तंदूर (tandoor)

noun A clay oven used for baking bread and roasting meat/vegetables; a loanword from Persian, now completely at home in North Indian kitchens and restaurants.
Sense 1 : clay oven (physical object)
noun, masculine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: In Delhi-NCR, the neighborhood tandoor was traditionally a shared clay oven at the corner shop or in a courtyard, where women would bring dough to be baked into roti (rotii) for a small fee, a scene still visible in older mohallas (mohalle, 'neighborhoods'). Today it is equally the centerpiece of restaurant kitchens, famous for tandoori chicken and naan (naan).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often assume तंदूर (tandoor) itself is a type of bread or dish, when it actually names the oven; the food is described with तंदूरी (tandoorii) as an adjective, e.g. तंदूरी रोटी (tandoorii rotii, 'tandoor-baked bread').
Sample Sentences:
हमारी गली के कोने पर एक पुराना तंदूर है। There's an old clay oven at the corner of our lane.
(hamaarii galii ke kone par ek puraanaa tandoor hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
दादी रोज़ सुबह आटा गूँधकर तंदूर वाले के यहाँ भेजती थीं। Grandma used to knead the dough every morning and send it to the tandoor-wallah's place.
(daadii roz subah aataa goondhkar tandoor vaale ke yahaan bhejtii thiin।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
रसोई में मिट्टी का तंदूर जल रहा है। The clay tandoor is burning in the kitchen.
(rasoii men mittii kaa tandoor jal rahaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
रेस्तराँ के बीचोबीच एक बड़ा तंदूर लगाया गया है। A big tandoor has been installed right in the middle of the restaurant.
(restraan ke biichobiich ek badaa tandoor lagaayaa gayaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
तंदूर को अच्छी तरह गरम कर लो, फिर नान डालना। Heat up the tandoor properly, then put in the naan.
(tandoor ko achchhii tarah garam kar lo, phir naan daalnaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर हमारे पास तंदूर होता, तो घर पर ही तंदूरी रोटी बना लेते। If we had a tandoor, we would just make tandoori roti at home.
(agar hamaare paas tandoor hotaa, to ghar par hii tandoorii rotii banaa lete।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम्हारे घर में तंदूर है या बाहर से मँगाते हो? Do you have a tandoor at home, or do you order from outside?
(kyaa tumhaare ghar men tandoor hai yaa baahar se mangaate ho?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पुराने मोहल्ले में तंदूर की गर्माहट और धुएँ की खुशबू आज भी याद है। I still remember the warmth of the tandoor and the smell of smoke in the old neighborhood.
(puraane mohalle men tandoor kii garmaahat aur dhuen kii khushboo aaj bhii yaad hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
होटल के लिए नया तंदूर मँगाया जाएगा। A new tandoor will be ordered for the hotel.
(hotal ke lie nayaa tandoor mangaayaa jaaegaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
मिस्त्री ने आँगन में मिट्टी का तंदूर बनाया। The mason built a clay tandoor in the courtyard.
(mistrii ne aangan men mittii kaa tandoor banaayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
शायद इस दुकान में लकड़ी वाला तंदूर हो, गैस वाला नहीं। Maybe this shop has a wood-fired tandoor, not a gas one.
(shaayad is dukaan men lakdii vaalaa tandoor ho, gais vaalaa nahiin।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): तंदूर (tandoor)
(sg.m.oblique): तंदूर (tandoor)
(pl.m.direct): तंदूर (tandoor)
(pl.m.oblique): तंदूरों (tandooron)