केंद्र (kendr)

noun A learned/formal-register word meaning 'center' -- covers the geometric/mathematical center, a physical or institutional 'center' (as in a building or organization), and the abstract sense of a focal point or hub. Also spelled केन्द्र (kendr) with the conjunct nasal instead of the anusvara -- both are common and correct.
Sense 1 : an institutional or physical facility/hub
noun, masculine
Synonyms: मुख्यालय (mukhyaalay, headquarters, narrower), संस्थान (sansthaan, institute)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will see this word constantly on signboards across Delhi-NCR: सामुदायिक केंद्र (saamudaayik kendr, community center), टीकाकरण केंद्र (tiikaakran kendr, vaccination center), मतदान केंद्र (matdaan kendr, polling station). It has a bureaucratic, official flavor, much like English 'center' in institutional names.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for केंद्र (kendr) for any English 'center' including a shopping mall or a market square -- in casual speech Hindi speakers are more likely to say बाज़ार (baazaar) or मॉल (mol) for those; केंद्र (kendr) sounds official, as in स्वास्थ्य केंद्र (svaasthy kendr, health center) or जनसंपर्क केंद्र (jansampark kendr, public relations center).
Sample Sentences:
यह इलाके का सबसे बड़ा सामुदायिक केंद्र है। This is the biggest community center in the area.
(yah ilaake kaa sabse badaa saamudaayik kendr hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
कल सुबह टीकाकरण केंद्र पर बहुत भीड़ थी। There was a huge crowd at the vaccination center yesterday morning.
(kal subah tiikaakran kendr par bahut bhiid thii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
आपका मतदान केंद्र स्कूल के भवन में बनाया गया है। Your polling station has been set up in the school building.
(aapkaa matdaan kendr skool ke bhavan men banaayaa gayaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
कृपया अपना नया पहचान पत्र सेवा केंद्र से बनवा लें। Please get your new ID card made from the service center.
(kripyaa apnaa nayaa pahchaan patr sevaa kendr se banvaa len।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर मुझे ज्यादा जानकारी चाहिए, तो मैं सूचना केंद्र जाऊँगा। If I need more information, I will go to the information center.
(agar mujhe jyaadaa jaankaarii chaahie, to main soochnaa kendr jaaoongaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
हर हफ्ते वह फिटनेस केंद्र जाती है। She goes to the fitness center every week.
(har haphte vah phitnes kendr jaatii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
नया शॉपिंग केंद्र बन रहा है इस सड़क के किनारे। A new shopping center is being built along this road.
(nayaa shoping kendr ban rahaa hai is sadak ke kinaare।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर सरकार यहाँ स्वास्थ्य केंद्र खोलती, तो लोगों को बहुत मदद मिलती। If the government were to open a health center here, it would help people a lot.
(agar sarkaar yahaan svaasthy kendr kholtii, to logon ko bahut madad miltii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
यह प्रशिक्षण केंद्र अगले महीने बंद कर दिया जाएगा। This training center will be shut down next month.
(yah prashikshan kendr agle mahiine band kar diyaa jaaegaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
शायद इस मोहल्ले में एक नया शिक्षा केंद्र खुले। Perhaps a new education center will open in this neighborhood.
(shaayad is mohalle men ek nayaa shikshaa kendr khule।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
यह भवन अब वृद्धाश्रम केंद्र के रूप में उपयोग किया जाता है। This building is now used as an old-age care center.
(yah bhavan ab vriddhaashram kendr ke roop men upyog kiyaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
Sense 2 : geometric or abstract central point
noun, masculine Common in fixed phrases like ध्यान का केंद्र (dhyaan kaa kendr, center of attention) and केंद्र में होना (kendr men honaa, to be at the center/in focus).
Synonyms: मध्य (madhy, midpoint, more spatial/literal), केंद्रबिंदु (kendrbindu, focal point)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the word used in geometry class for the center of a circle (वृत्त का केंद्र, vritt kaa kendr) and also in everyday abstract talk, like जीवन का केंद्र (jiivan kaa kendr, the center of one's life) -- Hindi extends the spatial idea to emotional and intellectual focus just as English does.
Common Mistakes: 1) In the abstract 'center of attention/discussion' sense, learners sometimes use बीच (biich, middle) instead -- बीच (biich) works for physical middle (कमरे के बीच में, kamre ke biich men, 'in the middle of the room') but not for the figurative 'focal point' sense, where केंद्र (kendr) is required, as in चर्चा का केंद्र (charchaa kaa kendr, the center of the discussion).
Sample Sentences:
वृत्त का केंद्र वह बिंदु होता है जो परिधि के हर बिंदु से समान दूरी पर होता है। The center of a circle is the point that is equidistant from every point on the circumference.
