हवाई डाक (havaaii daak)

noun A compound noun meaning 'air mail' -- हवाई (havaaii, 'aerial/of the air') modifying डाक (daak, 'mail/post'). Single sense, used in postal contexts.
Sense 1 : air mail
noun, feminine
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This term harks back to the era of physical aerogrammes and postcards stamped 'हवाई डाक (havaaii daak)' for faster overseas delivery -- older folks in Delhi-NCR households who grew up writing letters abroad will recognize this phrase instantly, even though email and courier services have mostly replaced it. It pairs naturally with डाकघर (daakghar, 'post office'), where you'd once ask for हवाई डाक टिकट (havaaii daak tikat, 'airmail stamps').
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try to reverse the word order to match English 'air mail,' but Hindi keeps the adjective हवाई (havaaii) before डाक (daak), just like English -- the order is not the issue, dropping the ई (ii) ending on हवाई (havaaii) is: it doesn't shorten or change form here since it's modifying a feminine noun. 2) Some learners confuse डाक (daak, 'mail/post') with डाकिया (daakiyaa, 'postman') -- the compound refers to the mail itself, not the person delivering it.
Sample Sentences:
पहले विदेश में चिट्ठी भेजनी हो तो हवाई डाक का इस्तेमाल होता था। Earlier, if you had to send a letter abroad, airmail used to be used.
(pahle videsh men chitthii bhejnii ho to havaaii daak kaa istemaal hotaa thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
मेरी दादी हमेशा हवाई डाक से अपने भाई को अमेरिका चिट्ठी भेजती थीं। My grandmother always used to send letters to her brother in America by airmail.
(merii daadii hameshaa havaaii daak se apne bhaaii ko amerikaa chitthii bhejtii thiin।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या आपके पास हवाई डाक टिकट हैं? Do you have airmail stamps?
(kyaa aapke paas havaaii daak tikat hain?)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
डाकघर जाकर हवाई डाक टिकट खरीद लाओ। Go to the post office and bring back some airmail stamps.
(daakghar jaakar havaaii daak tikat khariid laao।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
यह पत्र हवाई डाक से भेजा गया था। This letter was sent by airmail.
(yah patr havaaii daak se bhejaa gayaa thaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
अगर हवाई डाक न होती, तो विदेश की खबरें महीनों बाद पहुँचतीं। If there had been no airmail, news from abroad would have arrived months later.
(agar havaaii daak n hotii, to videsh kii khabren mahiinon baad pahunchtiin।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
उस ज़माने में हवाई डाक ही सबसे तेज़ ज़रिया माना जाता था। In those days, airmail alone was considered the fastest means.
(us zamaane men havaaii daak hii sabse tez zariyaa maanaa jaataa thaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
शायद कल तक हवाई डाक से भेजा हुआ पैकेट पहुँच जाए। Perhaps the packet sent by airmail will arrive by tomorrow.
(shaayad kal tak havaaii daak se bhejaa huaa paiket pahunch jaae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
नानाजी की अलमारी में आज भी हवाई डाक के पुराने लिफ़ाफ़े रखे हैं। Old airmail envelopes are still kept in grandfather's cupboard even today.
(naanaajii kii almaarii men aaj bhii havaaii daak ke puraane lifaafe rakhe hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): हवाई डाक (havaaii daak)
(sg.f.oblique): हवाई डाक (havaaii daak)
(pl.f.direct): हवाई डाकें (havaaii daaken)
(pl.f.oblique): हवाई डाकों (havaaii daakon)