ख़तरे से ख़ाली (khatre se khaalii)
phrase
A fixed idiomatic phrase literally meaning 'empty of danger,' used sarcastically to say someone or something is far from safe -- almost always in negation or as a rhetorical jab. Built from ख़तरा (khatraa, 'danger') and ख़ाली (khaalii, 'empty').
Sense
1
:
not without risk (usually ironic)
phrase Almost always used with a negative sense implied or stated, e.g. 'यह काम ख़तरे से ख़ाली नहीं है' (yah kaam khatre se khaalii nahiin hai, 'this work is not without danger') -- the phrase itself carries an ironic 'safe' meaning that is usually negated to state the obvious: that something IS risky.
Synonyms: बेख़तर (bekhtar, rare), निडर (nidar, not a true synonym, describes a person not a situation)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is a classic bit of Hindi wordplay beloved by journalists and elders alike -- you will hear it in news commentary about a political move, or from a parent warning a child about a plan, always with a wry undertone. It pairs nicely with the straight adjective ख़तरनाक (khatarnaak, 'dangerous') as its blunt, non-ironic cousin.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use it as a plain, sincere statement of safety ('यह जगह ख़तरे से ख़ाली है' meaning 'this place is truly safe') -- in practice it is almost always deployed with नहीं (nahiin) or in a sarcastic tone to underline that something is risky, not to reassure. 2) Because it looks like a simple adjectival phrase, learners may try to inflect ख़ाली (khaalii) for gender/number agreement with the subject when the whole expression is better treated as a fixed unit.
Sample Sentences:
यह रास्ता भी ख़तरे से ख़ाली नहीं है।
This route isn't exactly risk-free either.
(yah raastaa bhii khatre se khaalii nahiin hai।)
उनका यह फ़ैसला भी ख़तरे से ख़ाली नहीं था।
That decision of theirs wasn't exactly risk-free either.
(unkaa yah faislaa bhii khatre se khaalii nahiin thaa।)
नेता जी का यह दांव ख़तरे से ख़ाली नहीं होगा।
This gambit of the leader's won't exactly be risk-free.
(netaa jii kaa yah daanv khatre se khaalii nahiin hogaa।)
बेटा, सुबह चार बजे बाइक से पहाड़ों में निकलना ख़तरे से ख़ाली नहीं है।
Son, heading out into the mountains on a bike at four in the morning is not exactly risk-free.
(betaa, subah chaar baje baaik se pahaadon men nikalnaa khatre se khaalii nahiin hai।)
विश्लेषकों का मानना है कि सरकार का यह क़दम ख़तरे से ख़ाली नहीं है।
Analysts believe that this move by the government is not exactly risk-free.
(vishleshkon kaa maannaa hai ki sarkaar kaa yah qadam khatre se khaalii nahiin hai।)
अगर वह अकेली रात को उस इलाके में जाती, तो यह ख़तरे से ख़ाली नहीं होता।
If she went to that area alone at night, it wouldn't exactly be risk-free.
(agar vah akelii raat ko us ilaake men jaatii, to yah khatre se khaalii nahiin hotaa।)
क्या यह निवेश सच में ख़तरे से ख़ाली है?
Is this investment really as risk-free as it sounds?
(kyaa yah nivesh sach men khatre se khaalii hai?)
संपादकीय में लिखा गया कि यह विदेश नीति ख़तरे से ख़ाली नहीं मानी जाती।
The editorial noted that this foreign policy is not considered exactly risk-free.
(sampaadkiiy men likhaa gayaa ki yah videsh niiti khatre se khaalii nahiin maanii jaatii।)
यह सौदा देखने में मुनाफ़े का लगता है, मगर ख़तरे से ख़ाली नहीं है।
This deal looks profitable on the surface, but it's not exactly risk-free.
(yah saudaa dekhne men munaafe kaa lagtaa hai, magar khatre se khaalii nahiin hai।)
समीक्षकों के अनुसार यह रणनीति ख़तरे से ख़ाली नहीं कही जा सकती।
According to critics, this strategy can't exactly be called risk-free.
(samiikshkon ke anusaar yah ranniiti khatre se khaalii nahiin kahii jaa saktii।)