चौथाई (chauthaaii)
numeral
A fractional-numeral word meaning 'one-fourth, a quarter,' used both as a noun (a quarter of something) and as an adjective-like modifier before a noun (चौथाई हिस्सा (chauthaaii hissaa, 'a quarter part')).
Sense
1
:
one-fourth, a quarter (fraction)
numeral Used both as a standalone noun ('a quarter of it') and attributively before a noun, e.g. चौथाई किलो (chauthaaii kilo, 'a quarter kilo'), without changing form.
Synonyms: एक चौथाई (ek chauthaaii, explicit form)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the everyday word you'll hear in Delhi kitchens and markets: 'चौथाई किलो प्याज़ दे दो' (chauthaaii kilo pyaaz de do, 'give me a quarter kilo of onions') is completely natural grocery-shopping Hindi. It pairs conceptually with आधा (aadhaa, 'half') and तिहाई (tihaaii, 'one-third') as the common everyday fraction words, all built the same way from the ordinal plus -आई (-aaii).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try to inflect चौथाई (chauthaaii) like an adjective agreeing with the noun's gender/number, but it stays the same form regardless -- चौथाई रोटी (chauthaaii rotii, 'a quarter of a roti') and चौथाई सेब (chauthaaii seb, 'a quarter of an apple') both use the identical word. 2) Don't confuse it with चौथा (chauthaa, 'fourth' as in ordinal position, e.g. चौथा नंबर (chauthaa nambar, 'fourth number')) -- चौथाई (chauthaaii) is specifically the fraction one-fourth, not the ordinal.
Sample Sentences:
चौथाई किलो प्याज़ दे दो।
Give me a quarter kilo of onions.
(chauthaaii kilo pyaaz de do।)
इस कमरे का चौथाई हिस्सा सामान से भरा है।
A quarter of this room is filled with stuff.
(is kamre kaa chauthaaii hissaa saamaan se bharaa hai।)
मेरी तनख्वाह का चौथाई हिस्सा किराए में चला जाता है।
A quarter of my salary goes into rent.
(merii tanakhvaah kaa chauthaaii hissaa kiraae men chalaa jaataa hai।)
क्या तुम चौथाई नींबू निकाल कर देंगे?
Will you cut off a quarter of the lemon for me?
(kyaa tum chauthaaii niimboo nikaal kar denge?)
अगर काम का चौथाई हिस्सा भी पूरा हो जाता, तो हम खुश होते।
If even a quarter of the work had gotten done, we would have been happy.
(agar kaam kaa chauthaaii hissaa bhii pooraa ho jaataa, to ham khush hote।)
फसल का चौथाई हिस्सा बारिश से बर्बाद हो गया।
A quarter of the harvest was ruined by the rain.
(phasal kaa chauthaaii hissaa baarish se barbaad ho gayaa।)
देश की चौथाई आबादी गरीबी रेखा से नीचे रहती है।
A quarter of the country's population lives below the poverty line.
(desh kii chauthaaii aabaadii gariibii rekhaa se niiche rahtii hai।)
आधा नहीं, बस चौथाई मात्रा ही इस्तेमाल करें।
Not half, just use a quarter quantity.
(aadhaa nahiin, bas chauthaaii maatraa hii istemaal karen।)
शायद बजट का चौथाई हिस्सा विज्ञापन पर खर्च हो जाए।
Perhaps a quarter of the budget might get spent on advertising.
(shaayad bajat kaa chauthaaii hissaa vigyaapan par kharch ho jaae।)
उसने केक का चौथाई टुकड़ा खा लिया।
He ate a quarter piece of the cake.
(usne kek kaa chauthaaii tukdaa khaa liyaa।)
अंतिम समय में सिर्फ चौथाई मैदान ही खाली बचा था।
By the end, only a quarter of the field remained empty.
(antim samay men sirph chauthaaii maidaan hii khaalii bachaa thaa।)