धूल (dhool)
noun
A single-sense everyday noun meaning 'dust,' with a common figurative extension in idioms about worthlessness or humility.
Sense
1
:
dust; fine dry particles of dirt
noun, feminine
Synonyms: गर्द (gard), रज (raj, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In a country with dusty roads and open windows, धूल (dhool) is a constant fact of household life -- swept off doorsteps every morning and wiped from furniture in a running battle. It also carries a strong figurative charge: धूल फाँकना (dhool phaanknaa, 'to eat dust,' i.e. to struggle or waste effort) and धूल चटाना (dhool chataanaa, 'to make someone eat dust,' i.e. to defeat them badly) both use dust as a stand-in for defeat and hardship, much like the English 'bite the dust.'
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse धूल (dhool) with धुआँ (dhuaan, 'smoke') because they sound similar -- धूल is the solid grit that settles on surfaces, not the airborne haze from fire. 2) मिट्टी (mittii, 'soil/earth/clay') is often reached for instead of धूल when describing dusty roads or shoes, but मिट्टी is the substance itself while धूल is specifically its fine, airborne or settled form.
Sample Sentences:
सुबह-सुबह माँ दरवाजे की धूल झाड़ती है।
Early in the morning, mother sweeps the dust off the doorstep.
(subah-subah maan darvaaje kii dhool jhaadtii hai।)
खिड़की खुली थी, इसलिए मेज़ पर धूल जम गई।
The window was open, so dust settled on the table.
(khidkii khulii thii, islie mez par dhool jam gaii।)
गाड़ी सड़क पर तेज़ी से गुज़री और पीछे धूल उड़ती रही।
The car sped down the road and dust kept flying up behind it.
(gaadii sadak par tezii se guzrii aur piichhe dhool udtii rahii।)
किताबों से धूल हटाओ, फिर पढ़ना शुरू करो।
Wipe the dust off the books, then start reading.
(kitaabon se dhool hataao, phir padhnaa shuroo karo।)
अगर बारिश हो जाती तो सड़क की धूल बैठ जाती।
If it had rained, the dust on the road would have settled.
(agar baarish ho jaatii to sadak kii dhool baith jaatii।)
पुराने संघर्ष के दिनों में उसने बहुत धूल फाँकी है।
In his old struggling days, he really ate a lot of dust.
(puraane sangharsh ke dinon men usne bahut dhool phaankii hai।)
फाइनल मैच में हमारी टीम ने विरोधियों को धूल चटा दी।
In the final match, our team made the opponents eat dust.
(phaainal maich men hamaarii tiim ne virodhiyon ko dhool chataa dii।)
यह कालीन इतने दिनों से नहीं झाड़ा गया कि उस पर मोटी धूल जम गई है।
This carpet hasn't been beaten for so many days that a thick layer of dust has settled on it.
(yah kaaliin itne dinon se nahiin jhaadaa gayaa ki us par motii dhool jam gaii hai।)
मुमकिन है कि लंबी यात्रा के बाद गाड़ी पर बहुत धूल जमी हो।
It's possible that a lot of dust has settled on the car after the long journey.
(mumkin hai ki lambii yaatraa ke baad gaadii par bahut dhool jamii ho।)
हर बार जब ट्रक निकलता है, पूरा मोहल्ला धूल से भर जाता है।
Every time the truck passes, the whole neighborhood fills up with dust.
(har baar jab trak nikaltaa hai, pooraa mohallaa dhool se bhar jaataa hai।)
बरसों से बंद पड़े उस घर में हर चीज़ धूल से ढकी थी।
In that house, shut for years, everything was covered in dust.
(barson se band pade us ghar men har chiiz dhool se dhakii thii।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
धूल
(dhool)
(sg.f.oblique):
धूल
(dhool)
(pl.f.direct):
धूलें
(dhoolen)
(pl.f.oblique):
धूलों
(dhoolon)