चिमटा (chimtaa)
noun
A common kitchen and household item, primarily 'tongs,' with a related fire-tool sense.
Sense
1
:
kitchen tongs
noun, masculine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Ask any Delhi household about चिमटा (chimtaa) and they'll picture the metal tongs hanging by the stove, used to flip रोटी (rotii) on the तवा (tavaa, 'griddle') or to pull embers in and out of the चूल्हा (choolhaa, 'traditional stove'). It's one of those everyday kitchen nouns every learner should know early, right alongside चम्मच (chammach, 'spoon') and कड़ाही (kadaahii, 'wok/pan').
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse this with चिमटी (chimtii, 'tweezers/small clip'), which is a smaller, different tool -- चिमटा (chimtaa) is specifically the larger kitchen tongs used for handling hot रोटी (rotii, 'flatbread') or coals.
Sample Sentences:
चिमटा कहाँ रखा है?
Where are the tongs kept?
(chimtaa kahaan rakhaa hai?)
माँ चिमटे से रोटी पलट रही है।
Mom is flipping the roti with the tongs.
(maan chimte se rotii palat rahii hai।)
वह हर सुबह चिमटे से तवे पर रोटी सेंकती है।
She toasts the roti on the griddle with the tongs every morning.
(vah har subah chimte se tave par rotii senktii hai।)
ज़रा चिमटा पकड़ाना, रोटी जल रही है!
Hand me the tongs, quick, the roti is burning!
(zaraa chimtaa pakdaanaa, rotii jal rahii hai!)
अगर चिमटा हाथ में होता तो मैं जलने से बच जाती।
If I had had the tongs in hand, I would have avoided getting burned.
(agar chimtaa haath men hotaa to main jalne se bach jaatii।)
पुराना चिमटा जंग खा गया है, नया लेना पड़ेगा।
The old tongs have rusted, we'll have to buy a new one.
(puraanaa chimtaa jang khaa gayaa hai, nayaa lenaa padegaa।)
क्या तुम बाज़ार से एक चिमटा ले आओगे?
Will you bring a pair of tongs from the market?
(kyaa tum baazaar se ek chimtaa le aaoge?)
दुकानदार ने कहा कि स्टील का चिमटा ज़्यादा टिकाऊ होता है।
The shopkeeper said that a steel pair of tongs is more durable.
(dukaandaar ne kahaa ki stiil kaa chimtaa zyaadaa tikaaoo hotaa hai।)
रसोई में चिमटे के बिना काम नहीं चलता।
Work in the kitchen doesn't run without a pair of tongs.
(rasoii men chimte ke binaa kaam nahiin chaltaa।)
उसने चिमटे से कोयला निकालकर तंदूर सुलगाया।
He took out the coal with the tongs and lit the tandoor.
(usne chimte se koylaa nikaalkar tandoor sulgaayaa।)
Sense
2
:
fire tongs / iron pincers (also associated with ascetics)
noun, masculine
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the same word extended to the heavier iron tongs used for handling fire or coals -- and famously, the metal चिमटा (chimtaa) carried by wandering साधु (saadhu, 'ascetics') and sometimes struck like a percussion instrument during भजन (bhajan, 'devotional songs'). If you've seen a सन्यासी (sanyaasii, 'renunciant') on the street with a metal rod jangling with rings, that's often called a चिमटा (chimtaa) too.
Sample Sentences:
चूल्हे के पास एक पुराना चिमटा पड़ा था।
An old pair of fire tongs was lying near the hearth.
(choolhe ke paas ek puraanaa chimtaa padaa thaa।)
साधु ने चिमटा उठाया और उसे जोर से बजाया।
The ascetic picked up the iron tongs and clanged them loudly.
(saadhu ne chimtaa uthaayaa aur use jor se bajaayaa।)
भजन के दौरान वह चिमटा बजाता रहता है।
During the devotional song, he keeps clanging the iron tongs.
(bhajan ke dauraan vah chimtaa bajaataa rahtaa hai।)
कोयलों को हिलाने के लिए चिमटा ले आओ।
Bring the fire tongs to stir the coals.
(koylon ko hilaane ke lie chimtaa le aao।)
उस सन्यासी का चिमटा छल्लों से भरा हुआ था और चलते समय बजता रहता था।
That renunciant's tongs were covered with metal rings, and it kept jangling as he walked.
(us sanyaasii kaa chimtaa chhallon se bharaa huaa thaa aur chalte samay bajtaa rahtaa thaa।)
अगर चिमटा गरम अंगारे उठाने के लिए न होता, तो हाथ जल जाता।
If the tongs weren't there for lifting hot embers, the hand would get burned.
(agar chimtaa garam angaare uthaane ke lie n hotaa, to haath jal jaataa।)
मंदिर के बाहर एक बाबा चिमटे की झंकार के साथ भजन गा रहा था।
Outside the temple, a baba was singing devotional songs to the jangle of his iron tongs.
(mandir ke baahar ek baabaa chimte kii jhankaar ke saath bhajan gaa rahaa thaa।)
शायद वह चिमटा किसी मेले से खरीदा गया हो।
Perhaps those iron tongs were bought at some fair.
(shaayad vah chimtaa kisii mele se khariidaa gayaa ho।)
अंगीठी का चिमटा हर घर में नहीं मिलता, अब तो सब गैस पर खाना बनाते हैं।
You don't find fire tongs for the brazier in every house anymore, now everyone cooks on gas.
(angiithii kaa chimtaa har ghar men nahiin miltaa, ab to sab gais par khaanaa banaate hain।)
जब आग जल रही होगी, तब चिमटे से कोयले हटाना।
When the fire is burning, move the coals aside with the tongs.
(jab aag jal rahii hogii, tab chimte se koyle hataanaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
चिमटा
(chimtaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
चिमटे
(chimte)
(pl.m.direct):
चिमटे
(chimte)
(pl.m.oblique):
चिमटों
(chimton)