मिट्टी में मिलाना
Mix in dust
Littéralement: मिट्टी (Soil/Dust) + में (in) + मिलाना (to mix/blend)
Use this phrase when someone's actions cause total social humiliation or ruin a legacy.
En 15 secondes
- To completely destroy someone's reputation or hard-earned honor.
- Used for major scandals, deep embarrassments, or total failures.
- Literally means 'to mix into the soil' or 'grind to dust'.
Signification
This phrase is used when someone completely ruins a reputation, a legacy, or a massive effort. It is like taking something proud and grinding it into the dirt until it is worthless.
Exemples clés
3 sur 6A father reacting to a family scandal
तुमने खानदान का नाम मिट्टी में मिला दिया!
You have dragged the family name through the mud!
Discussing a corrupt politician
उस घोटाले ने मंत्री जी की साख मिट्टी में मिला दी।
That scandal ruined the minister's credibility.
Texting a friend about a failed project
मेरी सारी मेहनत मिट्टी में मिल गई।
All my hard work has gone down the drain.
Contexte culturel
The phrase reflects the deep-seated value of 'Izzat' (honor) in South Asian society. Historically, being 'reduced to dust' symbolizes the loss of land, status, or lineage. It became iconic through Bollywood 'Angry Young Man' films where family honor was the central plot point.
The Passive Switch
Use 'milana' (active) to blame someone, and 'mil jana' (passive) to describe the sad state of things without pointing fingers.
High Intensity
This is a 'heavy' phrase. Using it for small mistakes makes you sound like a drama queen. Save it for the big stuff!
En 15 secondes
- To completely destroy someone's reputation or hard-earned honor.
- Used for major scandals, deep embarrassments, or total failures.
- Literally means 'to mix into the soil' or 'grind to dust'.
What It Means
Imagine building a beautiful sandcastle for hours. Then, someone comes and stomps it into flat ground. That is mitti mein milana. It means to destroy someone's pride, honor, or hard work completely. It is about total humiliation or the utter waste of a good reputation. You are essentially saying that something valuable has been turned back into worthless dust.
How To Use It
You use this phrase as a verb. The person doing the ruining is the subject. The thing being ruined is the object. For example, 'You ruined my name' becomes 'You mixed my name in the dust.' It sounds very dramatic because it is! It is less about physical breaking and more about social or emotional destruction.
When To Use It
Use this when a scandal breaks out. Use it when a child does something that embarrasses the whole family. It is perfect for high-stakes drama. If a professional athlete gets caught cheating, they have mixed their career in the dust. It works well in movies, heated arguments, or when discussing a major failure. It adds a layer of 'shame' to the act of failing.
When NOT To Use It
Do not use this for small accidents. If you drop a glass of water, do not say you mixed it in the dust. That is too much drama for a wet floor! Also, avoid using it with your boss unless you are quitting. It is quite accusatory. It implies a permanent loss of respect, so don't use it for temporary setbacks.
Cultural Background
In Indian culture, 'izzat' (honor) is everything. Dust is seen as the lowest form of matter. To take someone's high-standing 'izzat' and put it in the dirt is the ultimate insult. This phrase has been a staple of Bollywood cinema for decades. Think of a father shouting at a rebellious son in a 1970s film. It captures the fear of social disgrace that is common in tight-knit communities.
Common Variations
You might hear mitti mein mil jana. This is the passive version. It means 'to be ruined.' While milana is an action you do to someone, mil jana is what happens to the reputation itself. Both carry the same heavy weight of total loss.
Notes d'usage
This phrase is high-intensity and emotionally charged. It is best suited for informal or semi-formal contexts where you want to emphasize the gravity of a failure or insult.
The Passive Switch
Use 'milana' (active) to blame someone, and 'mil jana' (passive) to describe the sad state of things without pointing fingers.
High Intensity
This is a 'heavy' phrase. Using it for small mistakes makes you sound like a drama queen. Save it for the big stuff!
The Bollywood Connection
If you want to sound like a 90s movie villain, say 'Main tumhe mitti mein mila dunga!' (I will grind you into the dust!). It's a classic threat.
Exemples
6तुमने खानदान का नाम मिट्टी में मिला दिया!
You have dragged the family name through the mud!
Classic use regarding family reputation.
उस घोटाले ने मंत्री जी की साख मिट्टी में मिला दी।
That scandal ruined the minister's credibility.
Used here for professional reputation.
मेरी सारी मेहनत मिट्टी में मिल गई।
All my hard work has gone down the drain.
The passive form 'mil gayi' is used for self-pity.
एक हार ने हमारी पूरी जीत की खुशी मिट्टी में मिला दी।
One defeat turned our joy of victory into dust.
Used to show how a good moment was spoiled.
भाई, मेरा फोन मत गिराना, वरना मेरी आधी सैलरी मिट्टी में मिल जाएगी!
Bro, don't drop my phone, or half my salary will be dust!
Hyperbolic and funny way to show value.
लालच ने हमारी प्राकृतिक सुंदरता को मिट्टी में मिला दिया है।
Greed has destroyed our natural beauty.
Used metaphorically for a larger cause.
Teste-toi
Choose the correct verb form for: 'You ruined my plan.'
तुमने मेरा सारा प्लान ___ में मिला दिया।
The idiom specifically uses 'mitti' (soil/dust) to signify total ruin.
Complete the sentence to mean 'My reputation was ruined.'
मेरी इज़्ज़त मिट्टी में ___ गई।
'Mil gayi' is the passive form used when something gets ruined on its own or by circumstances.
🎉 Score : /2
Aides visuelles
Formality Spectrum of 'Mitti mein milana'
Used in street fights or extreme anger.
मैं तुझे मिट्टी में मिला दूंगा!
Common in family arguments or movies.
नाम मिट्टी में मिला दिया।
Used in news or storytelling about failures.
मेहनत मिट्टी में मिल गई।
When to use 'Mitti mein milana'
Family Shame
Disobeying elders publicly
Wasted Effort
A project failing at the last minute
Broken Trust
A friend leaking a secret
Defeating an Enemy
Crushing an opponent in a game
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsIt literally means 'to mix into the soil' or 'to blend with dust.' It implies turning something structured back into raw earth.
Yes, it almost always refers to destruction, humiliation, or waste. You wouldn't use it for a positive transformation.
Absolutely! You can say Maine apni life mitti mein mila di (I ruined my own life) if you're feeling particularly self-critical.
Actually, the common phrase is Paani pher dena (to turn to water). Mitti is more about shame and reputation, while Paani pher dena is more about wasting effort.
Only if the situation is dire, like a company bankruptcy or a major PR disaster. It is usually too emotional for daily office talk.
It's most common in family dramas or news headlines about fallen celebrities or politicians.
Rarely. If you smash a vase, you just broke it. If you destroy a historical monument, you might say you mixed its glory in the dust.
A little bit, but it's still very much alive in spoken Hindi, especially when people are being dramatic or expressive.
No, it's a standard idiom. Everyone from a child to a grandmother will understand it perfectly.
There isn't a direct opposite idiom, but Naam raushan karna (to brighten/light up the name) is the positive equivalent for bringing honor.
Expressions liées
इज्जत नीलाम करना
To auction one's honor (to publicly humiliate)
पानी फेर देना
To pour water on (to ruin efforts)
नाम डुबोना
To drown the name (to bring disgrace)
खाक में मिलाना
To mix into ashes (a more poetic version of the same idiom)
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