साइकिल (saaikil)

noun A simple loanword from English 'cycle', meaning a bicycle. It has one everyday sense and is used exactly as you'd expect.
Sense 1 : bicycle
noun, feminine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: साइकिल (saaikil) is one of those English loanwords that slipped into Hindi so completely that most speakers never think of it as foreign -- it's just the word. In smaller towns and older Delhi colonies, you'll still see साइकिल stands (saaikil staind) outside schools and markets, a reminder of the decades when it was the default way to get around before scooters and bikes took over.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try to make it masculine because it 'sounds' like a machine word, but साइकिल (saaikil) is feminine -- मेरी साइकिल (merii saaikil, 'my bicycle'), not मेरा साइकिल. 2) The verb for riding a bicycle is चलाना (chalaanaa) -- साइकिल चलाना (saaikil chalaanaa, 'to ride a bicycle') -- not सवारी करना, which sounds odd for something you pedal yourself.
Sample Sentences:
मेरे पास एक पुरानी साइकिल है। I have an old bicycle.
(mere paas ek puraanii saaikil hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह हर सुबह साइकिल चलाता है। He rides a bicycle every morning.
(vah har subah saaikil chalaataa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बच्चे स्कूल के बाहर साइकिल स्टैंड में अपनी साइकिलें खड़ी कर रहे थे। The kids were parking their bicycles in the bicycle stand outside the school.
(bachche skool ke baahar saaikil staind men apnii saaikilen khadii kar rahe the।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम मुझे अपनी साइकिल दे सकते हो? Can you give me your bicycle?
(kyaa tum mujhe apnii saaikil de sakte ho?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
साइकिल को दीवार के सहारे खड़ी करो। Lean the bicycle against the wall.
(saaikil ko diivaar ke sahaare khadii karo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर मेरे पास साइकिल होती, तो मैं रोज़ पार्क जाता। If I had a bicycle, I would go to the park every day.
(agar mere paas saaikil hotii, to main roz paark jaataa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
उसकी साइकिल कल चोरी हो गई। His bicycle was stolen yesterday.
(uskii saaikil kal chorii ho gaii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
पुराने समय में लोग साइकिल से ही दफ्तर जाया करते थे। In the old days, people used to go to office by bicycle.
(puraane samay men log saaikil se hii daphtar jaayaa karte the।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगली बार मैं नई साइकिल खरीदूँगा। Next time I will buy a new bicycle.
(aglii baar main naii saaikil khariidoongaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
मैं चाहता हूँ कि तुम साइकिल चलाना सीख जाओ। I want you to learn how to ride a bicycle.
(main chaahtaa hoon ki tum saaikil chalaanaa siikh jaao।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
स्टेशन के पास एक साइकिल स्टैंड है जहाँ आप अपनी साइकिल किराए पर ले सकते हैं। There is a bicycle stand near the station where you can rent a bicycle.
(steshan ke paas ek saaikil staind hai jahaan aap apnii saaikil kiraae par le sakte hain।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): साइकिल (saaikil)
(sg.f.oblique): साइकिल (saaikil)
(pl.f.direct): साइकिलें (saaikilen)
(pl.f.oblique): साइकिलों (saaikilon)