पात्र (paatr)
noun/adjective
Two main strands: a concrete noun for a vessel/container/utensil, and an abstract noun meaning a deserving/eligible/suitable person; also used as an adjective meaning 'fit, worthy, eligible.' A third sense as 'character' (in a play/story) is common in literary and media contexts.
Sense
1
:
a person who is eligible, deserving, or suitable (for something)
noun, masculine Typically used with के लिए (ke lie) or a genitive-like construction to specify what the person is eligible for, e.g. सहायता का पात्र (sahaaytaa kaa paatr, 'eligible/entitled to help').
Synonyms: योग्य व्यक्ति (yogy vyakti, descriptive phrase), उपयुक्त व्यक्ति (upyukt vyakti, descriptive phrase)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the word you will meet constantly in government and scholarship notices -- पात्रता (paatrtaa, 'eligibility') is built directly from this sense, so recognizing पात्र (paatr) here unlocks a whole family of bureaucratic vocabulary.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense is often confused with पात्र (paatr) as adjective (below) -- as a noun it means 'the deserving one' itself, so आप पात्र हैं (aap paatr hain, 'you are eligible') treats it almost like an adjective in practice, and learners get tripped up on whether to add a further noun after it or not.
Sample Sentences:
इस योजना के लिए कौन पात्र है?
Who is eligible for this scheme?
(is yojnaa ke lie kaun paatr hai?)
छात्रवृत्ति के पात्रों की सूची कल जारी होगी।
The list of scholarship-eligible candidates will be released tomorrow.
(chhaatrvritti ke paatron kii soochii kal jaarii hogii।)
सरकारी नौकरी के लिए वह पात्र नहीं था।
He was not eligible for the government job.
(sarkaarii naukrii ke lie vah paatr nahiin thaa।)
अगर तुम आवेदन करते तो तुम भी पात्र होते।
If you had applied, you would have been eligible too.
(agar tum aavedan karte to tum bhii paatr hote।)
कृपया केवल पात्र उम्मीदवार ही आवेदन करें।
Please, only eligible candidates should apply.
(kripyaa keval paatr ummiidvaar hii aavedan karen।)
हो सकता है कि वह इस पद के लिए पात्र न हो।
It's possible that he isn't eligible for this position.
(ho saktaa hai ki vah is pad ke lie paatr n ho।)
मेरी बहन इस पुरस्कार की सबसे पात्र दावेदार है।
My sister is the most deserving claimant for this award.
(merii bahan is puraskaar kii sabse paatr daavedaar hai।)
यह लोन गरीब पात्रों को दिया जाता है।
This loan is given to poor eligible persons.
(yah lon gariib paatron ko diyaa jaataa hai।)
जब तक दस्तावेज़ पूरे नहीं होंगे, कोई भी पात्र घोषित नहीं किया जाएगा।
Until the documents are complete, no one will be declared eligible.
(jab tak dastaavez poore nahiin honge, koii bhii paatr ghoshit nahiin kiyaa jaaegaa।)
Sense
2
:
vessel, container, utensil
noun, masculine
Synonyms: बर्तन (bartan), भाँड़ा (bhaandaa, regional/colloquial)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Think of पात्र (paatr) as the 'proper' or slightly bookish word for a container, the kind you would read on a science textbook diagram or a government form, while बर्तन (bartan) is what your mother actually shouts at you to wash.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for बर्तन (bartan) as the default word for 'container' and miss that पात्र (paatr) is the more formal/written register word for the same idea -- you will see it on lab equipment, in recipes, or in official language rather than in casual kitchen talk.
Sample Sentences:
प्रयोग के लिए एक साफ पात्र लीजिए।
Take a clean vessel for the experiment.
(prayog ke lie ek saaph paatr liijie।)
इस पात्र में लगभग एक लीटर पानी आता है।
This vessel holds about a liter of water.
(is paatr men lagbhag ek liitar paanii aataa hai।)
रासायनिक द्रव्य को एक विशेष पात्र में रखा गया।
The chemical substance was kept in a special vessel.
(raasaaynik dravy ko ek vishesh paatr men rakhaa gayaa।)
फॉर्म में पूछा गया है कि नमूना किस पात्र में जमा किया जाए।
The form asks in which container the sample should be submitted.
(phorm men poochhaa gayaa hai ki namoonaa kis paatr men jamaa kiyaa jaae।)
प्रयोगशाला में हर पात्र पर एक लेबल लगा होता है।
In the laboratory, every vessel has a label attached to it.
(prayogshaalaa men har paatr par ek lebal lagaa hotaa hai।)
अगर यह पात्र टूट जाता तो सारा द्रव बह जाता।
If this vessel had broken, all the liquid would have spilled.
(agar yah paatr toot jaataa to saaraa drav bah jaataa।)
कृपया पात्र को ढक्कन से ढक दें ताकि गैस बाहर न निकले।
Please cover the vessel with a lid so that the gas doesn't escape.
(kripyaa paatr ko dhakkan se dhak den taaki gais baahar n nikle।)
शास्त्रों में यज्ञ के पात्रों का विशेष महत्व बताया गया है।
The scriptures describe a special significance for the vessels used in the yajna.
(shaastron men yagy ke paatron kaa vishesh mahatv bataayaa gayaa hai।)
जब तक पात्र ठंडा न हो जाए, उसे मत छुइए।
Don't touch the vessel until it cools down.
(jab tak paatr thandaa n ho jaae, use mat chhuie।)
पात्र में मौजूद तरल का रंग धीरे-धीरे बदल रहा था।
The color of the liquid present in the vessel was slowly changing.
