hair
/heə(r)/noun
उच्चारण हेअर
बाल (सिर के सारे बाल)
Basic wordPYP · asked 8 times
Asked in previous papers
as homonym, idiom
+3 more
SSC CHSL Pre 2025SSC Steno 2025SSC Exams before 2018- 1
[U]
the mass of thin threads that grows on your head
बाल (सिर के सारे बाल)
- She has long black hair.
- She tied her hair in a neat plait before school.
- He combs his hair before leaving for school.
+ 2 more examples
- Her grandmother has thick grey hair.
- Oiling your hair regularly is a common habit in many Indian homes.
- 2
[C]
one of these threads
एक बाल
- There is a hair in my soup.
- He found a hair in his food and called the waiter.
- I found a long hair on my pillow.
+ 2 more examples
- A single hair fell into the cup of tea.
- The brush had a few grey hairs stuck in it.
§Structures (grammar patterns) 4
hair (uncountable) for all the hair on the head
Use 'hair' without a plural s and with a singular verb when you mean the whole covering of hair on a head. This is the usual use in everyday English.
जब सिर के सारे बालों की बात हो, तब 'hair' uncountable होता है और इसके साथ singular verb आती है, इसमें s नहीं लगता।
- Radhika's hair is very long.
- His hair has turned grey early.
a hair / hairs (countable) for single strands
Use the countable form only when you mean one strand or a few separate strands, for example on clothes or in food.
जब एक या कुछ अलग-अलग बालों की बात हो, तब 'a hair' या 'hairs' का countable प्रयोग होता है।
- There is a hair in my tea.
- The brush was full of white hairs.
have/get + hair + past participle (causative)
When someone else does the work, use have or get with hair and the past participle, not a plain active verb.
जब काम कोई और करे, तब 'have/get + hair + past participle' (causative) संरचना का प्रयोग होता है।
- She had her hair cut before the interview.
- I am getting my hair dyed tomorrow.
adjective + hair, with 'hair' after the adjective
Colour, length and texture words come before hair. Remember that people have black or grey hair, not 'a black hair' for the whole head.
रंग, लंबाई और बनावट बताने वाले adjective 'hair' से पहले आते हैं; पूरे सिर के लिए 'a black hair' नहीं कहते।
- The old man has thin, silver hair.
- She has dark, curly hair.
+Collocations 4
adjective + hair
thickthinstraightcurlygreyingshoulder-length
- The actor's thick, wavy hair made him easy to recognise.
verb + hair
combbrushwashdyeplaitcut
- Every morning Radhika plaits her hair before leaving for school.
hair + noun
hair oilhair dryerhair cliphair stylehair band
- My grandmother still massages hair oil into my scalp on Sundays.
idiom with hair
split hairslet your hair downby a hair's breadthmake your hair stand on end
- India won the match by a hair's breadth.
“More examples 5
- The barber trimmed my hair neatly before the wedding.
नाई ने शादी से पहले मेरे बाल करीने से छाँट दिए।
- There were a few grey hairs on his temples.
उसकी कनपटियों पर कुछ सफ़ेद बाल थे।
- Wash your hair twice a week during the monsoon.
बरसात में सप्ताह में दो बार अपने बाल धोइए।
- The ghost story made the children's hair stand on end.
भूत की कहानी सुनकर बच्चों के रोंगटे खड़े हो गए।
- Don't split hairs; the main point is that the work is late.
बाल की खाल मत निकालिए; मुख्य बात यह है कि काम देर से हो रहा है।
!Common mistakes 3
✗ Her hairs are very beautiful.
✓ Her hair is very beautiful.
For the whole head of hair, 'hair' is uncountable and takes a singular verb.
पूरे सिर के बालों के लिए 'hair' uncountable है और singular verb लेता है; 'hairs' नहीं लिखते।
✗ I will cut my hair at the salon tomorrow.
✓ I will have my hair cut at the salon tomorrow.
The barber does the cutting, so the causative 'have + object + past participle' is needed.
बाल नाई काटता है, इसलिए यहाँ causative 'have + object + past participle' चाहिए।
✗ He is having a grey hair.
✓ He has grey hair.
'Have' of possession is not used in the continuous tense, and the whole head needs the uncountable noun.
Possession वाले 'have' का continuous tense नहीं बनता, और पूरे सिर के लिए uncountable 'hair' आता है।
¶Idioms 10
split hairs
to argue about very small differences that are not important
बाल की खाल निकालना
- Let's not split hairs over the wording.
let your hair down
(informal) to relax and enjoy yourself, especially in a lively way
खुलकर मौज-मस्ती करना
- After the exams, the students let their hair down at the party.
- Come on, it's Holi — let your hair down!
make sb's hair stand on end
to shock or frighten sb
किसी के रोंगटे खड़े कर देना
- The ghost story made my hair stand on end.
- His account of the accident made our hair stand on end.
get in sb's hair
(informal) to annoy sb by always being near them or asking them questions
किसी के सिर पर सवार होकर परेशान करना
- The kids are getting in my hair today.
- I'll take the children out so they don't get in your hair.
by a hair's breadth
by a very small amount
बाल-बाल, बहुत कम अंतर से
- She missed the cut-off by a hair's breadth.
- We escaped the accident by a hair's breadth.
not turn a hair
to show no emotion when sth surprising, shocking, etc. happens
ज़रा भी विचलित न होना
- She didn't turn a hair when they told her the bad news.
- He faced the angry crowd without turning a hair.
keep your hair on
(British English, informal) used to tell sb to stay calm and not to get angry
ग़ुस्सा मत करो, शांत रहो
- Keep your hair on! I'll pay you back tomorrow.
- All right, keep your hair on — it was only a joke.
tear your hair out
(informal) to show that you are very angry or worried about sth
बहुत परेशान या ग़ुस्से में बाल नोचना
- She's been tearing her hair out over her son's results.
- The traffic made us tear our hair out.
a bad hair day
a day on which everything seems to go wrong
ऐसा दिन जब सब कुछ उल्टा हो
- I'm having a bad hair day — I've broken a cup and missed the bus.
- Sorry I snapped at you; it's been a bad hair day.
a hair in the butter
a delicate, awkward situation that must be handled very carefully
नाज़ुक और उलझी हुई स्थिति
- Settling the quarrel between the two brothers was a hair in the butter for the family elders.
- The minister knew the border issue was a hair in the butter.
?Which word?
hair or hairs?
For all the hair on your head, use the uncountable form with a singular verb: 'Her hair is black.' Use hairs only when you count single threads.
सिर के सारे बालों के लिए hair एक uncountable noun की तरह आता है और इसके साथ singular verb लगता है, जैसे 'Her hair is black.' Hairs का प्रयोग तभी होता है जब एक-एक बाल गिना जा रहा हो।