उधार (udhaar)
noun/adverb
Covers 'loan/credit' as a noun and 'on credit/borrowed' as an adverb/adjective-like usage -- both senses share the same everyday money-and-shopkeeper world.
Sense
1
:
a loan; money or goods lent/borrowed
noun, masculine
Synonyms: क़र्ज़ (qarz), कर्ज़ (karz, variant spelling without nuqta), ऋण (rin, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Every neighborhood kirana store in Delhi has a khaata (khaataa) -- a little ledger -- where the shopkeeper notes down उधार (udhaar) for regular customers who buy 'on the book' and settle up at month's end. It is a deeply normal, trust-based part of local shopping culture, not a shameful thing the way 'debt' can feel in English.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for क़र्ज़ (qarz) by default, but उधार (udhaar) is the everyday word for small, informal borrowing (from a shop, a neighbor, a friend) -- क़र्ज़ (qarz) leans toward bigger, more formal debt like a bank loan. 2) The verb pairing matters: you 'give' or 'take' उधार (udhaar) with देना (denaa) and लेना (lenaa) -- उधार देना (udhaar denaa, 'to lend') and उधार लेना (udhaar lenaa, 'to borrow') -- rather than inventing a separate verb for lending/borrowing.
Sample Sentences:
दुकानदार ने मुझे हज़ार रुपये का उधार दिया।
The shopkeeper gave me a loan of a thousand rupees.
(dukaandaar ne mujhe hazaar rupye kaa udhaar diyaa।)
मेरे ऊपर उसका बहुत उधार है।
I owe him a lot of money (I have a large loan from him on me).
(mere oopar uskaa bahut udhaar hai।)
क्या तुम मुझे थोड़ा उधार दे सकते हो?
Can you give me a small loan?
(kyaa tum mujhe thodaa udhaar de sakte ho?)
कृपया मेरा उधार चुका दीजिए।
Please pay off my loan.
(kripyaa meraa udhaar chukaa diijie।)
अगर बैंक उधार न देता, तो हम दुकान नहीं खोल पाते।
If the bank hadn't given us a loan, we wouldn't have been able to open the shop.
(agar baink udhaar n detaa, to ham dukaan nahiin khol paate।)
पुराना उधार अब तक नहीं चुकाया गया।
The old loan hasn't been paid off yet.
(puraanaa udhaar ab tak nahiin chukaayaa gayaa।)
हर महीने के अंत में वह अपना सारा उधार चुका देता है।
At the end of every month, he pays off all his loans.
(har mahiine ke ant men vah apnaa saaraa udhaar chukaa detaa hai।)
दुकानदार खाते में उसका उधार लिखता रहता है।
The shopkeeper keeps noting down his loan in the ledger.
(dukaandaar khaate men uskaa udhaar likhtaa rahtaa hai।)
मैं चाहता हूँ कि सारा उधार जल्दी चुका दिया जाए।
I want the whole loan to be paid off quickly.
(main chaahtaa hoon ki saaraa udhaar jaldii chukaa diyaa jaae।)
पिताजी ने रिटायर होने से पहले सारा उधार चुका दिया था।
Father had paid off all the loans before retiring.
(pitaajii ne ritaayar hone se pahle saaraa udhaar chukaa diyaa thaa।)
अगर तुम्हें उधार की ज़रूरत पड़े, तो बेझिझक बताना।
If you need a loan, feel free to let me know.
(agar tumhen udhaar kii zaroorat pade, to bejhijhak bataanaa।)
Sense
2
:
on credit, on loan (describing how something is given/taken)
adverb Functions adverbially after verbs like देना (denaa), लेना (lenaa), and मिलना (milnaa) to describe the manner of the transaction, e.g. उधार मिलना (udhaar milnaa, 'to get on credit').
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly in market bargaining: सामान उधार दे दो (saamaan udhaar de do, 'give me the goods on credit') is a common, casual request between people who know each other, reflecting how much everyday commerce still runs on personal trust rather than cards or apps.
Common Mistakes: 1) This word does not inflect like a regular adjective -- you cannot say उधारा (udhaaraa) or उधारी चीज़ (udhaarii chiiz) for 'a borrowed thing'; उधार (udhaar) stays fixed and simply modifies the verb of giving/taking/getting.
Sample Sentences:
भैया, आज सामान उधार दे दो, कल पैसे दे दूँगा।
Brother, give me the goods on credit today, I'll pay tomorrow.
(bhaiyaa, aaj saamaan udhaar de do, kal paise de doongaa।)
दुकानदार अक्सर पुराने ग्राहकों को उधार सामान दे देता है।
The shopkeeper often gives goods on credit to old customers.
(dukaandaar aksar puraane graahkon ko udhaar saamaan de detaa hai।)
मैंने वह मोबाइल उधार लिया था, अभी पूरे पैसे नहीं चुकाए।
I had taken that mobile on credit; I haven't paid the full amount yet.
(mainne vah mobaail udhaar liyaa thaa, abhii poore paise nahiin chukaae।)
क्या आप यह कपड़ा उधार दे सकते हैं?
Can you give this cloth on credit?
(kyaa aap yah kapdaa udhaar de sakte hain?)
अगर वह ईमानदार होता, तो मैं उसे उधार सामान दे देता।
If he were honest, I would give him the goods on credit.
(agar vah iimaandaar hotaa, to main use udhaar saamaan de detaa।)
इस दुकान में सामान उधार नहीं दिया जाता।
Goods are not given on credit in this shop.
(is dukaan men saamaan udhaar nahiin diyaa jaataa।)
वह हर महीने राशन उधार लेता है और महीने के अंत में चुकता करता है।
He takes groceries on credit every month and settles the account at month's end.
(vah har mahiine raashan udhaar letaa hai aur mahiine ke ant men chuktaa kartaa hai।)
उधार सामान देने से पहले दुकानदार ग्राहक का नाम-पता लिख लेता है।
Before giving goods on credit, the shopkeeper notes down the customer's name and address.
(udhaar saamaan dene se pahle dukaandaar graahak kaa naam-pataa likh letaa hai।)
मुझे उधार सामान मत दो, मैं नकद ही लूँगा।
Don't give me the goods on credit, I'll take it in cash only.
(mujhe udhaar saamaan mat do, main nakad hii loongaa।)
शायद वह मुझे यह सामान उधार दे दे।
Maybe he'll give me these goods on credit.
(shaayad vah mujhe yah saamaan udhaar de de।)
पुराने समय में दुकानदार भरोसे पर उधार सामान दे देते थे।
In olden times, shopkeepers used to give goods on credit based on trust.
(puraane samay men dukaandaar bharose par udhaar saamaan de dete the।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
उधार
(udhaar)
(sg.m.oblique):
उधार
(udhaar)
(pl.m.direct):
उधार
(udhaar)
(pl.m.oblique):
उधारों
(udhaaron)