चंद्रबिंदु (chandrbindu)
noun
The name of the nasalization mark in Devanagari script (the crescent-with-dot sign placed over a vowel, as in हूँ (hoon)). This is a metalinguistic/grammar term used when talking about spelling and script, not a word you'd use in everyday conversation.
Sense
1
:
the chandrabindu diacritic mark (nasalization sign in Devanagari)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: बिंदु (bindu, only the dot itself, not the crescent)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: You'll meet this word mainly in school grammar lessons or when someone corrects your spelling -- Hindi teachers in Delhi will often say चंद्रबिंदु लगाओ (chandrbindu lagaao, 'put the chandrabindu') when you've written हूं (hoon) instead of हूँ (hoon). In casual typing and even in many newspapers today, the dot-only अनुस्वार (anusvaar) has largely replaced the crescent form for ease of typing, so don't be surprised to see both.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often confuse चंद्रबिंदु (chandrbindu) with the plain अनुस्वार (anusvaar) dot (as in हूँ vs हूं (hoon, hoon)) -- the crescent-plus-dot version is used over open vowels like आ (aa) and ऊ (oo) sounds, while many modern printed texts and typing conventions simplify it to just the dot (anusvaar) for convenience. 2) This word describes the mark itself; it is not used to describe the sound of nasalization in speech (that's just called nasal or नासिक्य (naasiky) in technical contexts).
Sample Sentences:
इस शब्द में चंद्रबिंदु लगाओ।
Put a chandrabindu in this word.
(is shabd men chandrbindu lagaao।)
तुमने हूँ में चंद्रबिंदु नहीं लगाया।
You didn't put the chandrabindu on 'huun'.
(tumne hoon men chandrbindu nahiin lagaayaa।)
अध्यापिका बच्चों को चंद्रबिंदु का सही इस्तेमाल सिखा रही थी।
The teacher was teaching the children the correct use of the chandrabindu.
(adhyaapikaa bachchon ko chandrbindu kaa sahii istemaal sikhaa rahii thii।)
चंद्रबिंदु नाक से बोली जाने वाली ध्वनि को दिखाता है।
The chandrabindu indicates a sound pronounced through the nose.
(chandrbindu naak se bolii jaane vaalii dhvani ko dikhaataa hai।)
क्या तुम बता सकते हो कि चंद्रबिंदु कहाँ लगता है?
Can you tell me where the chandrabindu goes?
(kyaa tum bataa sakte ho ki chandrbindu kahaan lagtaa hai?)
अगर तुम ध्यान से लिखते तो चंद्रबिंदु कभी नहीं छूटता।
If you wrote carefully, the chandrabindu would never be left out.
(agar tum dhyaan se likhte to chandrbindu kabhii nahiin chhoottaa।)
पुरानी किताबों में चंद्रबिंदु का इस्तेमाल बहुत सावधानी से किया जाता था।
In old books, the chandrabindu used to be applied very carefully.
(puraanii kitaabon men chandrbindu kaa istemaal bahut saavdhaanii se kiyaa jaataa thaa।)
आज बहुत से लोग चंद्रबिंदु की जगह सिर्फ अनुस्वार लगाते हैं।
Nowadays many people just use the anusvara instead of the chandrabindu.
(aaj bahut se log chandrbindu kii jagah sirph anusvaar lagaate hain।)
शायद कंप्यूटर पर टाइप करना आसान न हो, इसलिए चंद्रबिंदु कम दिखता है।
Maybe it isn't easy to type on a computer, which is why the chandrabindu appears less often.
(shaayad kampyootar par taaip karnaa aasaan n ho, islie chandrbindu kam dikhtaa hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
चंद्रबिंदु
(chandrbindu)
(sg.m.oblique):
चंद्रबिंदु
(chandrbindu)
(pl.m.direct):
चंद्रबिंदु
(chandrbindu)
(pl.m.oblique):
चंद्रबिंदुों
([[चंद्रबिंदुों]])