खीरा (khiiraa)

noun A single-sense everyday word: the cucumber, both as a growing vegetable and as the thing on your salad plate.
Sense 1 : cucumber
noun, masculine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Sliced खीरा (khiiraa) with a pinch of salt and red chili powder is a fixture of the summer salad plate (सलाद, salaad) served alongside dal-rice or with kebabs at Delhi roadside stalls -- it is valued as a cooling food to counter the heat, much like ककड़ी (kakdii), its close cousin which is thinner-skinned and often used interchangeably in North Indian kitchens.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes treat खीरा (khiiraa) as uncountable like English 'cucumber' (as a category), but it behaves as a normal countable masculine noun in Hindi: एक खीरा (ek khiiraa, 'one cucumber'), दो खीरे (do khiire, 'two cucumbers').
Sample Sentences:
गर्मियों में खीरा खाने से शरीर को ठंडक मिलती है। Eating cucumber in summer cools the body.
(garmiyon men khiiraa khaane se shariir ko thandak miltii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
माँ सलाद के लिए खीरा काट रही है। Mom is cutting cucumber for the salad.
(maan salaad ke lie khiiraa kaat rahii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बाज़ार से एक किलो खीरा ले आओ। Bring a kilo of cucumber from the market.
(baazaar se ek kilo khiiraa le aao।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
उसने खीरे पर नमक और लाल मिर्च छिड़का। He sprinkled salt and red chili powder on the cucumber.
(usne khiire par namak aur laal mirch chhidkaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
प्लेट में कबाब के साथ कटा हुआ खीरा रखा है। Sliced cucumber is placed on the plate along with the kebabs.
(plet men kabaab ke saath kataa huaa khiiraa rakhaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
अगर बाज़ार में ताज़ा खीरा मिलता, तो मैं ज़रूर खरीदता। If fresh cucumber were available in the market, I would definitely buy it.
(agar baazaar men taazaa khiiraa miltaa, to main zaroor khariidtaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम्हें दाल-चावल के साथ खीरा पसंद है? Do you like cucumber with dal and rice?
(kyaa tumhen daal-chaaval ke saath khiiraa pasand hai?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
रेहड़ी वाला हर शाम ठेले पर खीरा और ककड़ी बेचता था। The cart vendor used to sell cucumber and kakdi on his cart every evening.
(rehdii vaalaa har shaam thele par khiiraa aur kakdii bechtaa thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
डॉक्टर ने सुझाव दिया कि गर्मी में खीरा ज़्यादा खाया जाए। The doctor suggested that more cucumber should be eaten in the summer.
(doktar ne sujhaav diyaa ki garmii men khiiraa zyaadaa khaayaa jaae।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Passive
कल मैं बगीचे में खीरा उगाऊँगा। Tomorrow I will grow cucumber in the garden.
(kal main bagiiche men khiiraa ugaaoongaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
इस दुकान में खीरा हमेशा ताज़ा मिलता है। Fresh cucumber is always available in this shop.
(is dukaan men khiiraa hameshaa taazaa miltaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): खीरा (khiiraa)
(sg.m.oblique): खीरे (khiire)
(pl.m.direct): खीरे (khiire)
(pl.m.oblique): खीरों (khiiron)