मायने (maayne)
noun
A single word meaning 'meaning, significance' -- used almost always in the plural-looking form मायने (maayne) even when referring to one meaning, most commonly in the fixed phrase मायने रखना (maayne rakhnaa, 'to matter').
Sense
1
:
meaning, significance, sense
noun, masculine Grammatically plural in form and agreement (takes plural verb/adjective agreement) even when referring to the meaning of a single word or statement; there is no commonly used singular counterpart in this sense.
Synonyms: मतलब (matlab), अर्थ (arth)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly in the phrase इसके मायने हैं (iske maayne hain, 'this means'), often used when someone is drawing out a deeper implication rather than just defining a word -- it has a slightly more reflective, almost philosophical flavor than मतलब (matlab).
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often treat मायने (maayne) as singular and pair it with singular verb forms; native speakers keep it plural: इसके क्या मायने हैं (iske kyaa maayne hain, 'what does this mean'), not इसका क्या मायना है (iskaa kyaa maaynaa hai). 2) मायने (maayne) asks 'what is the significance/sense of this' and overlaps with मतलब (matlab), but मायने (maayne) leans toward deeper or figurative significance rather than plain dictionary meaning.
Sample Sentences:
इसके मायने क्या हैं?
What does this mean?
(iske maayne kyaa hain?)
उसकी खामोशी के मायने कुछ और थे।
The meaning of his silence was something else entirely.
(uskii khaamoshii ke maayne kuchh aur the।)
इस कविता के मायने समझना इतना आसान नहीं है।
Understanding the meaning of this poem is not that easy.
(is kavitaa ke maayne samajhnaa itnaa aasaan nahiin hai।)
अगर तुम गौर करो तो उसके शब्दों के मायने बदल जाएँगे।
If you pay attention, the meaning of his words will change.
(agar tum gaur karo to uske shabdon ke maayne badal jaaenge।)
मुझे बताओ, इसके मायने आखिर क्या निकलते हैं?
Tell me, what does this ultimately mean?
(mujhe bataao, iske maayne aakhir kyaa nikalte hain?)
अगर वो चिट्ठी न मिलती तो इस मुलाकात के मायने ही बदल जाते।
If that letter hadn't arrived, the meaning of this meeting would have changed entirely.
(agar vo chitthii n miltii to is mulaakaat ke maayne hii badal jaate।)
जब तक हम इसके सही मायने न समझें, कोई फैसला मत लेना।
Until we understand the true meaning of this, don't make any decision.
(jab tak ham iske sahii maayne n samjhen, koii phaislaa mat lenaa।)
इस मुहावरे के मायने हर भाषा में अलग तरह से समझे जाते हैं।
The meaning of this idiom is understood differently in every language.
(is muhaavre ke maayne har bhaashaa men alag tarah se samjhe jaate hain।)
उसने अपनी शायरी में ज़िंदगी के मायने ढूँढने की कोशिश की।
In his poetry, he tried to find the meaning of life.
(usne apnii shaayrii men zindgii ke maayne dhoondhne kii koshish kii।)
कृपया स्पष्ट करें कि इस शब्द के मायने इस संदर्भ में क्या हैं।
Please clarify what this word means in this context.
(kripyaa spasht karen ki is shabd ke maayne is sandarbh men kyaa hain।)
उसकी हर बात के मायने कुछ गहरे होते हैं, बस समझने वाला चाहिए।
There is always some deeper meaning to everything he says, it just needs someone to understand it.
(uskii har baat ke maayne kuchh gahre hote hain, bas samajhne vaalaa chaahie।)
Sense
2
:
importance, value, worth (as in 'to matter')
noun, masculine Occurs almost exclusively as the object of रखना (rakhnaa) in the fixed expression मायने रखना (maayne rakhnaa, 'to matter, to hold significance'), with the subject marked directly (no ने) since रखना (rakhnaa) here behaves idiomatically.
Synonyms: अहमियत (ahmiyat), महत्व (mahatv)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: मायने रखना (maayne rakhnaa) is the everyday way to say 'it matters' -- you will hear it in pep talks and arguments alike, e.g. दिल से किया गया काम मायने रखता है (dil se kiyaa gayaa kaam maayne rakhtaa hai, 'work done with heart matters'). It pairs naturally with कोई (koii) in the negative: कोई मायने नहीं रखता (koii maayne nahiin rakhtaa, 'doesn't matter at all').
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes translate 'it doesn't matter' word-for-word instead of using the set phrase; the natural Hindi is इससे कोई मायने नहीं रखता (isse koii maayne nahiin rakhtaa, 'it doesn't matter') or यह कोई मायने नहीं रखता (yah koii maayne nahiin rakhtaa). 2) The verb here is always रखना (rakhnaa), not होना (honaa) -- 'X मायने है' is not idiomatic in this sense.
Sample Sentences:
दिल से किया गया काम मायने रखता है।
Work done with heart matters.
(dil se kiyaa gayaa kaam maayne rakhtaa hai।)
अब कोई मायने नहीं रखता, तुम आओ या न आओ।
Nothing matters now, whether you come or not.
(ab koii maayne nahiin rakhtaa, tum aao yaa n aao।)
उसके लिए पैसा नहीं, रिश्ते मायने रखते हैं।
For him, it is not money that matters, it is relationships.
(uske lie paisaa nahiin, rishte maayne rakhte hain।)
क्या तुम्हारी नज़र में मेरी राय भी मायने रखती है?
Does my opinion matter to you too?
(kyaa tumhaarii nazar men merii raay bhii maayne rakhtii hai?)
उस मुश्किल दौर में उसकी एक बात ने बहुत मायने रखे।
During that hard time, one thing he said mattered a lot.
(us mushkil daur men uskii ek baat ne bahut maayne rakhe।)
अगर तुम्हारे लिए यह रिश्ता मायने रखता, तो तुम इतनी आसानी से न जाते।
If this relationship had mattered to you, you would not have left so easily.
(agar tumhaare lie yah rishtaa maayne rakhtaa, to tum itnii aasaanii se n jaate।)
याद रखो, हर छोटी कोशिश मायने रखती है।
Remember, every small effort matters.
(yaad rakho, har chhotii koshish maayne rakhtii hai।)
शायद तुम्हारी माफ़ी अब उसके लिए मायने न रखे।
Perhaps your apology no longer matters to her.
(shaayad tumhaarii maafii ab uske lie maayne n rakhe।)
समाज में उसकी बात को मायने दिए जाते हैं।
His words are given importance in society.
(samaaj men uskii baat ko maayne die jaate hain।)
नतीजा नहीं, नीयत मायने रखेगी।
Not the result, the intention will matter.
(natiijaa nahiin, niiyat maayne rakhegii।)
प्रेम में उम्र नहीं, समझ मायने रखती है।
In love, it's not age but understanding that matters.
(prem men umr nahiin, samajh maayne rakhtii hai।)
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct):
मायने
(maayne)
(sg.m.oblique):
मायने
(maayne)
(pl.m.direct):
मायने
(maayne)
(pl.m.oblique):
मायनेों
([[मायनेों]])