रिक्शा-वाला (rikshaa-vaalaa)

noun A single sense: the man who pedals or drives a rickshaw. Built from रिक्शा (rikshaa, 'rickshaw', itself a loanword ultimately from Japanese via English) plus the agentive suffix -वाला (vaalaa).
Sense 1 : rickshaw driver/puller
noun, masculine
Synonyms: रिक्शावाला (rikshaavaalaa, one-word variant spelling)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In everyday Delhi-NCR life, you don't just hail 'a rickshaw' -- you bargain with the रिक्शा-वाला (rikshaa-vaalaa) himself, often over the fare before you even get in: कितने लोगे? (kitne loge, 'how much will you take?'). The -वाला (vaalaa) suffix is hugely productive in Hindi -- चायवाला (chaayvaalaa, tea-seller), सब्ज़ीवाला (sabziivaalaa, vegetable-seller) -- so learning this word is a gateway to a whole family of 'person who does/sells/has X' nouns.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often write it as one word (रिक्शावाला, rikshaavaalaa) or with the hyphen (रिक्शा-वाला, rikshaa-vaalaa); both are seen in print, so don't worry about picking the 'wrong' one. 2) Like other -वाला (vaalaa) agent nouns, this word itself inflects like an adjective when addressing or describing more than one: रिक्शे-वाले (rikshe-vaale) for plural/oblique, not a simple added स (s) or ओं (on).
Sample Sentences:
रिक्शा-वाला कितने लोगे? Rickshaw-wallah, how much will you take?
(rikshaa-vaalaa kitne loge?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
यह रिक्शा-वाला रोज़ सुबह मुझे स्कूल छोड़ता है। This rickshaw driver drops me at school every morning.
(yah rikshaa-vaalaa roz subah mujhe skool chhodtaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
रिक्शा-वाले ने स्टेशन तक जाने के लिए पचास रुपये माँगे। The rickshaw driver asked for fifty rupees to go to the station.
(rikshaa-vaale ne steshan tak jaane ke lie pachaas rupye maange।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
रिक्शा-वाला बाहर गली के मोड़ पर खड़ा है। The rickshaw-wallah is standing outside at the corner of the lane.
(rikshaa-vaalaa baahar galii ke mod par khadaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
ज़रा धीरे चलो, भाई रिक्शा-वाले! Go a little slowly, brother rickshaw-wallah!
(zaraa dhiire chalo, bhaaii rikshaa-vaale!)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर वह रिक्शा-वाला ईमानदार होता, तो ज़्यादा पैसे नहीं माँगता। If that rickshaw driver were honest, he wouldn't have asked for so much money.
(agar vah rikshaa-vaalaa iimaandaar hotaa, to zyaadaa paise nahiin maangtaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
बारिश में रिक्शा-वालों की कमाई अक्सर बढ़ जाती है। Rickshaw drivers' earnings often go up during the rains.
(baarish men rikshaa-vaalon kii kamaaii aksar badh jaatii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
स्टेशन के बाहर एक रिक्शा-वाले से किराया तय किया जाता है, फिर ही बैठना चाहिए। The fare is fixed with a rickshaw-wallah outside the station, and only then should one get in.
(steshan ke baahar ek rikshaa-vaale se kiraayaa tay kiyaa jaataa hai, phir hii baithnaa chaahie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
काश कोई रिक्शा-वाला इस वक़्त यहाँ मिल जाए। I wish some rickshaw-wallah would be found here right now.
(kaash koii rikshaa-vaalaa is vaqt yahaan mil jaae।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
पुराने दिल्ली में रिक्शा-वाले तंग गलियों में बड़ी फुर्ती से रिक्शा चलाते थे। In Old Delhi, rickshaw drivers used to pedal their rickshaws through the narrow lanes with great agility.
(puraane dillii men rikshaa-vaale tang galiyon men badii phurtii se rikshaa chalaate the।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
उस रिक्शा-वाले ने मेरा भारी सामान बिना कुछ कहे उठा लिया। That rickshaw driver picked up my heavy luggage without saying a word.
(us rikshaa-vaale ne meraa bhaarii saamaan binaa kuchh kahe uthaa liyaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): रिक्शा-वाला ([[रिक्शा-वाला]])
(sg.m.oblique): रिक्शा-वाले ([[रिक्शा-वाले]])
(pl.m.direct): रिक्शा-वाले ([[रिक्शा-वाले]])
(pl.m.oblique): रिक्शा-वालों ([[रिक्शा-वालों]])