VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

dupattas

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/duːˈpʌtəz/
US/duːˈpɑːtəz/

“dupattas” is a form of “dupatta”.

Meaning

  1. nouncountable

    Long scarves worn by women in South Asia, usually draped over the shoulders or head with a salwar kameez.

    Grammar: Countable noun; the singular is dupatta. Use dupattas for more than one.

    Patterns

    • a dupatta
    • two dupattas
    • wear a dupatta

    She has dupattas in many bright colors.

    The shop sells silk dupattas and cotton salwar kameez.

    Both sisters wore matching dupattas to the wedding.

Word forms

singulardupatta

Common combinations

silk dupattas
The market is famous for its silk dupattas.
wear a dupatta
She likes to wear a dupatta with her kurta.
match the dupatta
He bought a shirt to match the dupatta.
a dupatta over the shoulder
She carried a dupatta over her shoulder.

Synonyms and how they differ

scarf
A general word for a piece of cloth worn around the neck or head; a dupatta is a specific South Asian garment, usually longer and worn with traditional dress.
shawl
A shawl is usually warmer and larger; a dupatta is lighter and often part of a matching outfit.

Word family

dupatta noun
The singular form: one long scarf worn in South Asia.

Commonly confused: dupattas or dhoti? dupattas or sari?

dupattas vs dhoti

A dhoti is a piece of cloth worn around the waist by men in South Asia, not a scarf worn over the shoulders.

dupattas vs sari

A sari is a long garment wrapped around the body, while a dupatta is a scarf or stole worn with other clothes.

Practice

Choose the correct sentence.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “dupattas”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words