सिर (sir)
noun
Primarily 'head' (the body part), with a rich extension into idioms about burden, responsibility, and stubbornness; also used for 'top/summit' of an object.
Sense
1
:
head (body part)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: सर (sar, variant form), शीश (shiish, literary), मस्तक (mastak, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: सिर दर्द (sir dard, headache) is the everyday complaint word, and you'll hear it constantly in Indian households, often followed by someone reaching for a बाम (baam, medicated balm) like Amrutanjan or Vicks. Head-touching gestures also carry weight here: touching an elder's feet while they place a hand on your सिर (sir) is a common blessing gesture.
Common Mistakes: 1) सिर (sir) and सर (sar) are both common in speech; सर (sar) is not the same word as सर meaning 'Sir' (English loanword used for teachers/bosses) -- context makes it clear, but learners sometimes confuse them in writing. 2) Body-part idioms with सिर (sir) often use दर्द (dard) and दुखना (dukhnaa) rather than direct 'my head hurts' phrasing borrowed from English.
Sample Sentences:
मेरा सिर दर्द कर रहा है।
My head is aching.
(meraa sir dard kar rahaa hai।)
दादी ने अपना हाथ मेरे सिर पर रखा।
Grandmother placed her hand on my head.
(daadii ne apnaa haath mere sir par rakhaa।)
वह सिर झुकाकर बैठा है।
He is sitting with his head bowed.
(vah sir jhukaakar baithaa hai।)
अपना सिर ढँक लो, बाहर बहुत तेज़ धूप है।
Cover your head, the sun is very harsh outside.
(apnaa sir dhank lo, baahar bahut tez dhoop hai।)
अगर तुम हेलमेट पहनते तो तुम्हारा सिर नहीं फूटता।
If you had worn a helmet, your head wouldn't have split open.
(agar tum helmet pahante to tumhaaraa sir nahiin phoottaa।)
बुखार में उसका सिर बहुत गरम था।
In the fever, his head was very hot.
(bukhaar men uskaa sir bahut garam thaa।)
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि सिर में चोट गंभीर हो सकती है।
The doctor said that a head injury could be serious.
(doktar ne kahaa ki sir men chot gambhiir ho saktii hai।)
क्या तुम्हारा सिर घूम रहा है?
Is your head spinning?
(kyaa tumhaaraa sir ghoom rahaa hai?)
मंदिर में जाकर सबने अपना सिर झुकाया।
Going to the temple, everyone bowed their head.
(mandir men jaakar sabne apnaa sir jhukaayaa।)
सर्दी में सिर ढँककर बाहर निकलना चाहिए।
In winter, one should go outside with one's head covered.
(sardii men sir dhankkar baahar nikalnaa chaahie।)
गिरने से उसका सिर पत्थर से टकरा गया।
From the fall, his head struck against a stone.
(girne se uskaa sir patthar se takraa gayaa।)
Sense
2
:
burden, responsibility (figurative 'on one's head')
noun, masculine Occurs almost exclusively in the fixed frame X के सिर (ke sir) होना/आना/डालना -- 'to fall on X's head/shoulders,' i.e., to become X's responsibility or burden.
Synonyms: जिम्मेदारी (jimmedaarii, different register, more literal 'responsibility')
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll hear this constantly in family contexts: सारा काम उसके सिर पड़ गया (saaraa kaam uske sir pad gayaa, 'all the work fell on him/her') is a classic complaint about being overloaded, especially the eldest child or daughter-in-law in a household.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for कंधों पर (kandhon par, on the shoulders) by analogy with English 'on someone's shoulders,' but Hindi idiom puts the burden on the सिर (sir), not the shoulders. 2) The postposition is के सिर (ke sir), not पर सिर (par sir) -- it patterns like a possessive-plus-locative, not a simple 'on' construction.
Sample Sentences:
सारा काम उसके सिर पड़ गया।
All the work fell on him.
(saaraa kaam uske sir pad gayaa।)
घर की सारी जिम्मेदारी मेरे सिर पर है।
The entire responsibility of the house is on my head.
