare सब्ज़ीवाला (sabziivaalaa, 'vegetable seller') and रिक्शावाला (rikshaavaalaa, 'rickshaw driver').
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often write it as two words, दूध वाला (doodh vaalaa); both the fused and spaced forms are seen in real writing, but दूधवाला (doodhvaalaa) as one word is the more standard treatment of established वाला (vaalaa) occupational nouns. 2) वाला (vaalaa) here inflects like an adjective agreeing with the person it describes -- for a female milk vendor, use दूधवाली (doodhvaalii), not दूधवाला (doodhvaalaa).
Sample Sentences:
दूधवाला हर सुबह साढ़े छह बजे आता है। The milkman comes every morning at six thirty.
(doodhvaalaa har subah saadhe chhah baje aataa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
आज दूधवाला अभी तक नहीं आया। The milkman hasn't come yet today.
(aaj doodhvaalaa abhii tak nahiin aayaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
दूधवाले को पैसे दे दो, वो नीचे खड़ा है। Pay the milkman, he's standing downstairs.
(doodhvaale ko paise de do, vo niiche khadaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर दूधवाला समय पर आता तो चाय बन जाती। If the milkman had come on time, the tea would have been made.
(agar doodhvaalaa samay par aataa to chaay ban jaatii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
दूधवाला साइकिल पर दूध के डिब्बे लेकर घूमता है। The milkman goes around on his bicycle carrying milk cans.
(doodhvaalaa saaikil par doodh ke dibbe lekar ghoomtaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
दूधवाले से पूछो कि आज दूध क्यों नहीं आया। Ask the milkman why the milk didn't come today.
(doodhvaale se poochho ki aaj doodh kyon nahiin aayaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
पिछले हफ्ते दूधवाले ने बताया कि उसका बेटा शहर आ रहा है। Last week the milkman told me that his son is coming to the city.
(pichhle haphte doodhvaale ne bataayaa ki uskaa betaa shahar aa rahaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
हमारे मोहल्ले का दूधवाला बीस साल से यही काम कर रहा है। Our neighborhood's milkman has been doing this same work for twenty years.
(hamaare mohalle kaa doodhvaalaa biis saal se yahii kaam kar rahaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
शायद दूधवाला आज छुट्टी पर हो। Maybe the milkman is on leave today.
(shaayad doodhvaalaa aaj chhuttii par ho।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
दूधवाले द्वारा हर घर में दूध रोज़ पहुँचाया जाता है। Milk is delivered to every house daily by the milkman.
(doodhvaale dvaaraa har ghar men doodh roz pahunchaayaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
बचपन में मुझे दूधवाले की साइकिल की घंटी बहुत पसंद थी। As a child, I used to love the sound of the milkman's bicycle bell.
(bachpan men mujhe doodhvaale kii saaikil kii ghantii bahut pasand thii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): दूधवाला (doodhvaalaa)
(sg.m.oblique): दूधवाले (doodhvaale)
(pl.m.direct): दूधवाले (doodhvaale)
(pl.m.oblique): दूधवालों (doodhvaalon)