गुंडा (gundaa)
noun/adjective
A common everyday word for a thug, goon, or ruffian; also used loosely as an adjective/descriptor for someone acting like a bully.
Sense
1
:
thug, goon, hooligan
noun, masculine
Synonyms: बदमाश (badmaash), लफंगा (laphangaa, colloquial), मवाली (mavaalii, colloquial), दबंग (dabang, more like 'strongman/dominant type')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: गुंडा (gundaa) is a staple word in Hindi film dialogue and news reports about local crime -- politicians accusing rivals of running 'गुंडा राज' (gundaa raaj, 'rule of thugs') is a very common phrase in Indian political speech. It carries real social weight, evoking neighborhood toughs who intimidate shopkeepers or bully people in the street, not just cartoonish villains.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use गुंडा (gundaa) as a mild insult like 'naughty,' but it actually implies real menace or criminal thuggery -- calling a mischievous child गुंडा (gundaa) is a joking exaggeration, not literal. 2) The feminine form गुंडी (gundii) exists but is rarely used; speakers usually keep गुंडा (gundaa) even for female troublemakers, or use a phrase instead.
Sample Sentences:
वो गली का बदनाम गुंडा है।
He is the notorious goon of the neighborhood.
(vo galii kaa badnaam gundaa hai।)
दुकानदार को गुंडों ने पीट दिया।
The goons beat up the shopkeeper.
(dukaandaar ko gundon ne piit diyaa।)
इस इलाके में गुंडों का राज चलता है।
The rule of goons prevails in this area.
(is ilaake men gundon kaa raaj chaltaa hai।)
नेता ने विरोधी पार्टी पर गुंडा राज फैलाने का आरोप लगाया।
The leader accused the opposition party of spreading goon rule.
(netaa ne virodhii paartii par gundaa raaj phailaane kaa aarop lagaayaa।)
पुलिस उस गुंडे को पकड़ रही है।
The police are catching that goon.
(pulis us gunde ko pakad rahii hai।)
अगर वो गुंडा दोबारा यहाँ आया, तो हम पुलिस बुला लेंगे।
If that goon comes here again, we will call the police.
(agar vo gundaa dobaaraa yahaan aayaa, to ham pulis bulaa lenge।)
उस गुंडे को इलाके से भगा दो!
Chase that goon out of the neighborhood!
(us gunde ko ilaake se bhagaa do!)
अगर सरकार सख्त होती, तो शहर में गुंडे इतने बेखौफ न होते।
If the government were strict, the goons in the city wouldn't be so fearless.
(agar sarkaar sakht hotii, to shahar men gunde itne bekhauph n hote।)
फिल्म में हीरो पाँच गुंडों को अकेले पीट देता है।
In the film, the hero single-handedly beats up five goons.
(philm men hiiro paanch gundon ko akele piit detaa hai।)
स्थानीय गुंडों द्वारा व्यापारियों से हफ्ता वसूला जाता है।
Extortion money is collected from traders by local goons.
(sthaaniiy gundon dvaaraa vyaapaariyon se haphtaa vasoolaa jaataa hai।)
क्या तुम उस गुंडे से नहीं डरते?
Aren't you afraid of that goon?
(kyaa tum us gunde se nahiin darte?)
Sense
2
:
thuggish, hooligan-like
adjective Used attributively before a noun, e.g. गुंडा तत्व (gundaa tatv, 'hooligan elements'), often in news register.
Synonyms: बदमाश (badmaash)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will often hear this in the compound गुंडा तत्व (gundaa tatv), a stock phrase in Hindi news broadcasts referring to disruptive troublemaking elements at a protest or public event.
Sample Sentences:
पुलिस ने भीड़ में मौजूद गुंडा तत्वों को गिरफ़्तार किया।
The police arrested the thuggish elements present in the crowd.
(pulis ne bhiid men maujood gundaa tatvon ko giraftaar kiyaa।)
उसका गुंडा रवैया देखकर सब डर गए।
Seeing his thuggish attitude, everyone got scared.
(uskaa gundaa ravaiyaa dekhkar sab dar gae।)
वह इतनी गुंडा भाषा में बात करता है कि किसी को अच्छा नहीं लगता।
He talks in such thuggish language that nobody likes it.
(vah itnii gundaa bhaashaa men baat kartaa hai ki kisii ko achchhaa nahiin lagtaa।)
प्रदर्शन में गुंडा तत्व घुस आए और तोड़फोड़ शुरू कर दी।
Thuggish elements infiltrated the protest and started vandalizing things.
(pradarshan men gundaa tatv ghus aae aur todphod shuroo kar dii।)
कृपया यहाँ किसी गुंडा किस्म की हरकत मत कीजिए।
Please don't do any thuggish kind of act here.
(kripyaa yahaan kisii gundaa kism kii harkat mat kiijie।)
अगर वह इतना गुंडा स्वभाव न रखता, तो लोग उससे इतना नहीं डरते।
If he did not have such a thuggish nature, people would not be so afraid of him.
(agar vah itnaa gundaa svabhaav n rakhtaa, to log usse itnaa nahiin darte।)
समाचार में कहा गया कि गुंडा तत्वों की पहचान की जा रही है।
The news said that the thuggish elements are being identified.
(samaachaar men kahaa gayaa ki gundaa tatvon kii pahchaan kii jaa rahii hai।)
यह उसका गुंडा अंदाज़ है, इससे मत घबराओ।
This is his thuggish style, don't be scared of it.
(yah uskaa gundaa andaaz hai, isse mat ghabraao।)
मुमकिन है कि वे लड़के गुंडा तत्वों के साथ मिले हुए हों।
It's possible that those boys are in league with thuggish elements.
(mumkin hai ki ve ladke gundaa tatvon ke saath mile hue hon।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
गुंडा
(gundaa)
(sg.m.oblique):
गुंडे
(gunde)
(pl.m.direct):
गुंडे
(gunde)
(pl.m.oblique):
गुंडों
(gundon)
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
गुंडा
(gundaa)