लखपति (lakhapti)
noun
A person of considerable wealth -- literally 'lord of a lakh (100,000)'; used loosely for 'rich person' rather than as a precise financial benchmark.
Sense
1
:
a wealthy person, one with lakhs of rupees
noun, masculine/feminine
Synonyms: धनी (dhanii), अमीर (amiir), मालदार (maaldaar, colloquial), करोड़पति (karodapti, wealthier tier -- 'multi-millionaire')
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This word is built from लाख (laakh, 'one hundred thousand') plus पति (pati, 'lord/master' -- the same पति as in 'husband'), so it literally means 'master of a lakh.' In everyday Delhi conversation it's often used affectionately or teasingly, as in calling a friend who just got a bonus a लखपति (lakhapti) -- and these days, with inflation, people often joke that being a mere लखपति (lakhapti) isn't as impressive as it used to be, gesturing instead toward करोड़पति (karodapti) status.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes treat लखपति (lakhapti) as a precise, official term of wealth measurement, but in everyday speech it is used loosely to mean simply 'rich' or 'well-off,' much like calling someone a 'millionaire' in casual English even when the exact sum is unclear. 2) Don't confuse it with करोड़पति (karodapti), which signals a distinctly higher tier of wealth (crorepati vs. lakhpati) -- the two are not interchangeable when precision matters, such as in a joking comparison of someone's riches.
Sample Sentences:
मेरा दोस्त बोनस मिलने के बाद खुद को लखपति समझने लगा है।
My friend has started thinking of himself as a millionaire after getting his bonus.
(meraa dost bonas milne ke baad khud ko lakhapti samajhne lagaa hai।)
वह गाँव का सबसे बड़ा लखपति था।
He was the biggest rich man in the village.
(vah gaanv kaa sabse badaa lakhapti thaa।)
आजकल सिर्फ लखपति होना कोई बड़ी बात नहीं है, अब तो करोड़पति बनना ज़रूरी है।
These days just being a millionaire isn't a big deal, now you need to become a multi-millionaire.
(aajkal sirph lakhapti honaa koii badii baat nahiin hai, ab to karodapti bannaa zaroorii hai।)
अगर मैं लॉटरी जीत जाता, तो मैं भी लखपति बन जाता।
If I had won the lottery, I would have become a millionaire too.
(agar main lotrii jiit jaataa, to main bhii lakhapti ban jaataa।)
क्या तुम सच में सोचते हो कि यह व्यापार तुम्हें लखपति बना देगा?
Do you really think this business will make you a millionaire?
(kyaa tum sach men sochte ho ki yah vyaapaar tumhen lakhapti banaa degaa?)
उसकी दुकान इतनी चली कि वह जल्दी ही लखपति बन गया।
His shop did so well that he soon became a rich man.
(uskii dukaan itnii chalii ki vah jaldii hii lakhapti ban gayaa।)
अरे लखपति साहब, आज तो चाय आप ही पिलाइए!
Hey there, mister millionaire, you're buying the tea today!
(are lakhapti saahab, aaj to chaay aap hii pilaaie!)
शायद वह पहले से ही लखपति हो, पर दिखाता नहीं है।
Maybe he's already a millionaire, but he doesn't show it.
(shaayad vah pahle se hii lakhapti ho, par dikhaataa nahiin hai।)
उस ज़माने में लखपति होना ही बहुत सम्मान की बात मानी जाती थी।
In those days, just being a millionaire was considered a great mark of respect.
(us zamaane men lakhapti honaa hii bahut sammaan kii baat maanii jaatii thii।)
गाँव के लोग उसे मज़ाक में लखपति कहकर बुलाते हैं क्योंकि उसने एक बार पचास हज़ार रुपये जीते थे।
The people in the village jokingly call him a millionaire because he once won fifty thousand rupees.
(gaanv ke log use mazaak men lakhapti kahkar bulaate hain kyonki usne ek baar pachaas hazaar rupye jiite the।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m/f.direct):
लखपति
(lakhapti)
(sg.m/f.oblique):
लखपति
(lakhapti)
(pl.m/f.direct):
लखपतिएँ
(lakhaptien)
(pl.m/f.oblique):
लखपतिओं
(lakhaption)