स्पर्शी (sparshii)
adjective
An adjective meaning 'touching' or 'tangent (to)', mostly met in geometry (of a line touching a circle) and in compound/technical words; from the same root as स्पर्श (sparsh, touch).
Sense
1
:
tangent, touching (geometry)
adjective Used almost exclusively in math contexts, typically in the fixed phrase स्पर्श रेखा (sparsh rekhaa, tangent line), of which स्पर्शी (sparshii) is the adjectival form describing the line's relation to a circle or curve.
Frequency: low
Cultural Note: This word will mostly surface in a school math classroom in India, in the phrase स्पर्श रेखा (sparsh rekhaa) for a tangent line -- it is a textbook word rather than something you would use in daily conversation.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try to use स्पर्शी (sparshii) for everyday physical touching (like touching an object with your hand); that everyday sense is carried by स्पर्श करना (sparsh karnaa) or छूना (chhoonaa), not by this adjective, which is really confined to the geometric 'tangent' meaning in modern usage.
Sample Sentences:
यह रेखा वृत्त को स्पर्शी है।
This line is tangent to the circle.
(yah rekhaa vritt ko sparshii hai।)
स्पर्श रेखा वह रेखा होती है जो वृत्त को केवल एक बिंदु पर स्पर्श करती है।
A tangent line is a line that touches the circle at only one point.
(sparsh rekhaa vah rekhaa hotii hai jo vritt ko keval ek bindu par sparsh kartii hai।)
इस वृत्त की स्पर्शी रेखा खींचो।
Draw the tangent line of this circle.
(is vritt kii sparshii rekhaa khiincho।)
क्या यह रेखा वास्तव में वृत्त की स्पर्शी है, या यह उसे काटती है?
Is this line really tangent to the circle, or does it cut through it?
(kyaa yah rekhaa vaastav men vritt kii sparshii hai, yaa yah use kaattii hai?)
परीक्षा में पूछा गया कि दी गई रेखा वृत्त की स्पर्शी है या नहीं।
In the exam, it was asked whether the given line is tangent to the circle or not.
(pariikshaa men poochhaa gayaa ki dii gaii rekhaa vritt kii sparshii hai yaa nahiin।)
अगर यह रेखा स्पर्शी होती, तो वह वृत्त को दो बिंदुओं पर नहीं काटती।
If this line were tangent, it would not cut the circle at two points.
(agar yah rekhaa sparshii hotii, to vah vritt ko do binduon par nahiin kaattii।)
शिक्षक ने समझाया कि स्पर्शी रेखा और वृत्त के केंद्र को जोड़ने वाली रेखा एक समकोण बनाती है।
The teacher explained that the tangent line and the line joining the circle's center form a right angle.
(shikshak ne samjhaayaa ki sparshii rekhaa aur vritt ke kendr ko jodne vaalii rekhaa ek samkon banaatii hai।)
बिंदु P से वृत्त पर दो स्पर्शी रेखाएँ खींची जा सकती हैं।
Two tangent lines can be drawn to the circle from point P.
(bindu P se vritt par do sparshii rekhaaen khiinchii jaa saktii hain।)
Sense
2
:
touching, affecting (emotionally); used as a compound suffix
adjective Mostly appears as the second element of a compound to mean 'pertaining to/touching upon' a topic, e.g. विषय-स्पर्शी (vishay-sparshii, 'touching on the subject'), rather than standing alone in ordinary speech.
Synonyms: संबंधी (sambandhii, related to), भावुक (bhaavuk, emotionally touching -- narrower, feeling-focused)
Frequency: literary
Cultural Note: You'll meet this more in formal or literary writing -- essays, editorials -- where a compound like हृदय-स्पर्शी (hriday-sparshii, 'heart-touching') is used for something emotionally moving, similar to how English uses 'touching' for a moving story.
Sample Sentences:
उनका भाषण अत्यंत हृदय-स्पर्शी था।
His speech was extremely heart-touching.
(unkaa bhaashan atyant hriday-sparshii thaa।)
यह कहानी बच्चों के मन को स्पर्शी अनुभव देती है।
This story gives a touching experience to children's hearts.
(yah kahaanii bachchon ke man ko sparshii anubhav detii hai।)
संपादक ने उस लेख को अत्यंत संवेदना-स्पर्शी बताया।
The editor described that article as deeply emotion-touching.
(sampaadak ne us lekh ko atyant sanvednaa-sparshii bataayaa।)
काश यह उपन्यास इतना हृदय-स्पर्शी न होता, तो पढ़ते समय आँसू न आते।
If only this novel were not so heart-touching, tears wouldn't come while reading it.
(kaash yah upanyaas itnaa hriday-sparshii n hotaa, to padhte samay aansoo n aate।)
क्या इस फ़िल्म का अंत सचमुच इतना आत्मा-स्पर्शी होगा?
Will the ending of this film really be so soul-touching?
(kyaa is film kaa ant sachmuch itnaa aatmaa-sparshii hogaa?)
आलोचकों का मानना है कि यह कविता समाज के हर स्पर्शी पहलू को छूती है।
Critics believe that this poem touches upon every affecting aspect of society.
(aalochkon kaa maannaa hai ki yah kavitaa samaaj ke har sparshii pahloo ko chhootii hai।)
निबंध ऐसा लिखिए जो पाठक के लिए हृदय-स्पर्शी हो।
Write the essay in such a way that it is heart-touching for the reader.
(nibandh aisaa likhie jo paathak ke lie hriday-sparshii ho।)
यह घटना इतनी मन-स्पर्शी थी कि पूरा सभागार भावुक हो गया।
This incident was so touching that the entire hall became emotional.
(yah ghatnaa itnii man-sparshii thii ki pooraa sabhaagaar bhaavuk ho gayaa।)
संपादकीय में उस स्पर्शी प्रसंग को बड़े संवेदनशील ढंग से प्रस्तुत किया गया।
In the editorial, that touching episode was presented with great sensitivity.
(sampaadkiiy men us sparshii prasang ko bade sanvedanshiil dhang se prastut kiyaa gayaa।)
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
स्पर्शी
(sparshii)