(paatr men maujood taral kaa rang dhiire-dhiire badal rahaa thaa।)
Sense
3
:
fit, worthy, eligible, deserving
adjective
Synonyms: योग्य (yogy), उपयुक्त (upyukt), लायक (laayak)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly in formal announcements: वह पुरस्कार का पात्र है (vah puraskaar kaa paatr hai, 'he is worthy/deserving of the award') -- a slightly stiff, official register word rather than something you would casually say about a friend.
Common Mistakes: 1) As an adjective it is invariant in form regardless of the noun's gender/number, unlike योग्य (yogy) and उपयुक्त (upyukt) which behave the same way -- but learners sometimes expect it to inflect like कड़ा (kadaa)-type adjectives and try to change its ending.
Sample Sentences:
वह इस पुरस्कार का पात्र है।
He is worthy of this award.
(vah is puraskaar kaa paatr hai।)
सभी उम्मीदवार छात्रवृत्ति के पात्र नहीं हैं।
Not all candidates are eligible for the scholarship.
(sabhii ummiidvaar chhaatrvritti ke paatr nahiin hain।)
क्या मैं इस योजना के लिए पात्र हूँ?
Am I eligible for this scheme?
(kyaa main is yojnaa ke lie paatr hoon?)
आवेदन करने से पहले जाँच लें कि आप पात्र हैं या नहीं।
Before applying, check whether you are eligible or not.
(aavedan karne se pahle jaanch len ki aap paatr hain yaa nahiin।)
जिन कर्मचारियों ने पाँच साल पूरे कर लिए हैं, वे ही पदोन्नति के पात्र होंगे।
Only those employees who have completed five years will be eligible for promotion.
(jin karmchaariyon ne paanch saal poore kar lie hain, ve hii padonnti ke paatr honge।)
अगर उसने मेहनत की होती, तो वह भी सम्मान का पात्र होता।
If he had worked hard, he too would have been worthy of the honor.
(agar usne mehnat kii hotii, to vah bhii sammaan kaa paatr hotaa।)
समिति ने घोषणा की कि केवल स्थायी निवासी ही इस लाभ के पात्र माने जाएँगे।
The committee announced that only permanent residents would be considered eligible for this benefit.
(samiti ne ghoshnaa kii ki keval sthaayii nivaasii hii is laabh ke paatr maane jaaenge।)
उम्मीद है कि वह अगली सूची में पात्र घोषित हो जाए।
It is hoped that he will be declared eligible in the next list.
(ummiid hai ki vah aglii soochii men paatr ghoshit ho jaae।)
इस भर्ती के लिए न्यूनतम शैक्षणिक योग्यता वाले उम्मीदवार ही पात्र समझे जाते हैं।
For this recruitment, only candidates with the minimum educational qualification are considered eligible.
(is bhartii ke lie nyoontam shaikshnik yogytaa vaale ummiidvaar hii paatr samjhe jaate hain।)
Sense
4
:
a character (in a play, film, story, or novel)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: किरदार (kirdaar)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This sense shows up constantly in reviews and discussions of films and serials -- मुख्य पात्र (mukhy paatr, 'main character/protagonist') is a phrase you will see in almost every article about a new show, right alongside its close cousin किरदार (kirdaar).
Sample Sentences:
इस फ़िल्म का मुख्य पात्र बहुत दिलचस्प है।
The main character of this film is very interesting.
(is film kaa mukhy paatr bahut dilchasp hai।)
उपन्यास में कुल पाँच पात्र हैं।
There are five characters in total in the novel.
(upanyaas men kul paanch paatr hain।)
लेखक ने इस पात्र को बहुत गहराई से गढ़ा था।
The author had crafted this character with great depth.
(lekhak ne is paatr ko bahut gahraaii se gadhaa thaa।)
इस धारावाहिक का खलनायक पात्र दर्शकों को बहुत पसंद आ रहा है।
The villain character of this serial is really being liked by the audience.
(is dhaaraavaahik kaa khalnaayak paatr darshkon ko bahut pasand aa rahaa hai।)
काश निर्देशक इस पात्र को थोड़ा और समय देता।
I wish the director had given this character a bit more screen time.
(kaash nirdeshak is paatr ko thodaa aur samay detaa।)
फ़िल्म समीक्षक ने लिखा कि मुख्य पात्र की भूमिका शानदार निभाई गई है।
The film critic wrote that the main character's role has been played wonderfully.
(film samiikshak ne likhaa ki mukhy paatr kii bhoomikaa shaandaar nibhaaii gaii hai।)
अगर तुम्हें इस कहानी का कोई पात्र सबसे ज़्यादा पसंद आए, तो बताना।
If you happen to like any character of this story the most, do tell me.
(agar tumhen is kahaanii kaa koii paatr sabse zyaadaa pasand aae, to bataanaa।)
इस उपन्यास का पात्र चुनकर एक निबंध लिखिए।
Choose a character from this novel and write an essay.
(is upanyaas kaa paatr chunkar ek nibandh likhie।)
नई फ़िल्म में हर पात्र की अपनी एक अलग कहानी है।
In the new film, every character has their own separate story.
(naii film men har paatr kii apnii ek alag kahaanii hai।)
इस सीरियल के पात्रों को दर्शकों ने अपने घर के सदस्यों जैसा मान लिया है।
The audience has come to regard the characters of this serial as like members of their own family.
(is siiriyal ke paatron ko darshkon ne apne ghar ke sadasyon jaisaa maan liyaa hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
पात्र
(paatr)
(sg.m.oblique):
पात्र
(paatr)
(pl.m.direct):
पात्र
(paatr)
(pl.m.oblique):
पात्रों
(paatron)
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
पात्र
(paatr)