स्याही (syaahii)

noun स्याही (syaahii) means ink -- the liquid used for writing or printing. It's a single, straightforward sense.
Sense 1 : ink
noun, feminine
Synonyms: रोशनाई (roshnaaii, less common)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Older generations in Delhi-NCR who went to school before ballpoint pens took over will remember dipping a nib pen (दवात (davaat)) into a small bottle of स्याही (syaahii) for handwriting practice -- and getting inky fingers as a rite of passage. The word also survives in the common idiom स्याही में डूबा होना (syaahii men doobaa honaa, 'to be steeped in ink'), used loosely for someone who writes or works a lot with paperwork.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes confuse स्याही (syaahii) with सियाही, an incorrect spelling; the correct form always has स्या- at the start. 2) स्याही (syaahii) is feminine, so watch adjective and verb agreement: स्याही सूख गई (syaahii sookh gaii, 'the ink dried'), not सूख गया।
Sample Sentences:
मेरे पेन की स्याही खत्म हो गई है। The ink in my pen has run out.
(mere pen kii syaahii khatm ho gaii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
दादाजी बताते थे कि वे दवात में स्याही भरकर लिखा करते थे। Grandfather used to tell us that he would fill the inkwell with ink and write.
(daadaajii bataate the ki ve davaat men syaahii bharkar likhaa karte the।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
प्रिंटर की स्याही कल ही खरीद लाना। Buy the printer ink tomorrow itself.
(printar kii syaahii kal hii khariid laanaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
उसके हाथ स्याही से रंगे हुए थे। His hands were stained with ink.
(uske haath syaahii se range hue the।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
अगर स्याही न फैलती तो कॉपी इतनी गंदी न होती। If the ink hadn't spread, the notebook wouldn't have been so messy.
(agar syaahii n phailtii to kopii itnii gandii n hotii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
वह पूरे दिन दफ्तर में कागज़ात निपटाते हुए मानो स्याही में डूबा रहता है। He stays practically steeped in ink all day, sorting through paperwork at the office.
(vah poore din daphtar men kaagzaat niptaate hue maano syaahii men doobaa rahtaa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम्हारे पास काली स्याही की बोतल है? Do you have a bottle of black ink?
(kyaa tumhaare paas kaalii syaahii kii botal hai?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
शायद कारतूस में स्याही कम बची हो। Perhaps there is little ink left in the cartridge.
(shaayad kaartoos men syaahii kam bachii ho।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
इस पुरानी पांडुलिपि की स्याही अब धुंधली पड़ चुकी है। The ink of this old manuscript has now faded.
(is puraanii paandulipi kii syaahii ab dhundhlii pad chukii hai।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
स्कूल में हमारी उंगलियाँ अक्सर स्याही से रंगी होती थीं। In school, our fingers were often stained with ink.
(skool men hamaarii ungliyaan aksar syaahii se rangii hotii thiin।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Passive
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): स्याही (syaahii)
(sg.f.oblique): स्याही (syaahii)
(pl.f.direct): स्याहियाँ (syaahiyaan)
(pl.f.oblique): स्याहियों (syaahiyon)