रेलगाड़ी (relgaadii)

noun A compound of रेल (rel, 'rail') and गाड़ी (gaadii, 'vehicle'); it simply means 'train.' Single-sense word.
Sense 1 : train (railway)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: ट्रेन (tren), रेल (rel, one-word variant, very common)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear this word in railway station announcements -- गाड़ी संख्या (gaadii sankhyaa, 'train number') -- and it carries a slightly more official, textbook flavor than the everyday ट्रेन (tren) that most Delhi-NCR speakers actually use when chatting about their commute. Think of रेलगाड़ी (relgaadii) as the word your Hindi textbook and the railway PA system prefer, while ट्रेन (tren) is what your friends will say.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often default to ट्रेन (tren) since it is shorter and used constantly in speech; रेलगाड़ी (relgaadii) is the fuller, more 'proper' word you will see on signs and hear in formal announcements, but it is not wrong or old-fashioned in conversation. 2) Do not confuse with गाड़ी (gaadii) alone, which by itself usually means 'car' or generic 'vehicle,' not specifically 'train.'
Sample Sentences:
रेलगाड़ी स्टेशन पर खड़ी है। The train is standing at the station.
(relgaadii steshan par khadii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
रेलगाड़ी संख्या बारह सौ पंद्रह प्लेटफ़ॉर्म तीन पर आ रही है। Train number twelve-fifteen is arriving on platform three.
(relgaadii sankhyaa baarah sau pandrah pletform tiin par aa rahii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
रेलगाड़ी हर दिन ठीक समय पर चलती थी। The train used to run exactly on time every day.
(relgaadii har din thiik samay par chaltii thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यात्रीगण कृपया ध्यान दें, रेलगाड़ी शीघ्र ही प्लेटफ़ॉर्म संख्या दो पर आने वाली है। Attention passengers, the train is about to arrive shortly on platform number two.
(yaatriigan kripyaa dhyaan den, relgaadii shiighr hii pletform sankhyaa do par aane vaalii hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
यदि रेलगाड़ी समय पर होती, तो हम परीक्षा नहीं छोड़ते। If the train had been on time, we would not have missed the exam.
(yadi relgaadii samay par hotii, to ham pariikshaa nahiin chhodte।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
रेलगाड़ी को समय पर रोका गया। The train was stopped on time.
(relgaadii ko samay par rokaa gayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
रेलगाड़ी में चढ़ने से पहले टिकट अवश्य दिखाइए। Please show your ticket before boarding the train.
(relgaadii men chadhne se pahle tikat avashy dikhaaie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
शायद यह रेलगाड़ी दो घंटे विलंब से चले। This train might run two hours late.
(shaayad yah relgaadii do ghante vilamb se chale।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
रेलगाड़ी की सीटी सुनकर बच्चे खिड़की की ओर दौड़े। Hearing the train's whistle, the children ran to the window.
(relgaadii kii siitii sunkar bachche khidkii kii or daude।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगले वर्ष तक यह रेलगाड़ी इलेक्ट्रिक इंजन से चलेगी। By next year, this train will run on an electric engine.
(agle varsh tak yah relgaadii ilektrik injan se chalegii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
पुराने समय में रेलगाड़ी को लोहे का घोड़ा कहा जाता था। In olden times, the train used to be called the iron horse.
(puraane samay men relgaadii ko lohe kaa ghodaa kahaa jaataa thaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): रेलगाड़ी (relgaadii)
(sg.f.oblique): रेलगाड़ी (relgaadii)
(pl.f.direct): रेलगाड़ियाँ (relgaadiyaan)
(pl.f.oblique): रेलगाड़ियों (relgaadiyon)