माल (maal)
noun
Primarily a noun meaning goods/merchandise/wealth (माल maal), with a very common colloquial extension to 'stuff' -- including slang for drugs or an attractive person; also survives in a few fixed idioms.
Sense
1
:
goods, merchandise, cargo
noun, masculine
Synonyms: सामान (saamaan), वस्तु (vastu, more formal, singular-item usage)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Ask a shopkeeper दुकान में माल कब आएगा (dukaan men maal kab aaegaa, 'when will the stock arrive at the shop')? and everyone understands you mean fresh inventory. You will also hear it shouted at loading docks and mandis where trucks are being loaded with माल (maal).
Common Mistakes: 1) माल (maal) leans commercial/bulk -- shopkeepers, traders, and truck drivers talk about माल (maal) arriving or being loaded, whereas सामान (saamaan) is the everyday word for personal belongings or household items; swapping them sounds odd in context.
Sample Sentences:
दुकान में नया माल कब आएगा?
When will the new stock arrive at the shop?
(dukaan men nayaa maal kab aaegaa?)
ट्रक में माल लादा जा रहा है।
Goods are being loaded onto the truck.
(trak men maal laadaa jaa rahaa hai।)
मजदूर मंडी में माल उतार रहे थे।
The laborers were unloading the goods at the market.
(majdoor mandii men maal utaar rahe the।)
यह माल जल्दी खराब हो जाता है, इसे ठंडे कमरे में रखो।
This merchandise spoils quickly, keep it in a cold room.
(yah maal jaldii kharaab ho jaataa hai, ise thande kamre men rakho।)
पिछले हफ्ते सारा माल बिक गया।
All the stock was sold last week.
(pichhle haphte saaraa maal bik gayaa।)
अगर माल समय पर पहुँच जाता तो ग्राहक खुश हो जाते।
If the cargo had arrived on time, the customers would have been happy.
(agar maal samay par pahunch jaataa to graahak khush ho jaate।)
सीमा शुल्क अधिकारियों ने बंदरगाह पर माल की जाँच की।
The customs officials inspected the cargo at the port.
(siimaa shulk adhikaariyon ne bandargaah par maal kii jaanch kii।)
कृपया सुनिश्चित करें कि माल की डिलीवरी समय पर हो।
Please ensure that the delivery of the goods happens on time.
(kripyaa sunishchit karen ki maal kii diliivrii samay par ho।)
इस गोदाम में तरह-तरह का माल रखा है।
All sorts of goods are kept in this warehouse.
(is godaam men tarah-tarah kaa maal rakhaa hai।)
दुकानदार बोला, माल उठा लो, दाम बाद में दे देना।
The shopkeeper said, take the goods, pay the price later.
(dukaandaar bolaa, maal uthaa lo, daam baad men de denaa।)
कंपनी हर महीने विदेश से माल मँगवाती है।
The company imports goods from abroad every month.
(kampnii har mahiine videsh se maal mangvaatii hai।)
Sense
2
:
wealth, riches, money (as property)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: धन (dhan), दौलत (daulat), सम्पत्ति (sampatti, formal, especially real estate/assets)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: The set phrase माल-असबाब (maal-asbaab, 'belongings/property') and the proverb-like use of माल (maal) alongside जान (jaan, 'life') -- as in जान-माल (jaan-maal, 'life and property') -- show up constantly in news reports about accidents, riots, or disasters.
Sample Sentences:
दंगों में बहुत जान-माल का नुकसान हुआ।
There was a great loss of life and property in the riots.
(dangon men bahut jaan-maal kaa nuksaan huaa।)
बाढ़ में लोगों का माल-असबाब सब बह गया।
People's belongings and property were all swept away in the flood.
(baadh men logon kaa maal-asbaab sab bah gayaa।)
उसने सारी जिंदगी माल इकट्ठा करने में लगा दी।
He spent his whole life accumulating wealth.