(vritt kaa kendr vah bindu hotaa hai jo paridhi ke har bindu se samaan doorii par hotaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसके बच्चे ही उसके जीवन का केंद्र हैं। Her children are the very center of her life.
(uske bachche hii uske jiivan kaa kendr hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इस कहानी का केंद्र एक छोटी सी लड़की है। The center of this story is a small girl.
(is kahaanii kaa kendr ek chhotii sii ladkii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उस समय दिल्ली राजनीतिक हलचल का केंद्र बन गई थी। At that time, Delhi had become the center of political upheaval.
(us samay dillii raajniitik halchal kaa kendr ban gaii thii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इस त्रिभुज का केंद्र कैसे निकालें? How do we find the center of this triangle?
(is tribhuj kaa kendr kaise nikaalen?)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
अगर परिवार टूट जाता, तो घर का केंद्र ही खो जाता। If the family had broken apart, the very center of the household would have been lost.
(agar parivaar toot jaataa, to ghar kaa kendr hii kho jaataa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
गोले का केंद्र निकालने के लिए पहले उसकी त्रिज्या मापो। To find the center of the sphere, first measure its radius.
(gole kaa kendr nikaalne ke lie pahle uskii trijyaa maapo।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
प्रेम को कई कवियों ने अपनी रचनाओं का केंद्र बनाया है। Many poets have made love the center of their works.
(prem ko kaii kaviyon ne apnii rachnaaon kaa kendr banaayaa hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
बहस का केंद्र यह सवाल था कि सच्चाई क्या है। The center of the debate was the question of what the truth is.
(bahas kaa kendr yah savaal thaa ki sachchaaii kyaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Sense 3 : the central government (as opposed to state government)
noun, masculine Used as shorthand for केंद्र सरकार (kendr sarkaar) especially in news and political speech, contrasted with राज्य (raajy, state).
Synonyms: केंद्र सरकार (kendr sarkaar, full form, more explicit)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This usage mirrors how Indian news anchors talk about federal versus state politics -- you will hear केंद्र बनाम राज्य (kendr banaam raajy, 'Centre versus states') constantly during election season or disputes over policy.
Common Mistakes: 1) In news contexts केंद्र (kendr) alone (without सरकार, sarkaar) is routinely understood as 'the central government,' e.g. केंद्र ने फैसला लिया (kendr ne phaislaa liyaa, 'the Centre took a decision') -- learners may not realize the word alone carries this political meaning outside the fuller phrase.
Sample Sentences:
केंद्र सरकार ने आज नई योजना की घोषणा की। The Centre announced a new scheme today.
(kendr sarkaar ne aaj naii yojnaa kii ghoshnaa kii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यह मुद्दा केंद्र और राज्य के बीच लंबे समय से विवाद का कारण बना हुआ है। This issue has long been a cause of dispute between the Centre and the states.
(yah muddaa kendr aur raajy ke biich lambe samay se vivaad kaa kaaran banaa huaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
आज की बहस का विषय है केंद्र बनाम राज्य। Today's debate topic is Centre versus states.
(aaj kii bahas kaa vishay hai kendr banaam raajy।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर केंद्र यह कानून वापस ले ले, तो किसान खुश हो जाएंगे। If the Centre withdraws this law, the farmers will be happy.
(agar kendr yah kaanoon vaapas le le, to kisaan khush ho jaaenge।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
राज्य सरकार बार-बार केंद्र से फंड की मांग कर रही है। The state government keeps demanding funds from the Centre.
(raajy sarkaar baar-baar kendr se phand kii maang kar rahii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर पहले केंद्र और राज्य में तालमेल होता, तो यह संकट टल जाता। If there had been coordination between the Centre and the state earlier, this crisis would have been averted.
(agar pahle kendr aur raajy men taalmel hotaa, to yah sankat tal jaataa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
केंद्र ने राज्यों को अतिरिक्त बजट भेजा है। The Centre has sent an additional budget to the states.
(kendr ne raajyon ko atirikt bajat bhejaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
नई शिक्षा नीति केंद्र द्वारा तैयार की गई थी। The new education policy was prepared by the Centre.
(naii shikshaa niiti kendr dvaaraa taiyaar kii gaii thii।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
चुनाव के समय हर चैनल पर केंद्र बनाम राज्य की बहस छिड़ जाती है। During elections, a Centre-versus-states debate breaks out on every channel.
(chunaav ke samay har chainal par kendr banaam raajy kii bahas chhid jaatii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मुख्यमंत्री ने केंद्र पर पक्षपात का आरोप लगाया। The chief minister accused the Centre of favoritism.
(mukhymantrii ne kendr par pakshpaat kaa aarop lagaayaa।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): केंद्र (kendr)
(sg.m.oblique): केंद्र (kendr)
(pl.m.direct): केंद्र (kendr)
(pl.m.oblique): केंद्रों (kendron)