(ghar kii saarii jimmedaarii mere sir par hai।)
यह कर्ज़ अब उसके सिर पर सवार हो गया है।
This debt has now mounted on his head like a burden.
(yah karz ab uske sir par savaar ho gayaa hai।)
बड़े भाई के सिर पर पूरे परिवार का बोझ था।
The burden of the whole family was on the elder brother's head.
(bade bhaaii ke sir par poore parivaar kaa bojh thaa।)
काश यह जिम्मेदारी मेरे सिर पर न होती।
I wish this responsibility weren't on my head.
(kaash yah jimmedaarii mere sir par n hotii।)
यह ज़िम्मेदारी उसके सिर मत डालो।
Don't put this responsibility on his head.
(yah zimmedaarii uske sir mat daalo।)
अगर वह मान जाए तो यह बोझ उसके सिर आ जाएगा।
If he agrees, this burden will come onto his head.
(agar vah maan jaae to yah bojh uske sir aa jaaegaa।)
यह जिम्मेदारी उसके सिर डाल दी गई।
This responsibility was placed onto his head.
(yah jimmedaarii uske sir daal dii gaii।)
बहू के सिर पूरे घर का काम आ पड़ता है।
The work of the entire household falls on the daughter-in-law's head.
(bahoo ke sir poore ghar kaa kaam aa padtaa hai।)
पिता के जाने के बाद व्यापार की सारी जिम्मेदारी उसके सिर आ गई।
After the father's passing, the entire responsibility of the business came onto his head.
(pitaa ke jaane ke baad vyaapaar kii saarii jimmedaarii uske sir aa gaii।)
इतना बड़ा बोझ किसी एक इंसान के सिर पर नहीं होना चाहिए।
Such a heavy burden shouldn't be on any one person's head.
(itnaa badaa bojh kisii ek insaan ke sir par nahiin honaa chaahie।)
Sense
3
:
top, summit, tip (of an object)
noun, masculine
Synonyms: चोटी (chotii, mainly for mountains/peaks), ऊपरी हिस्सा (ooprii hissaa, more literal)
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This extension is natural and mirrors English 'head' of a pin or table -- पहाड़ के सिर पर (pahaad ke sir par, 'at the head/top of the mountain') is a fairly literary usage, while more concrete objects like a nail or pin also take सिर (sir) for their tip in everyday speech.
Sample Sentences:
कील का सिर बहुत तेज़ होता है।
The tip of the nail is very sharp.
(kiil kaa sir bahut tez hotaa hai।)
सुई का सिर इतना छोटा है कि धागा डालना मुश्किल है।
The tip of the needle is so small that threading it is difficult.
(suii kaa sir itnaa chhotaa hai ki dhaagaa daalnaa mushkil hai।)
पहाड़ के सिर पर बादल छाए हुए थे।
Clouds were hovering over the summit of the mountain.
(pahaad ke sir par baadal chhaae hue the।)
मेज़ के सिर पर एक फूलदान रखा था।
A vase was placed at the head of the table.
(mez ke sir par ek phooldaan rakhaa thaa।)
पिन का सिर मोड़ो, तो यह कागज़ में अच्छी तरह टिकेगी।
Bend the tip of the pin, and it will hold well in the paper.
(pin kaa sir modo, to yah kaagaz men achchhii tarah tikegii।)
अगर पहाड़ का सिर बर्फ़ से ढका होता, तो नज़ारा और सुंदर लगता।
If the summit of the mountain had been covered in snow, the view would have looked even more beautiful.
(agar pahaad kaa sir barf se dhakaa hotaa, to nazaaraa aur sundar lagtaa।)
चम्मच का सिर थोड़ा टेढ़ा हो गया है।
The tip of the spoon has become a bit bent.
(chammach kaa sir thodaa tedhaa ho gayaa hai।)
कवि ने पहाड़ के सिर को बादलों से बातें करते हुए दिखाया है।
The poet has depicted the mountain's summit as if conversing with the clouds.
(kavi ne pahaad ke sir ko baadlon se baaten karte hue dikhaayaa hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
सिर
(sir)
(sg.m.oblique):
सिर
(sir)
(pl.m.direct):
सिर
(sir)
(pl.m.oblique):
सिरों
(siron)