नौकरी (naukrii)
noun
A single core sense: paid employment or a job/post. Learners will meet it constantly in set phrases about working, applying, and quitting.
Sense
1
:
job, employment, service
noun, feminine
Synonyms: काम (kaam, broader, also means 'work' generally), नौकरी-चाकरी (naukrii-chaakrii, colloquial, emphatic doubling), पद (pad, meaning 'post/position' rather than the job itself), मुलाज़मत (mulaazmat, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In Delhi-NCR households, नौकरी (naukrii) carries a specific cultural weight: it usually implies a steady salaried post (especially government, सरकारी नौकरी sarkaarii naukrii) as opposed to व्यापार (vyaapaar, business) or freelance काम (kaam). Parents anxious about a child's future will ask नौकरी लगी या नहीं? (naukrii lagii yaa nahiin?, 'did the job come through or not?') -- notice how the job is framed as something that arrives or lands on you, not something you actively seize.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often say करना (karnaa) with नौकरी (naukrii) when they mean 'to work at a job' -- नौकरी करना (naukrii karnaa, 'to have/do a job') is correct and very common, but do not confuse it with काम करना (kaam karnaa, 'to do work/a task'), which is about the activity, not the employment status. 2) 'To get a job' is नौकरी लगना (naukrii lagnaa, 'the job to land [on someone]') or नौकरी मिलना (naukrii milnaa), both using dative-subject constructions with को (ko) -- learners default to करना (karnaa) here, which sounds off. 3) 'To lose a job' is नौकरी छूटना (naukrii chhootnaa, intransitive, 'the job slips away') or नौकरी जाना (naukrii jaanaa), not a direct translation of 'lose.'
Sample Sentences:
मुझे पिछले महीने एक नई नौकरी मिली।
I got a new job last month.
(mujhe pichhle mahiine ek naii naukrii milii।)
उसकी सरकारी नौकरी लगी या नहीं?
Did his government job come through or not?
(uskii sarkaarii naukrii lagii yaa nahiin?)
वह रोज़ सुबह नौ बजे नौकरी पर जाता है।
He goes to his job every morning at nine o'clock.
(vah roz subah nau baje naukrii par jaataa hai।)
अगर मेरी नौकरी लग जाती तो मैं इतना परेशान नहीं होता।
If I had gotten a job, I wouldn't be so worried.
(agar merii naukrii lag jaatii to main itnaa pareshaan nahiin hotaa।)
पहले नौकरी ढूंढो, फिर शादी की बात करना।
First find a job, then talk about marriage.
(pahle naukrii dhoondho, phir shaadii kii baat karnaa।)
माँ-बाप चाहते हैं कि बेटे को अच्छी नौकरी मिल जाए।
The parents want their son to land a good job.
(maan-baap chaahte hain ki bete ko achchhii naukrii mil jaae।)
उम्मीदवारों का चयन साक्षात्कार के आधार पर नौकरी के लिए किया जाएगा।
Candidates will be selected for the job based on the interview.
(ummiidvaaron kaa chayan saakshaatkaar ke aadhaar par naukrii ke lie kiyaa jaaegaa।)
बहुत साल पहले पिताजी ने रेलवे में नौकरी की थी।
Many years ago, father had a job in the railways.
(bahut saal pahle pitaajii ne relve men naukrii kii thii।)
वह अपनी नौकरी छोड़कर अपना व्यापार शुरू करना चाहता है।
He wants to quit his job and start his own business.
(vah apnii naukrii chhodkar apnaa vyaapaar shuroo karnaa chaahtaa hai।)
इस समय बाज़ार में नौकरी मिलना बहुत मुश्किल हो गया है।
These days it has become very hard to find a job in the market.
(is samay baazaar men naukrii milnaa bahut mushkil ho gayaa hai।)
काश मुझे भी कोई पक्की नौकरी मिल जाती।
If only I too could get a permanent job.
(kaash mujhe bhii koii pakkii naukrii mil jaatii।)
कृपया अपनी नौकरी संबंधी जानकारी फॉर्म में भरें।
Please fill in your job-related information in the form.
(kripyaa apnii naukrii sambandhii jaankaarii phorm men bharen।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
नौकरी
(naukrii)
(sg.f.oblique):
नौकरी
(naukrii)
(pl.f.direct):
नौकरियाँ
(naukriyaan)
(pl.f.oblique):
नौकरियों
(naukriyon)