Signification
Guessing without having any real information.
Contexte culturel
The idiom is used identically in both regions. It reflects a shared history of rural life where throwing stones (dhil) was a common way to deal with unseen pests or intruders. In the highly competitive Bengali education system, 'অন্ধকারে ঢিল মারা' is often used by teachers to discourage students from guessing in exams, especially those with negative marking. During long social chats (Adda), if someone makes a wild claim about politics or sports, others use this phrase to playfully call out their lack of facts. In the context of 'Jugaad' (frugal innovation/workarounds), sometimes 'throwing a stone in the dark' is seen as a necessary first step when formal data is unavailable.
Use it for Luck
If you guessed something correctly by pure chance, you can say, 'অন্ধকারে ঢিল মেরেছিলাম, লেগে গেছে!' (I took a shot in the dark, and it hit!)
Don't use for Experts
Never use this to describe an expert's quick decision, as it implies they are just lucky and not skilled.
Signification
Guessing without having any real information.
Use it for Luck
If you guessed something correctly by pure chance, you can say, 'অন্ধকারে ঢিল মেরেছিলাম, লেগে গেছে!' (I took a shot in the dark, and it hit!)
Don't use for Experts
Never use this to describe an expert's quick decision, as it implies they are just lucky and not skilled.
Combine with 'Andaj'
To sound more natural, you can say 'পুরোটাই অন্ধকারে ঢিল মারা' (It's entirely a shot in the dark).
Teste-toi
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the idiom.
আমি অংকটা জানতাম না, তাই পরীক্ষায় কেবল _________।
The standard idiom is 'অন্ধকারে ঢিল মারা'.
Which situation best fits the idiom 'অন্ধকারে ঢিল মারা'?
Which of these is 'অন্ধকারে ঢিল মারা'?
The idiom refers to acting or guessing without information.
Complete the dialogue.
রহিম: তুমি কি জানো চোরটা কোন দিকে গেছে? করিম: না, আমি শুধু _________ বলছি যে সে উত্তর দিকে গেছে।
Karim is making a guess without knowing, which fits the idiom.
Match the idiom to the correct meaning.
অন্ধকারে ঢিল মারা = ?
The figurative meaning is to guess without information.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesআমি অংকটা জানতাম না, তাই পরীক্ষায় কেবল _________।
The standard idiom is 'অন্ধকারে ঢিল মারা'.
Which of these is 'অন্ধকারে ঢিল মারা'?
The idiom refers to acting or guessing without information.
রহিম: তুমি কি জানো চোরটা কোন দিকে গেছে? করিম: না, আমি শুধু _________ বলছি যে সে উত্তর দিকে গেছে।
Karim is making a guess without knowing, which fits the idiom.
অন্ধকারে ঢিল মারা = ?
The figurative meaning is to guess without information.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsNot necessarily, but it can be dismissive. If you say it about yourself, it's self-deprecating. If you say it about someone else's hard work, it might be seen as belittling.
It's better to use 'অনুমাননির্ভর' (speculative) or 'ভিত্তিহীন' (baseless) in very formal writing, though it's fine for journalism.
'Dhil' is usually a smaller, often earthen clod, while 'Pathor' is a solid stone. The idiom strictly uses 'Dhil'.
No, it just means the guess was made without information. It could turn out to be right (by luck) or wrong.
Not really. It almost always implies a lack of knowledge. However, hitting the target after 'throwing a stone in the dark' is seen as very lucky.
For 'we' (আমরা), it is 'আমরা অন্ধকারে ঢিল মারছি' (present) or 'আমরা অন্ধকারে ঢিল মারলাম' (past).
Yes, you can use it literally, but 99% of the time it is used figuratively.
The closest equivalent is 'A shot in the dark'.
Yes, it is extremely common in Bangladesh.
Yes, 'ছোড়া' (chora) is a synonym for 'মারা' (mara) and is also used, though 'মারা' is more common in the idiom.
Expressions liées
আন্দাজে ঢিল ছোড়া
synonymThrowing a stone based on a guess.
অন্ধকারে হাতড়ানো
similarGroping in the dark.
হাওয়ায় গুলি ছোড়া
similarFiring a bullet in the air.
জেনেবুঝে কাজ করা
contrastActing with full knowledge and understanding.
