गुलामी (gulaamii)
noun
One main sense: slavery/servitude, both as the literal institution and as a common metaphor for being under someone's or something's control. Related to गुलाम (gulaam, 'slave'), from which it is derived.
Sense
1
:
slavery, servitude, bondage
noun, feminine
Synonyms: दासता (daastaa, formal/literary), बंधन (bandhan, meaning scope: bondage/constraint more broadly), परतंत्रता (partantrtaa, formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the word every Indian schoolchild meets in the phrase अंग्रेजों की गुलामी (angrejon kii gulaamii, 'servitude under the British'), so it carries a strong charge of colonial history alongside its literal sense. It is also used loosely and often self-deprecatingly, as when someone says नौकरी में गुलामी है (naukrii men gulaamii hai, 'the job is basically slave labor') about a demanding boss or job, extending the word from literal bondage to any felt loss of freedom or dignity.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes reach for दास (daas) or दासता (daastaa) as the default, but गुलामी (gulaamii) is the word actually used in everyday and political speech, especially about historical/colonial subjugation. 2) गुलामी करना (gulaamii karnaa) means 'to live/work in servitude' or 'to be servile toward someone,' not literally 'to do slavery' as a one-off act -- it describes an ongoing state or habitual submission.
Sample Sentences:
भारत ने दो सौ साल तक अंग्रेजों की गुलामी झेली।
India endured servitude under the British for two hundred years.
(bhaarat ne do sau saal tak angrejon kii gulaamii jhelii।)
यार, इस नौकरी में तो बस गुलामी है, कोई इज्जत नहीं है।
Dude, this job is basically slave labor, there's no respect at all.
(yaar, is naukrii men to bas gulaamii hai, koii ijjat nahiin hai।)
हमारे पुरखों ने गुलामी की जंजीरें तोड़ने के लिए अपनी जान दे दी।
Our ancestors gave their lives to break the chains of slavery.
(hamaare purkhon ne gulaamii kii janjiiren todne ke lie apnii jaan de dii।)
क्या तुम हमेशा इसी तरह गुलामी करते रहोगे?
Will you keep doing this kind of servitude forever?
(kyaa tum hameshaa isii tarah gulaamii karte rahoge?)
अगर वह ज़्यादा विरोध करता तो शायद उसकी गुलामी और बढ़ जाती।
If he had resisted more, his bondage might have only increased.
(agar vah zyaadaa virodh kartaa to shaayad uskii gulaamii aur badh jaatii।)
स्वतंत्रता सेनानी चाहते थे कि देश गुलामी से मुक्त हो जाए।
The freedom fighters wanted the country to be freed from slavery.
(svatantrtaa senaanii chaahte the ki desh gulaamii se mukt ho jaae।)
गुलामी की बेड़ियाँ कभी सोने की नहीं होतीं।
The shackles of slavery are never made of gold.
(gulaamii kii bediyaan kabhii sone kii nahiin hotiin।)
उस ज़माने में गरीब किसानों से जबरन गुलामी करवाई जाती थी।
In those days, poor farmers were forced into servitude.
(us zamaane men gariib kisaanon se jabran gulaamii karvaaii jaatii thii।)
गुलामी मत कर, अपनी शर्तों पर जी।
Don't live in bondage, live on your own terms.
(gulaamii mat kar, apnii sharton par jii।)
हे प्रभु, इस मन को माया की गुलामी से मुक्त कर दो।
O Lord, free this mind from the bondage of worldly illusion.
(he prabhu, is man ko maayaa kii gulaamii se mukt kar do।)
गुलामी की मानसिकता से बाहर निकलना आसान नहीं होता।
It's not easy to break free from a slave mentality.
(gulaamii kii maansiktaa se baahar nikalnaa aasaan nahiin hotaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
गुलामी
(gulaamii)
(sg.f.oblique):
गुलामी
(gulaamii)
(pl.f.direct):
गुलामियाँ
(gulaamiyaan)
(pl.f.oblique):
गुलामियों
(gulaamiyon)