पेंच (pench)
noun
Literally a 'screw,' this word branches into a couple of vivid figurative senses -- a 'twist' or complication in a situation, and a wrestling/rhetorical 'move' or trick used against an opponent. Inline Hindi as Devanagari (pench).
Sense
1
:
screw (the hardware fastener)
noun, masculine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is a loanword (from Persian, via long use in Hindi-Urdu) and shows up constantly in everyday repair talk -- a loose पेंच (pench) is the classic complaint about wobbly furniture, ceiling fans, or door hinges. Ask any local carpenter or electrician and you will hear this word within the first minute.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse पेंच (pench) with पेच (pech) as if they were unrelated -- they are simply variant spellings of the same word, though पेंच (pench) with the chandrabindu is the more common form today.
Sample Sentences:
इस कुर्सी का पेंच ढीला है।
This chair's screw is loose.
(is kursii kaa pench dhiilaa hai।)
पंखे का पेंच कस दो, वरना गिर जाएगा।
Tighten the fan's screw, otherwise it will fall.
(pankhe kaa pench kas do, varnaa gir jaaegaa।)
मिस्त्री ने दरवाज़े के कब्ज़े में नया पेंच लगाया।
The carpenter fitted a new screw in the door hinge.
(mistrii ne darvaaze ke kabze men nayaa pench lagaayaa।)
क्या तुम्हारे पास छोटा पेंच है?
Do you have a small screw?
(kyaa tumhaare paas chhotaa pench hai?)
अगर पेंच सही जगह लगा होता, तो शेल्फ नहीं गिरता।
If the screw had been fitted in the right place, the shelf would not have fallen.
(agar pench sahii jagah lagaa hotaa, to shelph nahiin girtaa।)
टेबल के हर पेंच की जाँच कर लो, कहीं कोई निकल न गया हो।
Check every screw on the table, in case one has come out.
(tebal ke har pench kii jaanch kar lo, kahiin koii nikal n gayaa ho।)
इलेक्ट्रीशियन पेंच खोल कर स्विचबोर्ड ठीक कर रहा है।
The electrician is opening the screws and fixing the switchboard.
(ilektriishiyan pench khol kar svichbord thiik kar rahaa hai।)
पेंच इतना कस दिया गया था कि खोलना मुश्किल हो गया।
The screw had been tightened so much that it became difficult to open.
(pench itnaa kas diyaa gayaa thaa ki kholnaa mushkil ho gayaa।)
हार्डवेयर की दुकान पर हर तरह के पेंच मिलते हैं।
All kinds of screws are found at the hardware shop.
(haardveyar kii dukaan par har tarah ke pench milte hain।)
पेंच कसते समय पेचकस को सीधा पकड़ो।
While tightening the screw, hold the screwdriver straight.
(pench kaste samay pechkas ko siidhaa pakdo।)
अलमारी के दरवाज़े का पेंच सालों से घिसा हुआ था।
The screw of the cupboard door had been worn out for years.
(almaarii ke darvaaze kaa pench saalon se ghisaa huaa thaa।)
Sense
2
:
a twist, complication, or hidden catch in a situation
noun, masculine Commonly used in the phrase पेंच फँसना (pench phansnaa, 'for a snag/complication to arise') or पेंच डालना (pench daalnaa, 'to throw in a complication').
Synonyms: उलझन (uljhan), पेचीदगी (pechiidgii, less common)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Picture a screw that will not go in straight -- that image of something not sitting right is exactly the feel of this sense. It is a favorite word in negotiations, contracts, and gossip: कहीं कोई पेंच तो नहीं? (kahiin koii pench to nahiin, 'surely there's no catch somewhere?') is the kind of wary question a shrewd shopkeeper or relative might ask before agreeing to a deal.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense is about a situation getting tangled or tricky, not about a physical screw -- learners fresh off the hardware meaning sometimes miss the metaphorical leap. 2) इसमें कोई पेंच है (ismen koii pench hai, 'there's some catch in this') is a very natural way to voice suspicion; a flat 'there is a problem' translation loses the flavor of hidden trickiness.
Sample Sentences:
इस डील में कहीं कोई पेंच तो नहीं?
Surely there's no catch somewhere in this deal?
(is diil men kahiin koii pench to nahiin?)
मुझे इस मामले में एक पेंच नज़र आ रहा है।
I can see a complication in this matter.
(mujhe is maamle men ek pench nazar aa rahaa hai।)
अनुबंध पढ़ते समय वकील ने एक पेंच पकड़ लिया।
While reading the contract, the lawyer caught a hidden catch.
