रुचि (ruchi)
noun
A noun meaning 'interest' or 'liking' -- the mental pull toward something you enjoy or want to know more about; it also has a secondary sense of 'taste' in the sensory/culinary meaning.
Sense
1
:
interest, inclination
noun, feminine Commonly used with होना (honaa) in the pattern X को Y में रुचि होना (X ko Y men ruchi honaa), 'X has an interest in Y' -- the person who is interested takes को (ko), not the subject marker a learner might expect.
Synonyms: दिलचस्पी (dilchaspii), उत्सुकता (utsuktaa, leans toward eagerness/curiosity), शौक (shauk, leans toward hobby-like enthusiasm)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You'll meet this word a lot on school report cards and job forms -- रुचियाँ (ruchiyaan, 'interests/hobbies') is the standard heading, similar to how English forms ask for 'hobbies and interests.' In relaxed conversation among friends, दिलचस्पी (dilchaspii) or शौक (shauk) usually feels more natural than रुचि (ruchi).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to make the interested person the subject with a normal verb agreement pattern, forgetting the को (ko)-marked construction: मुझे संगीत में रुचि है (mujhe sangiit men ruchi hai, 'I am interested in music'), not मैं रुचि हूँ। 2) रुचि (ruchi) is more bookish/measured than दिलचस्पी (dilchaspii), which is the everyday spoken choice -- using रुचि (ruchi) constantly in casual chat can sound a little formal.
Sample Sentences:
मुझे संगीत में बहुत रुचि है।
I have a lot of interest in music.
(mujhe sangiit men bahut ruchi hai।)
कृपया फ़ॉर्म में अपनी रुचियाँ लिखें।
Please write your interests/hobbies on the form.
(kripyaa form men apnii ruchiyaan likhen।)
बचपन से ही उसकी रुचि विज्ञान में रही है।
Since childhood, his interest has been in science.
(bachpan se hii uskii ruchi vigyaan men rahii hai।)
अगर तुम्हारी रुचि होती, तो तुम ज़रूर सीख लेते।
If you had had the interest, you would definitely have learned it.
(agar tumhaarii ruchi hotii, to tum zaroor siikh lete।)
शिक्षक ने बच्चों में पढ़ने की रुचि जगाने की कोशिश की।
The teacher tried to awaken an interest in reading among the children.
(shikshak ne bachchon men padhne kii ruchi jagaane kii koshish kii।)
क्या तुम्हें राजनीति में कोई रुचि है?
Do you have any interest in politics?
(kyaa tumhen raajniiti men koii ruchi hai?)
यह विषय ऐसा है कि इसमें सबकी रुचि बनी रहती है।
This subject is such that everyone's interest in it remains sustained.
(yah vishay aisaa hai ki ismen sabkii ruchi banii rahtii hai।)
उम्मीद है कि आपकी रुचि इस परियोजना में बनी रहे।
I hope your interest in this project continues.
(ummiid hai ki aapkii ruchi is pariyojnaa men banii rahe।)
प्रबंधन द्वारा कर्मचारियों की रुचि के अनुसार काम बाँटा गया।
The work was distributed by the management according to the employees' interests.
(prabandhan dvaaraa karmchaariyon kii ruchi ke anusaar kaam baantaa gayaa।)
उसकी रुचि दिन-प्रतिदिन बढ़ती जा रही है।
His interest is increasing day by day.
(uskii ruchi din-pratidin badhtii jaa rahii hai।)
साहित्य में जिनकी सहज रुचि होती है, वे इसे सहजता से समझ लेते हैं।
Those who have a natural interest in literature grasp it with ease.
(saahity men jinkii sahaj ruchi hotii hai, ve ise sahajtaa se samajh lete hain।)
Sense
2
:
taste, liking (for food/sensory experience)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: स्वाद (svaad, more specifically flavor/taste of food), पसंद (pasand, everyday word for liking/preference)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: This sense shares its root with the 'interest' sense above -- both come from the idea of something 'appealing' or 'tasting good' to the mind or palate, so you'll sometimes see रुचि (ruchi) used for refined taste, like साहित्यिक रुचि (saahityik ruchi, 'literary taste'), bridging both senses.
Common Mistakes: 1) This sense overlaps with पसंद (pasand) but रुचि (ruchi) leans slightly more formal/reflective, e.g. describing someone's general palate or aesthetic taste (खाने की रुचि (khaane kii ruchi, 'taste in food')) rather than a specific momentary preference.
Sample Sentences:
उसकी रुचि बहुत परिष्कृत है।
His taste is very refined.
(uskii ruchi bahut parishkrit hai।)
हर किसी की खाने की रुचि अलग होती है।
Everyone's taste in food is different.
(har kisii kii khaane kii ruchi alag hotii hai।)
मुझे उसकी साहित्यिक रुचि की तारीफ करनी पड़ी।
I had to praise his literary taste.
(mujhe uskii saahityik ruchi kii taariiph karnii padii।)
उम्र के साथ लोगों की रुचि बदल जाती है।
People's tastes change with age.
(umr ke saath logon kii ruchi badal jaatii hai।)
काश मेरी रुचि भी उसके जैसी सादी होती।
I wish my taste were as simple as his.
(kaash merii ruchi bhii uske jaisii saadii hotii।)
अगर उसकी रुचि तीखे खाने में होती, तो वह यह चटनी ज़रूर खाता।
If his taste ran to spicy food, he would definitely eat this chutney.
(agar uskii ruchi tiikhe khaane men hotii, to vah yah chatnii zaroor khaataa।)
क्या तुम्हें अपनी रुचि के हिसाब से खाना पसंद है या जो मिल जाए?
Do you like food according to your own taste, or whatever comes your way?
(kyaa tumhen apnii ruchi ke hisaab se khaanaa pasand hai yaa jo mil jaae?)
शेफ़ ने हर मेहमान की रुचि के अनुसार व्यंजन तैयार किए।
The chef prepared dishes according to each guest's taste.
(shef ne har mehmaan kii ruchi ke anusaar vyanjan taiyaar kie।)
जायके को अपनी रुचि के मुताबिक ढाल लीजिए, मसाला कम-ज़्यादा कर सकते हैं।
Adjust the flavor to your taste; you can add more or less spice.
(jaayke ko apnii ruchi ke mutaabik dhaal liijie, masaalaa kam-zyaadaa kar sakte hain।)
इस भोज में हर व्यंजन उसकी परिष्कृत रुचि की झलक देता है।
At this feast, every dish reflects his refined taste.
(is bhoj men har vyanjan uskii parishkrit ruchi kii jhalak detaa hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct):
रुचि
(ruchi)
(sg.f.oblique):
रुचि
(ruchi)
(pl.f.direct):
रुचिएँ
(ruchien)
(pl.f.oblique):
रुचिओं
(ruchion)