गति (gati)

noun Primarily means 'speed/pace' in everyday use, but carries a rich secondary life as 'motion/movement' (physics-style), and as 'fate/condition' or 'course/way' in more reflective or literary-tinged speech, e.g. talking about someone's life circumstances or the afterlife.

Sense 1 : speed, pace

noun, feminine

Synonyms: रफ़्तार (raftaar), चाल (chaal)

Frequency: high

Cultural Note: You will see this word constantly on Indian road signs: गति सीमा (gati siimaa, 'speed limit'). It is also the default word in any scientific or technical register for velocity, so it bridges casual and formal contexts easily.

Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for स्पीड (spiid) from English, which is common in casual speech, but गति (gati) is the word used in writing, instructions, and anything remotely formal (traffic signs, news reports, exam questions). 2) गति (gati) usually takes धीमी (dhiimii, 'slow') or तेज़ (tez, 'fast') as its adjective, not the verb-based descriptions an English speaker might default to.

Sample Sentences:

गाड़ी की गति बहुत तेज़ थी। The car's speed was very fast.

(gaadii kii gati bahut tez thii।)

यहाँ गति सीमा साठ किलोमीटर प्रति घंटा है। The speed limit here is sixty kilometers per hour.

(yahaan gati siimaa saath kilomiitar prati ghantaa hai।)

कृपया अपनी गति कम करें, आगे स्कूल है। Please reduce your speed, there's a school ahead.

(kripyaa apnii gati kam karen, aage skool hai।)

अगर वह अपनी गति नहीं बढ़ाता तो ट्रेन छूट जाती। If he hadn't increased his speed, he would have missed the train.

(agar vah apnii gati nahiin badhaataa to tren chhoot jaatii।)

प्रकाश की गति ध्वनि की गति से कहीं ज़्यादा होती है। The speed of light is far greater than the speed of sound.

(prakaash kii gati dhvani kii gati se kahiin zyaadaa hotii hai।)

इस मशीन की गति हर मिनट मापी जाती है। This machine's speed is measured every minute.

(is mashiin kii gati har minat maapii jaatii hai।)

बाइक इतनी गति से जा रही थी कि संभालना मुश्किल हो गया। The bike was going at such speed that it became hard to control.

(baaik itnii gati se jaa rahii thii ki sambhaalnaa mushkil ho gayaa।)

काश हवा की गति और तेज़ हो जाए, तो पतंग ऊँची उड़ेगी। If only the wind's speed would pick up more, the kite would fly higher.

(kaash havaa kii gati aur tez ho jaae, to patang oonchii udegii।)

इंजीनियर ने पंखे की गति नियंत्रित करने के लिए नया उपकरण लगाया। The engineer installed a new device to control the fan's speed.

(injiiniyar ne pankhe kii gati niyantrit karne ke lie nayaa upakran lagaayaa।)

इतनी गति से मत भागो, गिर जाओगे! Don't run at such speed, you'll fall!

(itnii gati se mat bhaago, gir jaaoge!)

इंटरनेट की गति इस इलाके में बहुत धीमी है। The internet speed in this area is very slow.

(intarnet kii gati is ilaake men bahut dhiimii hai।)

Sense 2 : motion, movement

noun, feminine

Synonyms: चाल (chaal), हरकत (harkat)

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: This is the sense you meet in a school physics class -- गति के नियम (gati ke niyam, 'laws of motion') -- and also in more philosophical or devotional writing about the constant movement of time, life, or the universe.

Sample Sentences:

न्यूटन ने गति के नियम दिए। Newton gave the laws of motion.

(nyootan ne gati ke niyam die।)

हर वस्तु में गति का एक निश्चित नियम होता है। Every object has a fixed law governing its motion.

(har vastu men gati kaa ek nishchit niyam hotaa hai।)

पृथ्वी की गति के कारण दिन और रात होते हैं। Day and night happen because of the earth's motion.

(prithvii kii gati ke kaaran din aur raat hote hain।)

जीवन में गति बनी रहनी चाहिए, रुकना ठीक नहीं। There should always be motion in life; stopping isn't good.

(jiivan men gati banii rahnii chaahie, ruknaa thiik nahiin।)

अगर गति न होती, तो सृष्टि जड़ हो जाती। If there were no motion, creation would become inert.

