हथकड़ी (hathakdii)
noun
A concrete noun meaning 'handcuffs'; it also extends figuratively to mean any restraint or shackle on one's freedom.
Sense
1
:
handcuffs
noun, feminine
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Picture a scene straight out of a Hindi crime drama or the evening news: a police constable clamping हथकड़ी (hathakdii) onto an accused's wrists outside the थाना (thaanaa, 'police station'). The word is built from हाथ (haath, 'hand') plus कड़ी (kadii, 'link/ring'), literally 'hand-ring' -- a nice window into how Hindi builds concrete compound nouns.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use the singular हथकड़ी (hathakdii) when talking about a pair being put on someone, which is correct in Hindi -- unlike English 'handcuffs,' this word is grammatically singular for one set (हथकड़ी लगाना, hathakdii lagaanaa, 'to handcuff'), so do not add a plural marker out of habit from the English plural.
Sample Sentences:
पुलिस ने चोर को हथकड़ी लगा दी।
The police handcuffed the thief.
(pulis ne chor ko hathakdii lagaa dii।)
आरोपी के हाथों में हथकड़ी लगी हुई थी।
The accused had handcuffs on his hands.
(aaropii ke haathon men hathakdii lagii huii thii।)
उसे हथकड़ी पहनाकर थाने ले जाया गया।
He was handcuffed and taken to the police station.
(use hathakdii pahnaakar thaane le jaayaa gayaa।)
पुलिसवाले हमेशा गिरफ्तारी के वक्त हथकड़ी लगाते हैं।
Policemen always put on handcuffs at the time of arrest.
(pulisvaale hameshaa giraphtaarii ke vakt hathakdii lagaate hain।)
क्या तुमने कभी हथकड़ी देखी है?
Have you ever seen handcuffs?
(kyaa tumne kabhii hathakdii dekhii hai?)
उस पर हथकड़ी लगाई जाएगी।
He will be handcuffed.
(us par hathakdii lagaaii jaaegii।)
सिपाही, उसके हाथों में हथकड़ी डालो।
Constable, put handcuffs on his hands.
(sipaahii, uske haathon men hathakdii daalo।)
अगर सबूत मिल जाते तो उसे हथकड़ी लग जाती।
If the evidence had been found, he would have been handcuffed.
(agar saboot mil jaate to use hathakdii lag jaatii।)
अदालत में पेश करते वक्त उसकी हथकड़ी नहीं खोली गई।
His handcuffs were not removed while presenting him in court.
(adaalat men pesh karte vakt uskii hathakdii nahiin kholii gaii।)
इंस्पेक्टर ने कहा कि उसे हथकड़ी लगाकर लाया जाए।
The inspector said that he should be brought in handcuffs.
(inspektar ne kahaa ki use hathakdii lagaakar laayaa jaae।)
Sense
2
:
figurative restraint, shackle on freedom
noun, feminine Used metaphorically for anything that limits one's freedom, often in phrases like कानून की हथकड़ी (kaanoon kii hathakdii, 'the shackles of the law').
Synonyms: बंदिश (bandish, restriction), बंधन (bandhan, bond/tie)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: You will hear this in a more emotional register too -- a person might say कि यह नौकरी तो हथकड़ी बन गई है (ki yah naukrii to hathakdii ban gaii hai, 'this job has become like handcuffs for me'), meaning it has trapped them. It works the same way English speakers say someone feels 'shackled' by duty or circumstance.
Sample Sentences:
यह नौकरी तो हथकड़ी बन गई है।
This job has become like a shackle for me.
(yah naukrii to hathakdii ban gaii hai।)
पैसों की जिम्मेदारियाँ उसके लिए हथकड़ी बन गई हैं।
Financial responsibilities have become shackles for him.
(paison kii jimmedaariyaan uske lie hathakdii ban gaii hain।)
अगर तुम हर बात में उसकी मर्जी मानते रहोगे, तो यह रिश्ता एक दिन हथकड़ी बन जाएगा।
If you keep obeying his wishes in everything, this relationship will one day become a shackle.
(agar tum har baat men uskii marjii maante rahoge, to yah rishtaa ek din hathakdii ban jaaegaa।)
पुरानी परंपराएँ कभी-कभी समाज के लिए हथकड़ी की तरह होती हैं।
Old traditions sometimes act like shackles for society.
(puraanii parampraaen kabhii-kabhii samaaj ke lie hathakdii kii tarah hotii hain।)
काश उसकी सोच पर यह डर हथकड़ी बनकर न बैठा होता।
If only this fear had not sat like a shackle on his thinking.
(kaash uskii soch par yah dar hathakdii bankar n baithaa hotaa।)
अगर उसने वह नौकरी न छोड़ी होती, तो यह डर उसके लिए हमेशा के लिए हथकड़ी बन जाता।
If he had not left that job, this fear would have become a permanent shackle for him.
(agar usne vah naukrii n chhodii hotii, to yah dar uske lie hameshaa ke lie hathakdii ban jaataa।)
अपने ही डर की हथकड़ी मत पहनो, आगे बढ़ो।
Don't wear the shackles of your own fear, move forward.
(apne hii dar kii hathakdii mat pahno, aage badho।)
कवि ने लिखा कि परंपरा की हथकड़ी में जकड़ा मन कभी उड़ नहीं पाता।
The poet wrote that a mind bound in the shackles of tradition can never fly.
(kavi ne likhaa ki parampraa kii hathakdii men jakdaa man kabhii ud nahiin paataa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
हथकड़ी
(hathakdii)
(sg.f.oblique):
हथकड़ी
(hathakdii)
(pl.f.direct):
हथकड़ियाँ
(hathakdiyaan)
(pl.f.oblique):
हथकड़ियों
(hathakdiyon)