मामला (maamlaa)
noun
A common noun meaning 'matter, affair, issue' -- ranging from everyday situations to legal cases; a related idiomatic sense captures romantic entanglements.
Sense
1
:
matter, affair, issue
noun, masculine
Synonyms: बात (baat), मसला (maslaa), मुद्दा (muddaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear this constantly in Delhi -- from a shopkeeper saying पैसों का मामला है (paison kaa maamlaa hai, 'it's a matter of money') to news anchors discussing a पुलिस मामला (pulis maamlaa, 'police matter'). It has a slightly serious, weighty flavor compared to the more casual बात (baat).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for बात (baat) in every context, but मामला (maamlaa) suggests something with more weight or complexity -- a situation with layers, not just a remark or topic. 2) It frequently appears with है (hai) in the pattern 'X का मामला है (X kaa maamlaa hai, it's a matter of X)' -- learners sometimes drop the का (kaa) and say it awkwardly.
Sample Sentences:
यह पैसों का मामला है।
This is a matter of money.
(yah paison kaa maamlaa hai।)
यह मामला बहुत गंभीर है, इसे हल्के में मत लो।
This matter is very serious, don't take it lightly.
(yah maamlaa bahut gambhiir hai, ise halke men mat lo।)
यह मामला अगले हफ्ते तक सुलझ जाएगा।
This matter will get resolved by next week.
(yah maamlaa agle haphte tak sulajh jaaegaa।)
अगर तुम यह मामला मुझे पहले बताते, तो मैं कुछ कर पाता।
If you had told me about this matter earlier, I could have done something.
(agar tum yah maamlaa mujhe pahle bataate, to main kuchh kar paataa।)
यह मामला अभी अदालत में नहीं, बल्कि दफ्तर के भीतर सुलझाया जा रहा है।
This matter is being resolved within the office right now, not in court.
(yah maamlaa abhii adaalat men nahiin, balki daphtar ke bhiitar suljhaayaa jaa rahaa hai।)
भाई साहब, यह पूरा मामला समझाओ तो ज़रा।
Brother, please explain this whole matter to me.
(bhaaii saahab, yah pooraa maamlaa samjhaao to zaraa।)
हो सकता है कि यह मामला सिर्फ एक गलतफहमी हो।
It's possible that this matter is just a misunderstanding.
(ho saktaa hai ki yah maamlaa sirph ek galatphahmii ho।)
समिति ने इस मामले की पूरी जांच कर ली है।
The committee has completed a full inquiry into this matter.
(samiti ne is maamle kii poorii jaanch kar lii hai।)
यह प्रशासनिक मामला संबंधित विभाग को सौंप दिया गया।
This administrative matter was handed over to the concerned department.
(yah prashaasnik maamlaa sambandhit vibhaag ko saump diyaa gayaa।)
यह कोई मामूली मामला नहीं है, इस पर गंभीरता से ध्यान देना होगा।
This is no ordinary matter, it will have to be looked at seriously.
(yah koii maamoolii maamlaa nahiin hai, is par gambhiirtaa se dhyaan denaa hogaa।)
यह मामला दिनों-दिन उलझता जा रहा है।
This matter is getting more tangled day by day.
(yah maamlaa dinon-din ulajhtaa jaa rahaa hai।)
Sense
2
:
legal case
noun, masculine
Synonyms: केस (kes, colloquial), मुकदमा (mukadmaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In courtroom or news contexts, मामला (maamlaa) is the standard formal word for a legal case -- you'll see headlines like भ्रष्टाचार का मामला (bhrashtaachaar kaa maamlaa, 'corruption case'). English केस (kes) has crept into casual speech as a synonym, but मामला (maamlaa) stays the go-to word in written and official Hindi.
Sample Sentences:
यह मामला अदालत में चल रहा है।
This case is going on in court.
(yah maamlaa adaalat men chal rahaa hai।)
भ्रष्टाचार का मामला अभी भी सुलझा नहीं है।
The corruption case still hasn't been resolved.
(bhrashtaachaar kaa maamlaa abhii bhii suljhaa nahiin hai।)
पुलिस ने कल इस मामले की जांच शुरू की।
The police started investigating this case yesterday.
(pulis ne kal is maamle kii jaanch shuroo kii।)
अगर गवाह सही समय पर पेश होता, तो मामला जल्दी सुलझ जाता।
If the witness had appeared on time, the case would have been resolved quickly.
