छँटा हुआ चोर (chhantaa huaa chor)
noun
An idiomatic intensifying phrase meaning 'a notorious/first-class thief' -- छँटा हुआ (chhantaa huaa) literally 'culled, sorted out' intensifies चोर (chor) 'thief' into 'a thief through and through.'
Sense
1
:
a notorious, hardened thief
noun, masculine छँटा हुआ (chhantaa huaa) is the past participle of छाँटना (chhaantnaa, 'to sort/select/cull') used as an intensifying modifier before a negative-trait noun; it agrees in gender/number with the noun it modifies, so छँटी हुई चोर (chhantii huii) would shift for a feminine referent though चोर (chor) itself stays the same in most everyday use.
Synonyms: पक्का चोर (pakkaa chor, 'a confirmed thief'), नंबर एक का चोर (nambar ek kaa chor, 'a number-one thief')
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This is the kind of phrase you'd hear a shopkeeper or neighbor use with real relish -- वह एक नंबर का छँटा हुआ चोर है (vah ek nambar kaa chhantaa huaa chor hai, 'he's a first-class, notorious thief') -- often with नंबर एक का (nambar ek kaa, 'number one') stacked on top for extra emphasis. The छँटा हुआ (chhantaa huaa) construction is a handy one to notice elsewhere, since it turns almost any uncomplimentary noun into its 'ultimate' version.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes take छँटा हुआ (chhantaa huaa) literally as 'selected/picked out,' missing that here it functions idiomatically as an intensifier meaning 'through and through' or 'notorious' -- it does not mean the thief was literally chosen from a group. 2) This modifier is productive: the same छँटा हुआ (chhantaa huaa) pattern appears with other negative nouns like छँटा हुआ बदमाश (chhantaa huaa badmaayaa, 'a notorious rogue') -- learners often don't realize it's reusable beyond चोर (chor).
Sample Sentences:
मोहल्ले वाले कहते हैं कि वह एक नंबर का छँटा हुआ चोर है।
The neighbors say he's a number-one, master thief.
(mohalle vaale kahte hain ki vah ek nambar kaa chhantaa huaa chor hai।)
पुलिस को पता चला कि पकड़ा गया आदमी छँटा हुआ चोर था।
The police found out that the man they caught was a hardened thief.
(pulis ko pataa chalaa ki pakdaa gayaa aadmii chhantaa huaa chor thaa।)
उससे सावधान रहना, वह छँटा हुआ चोर है!
Be careful with him, he's a notorious thief!
(usse saavdhaan rahnaa, vah chhantaa huaa chor hai!)
दुकानदार चिल्लाया, "पकड़ो इसे, यह तो छँटा हुआ चोर निकला!"
The shopkeeper shouted, "Catch him, he turned out to be an absolute master thief!"
(dukaandaar chillaayaa, "pakdo ise, yah to chhantaa huaa chor niklaa!")
अगर वह सच में छँटा हुआ चोर होता, तो इतनी आसानी से पकड़ा नहीं जाता।
If he had really been a master thief, he wouldn't have been caught so easily.
(agar vah sach men chhantaa huaa chor hotaa, to itnii aasaanii se pakdaa nahiin jaataa।)
गवाहों ने अदालत में बताया कि आरोपी एक नंबर का छँटा हुआ चोर है।
The witnesses told the court that the accused is a number-one, hardened thief.
(gavaahon ne adaalat men bataayaa ki aaropii ek nambar kaa chhantaa huaa chor hai।)
हो सकता है वह छँटा हुआ चोर हो, पर इस बार शायद उसने कुछ नहीं किया।
He might be a notorious thief, but maybe this time he didn't do anything.
(ho saktaa hai vah chhantaa huaa chor ho, par is baar shaayad usne kuchh nahiin kiyaa।)
पूरे बाज़ार में उसकी पहचान एक छँटे हुए चोर की थी।
Throughout the market, he was known as a hardened thief.
(poore baazaar men uskii pahchaan ek chhante hue chor kii thii।)
वह देखने में तो भला लगता है, मगर है तो छँटा हुआ चोर।
He looks decent enough, but he really is a first-class thief.
(vah dekhne men to bhalaa lagtaa hai, magar hai to chhantaa huaa chor।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
छँटा हुआ चोर
(chhantaa huaa chor)
(sg.m.oblique):
छँटा हुआ चोर
(chhantaa huaa chor)
(pl.m.direct):
छँटा हुआ चोर
(chhantaa huaa chor)
(pl.m.oblique):
छँटा हुआ चोरों
(chhantaa huaa choron)