चाँदी (chaandii)
noun
Primarily the metal 'silver'; also lives in a common idiom about sudden good fortune.
Sense
1
:
the metal silver
noun, feminine
Synonyms: रजत (rajat, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: चाँदी (chaandii) is everywhere in Indian households -- silver anklets (paayal) for babies, silver coins gifted at weddings, and silver-plated (chaandii kaa vark) sweets at festivals. Jewelers (sunaar) and utensil shops both deal heavily in it, so it is a very practical, real-world noun to know.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse चाँदी (chaandii) with सोना (sonaa, gold) when learning jewelry vocabulary together -- keep the pair straight since both are common market words. 2) The chandrabindu (nasalization) is often dropped in typing as चादी, but the nasal sound is standard in speech.
Sample Sentences:
यह पायल असली चाँदी की है।
This anklet is made of real silver.
(yah paayal aslii chaandii kii hai।)
मेरी दादी हर त्योहार पर चाँदी के सिक्के खरीदती हैं।
My grandmother buys silver coins every festival.
(merii daadii har tyohaar par chaandii ke sikke khariidtii hain।)
सुनार ने चाँदी को गलाकर एक नया गहना बनाया।
The jeweler melted the silver and made a new ornament.
(sunaar ne chaandii ko galaakar ek nayaa gahnaa banaayaa।)
मिठाई पर चाँदी का वर्क लगा हुआ है।
The sweet has a layer of silver foil on it.
(mithaaii par chaandii kaa vark lagaa huaa hai।)
बाजार में चाँदी के भाव आज बहुत बढ़ गए हैं।
The price of silver in the market has gone up a lot today.
(baajaar men chaandii ke bhaav aaj bahut badh gae hain।)
अगर तुम्हारे पास चाँदी हो तो मुझे थोड़ी उधार दे देना।
If you have some silver, lend me a little.
(agar tumhaare paas chaandii ho to mujhe thodii udhaar de denaa।)
यह बर्तन शुद्ध चाँदी से बना है।
This utensil is made of pure silver.
(yah bartan shuddh chaandii se banaa hai।)
दुकान में चाँदी को तराजू पर तोला जा रहा था।
The silver was being weighed on the scale in the shop.
(dukaan men chaandii ko taraajoo par tolaa jaa rahaa thaa।)
कृपया इस चाँदी को तिजोरी में रख दें।
Please put this silver in the safe.
(kripyaa is chaandii ko tijorii men rakh den।)
अगर उसके पास इतनी चाँदी होती, तो वह इतना परेशान न होता।
If he had had so much silver, he would not have been so worried.
(agar uske paas itnii chaandii hotii, to vah itnaa pareshaan n hotaa।)
प्राचीन काल में चाँदी के सिक्कों का प्रचलन बहुत था।
In ancient times, silver coins were in great circulation.
(praachiin kaal men chaandii ke sikkon kaa prachlan bahut thaa।)
Sense
2
:
sudden good fortune, windfall (idiomatic)
noun, feminine Mainly appears in the fixed idiom चाँदी होना (chaandii honaa, 'to strike it rich/have a windfall') and चाँदी काटना (chaandii kaatnaa, 'to rake in money'), where चाँदी stands metaphorically for easy profit or good fortune rather than the literal metal.
Synonyms: किस्मत (kismat, broader meaning: fate/luck in general)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear शॉपकीपर्स (dukaandaar, shopkeepers) and businessmen say मेरी तो चाँदी हो गई (merii to chaandii ho gaii, 'I really struck it rich') after an unexpectedly good sale -- it captures that shiny, almost magical feeling of easy money, much like English 'to strike gold,' except Hindi reaches for silver instead.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to use चाँदी alone to mean 'luck,' but it almost always needs the verb होना (honaa) or काटना (kaatnaa) attached to carry this idiomatic sense -- on its own it just means the metal.
Sample Sentences:
आज तो दुकान में चाँदी हो गई!
Today the shop really struck it rich!
(aaj to dukaan men chaandii ho gaii!)
जब से उसने वो प्रोजेक्ट लिया है, उसकी चाँदी हो रही है।
Ever since he took on that project, he's been striking it rich.
(jab se usne vo projekt liyaa hai, uskii chaandii ho rahii hai।)
अगर ये डील पक्की हो जाए, तो मेरी चाँदी हो जाएगी।
If this deal goes through, I'll be sitting on a windfall.
(agar ye diil pakkii ho jaae, to merii chaandii ho jaaegii।)
दिवाली के मौके पर हर साल दुकानदारों की चाँदी होती है।
Every year around Diwali, shopkeepers make a killing.
(divaalii ke mauke par har saal dukaandaaron kii chaandii hotii hai।)
उस साल शादियों के सीज़न में हलवाई की चाँदी हो गई थी।
That year, during wedding season, the sweet-seller struck gold.
(us saal shaadiyon ke siizan men halvaaii kii chaandii ho gaii thii।)
काश उस समय शेयर बाज़ार में पैसा लगाया होता, तो आज मेरी चाँदी होती।
If only I had invested in the stock market back then, I'd be rolling in luck today.
(kaash us samay sheyar baazaar men paisaa lagaayaa hotaa, to aaj merii chaandii hotii।)
यार, बॉस ने बोनस दे दिया, आज तो मेरी चाँदी है!
Dude, the boss gave me a bonus, today's my lucky day!
(yaar, bos ne bonas de diyaa, aaj to merii chaandii hai!)
बड़े ऑर्डर मिलने से फैक्ट्री मालिक की चाँदी हो चुकी है।
With the big orders coming in, the factory owner has already struck it rich.
(bade ordar milne se phaiktrii maalik kii chaandii ho chukii hai।)
क्या पता कब किसकी चाँदी हो जाए, ये तो किस्मत की बात है।
Who knows when someone's luck might turn -- it's all a matter of fate.
(kyaa pataa kab kiskii chaandii ho jaae, ye to kismat kii baat hai।)
उसकी दुकान का नया माल बिकते ही उसकी चाँदी हो गई।
As soon as his new stock sold out, he struck gold.
(uskii dukaan kaa nayaa maal bikte hii uskii chaandii ho gaii।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
चाँदी
(chaandii)
(sg.f.oblique):
चाँदी
(chaandii)
(pl.f.direct):
चाँदियाँ
(chaandiyaan)
(pl.f.oblique):
चाँदियों
(chaandiyon)