(agar gavaah sahii samay par pesh hotaa, to maamlaa jaldii sulajh jaataa।)
अदालत में मामले पर बहस हो रही है।
Arguments on the case are being made in court.
(adaalat men maamle par bahas ho rahii hai।)
वकील ने कहा कि यह मामला अगली सुनवाई में सुलझ जाएगा।
The lawyer said this case will be resolved at the next hearing.
(vakiil ne kahaa ki yah maamlaa aglii sunvaaii men sulajh jaaegaa।)
इस मामले को गंभीरता से लीजिए।
Please take this case seriously.
(is maamle ko gambhiirtaa se liijie।)
हो सकता है कि यह मामला सुप्रीम कोर्ट तक जाए।
It's possible this case will go all the way to the Supreme Court.
(ho saktaa hai ki yah maamlaa supriim kort tak jaae।)
इस मामले में तीन आरोपी गिरफ्तार किए गए हैं।
Three accused have been arrested in this case.
(is maamle men tiin aaropii giraphtaar kie gae hain।)
न्यायालय ने मामले की सुनवाई अगले महीने तक टाल दी।
The court postponed the case's hearing until next month.
(nyaayaalay ne maamle kii sunvaaii agle mahiine tak taal dii।)
यह हत्या का मामला पूरे शहर में सुर्खियों में है।
This murder case is making headlines across the whole city.
(yah hatyaa kaa maamlaa poore shahar men surkhiyon men hai।)
Sense
3
:
romantic affair or entanglement (idiomatic)
noun, masculine Almost always used with चलना (chalnaa) as in 'मामला चल रहा है (maamlaa chal rahaa hai, something's going on between them)', or with होना (honaa) to mean a romantic connection exists.
Synonyms: चक्कर (chakkar, colloquial), इश्क़ (ishq, literary)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is classic Hindi gossip-speak -- friends teasing each other with क्या मामला है? (kyaa maamlaa hai?, 'what's going on [between you two]?') when they suspect a budding romance. It's playful and colloquial, the kind of line you'd hear among college friends in a Delhi hostel, not in formal writing.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense only works in context -- used alone, मामला (maamlaa) just means 'matter'; it's the surrounding gossip-toned phrasing (often with चलना (chalnaa)) that signals the romantic reading.
Sample Sentences:
अरे, तेरा और सोनम का क्या मामला है?
Hey, what's going on between you and Sonam?
(are, teraa aur sonam kaa kyaa maamlaa hai?)
सुना है उन दोनों का कोई मामला चल रहा है।
I heard something's going on between those two.
(sunaa hai un donon kaa koii maamlaa chal rahaa hai।)
उसका मामला किसी और लड़की के साथ भी था।
He was having a thing with some other girl too.
(uskaa maamlaa kisii aur ladkii ke saath bhii thaa।)
अगर उनका मामला सच में सीरियस होता, तो वो साथ में दिखते।
If their thing were really serious, they'd be seen together.
(agar unkaa maamlaa sach men siiriyas hotaa, to vo saath men dikhte।)
यार, बता भी दे, मामला क्या है इन दोनों के बीच?
Dude, just tell me, what's the deal between these two?
(yaar, bataa bhii de, maamlaa kyaa hai in donon ke biich?)
हॉस्टल में सबको पता चल गया है कि उनका मामला चल रहा है।
Everyone in the hostel has found out that they've got a thing going on.
(hostal men sabko pataa chal gayaa hai ki unkaa maamlaa chal rahaa hai।)
शायद उनका मामला अभी शुरू ही हुआ हो।
Maybe their thing has only just started.
(shaayad unkaa maamlaa abhii shuroo hii huaa ho।)
मामला तो पुराना है, बस दोनों ने अभी तक किसी को नहीं बताया।
It's an old thing, they just haven't told anyone yet.
(maamlaa to puraanaa hai, bas donon ne abhii tak kisii ko nahiin bataayaa।)
पार्टी में दोनों को साथ देखकर सबने पूछा, क्या मामला है?
Seeing them together at the party, everyone asked, 'what's going on with you two?'
(paartii men donon ko saath dekhkar sabne poochhaa, kyaa maamlaa hai?)
अब तो उनका मामला पूरे कॉलेज में मशहूर हो चुका है।
Now their little affair has become famous all over the college.
(ab to unkaa maamlaa poore kolej men mashahoor ho chukaa hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
मामला
(maamlaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
मामले
(maamle)
(pl.m.direct):
मामले
(maamle)
(pl.m.oblique):
मामलों
(maamlon)