दूरदर्शन (doordarshan)
noun
A compound noun literally meaning 'far-seeing/far-vision', best known as the proper name of India's state-run television broadcaster, but also usable as a generic word for 'television' in a slightly formal or old-fashioned register.
Sense
1
:
Doordarshan (India's national public TV broadcaster)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: डी.डी. (dii.dii., common abbreviation)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Before cable and satellite TV arrived in the 1990s, दूरदर्शन (doordarshan) was the only channel most Indian households could watch, so for anyone who grew up before that era the word carries real nostalgia -- Sunday morning cartoons, the evening news reader in a sari, and serials that the whole neighborhood watched together on one shared set. Older Delhiites will often say 'डीडी (diidii)' fondly, the way you might say 'the Beeb' for the BBC.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes assume this is just the everyday word for 'a TV set' -- for that, speakers overwhelmingly say टी.वी. (tii.vii.) or टेलीविज़न (teliivizan); दूरदर्शन (doordarshan) in daily speech almost always points specifically to the government channel, not the appliance. 2) As a proper noun (the broadcaster's name), it does not take a plural or an article the way 'a television' would in English.
Sample Sentences:
बचपन में हम सब दूरदर्शन पर रामायण देखते थे।
In our childhood, we all used to watch Ramayan on Doordarshan.
(bachpan men ham sab doordarshan par raamaayan dekhte the।)
उस ज़माने में सिर्फ़ दूरदर्शन ही आता था।
Back in those days, only Doordarshan used to come on the TV.
(us zamaane men sirf doordarshan hii aataa thaa।)
दादी अब भी दूरदर्शन को प्यार से डीडी बुलाती हैं।
Grandma still fondly calls Doordarshan 'DD'.
(daadii ab bhii doordarshan ko pyaar se diidii bulaatii hain।)
दूरदर्शन की स्थापना १९५९ में हुई थी।
Doordarshan was established in 1959.
(doordarshan kii sthaapnaa 1959 men huii thii।)
रविवार सुबह हम दूरदर्शन पर कार्टून देखने के लिए जल्दी उठ जाते थे।
On Sunday mornings, we used to wake up early just to watch cartoons on Doordarshan.
(ravivaar subah ham doordarshan par kaartoon dekhne ke lie jaldii uth jaate the।)
अगर उस समय केबल टीवी होता, तो शायद दूरदर्शन इतना याद न आता।
If cable TV had existed back then, maybe Doordarshan wouldn't be missed so much.
(agar us samay kebal tiivii hotaa, to shaayad doordarshan itnaa yaad n aataa।)
आज भी दूरदर्शन पर समाचार बुलेटिन प्रसारित किया जाता है।
Even today, a news bulletin is broadcast on Doordarshan.
(aaj bhii doordarshan par samaachaar buletin prasaarit kiyaa jaataa hai।)
पूरा मोहल्ला एक ही घर में इकट्ठा होकर दूरदर्शन देखता था।
The whole neighborhood would gather in one house to watch Doordarshan.
(pooraa mohallaa ek hii ghar men ikatthaa hokar doordarshan dekhtaa thaa।)
काश उस दौर की दूरदर्शन वाली सादगी अभी भी होती।
I wish that Doordarshan-era simplicity still existed today.
(kaash us daur kii doordarshan vaalii saadgii abhii bhii hotii।)
Sense
2
:
television (the medium/device, formal usage)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: टेलीविज़न (teliivizan), टी.वी. (tii.vii.)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This generic sense is much rarer in casual conversation than टी.वी. (tii.vii.); you are more likely to meet दूरदर्शन (doordarshan) used this way in formal writing, textbooks, or government notices than in someone's living room.
Sample Sentences:
दूरदर्शन के आविष्कार ने संचार के क्षेत्र में क्रांति ला दी।
The invention of television revolutionized the field of communication.
(doordarshan ke aavishkaar ne sanchaar ke kshetr men kraanti laa dii।)
आजकल के बच्चे दूरदर्शन और मोबाइल दोनों से समान रूप से परिचित हैं।
Children nowadays are equally familiar with both television and mobile phones.
(aajkal ke bachche doordarshan aur mobaail donon se samaan roop se parichit hain।)
इस पाठ्यपुस्तक में दूरदर्शन के सामाजिक प्रभावों पर एक अध्याय है।
This textbook has a chapter on the social effects of television.
(is paathypustak men doordarshan ke saamaajik prabhaavon par ek adhyaay hai।)
सरकारी अधिसूचना में कहा गया है कि दूरदर्शन जैसे माध्यमों का उपयोग जन-जागरूकता के लिए किया जाएगा।
The government notice states that mediums like television will be used for public awareness.
(sarkaarii adhisoochnaa men kahaa gayaa hai ki doordarshan jaise maadhymon kaa upyog jan-jaagrooktaa ke lie kiyaa jaaegaa।)
यदि उस समय दूरदर्शन का आविष्कार न हुआ होता, तो सूचना का प्रसार इतनी तेज़ी से न होता।
If television had not been invented at that time, the spread of information would not have been so rapid.
(yadi us samay doordarshan kaa aavishkaar n huaa hotaa, to soochnaa kaa prasaar itnii tezii se n hotaa।)
विद्वानों का मानना है कि दूरदर्शन ने शिक्षा के प्रसार में महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाई है।
Scholars believe that television has played an important role in the spread of education.
(vidvaanon kaa maannaa hai ki doordarshan ne shikshaa ke prasaar men mahatvpoorn bhoomikaa nibhaaii hai।)
रिपोर्ट में यह सुझाव दिया गया है कि दूरदर्शन का उपयोग ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों में शिक्षा हेतु बढ़ाया जाए।
The report suggests that the use of television should be increased for education in rural areas.
(riport men yah sujhaav diyaa gayaa hai ki doordarshan kaa upyog graamiin kshetron men shikshaa hetu badhaayaa jaae।)
क्या दूरदर्शन वास्तव में समाज को शिक्षित करने का एक प्रभावी साधन है?
Is television really an effective means of educating society?
(kyaa doordarshan vaastav men samaaj ko shikshit karne kaa ek prabhaavii saadhan hai?)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
दूरदर्शन
(doordarshan)
(sg.m.oblique):
दूरदर्शन
(doordarshan)
(pl.m.direct):
दूरदर्शन
(doordarshan)
(pl.m.oblique):
दूरदर्शनों
(doordarshnon)