(usne saarii jindgii maal ikatthaa karne men lagaa dii।)
सरकार आपदा में जान-माल की सुरक्षा सुनिश्चित करे।
The government should ensure the protection of life and property during the disaster.
(sarkaar aapdaa men jaan-maal kii surakshaa sunishchit kare।)
अगर वह ईमानदार होता, तो इतना माल न बनाता।
If he had been honest, he wouldn't have amassed so much wealth.
(agar vah iimaandaar hotaa, to itnaa maal n banaataa।)
भूकंप के बाद प्रशासन जान-माल के नुकसान का आकलन कर रहा है।
After the earthquake, the administration is assessing the damage to life and property.
(bhookamp ke baad prashaasan jaan-maal ke nuksaan kaa aaklan kar rahaa hai।)
अपना माल-असबाब लेकर वह गाँव छोड़ गया।
He left the village, taking his belongings with him.
(apnaa maal-asbaab lekar vah gaanv chhod gayaa।)
प्राकृतिक आपदाओं में हर साल करोड़ों का माल बर्बाद हो जाता है।
Every year, wealth worth crores is destroyed in natural disasters.
(praakritik aapdaaon men har saal karodon kaa maal barbaad ho jaataa hai।)
उसका सारा माल कर्ज चुकाने में चला गया।
All his wealth went into paying off debts.
(uskaa saaraa maal karj chukaane men chalaa gayaa।)
इतना माल जोड़ो, फिर भी मन नहीं भरता।
You accumulate so much wealth, and yet the heart is never satisfied.
(itnaa maal jodo, phir bhii man nahiin bhartaa।)
Sense
3
:
colloquial: drugs, contraband, or an attractive person (slang)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: चीज़ (chiiz, slang, also used for an attractive person)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: In Bollywood-flavored slang, कैसा माल है (kaisaa maal hai, 'what a hottie') is a phrase you will hear in edgy dialogue or street banter, but it is objectifying and best understood passively rather than used casually by a learner.
Common Mistakes: 1) This slang sense is entirely tone-dependent -- the same word that means innocent 'merchandise' at a shop can mean 'drugs' or comment on someone's looks on the street; learners should recognize it but use it cautiously since it can come across as crude or objectifying, especially when applied to a person.
Sample Sentences:
पुलिस को गाड़ी से बहुत सारा माल मिला।
The police found a lot of drugs in the car.
(pulis ko gaadii se bahut saaraa maal milaa।)
यार, वो माल कहाँ से लाया था?
Dude, where did he get that stuff from?
(yaar, vo maal kahaan se laayaa thaa?)
देख, कैसा माल है वो!
Look, what a hottie she is!
(dekh, kaisaa maal hai vo!)
अगर माल पकड़ा गया तो सब जेल जाएँगे।
If the stuff gets caught, everyone will go to jail.
(agar maal pakdaa gayaa to sab jel jaaenge।)
वो हमेशा पार्टियों में माल बेचता है।
He always sells drugs at parties.
(vo hameshaa paartiyon men maal bechtaa hai।)
माल मत छूना, वरना फँस जाओगे।
Don't touch the stuff, or you'll get caught.
(maal mat chhoonaa, varnaa phans jaaoge।)
मुझे शक है कि उसके बैग में माल छुपा हुआ है।
I suspect there's stuff hidden in his bag.
(mujhe shak hai ki uske baig men maal chhupaa huaa hai।)
अगर वो माल न बेचता तो आज इतनी मुसीबत में न होता।
If he hadn't sold that stuff, he wouldn't be in so much trouble today.
(agar vo maal n bechtaa to aaj itnii musiibat men n hotaa।)
सुना है कल रात माल पकड़ा गया था।
I heard the stuff was seized last night.
(sunaa hai kal raat maal pakdaa gayaa thaa।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
माल
(maal)
(sg.m.oblique):
माल
(maal)
(pl.m.direct):
माल
(maal)
(pl.m.oblique):
मालों
(maalon)