(agar gati n hotii, to srishti jad ho jaatii।)

अणु और परमाणु सदा गति में रहते हैं। Molecules and atoms are always in motion.

(anu aur parmaanu sadaa gati men rahte hain।)

समय की गति को कोई रोक नहीं सकता। No one can stop the motion of time.

(samay kii gati ko koii rok nahiin saktaa।)

इस प्रयोग से गति की दिशा बदल दी गई। The direction of motion was changed by this experiment.

(is prayog se gati kii dishaa badal dii gaii।)

सृष्टि की यह गति अनंत काल से चली आ रही है। This motion of creation has been continuing since eternity.

(srishti kii yah gati anant kaal se chalii aa rahii hai।)

Sense 3 : fate, condition, course of life

noun, feminine Often appears with a possessive: किसी की गति (kisii kii gati, 'someone's fate/condition').

Synonyms: दशा (dashaa), हालत (haalat)

Frequency: medium

Cultural Note: This sense shows up in the common expression क्या गति होगी (kyaa gati hogii, 'what will become of [him/her]'), often said with real worry about someone's future or well-being. It also appears in a devotional register, where a soul's गति (gati) after death (its path or destination) is a serious theological topic.

Common Mistakes: 1) This sense can sound heavier or more literary than 'condition' feels in English -- it is often used sympathetically or gravely, as in describing someone's sorry state, rather than in a neutral, everyday way. 2) Do not confuse with गति (gati) meaning speed; context (usually a possessive plus a tone of pity or concern) signals this sense.

Sample Sentences:

अगर उसने पढ़ाई नहीं की, तो उसकी क्या गति होगी? If he doesn't study, what will become of him?

(agar usne padhaaii nahiin kii, to uskii kyaa gati hogii?)

बेचारे की बड़ी बुरी गति हुई है। The poor fellow has come to a very bad state.

(bechaare kii badii burii gati huii hai।)

मरने के बाद आत्मा की गति क्या होती है, यह शास्त्रों में बताया गया है। What happens to the soul's fate after death is described in the scriptures.

(marne ke baad aatmaa kii gati kyaa hotii hai, yah shaastron men bataayaa gayaa hai।)

अगर तुमने यह पैसा जुए में उड़ाया, तो घर की क्या गति होगी, सोचा है कभी? If you blow this money on gambling, have you ever thought what will become of the household?

(agar tumne yah paisaa jue men udaayaa, to ghar kii kyaa gati hogii, sochaa hai kabhii?)

काश उसने समय पर इलाज कराया होता, तो उसकी यह गति न होती। If only he had gotten treatment in time, he wouldn't have ended up in this state.

(kaash usne samay par ilaaj karaayaa hotaa, to uskii yah gati n hotii।)

पंडित जी ने कहा कि सच्चे मन से पूजा करने से मृत आत्मा को सद्गति मिलती है। The priest said that worshipping with a pure heart grants the departed soul a good fate.

(pandit jii ne kahaa ki sachche man se poojaa karne se mrit aatmaa ko sadgti miltii hai।)

यह देखकर दुख होता है कि इस परिवार की ऐसी गति हो गई। It's painful to see that this family has come to such a state.

(yah dekhkar dukh hotaa hai ki is parivaar kii aisii gati ho gaii।)

उस बिना बाप के बच्चे की क्या गति होगी, यह सोचकर मन बहुत भारी हो जाता है। Thinking about what will become of that fatherless child weighs heavily on the heart.

(us binaa baap ke bachche kii kyaa gati hogii, yah sochkar man bahut bhaarii ho jaataa hai।)

भगवान करे उसकी गति अच्छी हो। God grant that his soul's fate be good.

(bhagvaan kare uskii gati achchhii ho।)

बिना नौकरी और बिना घर के उसकी यही गति रहनी थी। Without a job and without a home, this was bound to be his fate.

(binaa naukrii aur binaa ghar ke uskii yahii gati rahnii thii।)

Morphology

Noun

(sg.f.direct): गति (gati)

(sg.f.oblique): गति (gati)

(pl.f.direct): गतिएँ (gatien)

(pl.f.oblique): गतिओं (gation)