देहात (dehaat)
noun
Means the countryside/rural areas, as opposed to the city (शहर, shahar); mostly used in one straightforward sense, though it carries a distinct cultural flavor.
Sense
1
:
the countryside, rural areas
noun, masculine Almost always used with the postposition में (men) -- देहात में (dehaat men, 'in the countryside') -- to mean 'out in the rural areas', often collectively covering the villages around a town or region rather than any single village.
Synonyms: गांव (gaanv, refers to a single village rather than the countryside in general), ग्रामीण क्षेत्र (graamiin kshetr, formal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: देहात (dehaat) is the word a city person uses when talking about 'going out to the countryside' -- it carries a mild outsider's-eye-view, the way an office-goer in Delhi might say वो तो देहात में रहते हैं (vo to dehaat men rahte hain, 'they live out in the countryside'). It pairs naturally with शहर (shahar, 'city') as the classic city-versus-countryside contrast in everyday conversation, news, and politics.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use देहात (dehaat) and गांव (gaanv) interchangeably, but गांव (gaanv) names one specific village while देहात (dehaat) refers to rural territory in general, often several villages' worth. 2) The adjective form देहाती (dehaatii) is very common in speech (meaning 'rustic' or, informally, 'unsophisticated') -- learners should recognize it as related but should not use देहात (dehaat) itself as an adjective.
Sample Sentences:
मेरे दादा-दादी अब भी देहात में रहते हैं।
My grandparents still live out in the countryside.
(mere daadaa-daadii ab bhii dehaat men rahte hain।)
शहर और देहात के बीच फर्क दिन-ब-दिन कम हो रहा है।
The difference between city and countryside is shrinking day by day.
(shahar aur dehaat ke biich phark din-b-din kam ho rahaa hai।)
पिछले साल हम देहात में एक हफ्ता रहने गए थे।
Last year we went to stay in the countryside for a week.
(pichhle saal ham dehaat men ek haphtaa rahne gae the।)
अगर बिजली ठीक से आती तो देहात के लोग शहर की तरफ इतना न भागते।
If electricity came properly, people from the countryside wouldn't flee to the city so much.
(agar bijlii thiik se aatii to dehaat ke log shahar kii taraph itnaa n bhaagte।)
सरकार को देहात में स्कूल और अस्पताल बनवाने चाहिए।
The government should get schools and hospitals built in the countryside.
(sarkaar ko dehaat men skool aur asptaal banvaane chaahie।)
देहात में जाकर ही पता चलता है कि असली भारत कैसा है।
It's only by going to the countryside that you realize what real India is like.
(dehaat men jaakar hii pataa chaltaa hai ki aslii bhaarat kaisaa hai।)
यह रिपोर्ट देहात में बढ़ती बेरोजगारी पर आधारित है।
This report is based on rising unemployment in rural areas.
(yah riport dehaat men badhtii berojgaarii par aadhaarit hai।)
वो तो देहात में रहते हैं, इसलिए मेट्रो का नाम भी नहीं सुना उन्होंने।
They live out in the countryside, so they haven't even heard of the metro.
(vo to dehaat men rahte hain, islie metro kaa naam bhii nahiin sunaa unhonne।)
क्या तुम कभी देहात में रुके हो?
Have you ever stayed in the countryside?
(kyaa tum kabhii dehaat men ruke ho?)
देहात की सड़कों की हालत अगली सरकार सुधारेगी, ऐसा वादा किया गया है।
It has been promised that the next government will improve the condition of the roads in the countryside.
(dehaat kii sadkon kii haalat aglii sarkaar sudhaaregii, aisaa vaadaa kiyaa gayaa hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
देहात
(dehaat)
(sg.m.oblique):
देहात
(dehaat)
(pl.m.direct):
देहात
(dehaat)
(pl.m.oblique):
देहातों
(dehaaton)