कुरता (kurtaa)

noun A single-sense word: the loose, collarless (or mandarin-collar) long shirt worn by both men and women across North India, often paired with पजामा (pajaamaa) or churidar.
Sense 1 : a traditional long, loose shirt
noun, masculine
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: The कुरता (kurtaa) is everyday wear from casual cotton versions for daily use to embroidered silk ones for weddings and festivals, and it crosses gender lines freely -- men wear it with पजामा (pajaamaa) or जीन्स (jiins), women often with लेगिंग्स (legings) or चूड़ीदार (choodiidaar). In Delhi you'll see it on everyone from rickshaw drivers to politicians to college students at a Diwali party, which tells you how flexible the garment really is across class and formality.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes treat कुरता (kurtaa) as invariable like an English loanword, but it fully inflects as a regular masculine noun ending in आ (aa) -- कुरते (kurte) in the oblique/plural, कुरतों (kurton) in the oblique plural. 2) Don't confuse it with कुर्सी (kursii, 'chair') -- similar-sounding but unrelated.
Sample Sentences:
आज मैंने नया कुरता पहना है। Today I have worn a new kurta.
(aaj mainne nayaa kurtaa pahnaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
वह हमेशा सफेद कुरता पहनता है। He always wears a white kurta.
(vah hameshaa saphed kurtaa pahantaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मेरी माँ मेरे लिए एक कुरता सिल रही थी। My mother was stitching a kurta for me.
(merii maan mere lie ek kurtaa sil rahii thii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
शादी के लिए रेशमी कुरता खरीदना। Buy a silk kurta for the wedding.
(shaadii ke lie reshmii kurtaa khariidnaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर मेरे पास पैसे होते, तो मैं डिज़ाइनर कुरता खरीदता। If I had the money, I would buy a designer kurta.
(agar mere paas paise hote, to main dizaainar kurtaa khariidtaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
दिवाली की पार्टी में हर कोई कुरता पहनकर आया था। Everyone had come to the Diwali party wearing a kurta.
(divaalii kii paartii men har koii kurtaa pahankar aayaa thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
यह कुरता हाथ से बनाया गया है। This kurta has been made by hand.
(yah kurtaa haath se banaayaa gayaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
क्या आपके पास कोई सूती कुरता है? Do you have any cotton kurta?
(kyaa aapke paas koii sootii kurtaa hai?)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मुझे लगता है कि उसे यह कुरता पजामे के साथ पहनना चाहिए। I think he should wear this kurta with pajamas.
(mujhe lagtaa hai ki use yah kurtaa pajaame ke saath pahannaa chaahie।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
रिक्शा चलाने वाला भी उतनी ही शान से कुरता पहनता है जितना कोई नेता। Even a rickshaw driver wears a kurta with as much style as any politician.
(rikshaa chalaane vaalaa bhii utnii hii shaan se kurtaa pahantaa hai jitnaa koii netaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसने चूड़ीदार के साथ कढ़ाई वाला कुरता पहना था। She had worn an embroidered kurta with churidar.
(usne choodiidaar ke saath kadhaaii vaalaa kurtaa pahnaa thaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगली बार मैं जीन्स के साथ कुरता पहनूँगा। Next time I will wear a kurta with jeans.
(aglii baar main jiins ke saath kurtaa pahnoongaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): कुरता (kurtaa)
(sg.m.oblique): कुरता (kurtaa)
(pl.m.direct): कुरता (kurtaa)
(pl.m.oblique): कुरताओं (kurtaaon)