अदालत (adaalat)

noun A single core meaning: 'court' (the legal institution/place). Feminine noun, borrowed from Persian/Arabic via Urdu.
Sense 1 : law court, judicial tribunal
noun, feminine
Synonyms: न्यायालय (nyaayaalay, formal), कचहरी (kachahrii)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: अदालत (adaalat) is the everyday, widely-used word you will hear on the news or from a lawyer -- कचहरी (kachahrii) has a more local, small-town courthouse flavor, while न्यायालय (nyaayaalay) sounds more official or textbook-formal. If you have watched any Bollywood courtroom drama, you have almost certainly heard the judge addressed as अदालत (adaalat) itself, personified as the seat of justice, e.g. 'अदालत यह मानती है...' (adaalat yah maantii hai, 'the court believes that...').
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for न्यायालय (nyaayaalay) as 'the' word for court from textbooks, but अदालत (adaalat) is what people actually say in daily speech and news reports. 2) The common phrase is अदालत में जाना (adaalat men jaanaa, 'to go to court') -- learners sometimes wrongly use को (ko) instead of में (men) here, since you go 'into' the court, not 'to' it as a person.
Sample Sentences:
यह मामला अदालत में चल रहा है। This case is going on in court.
(yah maamlaa adaalat men chal rahaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अदालत ने फैसला सुना दिया। The court delivered its verdict.
(adaalat ne phaislaa sunaa diyaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अदालत यह मानती है कि आरोपी निर्दोष है। The court believes that the accused is innocent.
(adaalat yah maantii hai ki aaropii nirdosh hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कल हमें अदालत में पेश होना है। We have to appear in court tomorrow.
(kal hamen adaalat men pesh honaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
अगर सबूत होते तो अदालत उसे बरी कर देती। If there had been evidence, the court would have acquitted him.
(agar saboot hote to adaalat use barii kar detii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
मुझे अदालत जाना पड़ेगा। I will have to go to court.
(mujhe adaalat jaanaa padegaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
अदालत में शोर मत करो। Don't make noise in the court.
(adaalat men shor mat karo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
आरोपी को अदालत में पेश किया गया। The accused was presented in court.
(aaropii ko adaalat men pesh kiyaa gayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
शायद अदालत इस बार सख्त फैसला ले। Perhaps the court will take a strict decision this time.
(shaayad adaalat is baar sakht phaislaa le।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
उसने अदालत का दरवाज़ा खटखटाया। He knocked on the court's door (sought legal recourse).
(usne adaalat kaa darvaazaa khatakhtaayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वकील ने अदालत के सामने सारे दस्तावेज़ रखे। The lawyer presented all the documents before the court.
(vakiil ne adaalat ke saamne saare dastaavez rakhe।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): अदालत (adaalat)
(sg.f.oblique): अदालत (adaalat)
(pl.f.direct): अदालतें (adaalten)
(pl.f.oblique): अदालतों (adaalton)