पल भर (pal bhar)
adverb
A compact time expression meaning 'a moment', 'the blink of an eye' -- पल (pal, 'moment') plus भर (bhar, 'full/whole'), literally 'a full moment', used to stress extreme brevity.
Sense
1
:
for just a moment, for the briefest instant
adverb Functions adverbially without a postposition: पल भर रुको (pal bhar ruko, 'wait a moment') -- no के लिए (ke lie) is needed, though it can be added for emphasis.
Synonyms: एक पल (ek pal), ज़रा सी देर (zaraa sii der), लम्हा भर (lamhaa bhar, literary)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear this in everyday requests like पल भर ठहरो (pal bhar thahro, 'hold on a second') -- it has a slightly more literary or emotive color than the plain एक मिनट (ek minat), so it shows up often in songs, poetry, and heartfelt speech about fleeting time.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often insert के लिए (ke lie) after पल भर (pal bhar) thinking it is required like in English 'for a moment' -- it is optional here, since भर (bhar) itself already carries the sense of 'for the duration of'. 2) Do not confuse with पल पल (pal pal, 'every moment, constantly') -- the reduplication changes the meaning to continuousness rather than brevity.
Sample Sentences:
पल भर ठहरो, मैं अभी आता हूँ।
Wait for a moment, I'll be right there.
(pal bhar thahro, main abhii aataa hoon।)
उसने पल भर के लिए मेरी आँखों में देखा।
He looked into my eyes for just a moment.
(usne pal bhar ke lie merii aankhon men dekhaa।)
पल भर के लिए सारी दुनिया थम सी गई थी।
For a moment, it felt like the whole world had stopped.
(pal bhar ke lie saarii duniyaa tham sii gaii thii।)
क्या तुम पल भर के लिए रुक सकते हो?
Can you stop for just a moment?
(kyaa tum pal bhar ke lie ruk sakte ho?)
अगर तुम पल भर भी रुकते, तो तुम्हें सच पता चल जाता।
If you had paused even for a moment, you would have learned the truth.
(agar tum pal bhar bhii rukte, to tumhen sach pataa chal jaataa।)
वह पल भर के लिए मुस्कुराई और फिर चली गई।
She smiled for a moment and then walked away.
(vah pal bhar ke lie muskuraaii aur phir chalii gaii।)
यह खुशी पल भर की ही थी, फिर सब कुछ पहले जैसा हो गया।
This happiness lasted only a moment, then everything went back to how it was.
(yah khushii pal bhar kii hii thii, phir sab kuchh pahle jaisaa ho gayaa।)
मुझे पल भर की फुर्सत नहीं मिली।
I didn't get even a moment's rest.
(mujhe pal bhar kii phursat nahiin milii।)
पल भर को उसे लगा कि सब ठीक हो जाएगा।
For a moment, he felt that everything would be fine.
(pal bhar ko use lagaa ki sab thiik ho jaaegaa।)
इस गाने में वक़्त के पल भर में गुज़र जाने की बात कही गई है।
This song speaks of how time passes in the blink of a moment.
(is gaane men vaqt ke pal bhar men guzar jaane kii baat kahii gaii hai।)