दूरी (doorii)
noun
Means 'distance' -- both physical/spatial distance and figurative/emotional distance between people. Related to the adjective दूर (door, 'far').
Sense
1
:
physical distance
noun, feminine
Synonyms: फ़ासला (faaslaa)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: दूरी (doorii) is what you'll see on road signs and hear in directions -- 'दिल्ली की दूरी' (dillii kii doorii, 'the distance to Delhi') is a completely everyday phrase. It's built from the adjective दूर (door) plus the abstract-noun suffix ी, a very productive pattern in Hindi (compare गरम (garam) -> गरमी (garmii)).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for दूर (door) where a noun is needed; दूर (door) is the adjective/adverb ('far'), while दूरी (doorii) is the noun ('distance') -- e.g. 'यह दूरी बहुत ज़्यादा है' (yah doorii bahut zyaadaa hai, 'this distance is very great'), not 'यह दूर बहुत ज़्यादा है' (yah door bahut zyaadaa hai).
Sample Sentences:
दिल्ली की दूरी यहाँ से लगभग दो सौ किलोमीटर है।
The distance to Delhi from here is about two hundred kilometers.
(dillii kii doorii yahaan se lagbhag do sau kilomiitar hai।)
स्टेशन और घर के बीच की दूरी ज्यादा नहीं है।
The distance between the station and the house isn't much.
(steshan aur ghar ke biich kii doorii jyaadaa nahiin hai।)
हमने दो घंटे में यह दूरी तय कर ली।
We covered this distance in two hours.
(hamne do ghante men yah doorii tay kar lii।)
कृपया गाड़ियों के बीच सुरक्षित दूरी बनाए रखें।
Please maintain a safe distance between vehicles.
(kripyaa gaadiyon ke biich surakshit doorii banaae rakhen।)
दो शहरों के बीच की दूरी हर मानचित्र पर मापी जाती है।
The distance between two cities is measured on every map.
(do shahron ke biich kii doorii har maanchitr par maapii jaatii hai।)
अगर दूरी इतनी कम होती, तो हम पैदल ही चले जाते।
If the distance had been this short, we would have just walked.
(agar doorii itnii kam hotii, to ham paidal hii chale jaate।)
इतनी लंबी दूरी अकेले तय करना आसान नहीं है।
Covering such a long distance alone isn't easy.
(itnii lambii doorii akele tay karnaa aasaan nahiin hai।)
अगले साल तक यह दूरी सिर्फ एक घंटे में पूरी हो जाएगी।
By next year, this distance will be covered in just an hour.
(agle saal tak yah doorii sirph ek ghante men poorii ho jaaegii।)
शायद उन दोनों शहरों के बीच दूरी इतनी हो कि सीधी ट्रेन न मिले।
Perhaps the distance between those two cities is such that there's no direct train.
(shaayad un donon shahron ke biich doorii itnii ho ki siidhii tren n mile।)
यात्रा शुरू करने से पहले नक्शे पर दूरी देख लो।
Check the distance on the map before starting the journey.
(yaatraa shuroo karne se pahle nakshe par doorii dekh lo।)
गाँव से शहर की दूरी नदी के रास्ते और भी बढ़ जाती है।
The distance from the village to the city increases even more if you go by the river route.
(gaanv se shahar kii doorii nadii ke raaste aur bhii badh jaatii hai।)
Sense
2
:
emotional or relational distance
noun, feminine
Synonyms: अलगाव (algaav, emphasizes separation more than distance)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This figurative sense is very common in everyday talk about relationships -- 'हमारे बीच दूरी आ गई है' (hamaare biich doorii aa gaii hai, 'a distance has come between us') is how people describe a friendship or marriage cooling off, without necessarily saying anything harsher like fighting or breakup. It reflects the same body/space metaphor English uses ('growing apart'), so it should feel intuitive.
Sample Sentences:
हमारे बीच दूरी आ गई है।
A distance has come between us.
(hamaare biich doorii aa gaii hai।)
पिछले कुछ महीनों से हम दोनों के बीच दूरी बढ़ रही है।
For the past few months, the distance between the two of us has been growing.
(pichhle kuchh mahiinon se ham donon ke biich doorii badh rahii hai।)
शादी के बाद उन दोनों में धीरे-धीरे दूरी आती गई।
After the marriage, a distance slowly kept growing between the two of them.
(shaadii ke baad un donon men dhiire-dhiire doorii aatii gaii।)
काश हमारे बीच यह दूरी न होती।
I wish this distance between us didn't exist.
(kaash hamaare biich yah doorii n hotii।)
अगर हम समय पर बात कर लेते तो इतनी दूरी न आती।
If we had talked in time, so much distance wouldn't have come between us.
(agar ham samay par baat kar lete to itnii doorii n aatii।)
भाइयों के बीच दूरी मत आने दो, बात करके सुलझा लो।
Don't let distance come between the brothers, sort it out by talking.
(bhaaiyon ke biich doorii mat aane do, baat karke suljhaa lo।)
मुझे लगता है कि दोस्ती में यह दूरी सिर्फ गलतफहमी की वजह से है।
I think this distance in the friendship is just because of a misunderstanding.
(mujhe lagtaa hai ki dostii men yah doorii sirph galatphahmii kii vajah se hai।)
शायद वक्त के साथ यह दूरी अपने आप कम हो जाए।
Maybe with time this distance will lessen on its own.
(shaayad vakt ke saath yah doorii apne aap kam ho jaae।)
जब से उसने मुझसे झूठ बोला, हमारे रिश्ते में एक दूरी सी महसूस होती है।
Ever since he lied to me, I feel a kind of distance in our relationship.
(jab se usne mujhse jhooth bolaa, hamaare rishte men ek doorii sii mahsoos hotii hai।)
पति-पत्नी के बीच की दूरी अक्सर छोटी-छोटी बातों की अनदेखी से पैदा होती है।
Distance between husband and wife is often created by ignoring small things.
(pati-patnii ke biich kii doorii aksar chhotii-chhotii baaton kii andekhii se paidaa hotii hai।)
उस झगड़े के बाद से भाई-बहन में एक अनकही दूरी बनी हुई है।
Since that quarrel, an unspoken distance has settled between the brother and sister.
(us jhagde ke baad se bhaaii-bahan men ek ankahii doorii banii huii hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
दूरी
(doorii)
(sg.f.oblique):
दूरी
(doorii)
(pl.f.direct):
दूरियाँ
(dooriyaan)
(pl.f.oblique):
दूरियों
(dooriyon)