कैंची (kainchii)
noun
Mainly a concrete noun meaning 'scissors', with a common extended sense describing a scissor-like crossing or straddling motion (e.g., in traffic or acrobatics).
Sense
1
:
scissors
noun, feminine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Every tailor's shop and beauty parlour in Delhi has a कैंची (kainchii) hanging within reach, and you'll hear shopkeepers casually ask बड़ी कैंची लाओ (badii kainchii laao, 'bring the big scissors') when trimming or cutting cloth. It's an everyday household object right alongside सुई (suii, 'needle') and धागा (dhaagaa, 'thread').
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes treat this as plural in English fashion ('the scissors are') and get confused about agreement -- कैंची (kainchii) is a regular singular feminine noun in Hindi, so it takes singular feminine agreement: कैंची टूट गई (kainchii toot gaii, 'the scissors broke'), not a plural verb form. 2) Do not confuse with चाकू (chaakoo, 'knife') or ब्लेड (bled, 'blade') -- कैंची (kainchii) specifically means the two-bladed cutting tool.
Sample Sentences:
यह कैंची बहुत तेज़ है।
This pair of scissors is very sharp.
(yah kainchii bahut tez hai।)
दर्ज़ी रोज़ कपड़ा काटने के लिए कैंची इस्तेमाल करता है।
The tailor uses scissors every day to cut cloth.
(darzii roz kapdaa kaatne ke lie kainchii istemaal kartaa hai।)
मम्मी ने कागज़ काटने के लिए कैंची माँगी।
Mom asked for the scissors to cut the paper.
(mammii ne kaagaz kaatne ke lie kainchii maangii।)
बड़ी कैंची लाओ, यह कपड़ा काटना है।
Bring the big scissors, this cloth needs to be cut.
(badii kainchii laao, yah kapdaa kaatnaa hai।)
कैंची मेज़ पर पड़ी है, ज़रा उठा दो।
The scissors are lying on the table, please pick them up.
(kainchii mez par padii hai, zaraa uthaa do।)
सैलून में हर कुर्सी के पास एक कैंची रखी रहती है।
In the salon, a pair of scissors stays kept near every chair.
(sailoon men har kursii ke paas ek kainchii rakhii rahtii hai।)
अगर कैंची तेज़ होती तो कपड़ा इतनी आसानी से नहीं फटता।
If the scissors were sharp, the cloth wouldn't have torn so easily.
(agar kainchii tez hotii to kapdaa itnii aasaanii se nahiin phattaa।)
बच्चों को कैंची से खेलने मत दो, चोट लग सकती है।
Don't let the children play with scissors, they might get hurt.
(bachchon ko kainchii se khelne mat do, chot lag saktii hai।)
क्या तुम्हारे पास एक कैंची है जो मुझे उधार दे सको?
Do you have a pair of scissors that you could lend me?
(kyaa tumhaare paas ek kainchii hai jo mujhe udhaar de sako?)
उद्घाटन के मौके पर मंत्री जी ने रिबन कैंची से काटा।
On the occasion of the inauguration, the minister cut the ribbon with scissors.
(udghaatan ke mauke par mantrii jii ne riban kainchii se kaataa।)
नाई ने कैंची से बाल काटते हुए ग्राहक से बातें कीं।
The barber chatted with the customer while cutting his hair with scissors.
(naaii ne kainchii se baal kaatte hue graahak se baaten kiin।)
Sense
2
:
a scissor-like crossing or straddling motion
noun, feminine Used attributively or in fixed expressions like कैंची चलना (kainchii chalnaa) or कैंची मारना (kainchii maarnaa) to describe vehicles cutting across each other's path, or legs/limbs crossing in a scissor-like action (as in exercise or dance).
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You'll hear this in traffic contexts in Delhi -- a scooter driver weaving sharply between cars might be described as कैंची मार के निकल गया (kainchii maar ke nikal gayaa, 'he cut across and got away'), painting the motion as two blades crossing. It's a vivid, visual extension of the literal tool.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense is often used specifically for two-wheelers or vehicles weaving dangerously through traffic -- कैंची चलाना (kainchii chalaanaa, 'to cut across/weave, lit. to run the scissors') -- learners may not realize this is idiomatic and try to translate it too literally.
Sample Sentences:
वो बाइक वाला गाड़ियों के बीच कैंची मार के निकल गया।
That biker cut across between the cars with a scissor move and got away.
(vo baaik vaalaa gaadiyon ke biich kainchii maar ke nikal gayaa।)
ट्रैफिक में कैंची मारना बहुत खतरनाक होता है।
Cutting across sharply like that in traffic is very dangerous.
(traiphik men kainchii maarnaa bahut khatarnaak hotaa hai।)
वो लड़का सिग्नल पर कैंची मारते हुए दो बसों के बीच से निकल गया।
That boy weaved through with a scissor cut between two buses right at the signal.
(vo ladkaa signal par kainchii maarte hue do bason ke biich se nikal gayaa।)
कैंची मत मारो, कभी एक्सीडेंट हो जाएगा।
Don't weave like that -- you'll cause an accident one day.
(kainchii mat maaro, kabhii eksiident ho jaaegaa।)
अगर वो कैंची मारते हुए इतनी तेज़ न चलता, तो शायद बच जाता।
If he hadn't been weaving so fast like that, he might have survived.
(agar vo kainchii maarte hue itnii tez n chaltaa, to shaayad bach jaataa।)
पुलिस वाले ने उसे कैंची मारते हुए पकड़ लिया।
The policeman caught him in the act of cutting across the traffic like that.
(pulis vaale ne use kainchii maarte hue pakad liyaa।)
इतनी भीड़ में कैंची मारना संभव ही नहीं है।
In such heavy traffic, weaving through like that just isn't possible.
(itnii bhiid men kainchii maarnaa sambhav hii nahiin hai।)
शायद वो जल्दी में कैंची मार के निकलना चाहता हो।
Maybe he was in a hurry and wanted to cut across like that.
(shaayad vo jaldii men kainchii maar ke nikalnaa chaahtaa ho।)
उस मोटरसाइकिल वाले द्वारा दो ट्रकों के बीच कैंची मारी गई, जिससे सब डर गए।
A scissor-like cut was made by that motorcyclist between two trucks, which scared everyone.
(us motarsaaikil vaale dvaaraa do trakon ke biich kainchii maarii gaii, jisse sab dar gae।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
कैंची
(kainchii)
(sg.f.oblique):
कैंची
(kainchii)
(pl.f.direct):
कैंचियाँ
(kainchiyaan)
(pl.f.oblique):
कैंचियों
(kainchiyon)