शादी (shaadii)

noun A single core meaning of 'marriage/wedding' -- the noun covers both the institution and the event itself; a common Persian-origin loanword used daily across all registers.
Sense 1 : wedding (the event/ceremony)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: विवाह (vivaah, formal), ब्याह (byaah, colloquial)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: शादी (shaadii) is the word you will hear constantly in Delhi-NCR -- from wedding invitation cards to Bollywood songs to nosy relatives asking शादी कब करोगे? (shaadii kab karoge?, 'when will you get married?'). विवाह (vivaah) shows up on formal invitations and in ceremonies, but शादी (shaadii) is what people actually say at the dinner table.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often say शादी करना (shaadii karnaa) for 'to get married' but forget it needs से (se) for the partner: शादी करना (to marry someone) takes उससे शादी करना (usse shaadii karnaa, 'to marry him/her'), not उसे। 2) शादी होना (shaadii honaa) is used for the passive/impersonal sense 'to get married' (as in arranged marriages), e.g. मेरी शादी हो गई (merii shaadii ho gaii, 'I got married' -- literally 'my marriage happened'), which surprises learners expecting an active construction.
Sample Sentences:
उसकी शादी अगले महीने है। Her wedding is next month.
(uskii shaadii agle mahiine hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
शादी कब करोगे? When will you get married?
(shaadii kab karoge?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
हम पूरे परिवार के साथ शादी में गए थे। We went to the wedding with the whole family.
(ham poore parivaar ke saath shaadii men gae the।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
शादी का कार्ड अभी तक नहीं आया। The wedding invitation still hasn't arrived.
(shaadii kaa kaard abhii tak nahiin aayaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
हर साल सर्दियों में यहाँ ढेरों शादियाँ होती हैं। Every year in winter there are tons of weddings here.
(har saal sardiyon men yahaan dheron shaadiyaan hotii hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
काश मैं उसकी शादी में जा पाता। I wish I could have gone to his wedding.
(kaash main uskii shaadii men jaa paataa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
शादी की सारी तैयारियाँ जोरों पर चल रही हैं। All the wedding preparations are in full swing.
(shaadii kii saarii taiyaariyaan joron par chal rahii hain।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
शादी में देर मत करना, समय पर पहुँचना। Don't be late for the wedding, get there on time.
(shaadii men der mat karnaa, samay par pahunchnaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
शादी का हॉल शहर के बाहर बुक किया गया है। The wedding hall has been booked outside the city.
(shaadii kaa hol shahar ke baahar buk kiyaa gayaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
उसकी बहन की शादी में सारे मेहमान नाच रहे थे। At his sister's wedding, all the guests were dancing.
(uskii bahan kii shaadii men saare mehmaan naach rahe the।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
आपको विवाह-समारोह में सादर आमंत्रित किया जाता है। You are cordially invited to the wedding ceremony.
(aapko vivaah-samaaroh men saadar aamantrit kiyaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
अगर बजट कम होता, तो शादी इतनी बड़ी न होती। If the budget had been smaller, the wedding wouldn't have been this big.
(agar bajat kam hotaa, to shaadii itnii badii n hotii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
Sense 2 : marriage (the institution/state of being married)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: विवाह (vivaah, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the same word stretched to cover the abstract institution, not just the one-day event -- English speakers might reach for two different words, but Hindi comfortably uses शादी (shaadii) for both 'the wedding' and 'marriage' as a state of life.
Sample Sentences:
शादी एक बड़ी ज़िम्मेदारी है। Marriage is a big responsibility.
(shaadii ek badii zimmedaarii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उनकी शादी को अब दस साल हो गए हैं। It has now been ten years since their marriage.
(unkii shaadii ko ab das saal ho gae hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
शादी में दोनों को एक-दूसरे को समझना पड़ता है। In marriage, both partners have to understand each other.
(shaadii men donon ko ek-doosre ko samajhnaa padtaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर शादी सिर्फ प्यार पर टिकी होती, तो इतने झगड़े न होते। If marriage were based on love alone, there wouldn't be so many fights.
(agar shaadii sirph pyaar par tikii hotii, to itne jhagde n hote।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
काश शादी हमेशा इतनी आसान होती। If only marriage were always this easy.
(kaash shaadii hameshaa itnii aasaan hotii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
समाजशास्त्री मानते हैं कि शादी एक सामाजिक संस्था के रूप में लगातार बदल रही है। Sociologists believe that marriage, as a social institution, is continuously changing.
(samaajshaastrii maante hain ki shaadii ek saamaajik sansthaa ke roop men lagaataar badal rahii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसकी शादी टूट गई क्योंकि दोनों के विचार बहुत अलग थे। His marriage fell apart because their views were very different.
(uskii shaadii toot gaii kyonki donon ke vichaar bahut alag the।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
बड़ों का कहना है कि शादी निभाने के लिए धैर्य चाहिए। Elders say that patience is needed to sustain a marriage.
(badon kaa kahnaa hai ki shaadii nibhaane ke lie dhairy chaahie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
शादी को हल्के में मत लो। Don't take marriage lightly.
(shaadii ko halke men mat lo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
भारतीय समाज में शादी को अक्सर दो परिवारों का मिलन माना जाता है, न कि सिर्फ दो लोगों का। In Indian society, marriage is often considered a union of two families, not just two individuals.
(bhaartiiy samaaj men shaadii ko aksar do parivaaron kaa milan maanaa jaataa hai, n ki sirph do logon kaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
शायद शादी उसे ज़िम्मेदार बना दे। Perhaps marriage will make him more responsible.
(shaayad shaadii use zimmedaar banaa de।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): शादी (shaadii)
(sg.f.oblique): शादी (shaadii)
(pl.f.direct): शादियाँ (shaadiyaan)
(pl.f.oblique): शादियों (shaadiyon)