mithai
/ˈmɪtʰaɪ/noun
मिठाई
Core word
- 1
[U]
any of various Indian sweets, usually made with milk, sugar, flour or nuts, and often given at festivals and celebrations
मिठाई
- We shared mithai with our neighbours on Diwali.
- Radhika bought a box of mithai to celebrate her result.
- Guests were offered tea and mithai as soon as they arrived.
+ 2 more examples
- The mithai shop is busiest in the week before Diwali.
- She packed boxes of mithai to send to her relatives.
Synonyms Indian sweets
§Structures (grammar patterns) 4
mithai (uncountable, mass noun)
Mithai is usually uncountable: you buy some mithai, a box of mithai. It is not normally used with a number.
'Mithai' प्रायः uncountable होता है: some mithai, a box of mithai। इसके साथ संख्या सामान्यतः नहीं लगती।
- We bought a kilo of mithai for the guests.
- There was plenty of mithai at the wedding.
a piece of / a box of / a plate of + mithai
To count it, use a unit word such as piece, box or plate.
इसे गिनने के लिए piece, box या plate जैसे इकाई-शब्द का प्रयोग होता है।
- Radhika offered everyone a piece of mithai.
- Please bring two boxes of mithai for the office.
mithai + singular verb
Because it is uncountable, mithai takes a singular verb.
Uncountable होने के कारण 'mithai' के साथ singular verb आती है।
- The mithai is on the table.
- Is the mithai fresh?
mithai shop / mithai maker (compound)
Mithai is often the first part of a compound noun.
'Mithai' प्रायः संयुक्त संज्ञा का पहला भाग होता है।
- The mithai shop near the station is always crowded.
- He works as a mithai maker in Mathura.
+Collocations 4
verb + mithai
buydistributeofferpreparesharesend
- Families distribute mithai to neighbours at Diwali.
mithai + noun
shopboxstallmakerseller
- He opened a small mithai shop in the old market.
adjective + mithai
freshhomemadetraditionalsugar-freefestive
- My grandmother still makes traditional mithai at home.
occasion + mithai
Diwali mithaiwedding mithaiEid mithaiRaksha Bandhan mithai
- Eid mithai was sent to all the neighbours.
“More examples 5
- Radhika brought mithai to school on the day her result came.
जिस दिन राधिका का परिणाम आया, वह स्कूल में मिठाई लेकर आई।
- When the exam list was published, the whole family ate mithai.
जब परीक्षा की सूची प्रकाशित हुई, तो पूरे परिवार ने मिठाई खाई।
- Doctors advise people with diabetes to eat mithai only rarely.
डॉक्टर मधुमेह के रोगियों को केवल कभी-कभी मिठाई खाने की सलाह देते हैं।
- The mithai of Bengal, such as rasgulla and sandesh, is famous across India.
बंगाल की मिठाइयाँ, जैसे रसगुल्ला और संदेश, पूरे भारत में प्रसिद्ध हैं।
- Please keep the mithai in the fridge, or it will spoil.
कृपया मिठाई को फ्रिज में रखें, नहीं तो वह खराब हो जाएगी।
!Common mistakes 2
✗ He bought five mithais for the party.
✓ He bought five boxes of mithai for the party.
Mithai is uncountable in English, so it does not take a plural -s.
अंग्रेज़ी में 'mithai' uncountable है, इसलिए उसमें बहुवचन -s नहीं लगता।
✗ The mithai are very fresh.
✓ The mithai is very fresh.
An uncountable noun takes a singular verb.
Uncountable noun के साथ singular verb आती है।
≠Thesaurus: which synonym when
Mithai, sweets and dessert all name sweet food, but they belong to different traditions and times of eating.
Mithai, sweets और dessert तीनों मीठे भोजन के नाम हैं, पर इनकी परंपरा और खाने का समय अलग है।
Indian sweets made with milk, sugar, flour or nuts, often given at festivals.
दूध, चीनी, आटे या मेवे से बनी भारतीय मिठाइयाँ, जो प्रायः त्योहारों पर दी जाती हैं।
- We exchanged mithai on the first day of Navratri.
The general British word for small sugary items, including toffees and chocolates, as well as Indian mithai.
छोटी मीठी चीज़ों के लिए सामान्य British शब्द, जिसमें टॉफी और चॉकलेट भी आते हैं।
- The child was given sweets after the prize ceremony.
A sweet dish eaten at the end of a meal.
भोजन के अंत में खाया जाने वाला मीठा व्यंजन।
- We had kheer as dessert after dinner.
✓In the exam
Notes
From Hindi, where mithai means any sweet food; the word is used in Indian English for sweets such as laddu, barfi and jalebi.
यह शब्द Hindi से आया है, जिसमें mithai का अर्थ कोई भी मीठा पकवान है; Indian English में यह laddu, barfi और jalebi जैसी मिठाइयों के लिए प्रयोग होता है।