Udhaara

Udhaara is a term found in several Indian languages, commonly transliterated as udhaara or udhāra. In Hindustani languages such as Hindi and Urdu, udhaara (उधार/ادھاڕ) refers to a loan or credit, signifying the act of borrowing or money or goods supplied on trust with an expectation of repayment.

In everyday usage, udhaara denotes informal lending among family, friends, and local merchants. A person may borrow something udhaar or arrange to buy on udhaar, and shops often keep a record of such arrangements. These arrangements are frequently tracked in ledgers or notebooks, sometimes called udhaar khata, to monitor amounts owed and repayment status.

The concept of udhaara is closely tied to broader economic practices around debt and credit within Indian communities. While the term is rooted in everyday speech, its practical applications span personal loans, small-business credit, and informal financing arrangements that operate alongside formal banking systems.

Beyond its financial sense, udhaara can also appear as a proper noun in certain contexts, used as a given name, brand, or place name. Such uses are not standardized and vary by region and language. In transliteration, variations such as udhaar, udhāra, or udhaara reflect different phonetic renderings of the same term.