(anubandh padhte samay vakiil ne ek pench pakad liyaa।)
अगर यह पेंच न होता, तो सौदा कल ही हो जाता।
If this catch didn't exist, the deal would have happened yesterday.
(agar yah pench n hotaa, to saudaa kal hii ho jaataa।)
हर योजना में कोई न कोई पेंच निकल ही आता है।
Some catch or other always turns up in every plan.
(har yojnaa men koii n koii pench nikal hii aataa hai।)
पहले पूरी शर्तें पढ़ लो, वरना कोई पेंच फँसा सकता है।
Read all the terms first, otherwise some catch might trap you.
(pahle poorii sharten padh lo, varnaa koii pench phansaa saktaa hai।)
पूरा प्रस्ताव सुन लो, पेंच बाद में समझना।
Hear the whole proposal first, understand the catch later.
(pooraa prastaav sun lo, pench baad men samajhnaa।)
समझौते का असली पेंच अभी सामने आया है।
The real complication of the agreement has just come to light.
(samjhaute kaa aslii pench abhii saamne aayaa hai।)
इस मामले का पेंच खोजा जा रहा है।
The catch in this matter is being searched for.
(is maamle kaa pench khojaa jaa rahaa hai।)
काश इस योजना में कोई पेंच न होता।
If only there were no catch in this plan.
(kaash is yojnaa men koii pench n hotaa।)
शायद इस रिश्ते के पीछे भी कोई पेंच हो।
Perhaps there is some hidden catch behind this relationship too.
(shaayad is rishte ke piichhe bhii koii pench ho।)
Sense
3
:
a wrestling hold or clever tactical move (against a rival)
noun, masculine Often appears as पेंच लड़ाना (pench ladaanaa, 'to pit moves against each other, to spar tactically').
Synonyms: दाँव (daanv), चाल (chaal)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This comes straight out of the akhaara (akhaadaa, wrestling ring) tradition, where a पेंच (pench) is a specific grappling hold. From there it jumped into everyday language for any cunning tactical maneuver, political or otherwise -- you'll hear it used about scheming politicians or rival business owners just as easily as wrestlers.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense leans competitive/strategic -- it's the move itself, not the general cleverness of a person, so it pairs naturally with verbs like लड़ाना (ladaanaa) or चलना (chalnaa) rather than standing alone as a character trait.
Sample Sentences:
उस्ताद ने उसे एक नया पेंच सिखाया।
The trainer taught him a new wrestling hold.
(ustaad ne use ek nayaa pench sikhaayaa।)
पहलवान अपने विरोधी पर पेंच लगाता है।
The wrestler applies a hold on his opponent.
(pahalvaan apne virodhii par pench lagaataa hai।)
नेता जी विरोधी पार्टी के खिलाफ नया पेंच चल रहे हैं।
The leader is playing a new tactical move against the opposition party.
(netaa jii virodhii paartii ke khilaaph nayaa pench chal rahe hain।)
अगर वह वही पुराना पेंच फिर आज़माएगा तो हार जाएगा।
If he tries that same old move again, he'll lose.
(agar vah vahii puraanaa pench phir aazmaaegaa to haar jaaegaa।)
काश उसे वह पेंच पहले आता।
If only he had known that move earlier.
(kaash use vah pench pahle aataa।)
उस पर वही पेंच आज़माओ जो पिछली बार काम आया था।
Try the same move on him that worked last time.
(us par vahii pench aazmaao jo pichhlii baar kaam aayaa thaa।)
व्यापारी अपने प्रतिद्वंदी के खिलाफ हर तरह के पेंच रचता है।
The businessman devises every kind of tactical move against his rival.
(vyaapaarii apne pratidvandii ke khilaaph har tarah ke pench rachtaa hai।)
उसने पेंच फँसाकर उसे चारों खाने चित्त कर दिया।
He locked in a hold and flattened him completely.
(usne pench phansaakar use chaaron khaane chitt kar diyaa।)
क्या तुम्हें कोई ऐसा पेंच पता है जिससे उसे हराया जा सके?
Do you know any move that could defeat him?
(kyaa tumhen koii aisaa pench pataa hai jisse use haraayaa jaa sake?)
राजनीति में हर कोई अपने-अपने पेंच चलता रहता है।
In politics, everyone keeps playing their own tactical moves.
(raajniiti men har koii apne-apne pench chaltaa rahtaa hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
पेंच
(pench)
(sg.m.oblique):
पेंच
(pench)
(pl.m.direct):
पेंच
(pench)
(pl.m.oblique):
पेंचों
(penchon)